Nied

On 6/28/2021 at 10:25 AM, David Hingtgen said:

First air show since before COVID:

(F-22 and Blue Angel pics are on my other camera) It's been a LONG time since I saw an F-15C at all, and I think the first time EVER up close.  (have only been close to A's and E's)

 

 

 

 

Funnily enough there was a period where it felt like the 104th FW was stalking me because I couldn't go to an air show without one of their F-15s turning up. Ironically I've been living in MA for 12 years now and I still haven't been able to go to an air show at Barnes ANGB because of scheduling conflicts or cancellations (including this year).

14 minutes ago, Roy Focker said:

They need to remaster it.

 

Seriously. Super pixelated 480p just doesn't cut it these days. I need my VF-4s in 4K HDR dammit!

12 hours ago, Shadow said:

Did the P&W F100 -229 offer any advantages over the GE F110 -129? I'd heard that while the GE engines offer better overall performance across the envelope, the Pratt engines were more reliable.

On the F-15 it was mainly a combo of inertia and bad timing. While MacDac made the structural modifications to accept the F110 when they designed the F-15E, to my knowledge no one had gone through the trouble of actually flight testing or certifying it on the Beagle. By the time the AF looked at new engines for the F-15 the F100-229 was out and offered performance that was basically identical to a F110-129 so it didn't make sense to go through the trouble of making the structural mods to the F-15C fleet or building a new logistical train. Now that Korea paid the money to make sure there wouldn't be any problems with the F110 everyone's been buying GE powered Eagles so it made sense for the USAF to follow the heard there. Also I imagine there was a desire to throw business to GE to keep them in the fighter engine game given that Pratt is the only manufacturer of engines for our 5th gen fleet.

4 hours ago, Dobber said:

I thought the same thing....along with how long until the AF removes them again. Lol

Chris

The no turkey feathers thing is exclusive to P&W F100s, and it's less of an issue of the Air Force removing them than the F-15s removing them themselves. Because of some aerodynamic issues peculiar to the Eagle the turkey feathers started getting sucked off the plane at high speeds when the F-15 was introduced. The Air Force looked at a bunch of ways of fixing this but line mechanics realized you could just remove the feathers with basically no effect on performance and pretty soon everyone but the Israelis were flying Eagles with bare butts. The GE F110 attaches it's turkey feathers differently so with the advent of the GE powered F-15K for South Korea in the early aughts you started to see Eagles with turkey feathers again. The EX is the first F-15 with F110s in USAF service so I don't see a reason why they wont follow the example of the rest of the F110 powered Eagles and leave them on since they can.

On 4/11/2021 at 9:25 PM, Chronocidal said:

Making a new plane entirely would decouple it from the 8th-dimensional gordian pretzel that is the current F-35 program.  A brand new single-service/single-country/single-purpose aircraft has a very good chance of getting completed far faster than trying pile one more layer onto the existing F-35 pile.

Yes designing and flight testing an all new airframe with new avionics and a whole new manufacturing and logistics train would definetly be less difficult than fitting new avionics to an existing airframe. That's why an F-15EX costs twice as much as a Raptor.
 

Quote

 

I wasn't joking when I said the F-35 is the Star Citizen of aviation.  The services all IOC'd at what they considered the minimum of functionality, with the goal that all the promised features will eventually come online... as well as a smattering of features never originally promised, but that have become absolutely necessary during the development process.

This is the double-edged sword of software-based development.  It's almost infinitely flexible to adapt to changing requirements, but it's also never really feature complete.

 

They moved past the minimal viable product years ago when Block 3f went into service. Now they're working on Block 4 which is all the post IOC wishlist items.

1 hour ago, Chronocidal said:

Don't you go giving them more ideas.. the last thing the F-35 program needs is another variant that requires an entirely customized software and hardware suite to clog up the assembly lines.  

I don't know that a whole new plane solves any of those problems either.

