Draykov

Yeah, I hear they're coming out with another red DYRL Valk:

Different? Another VF-1J? Not that it isn't an attractive item, but I think I'll pass in the hopes that they eventually release one in 1/48.

You got skillz, Cheng. Very nice.

BRAVO!!!!!!!! Very well said Hurin!!! Would you believe some of us here have put up with that same BS everytime a Yamato thread pops up, a new Yamato Valk comes out, ever since Yamato started releasing Macross stuff? Sigh, unfortunately thick heads with air in between them are hard to crack and put some "sense" in. 1/48 envy?

So the heatshield is red. Cool! I was expecting it to be black based on earlier photos, but I like the red better.

Which do you think would be a better overall seller/which one would you rather buy?

It's not bad. Are those supposed to be flames? It looks like a Fire Jolly Rancher Valk box. Honestly, I don't care too much about the box, though. As long as my Valk is nestled securely in it's plastic bubble, they could put a picture of Pikachu on it for all I care.

That is true. Did Bandai/Takatoku ever make one, or are those just customs I've seen? As goofy as the name sounds, if Yamato were ever to do a toy, I'd be in line to buy it. A lot of folks are sick of VF-1s, and I wouldn't mind seeing some new stuff, but the VF-1 never gets old for me.

I agree, but if there was say a Blue Angels Valk I'd jump on that, Thunderbirds might be cool too. I always thought the Angel birds were based on the Snow Birds team, kinda the same paint scheme too. I always thought they just spliced the two existing US teams: Thunderbirds + Blue Angels = Angel Birds But I tend to agree, "Angel Birds" is sort of a redundant/goofy name for a flight demonstration team. Why aren't they called the "Sky Flyers" for Pete's sake? <_<

6). The circles at the bottom of the legs on the Milia 1A should be white, not yellow.

He also left a little bit of the DYRL side stripe on the noses of that CF and Max/Milia...not to nitpick. Seeing a CF in 1/48 makes me want to run out and buy one (if there was one to buy, that is).

Agreed, that CF is just the right shade of tan. I don't mean to insult the guy's work. Obviously he thought it was cool otherwise he wouldn't have done it. More power to him. After all, that is what customizing is all about: making what you want because it hasn't been made. I just really don't like the "candy apple blue" effect.

Uh, huh. It looks like a can of Maxwell House.

Cool! The Max/Milia 1J schemes seem strange on the 1A (and that blue one is a bit too metallic for my tastes), but I love the VF-1 in all flavors, real or imagined. Now I really want a CF in 1/48.

My bad.

Thanks for all the links, guys.

The first FAST pack (that I know of) was a conformal fuel tank with hardpoints for ordinance designed for the F-15 (primarily the dual-role E variant, the Strike Eagle). The acronym stands for Fuel And Sensor Tactical. [Edit: What EXO said] Fuel and Sensor Tactical packs were the brainchild of an experienced engineer working in the ‘Advanced F-15 Design engineering’ team, called Frank Laacke. They consisted of aerodynamically shaped fuel tanks, which slotted in flush between the lower surface of the wing and the side of the engine intakes. Laacke explained, “We started out with the F-15 being a supersonic interceptor. With external fuel tanks on you lose a lot of acceleration capability, we therefore needed to come up with another way of carrying fuel. We played around with a number of ideas, but finally settled on the concept of FAST packs. They provided reduced supersonic drag and a very small amount of subsonic drag, they also had very little effect on stability. As they evolved the Air Force lost interest in extending the range of the jet as an interceptor and we started to look at FAST packs for increasing ferry range and carrying bombs. F-15E (with FAST packs) F-15 (without FAST packs)

I'm not sure I understand the question, but the VF-1S is confirmed to have the updates (if I'm not mistaken). The VF-1A Hikaru is also getting a re-release, and although I don't think anyone has said with 100% certainty that the 1A will also get the same updates as the 1S re-release (the "new" features in the 1A Max/Low-Vis), I'd say it's about 99.9% certain. In reference to the thread title, I've no idea what it is that HLJ is selling. I know Twin Moons has the VF-1A Hikaru and VF-1S Roy re-releases available for pre-order. I'd say whatever HLJ currently has on hand is the original release, but I'm surprised they still have any, so it's hard to say for sure.

I tend to agree. The S has always been my favorite. Although, I would probably buy a VF-1J that looks exaclty the same as the VF-1A (save the head), I'd rather see something a little bit different. Maybe something like these F/A-18 aggressors:

Well, the alternative is a 4 hour trip south and a 4 hour trip back. I may have to forget about it for the time being.

Bring them to me!

Mainly because: A) I don't want to impose on anyone...I'd rather take care of it myself and B) I'm distrustful of people I don't know.

I know this topic might be redundant, but darn if I can't find any of the posts/pics that I've seen before. I've heard of problems with the arm armor and the gunpod tabs. Has everyone with fastpacks had this problem? I've got a few sets myself, but I just haven't had the time to break them out and put them on my Valks.

Anyone know where I can get a Detolf besides an IKEA store? They don't sell it at their US website (out of stock?), it's about $30 more at their Canadian site (not to mention shipping), and the closest store to me is miles away.

I chalk that perception up to fans with "Chunky Monkey Syndrome."