Graham

I don't think those are canards. I think it's just the area around the VF-1's sub-air intakes on the chest plate are painted orange, making them visually stand out more compared with the rest of the red chest plate. Graham

Ditto, there is only Alien and Aliens. Some poor deluded (insane?) souls seem to be suffering from some form of mass-halucination about additional sequels, but they are obviously derranged and should be locked up so they are not a danger to themselves and society I will pass on this set. Still not sold on Bul-Ray and I almost never watch extras (I buy DVDs to watch movies, not a bunch of other mostly boring crap), so an easy pass. Graham

Hmm........not sold on this yet. It looks too 'busy' for my taste. Graham

I wouldn't say they have 'eyes', rather a multitude of different types of cameras and sensors - high-defintion daylight camera, thermal maging camera, Image intensification etc. Graham

How can you not like the VF-19S's head, it's one of the nicest looking that Kawamori has ever designed IMO. Graham

By the look of it, I'm guessing the reissue YF-19 has a slightly lighter color than the original issue. The photos also seem to suggest tighter joints ala the Bird of Prey & Double Nuts recolors (as witnessed by the non-sagging wings in the battroid mode photo and the shoulders that stay angled up). At least that's what I guess. Graham

Ooh........that RVF-171 is soooo sexy!.........I'm in lurve! Graham

Official release date in Japan is 17th July, according to the www.tamashii.jp site. Grahm

Thanks Dash, much appreciated. Maybe it's not Basara (although I hope it is). Maybe it's Ozma, as he's a big Fire Bomber fan and he's gonna fly out and do his best Basara impression. Graham

Naughty Ivan! Don't say such things. Now go and stand in the corner until I say you can come out. Hopefully, they would be shipping by truck from the factory in Southern China, so unless the typhoon signal goes up to No.8 or higher, the delivery won't be affected. Anyway, as we often get Bandai stuff a day or two before Japan, I'm hoping they might start showing up in shops as early as tomorrow. Graham

Could somebody who's got the camrip, please post a screenshot of this mystery red and yellow VF-1? Graham

Here's what I'm hoping we'll see at the show (all just guesses). I've tried to keep the list fairly realistic and not turned it into my personal wish list (well, not too much): From Bandai: 1) Announcement of a 1/60 scale DX VF-171 or VF-171EX. 2) Announcement and maybe test shot of the Hi-Metal VF-19F. 3) Announcement and maybe prototype sculpt of a Hi-Metal YF-19. 4) Prototype sculpt or close-to-finished test shot of the Hi-Metal YF-21. 5) Announcement of a Hi-Metal VF-22S Max type. 6) Some news on the fate of the previously announced Robot Spirits Armored Ozma VF-25S (a release date would be nice). 7) More news on set # 4 of the 1/250 scale Macross Fighter Collection, with hopefully confirmation that the set does NOT actually include repeats from set # 3. From Yamato 1) Test shot of the Regult. 2) Physical sculpt or test shot of the new smaller SDF-1 (I forget what the scale is supposed to be). 3) Physical (resin) sculpt of the 1/60 VF-19 Fire Valk (too early for an ABS test shot I think). 4) Likely they will have the various Chronicles exclusive V2 1/60 VF-1, like the VF-X on display. I'd love to see more stuff from Yamato, especially an announcement about a 1/60 scale VF-17D, but I think for various reasons (the economy and a slow down in Macross in general), they are not going to have too much new stuff to show or release this year. Graham

Great job with the comparison pics. I find it interesting that the Bandai 1/250 scale VF-19kai/F/S/P toys have larger tail fins than the Bandai 1/250 scale YF-19 toys, where as the VF-19 Master File has the YF-19/VF-19A with the larger tails. Then to throw another spanner in the works, Kawamori's lineart seems to have the tails of all types about the same overall size (although with the lineart being all hand drawn, it's all a bit subjective IMO). I noticed another error by the CG artists in Master Files. All the CG pics of the various 2 seater recon and ELINT varations have the wrong canopy. In the side-view line-art these types are drawn with an all new style 2-seater canopy, but the CG pics show them with a normal VF-19A type canopy. Graham

I haven't hard much contact with them recently. We sort of go through these quiet periods, where there's no contact for several months and then things pick up again. They did actually call me last Friday to try and arrange a drink that night during a flying visitto HK, but unfortunately I wasn't able to make it. Graham

Last time I went was in 2002. Wow, 8 years ago already, time really does fly! Here's a link to a report on the 2002 show. 2002 Tokyo Toy Show Graham

No idea about what the text in Master Files says, but from the pics, it seems to refer to the verniers and strakes on the nose (posibly part of the shoulders as well). In the older TIAS Mac Plus movie bok, this was refered to as the Active Airflow Control System (or something like that). In Kawamori's lineart, the VF-19E/F/S/P, has never been shown with these nose verniers previously, but Master Files now shows them for all models of 19. Grahm

Unfortunately, due to the angle and positioning of the arms on the Bandai toy, that wouldn't really work. You would need some sort of extended connector, like on the VF-25DX toys. Graham

Well, it's nearly that time of year again, for the Tokyo Toy Show. Wish I was there again, but I'm not. What new Macross products will be revealed this year from Bandai and Yamato? Post all news and pics in this thread. Graham

Started checking shops daily already. Very excited about this. Blazer rocks! Graham

Reading the article, seems it's a wee bit incorrect to say they began testing the Silent Eagle. Seems like all they were testing was a modified Conformal Fuel Tank with a weapons trapeze mounted on an F-15E. Graham

I also like Predator 2, a lot. I didn't mind the scene with the Yakuza using the Katana, in fact I quite enjoyed it. Yes, it's a bit cliched that a Japanese must be able to use one, but who's to say the character didn't have an interest in swordsmanship and maybe practiced Kendo. Graham You mean you've never watched the movie 'Zulu' with Michael Caine? Go and buy or rent it at once! Graham

Interesting that Master Files shows the VF-19E/F/S/P with the VFC (Vortex Flow Controller) on the nose, whereas previously it was only the YF-19/VF-19A that was shown with the VFC. Graham

Forearms (sans shield) have always been another shared part between the YF-19/VF-19A and the VF-19E/Kai/F/S/P. Regarding the commonality displayed in the Master Files CG pics for the Chest, Groin and Thighs areas, I'm wondering if this is just laziness on behalf on the CG illustrator. I note the CG battroid pic on page 53, shows the VF-19F, with the VF-19A's chest guns. In Kawamori's lineart, the chest, thihs and groin of the VF-19Kai/F/S/P have always been distinct and different from the YF-19/VF-19A types. Graham

I also hope for a redesigned gunod for the F/S. I too consider Yamato's gunpod for the YF-19 a bit short and thin. Graham

Although you can't see it on the side view line-art, another difference that the E/F/S/P has is an additional verner thruster located at the mid-wing pivot point that the VF-19A lacks. I'm glad you also caught the additional vernier located below the hybrid sensor on the nose of the VF-19E/F/S/P. I only recently noticed that myself! Graham