The talk of a cheaper "4.5 gen" plane to supplement the F-35 makes me wonder if it'll be less of an F-36 and more of a watered down F-35. People forget that the JSF was originally envisioned to have an avionics suite closer to a Block III Super Hornet or Advanced F-16 F-21, but the program managers saw a lot of the possibilities being demonstrated on the F-22 and decided they could add a full ELINT suite with a side of broad spectrum jamming for free because it was all just software. Of course in the real world software development costs a lot of money, and the extra processing power to run it is heavy and expensive while the extra generation and cooling to keep that running is also heavy and expensive. An "F-35D" with all that extraneous crap taken back out would likely be cheaper and also higher performance to boot without all that extraneous weight.

17 hours ago, Einherjar said:

@Nied Good for you for being enthusiastic about this, but I think you and other people who came back to the forums just because of this news missed out on on a whole bunch of things that happened with Robotech that explains why you are getting so much pushback.  I see you haven’t posted anything since 2010.  A LOT happened, much of which made it very clear that Robotech’s glory days came and went a long time ago, and maybe led to this happening.  Those things you’re excited about that might happen because of this agreement?  It’s just a continuation of what HG has been trying to do with the franchise this whole time.  Toby Macquire was the only actor playing Spider-Man in film when the Robotech movie was first announced.  Since then, HG has went year after year teasing everyone that various big name people at the time or someone at the high point of their career were talked to possibly getting involved it and then unceremoniously dropped and replaced with someone else.  The last person in the spotlight that I can remember was the director of the Aquaman film.  No effort made in other areas for it.  Those character names and designs they fought so hard to use with this deal?  They were already being used to help generate interest in recent projects but not utilized very well.  At this point any random artist can draw some white guy with spiky black hair, call him Rick Hunter, give him some corny lines, try and make him look like a good fighter pilot and it will get HG’s approval.  This is what Robotech has become these days.  At best, I think this deal lets them continue to make the same mistakes that has plagued the franchise while giving BW the freedom to tell the public “This has nothing to do with us, honest.”

I mean I have been lurking here since then. I guess I don't find the evidence here very convincing. Producers talk up the talent they've approached for a project all the time when trying to attract investors and if shitty tie-in comics were all it took to kill a franchise every property since Star Wars would have been dead as a door-nail.

Frankly all I care about at this point is being able to buy non-bootleg Blu-rays of DYRL, Plus and 7 for a combined price that's less than a 10 year old Honda Civic. The fact that this deal ups the chances of new Robotech stuff from "basically impossible" to "not very likely" is just gravy.

18 minutes ago, Keith said:

Definitely worse. Aside from being incredibly redundant, it's highly juvenile to "Robo" everything.

Agree to disagree cause they both sound goofy as hell to my ears. Anyway we live in a golden age of goofy stuff from our childhoods being taken seriously in big budget action movies. How many movies got made where the villains seriously got called "Decepticons"? 'Robotech' is downright prosaic next to that.

16 minutes ago, Keith said:

It means future productions I suppose, said the guy who already owns all the recent Japanese blu-rays of the whole franchise (including Delta) + "other" releases. 

As someone who seriously looked at using some of their stimmy to buy a grey-market Macross Plus Blu-Ray but gave up when it would cost close to $600 I'm pretty happy for this.

1 minute ago, Keith said:

Well, I mean more in terms of content than name. Using terms like "Robotechnology" & "Robotech Masters" probably isn't the best approach for a big Hollywood release.

I don't know if it's any worse than "Overtechnology" & "Zor" though.

5 minutes ago, Keith said:

This will most likely come down to what movie Sony truly wants to make. If Sony wants to make a "Robotech" movie, then at some point new animations may go into production. If Sony went through the trouble of resolving a nearly 30 legal shitfest to make the "Macross" movie they thought they bought in the first place, Robotech may finally "officially" put to bed & quietly phased out while everyone cashes in on the Macross train.

