Hiriyu

Nope, no magnet action. Might have been either an erroneous description, or something that never made it to the final product.

You read my frikken mind. Naval F4F-3 scheme all the way. You can be my wingman anytime.

Not to mention Tolkien, what with names like Varda and Valar. And Fairies. Cute ones.

Just a little update, have received my replacement Miria 1J and, other than en errant spot of glue on one of the tailfins, all is well. At least, it is displayable Ruskii, have you gotten yours in yet? Whaddya think?

Actually, mine had been stored undamaged and in box for quite some time, and I just recently pulled it out of the box to put back on display. Wouldn't you know it, the left shoulder joint immediately chipped (1/2 of the joint flange is still there, so the arm is still attached). Must have grown more brittle while stored. I'll be emailing Yamato USA very shortly

The SV-51 is a bit odd (in the Macross continuity) in that it is a 'back to front' transformation, and the legs in Gerwalk mode are actually opposed 180 degrees to how they appear in Battroid. They do not swivel (edit - actually, they do), but should have both forward and backward articulation.

Damn, Skippy! I must reiterate: You, Sir, are a madman, but a madman of the highest order nonetheless. Great stuff.

Mine is, and will continue to be on preorder regardless of what the peanut gallery here perceives as 'deal breakers', based on heresay or blurry pictures. The way I see it, I'll pay a little premium in order to get my hands on it fairly early and check it out in person, before delivering any personal judgement. I will always have the option to sell it off for ~95% of my sales price if I don't like it. I like to think of this loss as my 'rental fee' [thanks to EXO, Bobe-Patt, or Jenius, whoever came up with that term]. My basic point is, buy it you want it. Otherwise, don't, and shut up about it already

Sorry to hear you guys are getting all these QC problems. I guess that I was lucky in only having one out of seven that was an obvious lemon. That said, the detached nose/cockpit assembly is not really a problem, it's a feature (I learned that phrase from Microsoft ). Just like the old model kits, it makes it easier to decal or detail the parts. What's even kind of interesting, is that they have fully sculpted heads, which are visible when you pull the nose off - the older model kits made due with only the visible top half of the head. These things are really analogous to pre-built model kits in every way, just sad that some seem as if they are assembled by 5 year old kids. That said, I still quite like mine.

Nope, not just you. It's reading -2hrs on my end (PST).

"Now listen here, Hayase!"

A quick update for me, the seller I bought my set from says he will procure and ship me a replacement Miria 1J at no cost! I'll need to wait for it to arrive by surface from Japan, but I am very happy with his service and would strongly endorse him as a seller to others Ruskii, the decals are of the same kind that you would typically find in model kits (they transfer after being wetted with warm water). I've decalled all of mine now and the effect is nice - the decals are thin and don't have excessively big borders. They really add a nice level of detail to the figures and are worth spending the time to apply.

I just received my set from the seller I mentioned above - they got here very quickly and were well packed. The set did include the Zent-Max figure as stated. I'm very pleased with them overall, with one notable exception... The Miria 1J I received is a bit of a lemon. The top of the chestplate was not fully seated to the LEX area when glued, so there's a big gap there. Also, one of the reaction missiles is glued on about 10 degrees out of whack. Either of the above issues could be fixed with a little patience and glue. The bigger issue is that it is missing one of the tailfins . I looked all over the place in the tray (which was still taped shut) and the outer boxes, but it was nowhere to be found. Close examination of the figure doesn't show any glue in the slot that it fits into, so I'm guessing that the omission is a manufacturing/assembly defect. I'll see if the seller can do anything for me, but I won't be holding my breath. Anybody have a spare Miria to sell/trade? Otherwise, these are really neat (had no problems with the other six pieces), and look much like a shrunken down ARII 1/100 fighter model kit, even down to the way that they're assembled. The overall sculpt is actually a bit nicer than the Doyushas IMHO. The non-super and non-reaction weapon models have geared wing-sweep, while the supers have their wings in fixed position. The ball-jointed display stands work well, and the fastpack accessories fit tightly on the 1S models. They have lots of fine panel line and rivet detail, and are shipped with water-slide decals. Overall, very cool little display items.

