hellohikaru

Dave i believe the missile you are talking about is the Novator AAM-L/KS-1/KS-172. I hear it is based on the S-400 SAM. AA-12/R-77 is shorter than the shortest R-27/AA-10.

Namco could release action figures based on its AC5 characters like they did for the Tekken 3 range...hopefully.

Will it make those howling sounds the helicopter in the show makes ?

Here is my favourite Area 88 kit photo

You can find them http://www.1999.co.jp/asp/GoodsDetails_e.a...rt=0&ItKey=Area 88&app_url=KeyReference_right_e.asp HLJ use to carry them but there are gone now i think. Based on the pictures i think they don't quite match the ones in the show. For example where is the "00" markings on Kazama's Crusader. Might as well print the decals yourself. Take a look at the area 88 kits in this page http://www.xman.shadow.ne.jp/index.html Much more colorful then the Hase ones but not sure where you can find them.

Here is the Hasegawa combo set that is mistakenly indentified as Fujimi

Its just that the only Su-37 (Bolt 711) was never fully developed and crashed during a flight test. Given time i am sure it could get everything the Su-30MKI had and even more. The Su-30MKI benefitted from the data collected from Su-37 testing. You know whenever the Su-37 are about to do that fancy Cobra stuff i just let go 2 missiles plus cannons blazing 2 player would definitely be missed and would hurt the game's replay to a certain extent.

Actually it looks like one of those practice stores dispensers. You can load both unguided rockets and practice bombs I am not sure which model are they using but looks like an A-6E to me. I think the A-6E can carry Sidewinders or have the provisions to carry them even if they were almost never seen with them. BTW you can't buy the Su-37 Flanker in AC2...wish i could though...hopefully this time we can do the backflip trick as seen in AC2. Maybe they left out multiplayer because too many AC players complaint about it or maybe they didn't have time to complete it. @David I don't think its fair to compare the Su-37 and Su-30MKI because the Su-37's avionics is still not fully developed and i am sure if customers wanted better this and that it can be done as in the case of the Su-30MKI. I wonder how well the Su-30MKI will stake up against the EF2000 and Rafale I am sure Meteor and FMRAAM(spl?) will outrange the current flanker weapons.

hmmm....based on the n14 episode tv series i know that Hasegawa released a 1/48 F-8/F-14 combo set that comes with a DVD. And i notice that a 1/48 F-5E is also going to be sold. A far cry from the good ol days when virtually every kind of plane was released including the YAL 747! Still prefered the older series, more colorful planes and a Saki that actually flies.

You have the Viz comics ? Lots of amazing stuff not seen in the OAV is covered in the comics. If you haven't seen the original 3 part OAV you don't know what are missing. Its a great show even though it does contain a few silly mistakes. Go for it. There is also a recent 14 episiode new tv series which is a bit blend compared with the old OAVs.

The Area 88 music collection is now available at imacross server iv courtesy of majortom.

well...i can tell the mask is the MBU-5/P series...the long pointy type. Did some researching on the helmet and couldn't find one that matches. Those in A88 have those small round fairing at the sides. It looks a bit like APH-2 though... @Mikeszekeley Its not entirely true that Sweden cannot export its fighters. In the 80s they wanted to export the Viggen to India but due to restrction with the RM8(Licensed version of JT8D) the deal fell through. Sweden has already sold a number(34?) of JAS-39C Gripens to South Africa. Unfortunately they didn't do too well in the Chilean and Austrian competition. @Shin I think Super Hornet is too expensive for the Phillipnes considering their current military budget. Furthermore acquiring a US fighter wouldn't suit the current local sentiment. Actually i heard the US did offer an aid package to Manilla that would have provided them with surplus Falcons. I think they rejected the package as there were many strings attached.

There goes my hopes for a Yamato 1/48 VF-17D/S

Macross Forever!!!!

well said. Also China can have the Su-30, I was reading Janes all teh worlds aircraft 2001-02 edition in the campus library and in fact I believe I read that china was recieving upgrade kits for their flankers to update to SU-30 standard. Russia might get their hands on Su-30s but india is not the only customer. Sukhoi has been making rounds around asia and I believe malaysia is a high contender for it. Many other nations as well. China can have it but shoot even if they dont they have more than enough airplanes to make up for it. Hell they might just go to SU-35 standard. Russia, China and India already operate the Su-30MK series. China has the Su-30MKK version which has square tip fins like the Su-35. Malaysia already ordered the Su-30MKM version, 18 of them scheduled for delivery earliest at 2005. And if i am not mistaken the 2 seater Flankers bought by Indonesia are also Su-30s.

Can someone indentify what type of helmet is this guy wearing ?

Gripen is a great fighter and i would love to see it get exported but can the Phillipines afford them in decent numbers ? Over the years budget restrictions have prevented them from getting even Kfirs. Maybe they will get surplus F-16A Falcon-Ups from the USAF.

Actually the Saudis also had 2 kills earlier using F-15s. The victims were discovered to be Iranian F-4E Phantoms.

There are also other Tornado variants like the ECR, Recce Tornado and German version of the GR4(upgrade). Its notable that the GR4 are now in ADV style grey...emphasizing the switch to high/medium altitude missions.

For Israel i'm sure but for Saudi its a bit iffy. Some have called the RSAF a good weather flying club and even if they have good talented aircrews their maintenance is still handled by US and British ex-pats. In other words a paper AF without the Tiger. oh..this is going a bit out of topic so i will just stop here.

I wonder how how as complex as the Thunder Hummer end up less expensive than a VF-9..

Shin i got the MiG-35 scanned from one of my old issues of Air International with some article called Russian TV-Stars. You can find them it in certain websites too. Its a cool idea that would have given the plane 10 pylons on a new wing, TVC, Zhuk Radar, new glass cockpit and many more. Fuselage was to have been similar in some areas to MiG-29M. Not sure if Mig is going to continue with the 35 as they seem focus on JSF-Ski and 29SMT type upgrades, MiG-29N being the only exported Fulcrum C variant so far.

@David I though the F-4X was the F-4E(S) Peace Jack developed for Israeli ? A Photo recon bird it is with water injection to boost speed. Is it true the F-20 will make an appearance in Ac5 ? That's going to be my favourite fighter together with Gripen. F-5E->F-20->F-29

@Shin Densetsu + Iranian F-14: Alot of people particularly Western observers underestimate the actual number of operational Tomcats(beside the BS on Phoenix not working). A few years ago as many as 30 took part in a flypast over the capital. This must really say something about their industry. Try to get that Osprey Publishing book Iranian F-14 Tomcat Units. A bit of BS here and there and some truth but hey believe what you will. As for the Russians experimenting with the F-14 i don't why not but they don't see the need to come up with a copy. Su-30MKI vs MiG-29SMT: All i can say is (IMHO) the Flanker will blow the upgraded Fulcrum out of the sky. Bigger radar antenna and more powerful, not to mention having a dedicated WSO to make use of it. In a dogfight i think the Su-30 has an edge in agility too. The SMT gains weight from all the improvements but still ends up no better than a F-18A Hornet.

That MiG-35 Fulcrum proposal is really cool. It was to have TVC, a larger wing and new radar(Zhuk).