My 2 cents? I suspect Funi is in the works to dub Frontier & get it a Toonami broadcast, but time will tell.

My guess is Sony would likely split the difference. Sell the movie as Robotech here in the states and other countries where it's known by that name, and Macross back in Japan and other parts of Asia.

3 hours ago, Seto Kaiba said:

The reason Harmony Gold had no choice but to partner with Big West is that Big West now owns the trademarks on the Macross name, logos, key art, etc. in markets outside of the United States.  Harmony Gold used to own those trademarks themselves, and had used them to prevent Macross's sequels from being distributed outside of Japan.  Armed with the trademarks they successfully overturned and took possession of over the last four years, Big West has the legal power to block distribution of the Robotech TV series from most international markets via its "Macross Saga" and to block distribution of the almost exclusively Macross-based Robotech merchandise lines in those markets.  That's pretty much the entirety of Robotech's income cut off in one fell swoop.

Unless this contract has a clause inverting the time-space continuum it'd be pretty odd to talk about past Robotech and Macross projects as future ones.

14 hours ago, JB0 said:

If they want to distribute CURRENT Robotech works featuring elements from Macross outside America, they have to partner with Big West.  They're over a barrel there.

 

Future Robotech "works" is a flexible concept. They can't make more animation featuring SDF Macross elements, but comic books are still fair game. Though perhaps one they might be hesitant about, given their licensees' propensity for lifting things from OTHER Macross works and adapting them into Robotech.

The Press release explicitly talks about HG and BW partnering on FUTURE Robotech and Macross works. I seriously doubt that's going to just be comics as HG's been in the clear on promotional materials like that as part of their original license with Tatsunoko.

5 hours ago, Seto Kaiba said:

And the reason they have to cooperate?  Big West owns a lot of the trademarks that used to belong to Harmony Gold, so HG now needs Big West's permission to use certain terms, logos, etc. in most key markets.

So IF Harmony Gold ever makes anything Robotech again they'll be cooperating with Big West on distribution out of legal necessity.

So HG will never make future Robotech works featuring elements from Macross but the reason they'll partner with BW for future Robotech works is because they will feature elements from Macross?

Something else that just occurred to me: If this really is HG abandoning the field and bending the knee and whatever other overwrought metaphor Seto says, why did HG and BW agree to co-produce future Robotech properties?

1 minute ago, Protoman said:

They didn't. Sony did.

Psshh! What does Sony know about selling things in Japan?

6 minutes ago, Bolt said:

 

You guys. I watched Robowreck when it first aird in the US. I had already stumbled across the toys. It was great. But once I (shortly thereafter) discovered SDFM and, more importantly, DYRL , as a young teen..i never bothered with the hg mess. Following the legit source and it's ongoing works throughout the years since then, is MORE of my life than the few months rt was in my life. 

1 minute ago, Zinjo said:

Nope. 

Central Park Media had the  distribution rights to M+ in the 90's and I believe Manga had Mac2, or the other way round....

I meant from now on

1 minute ago, JB0 said:

Legally-speaking, they aren't. They don't use any SDF Macross names or designs.

Except the press release says HG retains the rights to use those names or designs.

1 minute ago, Zinjo said:

Actually the works are derivatives of SDFM which HG can do as per their agreement with Tatsunoko who technically owns SDFM outside of Japan. 

No post SDFM properties can be used such as M+, M2, M0, MF, etc...

That's true which is a climb down from HG I missed, although it does appear they may be involved in distribution of those properties.

1 minute ago, Seto Kaiba said:

What are you talking about?  The official statement doesn't mention derivative works at all.

It lays out only the following points:

1. The agreement was signed 1 March 2021.
2. Harmony Gold has agreed to get out of the way of Macross distribution worldwide.
3. Big West will not stand in the way of distribution of a Robotech live action movie in Japan if one is made.
4. Harmony Gold's license agreement with Tatsunoko Production, under which they hold the "rest of world" distribution and merchandising rights to SDF Macross excl. Japan is recognized as valid by all parties.
5. Going forward, Big West and Harmony Gold will collaborate on distribution of future Macross and Robotech works.