I've got a CH Products HOTAS (Fighterstick USB/Pro Throttle USB) with CH Rudder pedals. It works wonderfully, and is extremely configurable/programmable, though many recommend the more inexpensive CH Flightstick for IL-2, as it is less cluttered with fewer buttons. Myself, I find the Fightersick more than adequate, even with 'too many' buttons or switches. I've been flying IL-2 since '02, and would heartily recommend it to anyone with an interest in flight sims.

Nice to hear your impressions, Leo. We've been discussing these in this thread, but it's really nice to hear from someone who has actually handled them. I'm looking forward to receiving my set soon

As HLJ seems sold out, I just bought some through this ebay seller: http://stores.ebay.com/THE-NET-BOEKI Set of 7pc, looks to include the 'Secret' Zent-Coat figure for $35.00 + shipping from Japan. Will update when received and let you guys know if legit.

I have a rotating display... Since I currently don't have enough shelf space for all of my stuff (not just 1/48s), and new stuff constantly arriving, the vast majority is boxed up. I don't 'play' with them too often, so mine is more a museum display. I would love to be able to get everything out and put on display at some point, but will need to invest in some appropriate cabinetry.

Nor is it wise to generalize and say ALL diecast is problematic either. Notice any double-standard in your argument there? Other manufacturers do seem quite capable of using diecast without widespread cosmetic chipping problems, as has been previously pointed out with BoB's SOC references. The SOC Gunbuster really is a sterling example of how to create/engineer an insanely complex transforming mechanism, using painted diecast/diecast or diecast/plastic joints, which is not prone to chipping. If in doubt, check out the transforming feet that come with the Gunbuster

Thanks for posting those up. I think that you'd be much better off following Rodavan's advice than mine, as I wouldn't know a 3D mesh if it came up and bit me in the arse. I can completely understand his mentioning that the humps make a big difference in the perception of the overall shape. Your other renders show your Regult's proportions much better, and perhaps the width down at the bottom isn't too far off just as you have it. I do still think that the upper curvature/radius of the pod could be a little shallower, in that, from a side view, the 'forehead' (for lack of a better word. 'Carapace'?) could slope back a bit more gently... But again, these are just my unedumacated ramblings, so please take with a grain of salt. Again, looking forward to more WIP shots!

I'd go for the anodized aluminum too. Titanium would just be too expensive. hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;hbar;

Chrono, great initiative as always. It will be a beautiful model. As far as constructive criticism: When comparing to your line art image, does the pod need a little more upkick and/or broadness at the bottom, where the lower set of beam cannons are located? Maybe a little deeper radius between the 'eye' and the aft-facing laser cannons? How about a more pronounced flare at the hem above the legs? Just my random thoughts. I know that you'll do it justice.

You know, I had the same reaction when I picked up my first 1/48 (a first-issue Hikaru 1A). My expectations had been raised quite high by all I was told. I traded it off to a member here within 6 hours of ownership. I really didn't like it that much. The 'feel' just wasn't there for me. It was quite a change for a diecast fan like myself. Later on I began to think that maybe I hadn't given it a fair enough shake, and picked up the CF when it was produced (the CF is one of my favorite valks). Knowing what I was getting to into a little better, I warmed to it, and now I have several of them. They really are very nice overall in terms of sculpt, and they display very nicely. I just refrain from handling them too often

But... Why would we have heard anything from Nami Toi? They are concerned with the 'outside of Japan' rights, correct? Why give a licensee in a foreign market any publicity? Otherwise, I agree completely - it will be interesting to see what develops. I expect it will be somewhat less er, dramatic than we would all like, but interesting anyway

Very good point. I know from personal business experience that a lot of the Chinese contractor fabs play pretty fast and loose with their tools, so the scenario you mention is highly plausible. I still tend toward the notion that their must be some sort of agreement in place, however.

Ditto that. I watched the first episode, and gave up in disgust. Stupid premise, cardboard characters ("Hey Homes, I'm your brother Homes, I just got out of jail Homes, I drive a lowrider with hydros Homes") , and completely lame representation of "racing". If you are going to do a series about a cross-country road race, it would behoove you to hire somebody who actually knows something about cars and driving to help lend some credibility. It looks like all the driving scenes were written and directed by a committee who might have seen a couple minutes from 'The Fast and the Furious' a few years ago. Lame.