PC Valkyrie

Hi all. I'm an old time member and I have not been active here for quite some time. Love SDF Macross, DYRL, and Macross Plus. Have seen Zero and Frontier too, but I have not seen Delta. I just have simple question: which episode of Macross Delta does the classic VF-1 appear?

I haven't posted here in AGES. Originally joined the original Macrossworld back in the early 2000's. Like the OP and a good number of members here, I'm in my mid-late 30's. Robotech and Transformers introduced me to the concept of transforming mecha, and I have been hooked ever since. The original SDF Macross TV series had the awesome story, but the most of the animation/visuals pale in comparison to DYRL. I absolutely LOVE DYRL, and it continues to be my favourite Macross anime. Sure, the story of the Hikaru, Misa, Minmay and the rest are rushed, but I get to enjoy it in 2 hours. And everybody knows it was a visual masterpiece in terms of the hand-drawn anime. The characer designs are the best and the updated VF-1 look was simply awesome. The muscial score of the movie was another plus for me. Macross II had very nice opening/closing songs, and the animation was pretty good too. I just found the VF's to be not animated with the same amount of "detail" as I would like. Macross Plus' main strength, in my opinion was the mecha battle scenes........nothing else compares to the hand drawn animated visuals of the YF-19 vs the YF-21, especially during the climatic battle between Isamu and Guld. Never saw the Macross 7 TV series, but I did see Macross 7 Dynamite and The Galaxy is Calling Me. Let's just say I have no desire to see the TV series, and end it at that. Macross Zero was a dissappoitment for me too. Didn't like the hand drawn animation style and character designs at all. The mecha looked OK, but it's hard to accept that those designs were supposed to precede the VF-1. I'm currently 2/3 of the way through watching Macross Frontier. I find the animation style to be a cross between Macross Zero and Macross Plus. I do like the new VF-25's. Visually, it is satisfying. As most of you can tell, I appreciate the visual aspect of anime and mecha design. A good story helps. With DYRL, there was awesome animation, classic VF-1 design, beautiful character design, while SDF Macross provided the wonderful story. Macross Plus was the Top Gun of Macross and I also enjoyed the mecha action/animation. After that, I did not enjoy Zero and the Dynamite 7/Galaxy is Calling Me. Macross Frontier keeps me interested because of the mecha and to a lesser extent, the story. Am I getting old?......yes. But I still enjoy Macross Frontier now for mostly the same reasons I enjoyed Macross back in the 1980's. It's just that Macross Zero and 7 seemed to deviate from those aspects of Macross which I like.

Haven't posted on MW a LONG time....... Does anyone know whether we will see a 1/60 Max VF-1S (as in DYRL)? That's the one valk I'm hoping to get in this 1/60 size.

Wow, haven't posted on MW for AGES. Bought the DYRL remastered set and got it last week. Just bought a cheap regionless DVD player and enjoyed the new DVD yesterday on my 42" Plasma from a proper viewing distance. Compared to the FX bootleg DVD, this new remastered edition is SO MUCH brighter, and clearer. Many details that I could not appreciate before are very clear and bright. And the grain that people have complained about is really not that noticeable unless you stand close to the TV. Now, I agree that the grain is much more noticeable when I view it on my laptop computer, but I'm also very close to the screen. Also, you should note that the factory BRIGHTNESS/CONTRAST settings of a TV and computer monitor usually are too high to emphasize the "WOW" factor on initial purchase. With proper calibration (like using a THX optimizer on some commerically available DVD's), where the brighness and contrast are usually turned down significantly, I'm sure the grain that people complain about will not be as noticeable. Don't get me wrong, the grain is still present, but it is not anywhere as bad as what people say if you watch it on a properly calibrated (for home theatre) TV and at a proper viewing distance. Overall, I think the film looks pretty darn good, especially for a 24 year old film. However, I am disappointed that they did not remix the audio to a true Dolby Digital 5.1.

Many people here seem to be classic muscle car fans..... This new upcoming car is of interest. Here are off the press specs of the upcoming Ford Shelby GT500. The latest tests (SAE) shows an ouput of 500HP and 480lb-ft torque from the supercharged 5.4L V8. I estimate a 0-60mph time somewhere in the mid 4 second range. Technical Specifications Type V-8 Manufacturing location Romeo, Michigan Configuration Iron Block and Aluminum Heads Intake manifold Cast-aluminum with Roots-type supercharger and air-to-water intercooler Exhaust manifold Cast iron Crankshaft Forged steel Throttle Body Dual 60 mm, electronic Valvetrain DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder Valve diameter Intake: 37.0 mm; Exhaust: 32.0 mm Pistons Forged aluminum Connecting Rods Cracked forged steel I-beams Ignition Coil-on-plug Bore x stroke 3.552 x 4.165 in. / 90.2 x 105.8 mm Displacement 330 cu. in. / 5,409 cc Horsepower 500 hp @ 6,000 rpm (SAE Certified) Torque 480 lb.-ft. @ 4,500 rpm (SAE Certified) Compression ratio 8.4:1 Redline 6,250 rpm Idle Speed in Neutral 750 rpm Engine control system Spanish Oak PCM Required fuel Premium Fuel Injection Electronic returnless sequential Oil capacity / type 6.5 quarts / Motorcraft 5W-50 Full Synthetic Motor Oil Coolant capacity 21 quarts Peak Boost 9 psi

When I was in highschool in the 1980's a classmate told me that GERWALK stood for: Ground Effective Reinforcement of Winged Armament with Locomotive Knee-joint Don't know if it's official, but it sounded cool!! Anyways, I always loved GERWALK mode. It's the one mode which displays the uniqueness of the transforming valkyrie: it's a hybrid mode which has the features of both a plane and robot. Isn't it the most versatile mode as well?