Harmony Gold has NEVER had the ability to make derivative works based on Super Dimension Fortress Macross's IP... because Tatsunoko doesn't have that ability, and all of Harmony Gold's rights were obtained from its licensing agreement with Tatsunoko Production.  That's why Rick Hunter et. al. were redesigned for Sentinels, and again for Shadow Chronicles, and why pretty much all their sequel efforts are MOSPEADA-based.  Even HG itself has been pretty clear on this.

You literally listed at least two derivative works.

18 minutes ago, Seto Kaiba said:

No, it really doesn't.

The statement just says that the existing status quo that was already in place from the very beginning is still in place and that Harmony Gold's existing license is unaffected by this new distribution agreement.

Harmony Gold still can't produce derivative works based on Super Dimension Fortress Macross.  They can distribute the original animation, edit it for content, and make merch based on it to their heart's content but that's all.

I don't see how that reading is supported by what we've seen so far. Especially since all the press releases talk about one derivative work quite explicitly.

There doesn't necessarily have to be loser in every conflict. Sometimes parties can come to an agreement where everyone gets some or all of what they want. Now let's all eat cake and ice cream for dinner and play with our chogokin DX VF-4s.

6 minutes ago, jvmacross said:

When HG acquired the rights for SDFM, SC, and Mospeada.....the IP holders did not have any problems about how their IP was to be released by HG?

I guess what I would like to know is if BW was expecting to see Macross released in the US as basically Macross in English?  With that said, if that is the case....why couldn't HG just break up Robotech and reboot it as three separate series under some "Robotech" Anthology if they are still hung up on keeping the Robotech name "alive" and release the three separate shows as individual stories within a Robotech Anthology.  It basically would be HG finally doing the right thing.  Of course, it would relegate Macek's Robotech into a Disney-like Star Wars EU "Legends" product....I personally would have no problem with that.

HG's claim has been that they have the international rights to Macross and it's derivatives and that as a consequence of that they have the right to make their own derivatives, BW obviously disputed that and it's the source of this whole 20 year saga. This new agreement gives HG the right to make derivative works based on SDFM and it's not really clear to me whether they also get a cut from later Macross works and frankly I don't really care because as a consumer I get access to them anyway. AFAICT there's nothing stopping both from happily coexisting now. If HG wants to make something interesting with Robotech featuring characters from SDFM they can (I've always had a soft spot for The Sentinels), but also BW can release 25 odd years worth of back catalog here in the US on Blu-Ray. Sure if HG makes some new Robotech property that creates an issue with different continuities but Macross has had 2-3 separate continuities since I was a toddler. What's one more?

4 minutes ago, Seto Kaiba said:

What they don't have is money.

After Shadow Chronicles flopped, Harmony Gold's senior management cut off funding for future Robotech animation development.  Tommy Yune had promised them that his Shadow Chronicles OVA was going to be a huge hit that would make Robotech relevant or even mainstream in the anime industry, that it would bring in new fans in droves, and that it would attract investors who would finance all episodes after the first one.  That, obviously, did not happen.  Harmony Gold's management stuck to the terms they'd set and refused to fund any further development, leading to Shadow Chronicles episodes 2-4 being cancelled, and the only subsequent works being a dub of existing material and a Kickstarter campaign to fund development of a new series pilot.

Now that Harmony Gold can make money on animation distribution without having to actually spend their own money to develop new material... you bet your backside they'll drop the non-performing Robotech property in a heartbeat.

I mean, it's rare for projects like these to be self funded anyway and you sure as crap aren't going to get investors to fork over the dough for production work if a whole third of your IP is in dispute. That's why they had to jump through weird funding hoops like the Academy kickstarter.