Apollo Leader

I only discovered this news for the first time earlier today. A local store supposedly has it and I plan on picking it up. Fingers crossed they get the full Origin released.

I wonder if any of my 1/48th's I bought from Kevin were in those pictures? I started buying from Kevin back in 2000 when the Yamato Macross Plus toys were still slated for an official US release and was a customer up to the end. As someone who has most of his modern day Macross toy collection through the Valkyrie Exchange, I have to say "Thanks, Kevin!" I have done very little collecting in the last 5 years or so, but I'm glad to have put together the collection I did.

"Just watch jet jockey in action!" For those who are wanting a more tollerable English dub of DYRL (at least most of the main characters anyway) check out the one below... (Check out Hikuo's version below!)

Happy Birthday to the classic that started it all. Looks like it's time to whip out the Animeigo DVD set.

I meant to post this about 3 weeks back, but it was back in the first week of December 2000 (I think on the 3rd or 6th of the month) that Shawn launched the main Macross World forums. Previously it was a much more simpler message board program that was used for the site from 1999 into the fall of 2000. I myself was like the sixth person to create an account on the original, pre August 2003 forum. It's neat (scary? ) to see a fair number of those individuals are still here today. Being part of this site and forum was definitely a major part of my Macross and anime fandom in the first half of this past decade. Since I am no longer actively following the Macross sequels or collecting toys like I once was, I don't know where my future in this fandom will be if any. But regardless, Macross of the 1980's along with Macross Plus will always have a special place in my heart. I'm sure many years from now that Macross DYRL will remain one of my favorite movies of all time. I want to give a nod to Shawn, Graham, all past and current moderators, and everyone who has been part of this forum for making this THE online place for the Macross fan community. If anyone has any thoughts and memories to share of the last 10 years, feel free to do so.

Good find! This subject on the large Matchbox VF-1 and its intended transformation has come up a number of times before and this is photographic proof. Besides the concerns of conflicting with Takatoku/Matsushiro/Bandai's 1/55th VF-1/Jetfire design, someone probably also realized the futility of a transforming VF-1 toy that only transformed to its mid transformation stage. Not to mention it would have looked pretty darn ugly as a battroid/battloid.

Viacom/Paramount claim fans recording the making of Transformers 3 violates copyright. Make sure to check out the YouTube video showing a scene from Transformers 3 being shot before it's taken down.

Didn't realize he had posted this on Secret Projects a month ago... Northrop NATF (up-ship.com is "Orionblamblam"s personal blog) Supposedly additional views of that CAD printout coming soon!

The F-23 goes to sea. Took 20 years, but a look at what the Northrop NATF would have looked like has finally been revealed. Other then the diamond wings, it otherwise looks like a totally different aircraft.

It will always be up to debate in the anime and in particular the Macross fan community on whether Carl Macek's treatment of various Japanese anime series (in particular his editing of Macross, Southern Cross, and Mospeada into Robotech) was proper or a "necessary evil", but there is no denying the mark that he left on the mainstreaming of Japanese animation in the US during the 1980's and early 90's. Undoubtedly many of us here on Macross World are here because of his efforts and contributions. I was chatting with Kevin McKeever (of Harmony Gold) just a few minutes ago and he was telling me about how he had just seen Carl this past week and was to meet up again with him later this week. RIP Carl Macek! My prayers and condolences to your friends and family during this difficult time.

I admit, I'm waaaaayyyyy behind on Macross toy news and developments theses days, but I thought Yamato didn't have any rights to Macross 7 mecha since Bandai had them all locked up? Or did something change recently?

I don't know if those pictures of the cockpit were taken during the ATF flyoff or when the aircraft was being restored at Wright Patterson. But still there aren't too many pictures of either YF-23's cockpits especially from the early 90's.

As for some REAL F-23 porn, these have been posted at Secret Projects for the last year or so. Unfortunately it doesn't illustrate the number of AIM-9's or 120's or how exactly they would have been mounted, but it looks like the AMRAAM bay is probably deeper then the F-22's main weapons bay and probably would have been capable of carrying larger weapons. Note the hidden lines for a possible IR sensor.

Looks like you've stumbled across stuff that's been on, or linked from, the Secret Projects forum for quite a few months now. The weapons layout illustration I think was created by someone who is a member of of Secret Projects forum and is based on the weapons locations intended for the production F-23. YF-23 #1 had a single trapeze hanging inside its weapons bay and was capable of being mounted with a rail for launching one missile. The Air Force didn't require them to have a live missile fire and Northrop ended up passing on doing so. YF-23 #2 did not have the trapeze and had some test equipment in the bay instead. The rarest YF-23/F-23 pictures are those showing its cockpit display layout.

This got posted on Youtube just a little bit ago. This is from the actual first flight.

http://sukhoi.org/news/company/?id=3142 Looks like some of the CG models that have been floating around on the Internet for a while appear to be correct. Looks like the love child of the Flanker family and the YF-23. I wonder if they're going to use exhaust nozzles (serrated) like on the F-35 for the production version?

It's late Thursday evening that I write this (Central time in the US). Supposedly the T-50/PAK-FA flew for a 40 minute flight within the last few hours. Can't wait to see what the thing really looks like.

Supposedly Sukhoi's T-50 is suppose to fly today or tomorrow. If the flight goes well pictures and video will be out soon.

I see that it's confirmed to be a Lockheed Martin design. Without a doubt it's an operational descendant of Lockheed's Polecat from a few years ago. In a totally unrelated matter, back in late July/early August I was interviewed for a position at Offutt AFB involving the RC-135 flight simulators. In the end I didn't get the job, but I think I came close. Still looking for a job after 8 months of unemployment.

Sorry I'm over a week late in responding to all of this. Back when the original preorder sign ups took place in 1999, the DVD and VHS boxsets were originally slated to either be $300 or $350 (US Dollars). But as more people signed up eventually it was lowered down to $250 or $260. After waiting for over two long years it was in late 2001 (right around Christmas) that the first batch of people started getting their boxsets; I think I got mine the first or second week of January 2002. The last time I went through my Animego Macross DVD set I think was back in 2002 or 3, but it's one of my most prized items in my video collection and it was the most anticipated video release I've waited for. I'm really curious to see how well it will upconvert from my Blu Ray player to my flat screen. One last thing, back in those days there was a guy here on Macross World known as AidanK. Here was some of his humor having to do with the Macross DVD release.

I don't think anyone has posted it, but it was 10 years ago this past summer when Animeigo announced at that year's Anime Expo or at the Comic Con that they were remastering the entire Macross TV series for a US release. Besides DVD, Animeigo was originally going to put this out on VHS, too. I stumbled across my printed out preorder e-mail confirmation today and it was on October 20th, 1999 when I had preordered both sets... 10 years ago Tuesday! Wow time has sure flown by. It was also 10 years ago this past summer that Toycom and Yamato announced their upcoming Macross Plus toy line which included a planned US release. Obviously the legal issues with the Macross franchise prevented that from happening, but the past 10 years were still an incredible time for Macross and Robotech collectors.

I think I have enough points so I might get it. I've also downloaded the TMNT Turtles in Time remake and Marvel vs. Capcom 2 in recent weeks though I haven't gotten to playing them yet. Still mainly playing Gears of War 2. Been playing with MilkManX and a bunch of his friends for quite a few months now. Just recently started playing the Raiden Fighters Aces compilation a few weeks ago.

According to a number of online sources, DYRL was first shown in a number of theaters 25 years ago tomorrow (July 7th, 1984). As one of my all time favorite films, I would like to wish a happy 25th birthday to this awesome film! Here's hoping a Blu-ray release is coming soon.