For those who received their copy already, any comments about what is in the Gundam 0083 section?

I think it 's a good move if you pass on the Elise. How often do you drive on the track? On the streets, the Elise will be a sore (literally) driving experience. 911 or Cayman are both great, IMO, if you've got the cash.

That's a great looking ride. I actually like the lines of the E36 over the E46 3 series. I feel ashamed for asking (because I should know this), but what's the power output from your engine?

Oh come on A1, you know the M3 is a 3 series that's heavily modified by BMW's Motorsport division. When I last looked at the 3 series brochure in 2005, the M3 coupe and cabrio were in there..... Naturally aspirated high reving 3.2L inline 6 making 333 peak HP and a relatively low 262 lb-ft of peak torque in North American trim. 0-60mph in under 5 seconds according to most car magazines, and 1/4mile time of low-mid 13's. The current E46 M3 is in the last year of production (the new E90 M3 will debut sometime in 2007/2008 with a new V8 making >400HP). The current car is a great handling car which provides very high levels of driving involvement and thrills if you can take the car to its limits on a track. The steering feel and balanced weight distribution contributes to high levels of confidence for the driver driving at the limits. I've experienced this on an autocross course and the M3 is impressive indeed. I almost bought one last year, but the practicality and convenience of 4 doors for my family and a slightly more comfortable ride made me go for the C55 AMG instead (which has 95% of the handling of the M3 and 105% of the straightline acceleration).

Have to chime in here from time to time..... Yes, the new 911 Turbo certainly looks very impressive on paper. The performanc stats are in supercar territory. This is a supercar which I can drive everyday as a daily driver!! While the Corvette Z06 still delivers more bang for the buck, the 911 gets you more exclusivity, and bragging rights. With AWD, a rear seat to place little kids in, and a decent sized trunk in the front, it's the most practical supercar I know of. What I found interesting is that the factory numbers from Porsche indicate that the tiptronic is FASTER than the manual gearbox. With torque converter lockup in the forward gears and very fast shift times, the traditional power loss and delays in shifting associated with "slush boxes" are no longer an issue with "performance oriented" automatic transmissions like Porsche's tiptronic and AMG's Speedshift. And with manual modes on these automatic transmissions, you can still get complete control of the gear selections when you want. * Top track speed: 193mph * 0-60 mph: 3.7 sec. manual/3.4 sec. Tiptronic S * 50-75 mph: 3.8 maunal/3.5 Tiptronic S * Acceleration 1/4 mile: 11.8 sec. maunual/11.6 sec. Tiptronic S

Got my GBP-1 a couple of weeks ago. I watched DYRL with my son to show him the brief 1.5 seconds the GBP-1 VF-1J appears in the film. He found it quite neat to see dad's new toy on TV shooting all those little missles. I noticed that the tips of the missles are yellow in the movie. The tips are red on the toy. Is this a mistake?, or are the missle tips red in the TV series?

I don't quite agree with your conclusions. I've never even sat in a F430, Ford GT or the Corvette Z06 yet, so I'm basing my thoughts on the various reviews I've read/seen about these cars. The following numbers are from Road & Track. F430 0-60: 3.5s 1/4mile: 11.7s@120.1mph slalom: 70.9mph Ford GT 0-60: 3.6s 1/4mile: 11.7s@125.6mph slalom: 69.6mph Corvette Z06 0-60: 3.9s 1/4mile: 12.1s@120.7mph slalom: 69.6mph I don't think the GT or Z06 "beats" the F430 in terms of objective acceleration and handling numbers. Yes, the GT has a higher trap speed at the end of the 1/4mile, so it will eventually overtake the F430 in a long drag race. I would be interested to know their lap times around the Nurburgring track in Germany (widely considered to be a good measure of a car's overall performance), but I don't have that info on me. Regardless of the numbers reflecting acceleration and handling, most people who are in the market for the F430 will not change their mind just because the cheaper Ford GT's performance is on par or even slightly superior. "Performance per dollar" is usually not in the mind of most who can afford a Ferrari. People buy a F430 for a number of things that are unique to the Ferrari. 1) The latest transfer of technology from Forumula 1 (like the E-differential, the wickedly fast paddle shift sequential gearbox, advanced aerodynamics to generate so much downforce without the need for any "wings", the "manitinno" switch on the steering wheel to change the car's dynamics, etc, etc, etc). 2) The visceral roar and linear powerband of the naturally aspirated high revving (8500rpm redline) 4.3L V8 making 112 HP/Litre. No supercharger or turbo required. 3) The "prestige" and cache of owning a Ferrari. The F430 outperforms the older 360 in almost everyway, so it is indeed a step forward, not backward, for Ferrari's entry level car. When the 360 was introduced, there was no Gallardo or Ford GT as direct competitors, so of course it was unique. It is very commendable that Ford GT can match the performance of the F430 at a cheaper price. Ferrari knows it can charge a premium for its cars because they know they have the prestige/heritage/reputation/technology over cars like the GT. Ferrari is having difficulty building enough F430's to keep up with demand. I don't think the GT is selling anywhere as well, even though it is so much cheaper. If I had the money for an exotic car, I would pick the F430 over the GT in a heartbeat.

Husband, dad, and MD.

Great pics. Haven't posted here in a long time.... Anyways, I pre-ordered the GBP armour from HLJ quite a few months ago. I still haven't got an email notice that they are billing me or shipping it to me. Anybody else in the same situation?? Or should I be concerned and contact HLJ?