Graham

We all know that the arm mounted FAST packs on the VF-1 each hold 3 micro-missiles. However, those 3 micro-missiles cant fill the entire internal volume of the arm FAST packs, so I've been wondering recently what the remainder of the internal space is used for? The Macross Compendium is not much help as it has only the following to say about the arm FAST packs on the vF-1: - six micro-missiles in two NP-AR-01 micro-missile launcher pods (mounted rearwardly under center ventral section in Fighter mode or on lower arm sections in GERWALK and Battroid mode). If we treat the cut-away picture from the DYRL Gold Book poster as correct (see pic below), then some of the internal volume is obviously used for exhaust ducting to vent the exhaust gasses when the micro-missiles are fired, but that still leaves some free internal space. My theory is that the extra space inside the arm FAST packs is used for one or more of the following options: - 1) ECM gear. 2) Chaff and Flare launchers. 3) Extra 55mm ammunition for the GU-11 gunpod. This makes sense to me as the GU-11 is mounted directly on the arm FAST packs in fighter mode anyway, so it would not be difficult to link extra ammunition stored in the FAST packs to the GU-11's external feed port. The Gu-11 certainly needs extra ammo as a normal load stored in the gunpods internal helical magazine is only 200 rounds! Any other theories? Graham Picture fromMacross Mecha Designs.

dunno... just saw it on another forum I frequent. Nice isn't it? Vostok 7 Should be available for civilian sale. The CX4 Storm is a semi-auto carbine, constructed mostly of polymer and chambered in 9mm and .40 which uses magazines from the Beretta 92/96 series pistols. Handled it at the SHOT show, quite nice. Graham

Nah, it's basically Glock just wanted to have a cartridge with their own name on it. I mean S&W have the .40S&W and Sig have the .357Sig. Here's data on the .45 Glock round: - Bullet diameter = .43" Case diameter = .47" Cartride overall length w/FMJ bullet = 1.10" Two loadings were mentioned at the 2003 SHOT Show: - 185gr FMJ at 1,100fps and 200gr FMJ at 984fps. Actually, ballistics ain't too bad, but you are limited to a maximum bullet weight of of 200gr, it's impossible to fit heavier bullets in that short stubby case. Graham

What I've heard is that Glock was having either reliability or durability problems with the G37 and have had to redesign it. Basically, the G37 I handled at this year's SHOT Show had a frame and slide of identical size to the G17. However, according to the latest news it has been changed so that it now using a G21 size slide, but still retaining the G17 size frame. Personally, I don't see the point in the G37. Why go for a downloaded (wimp) .45 round with only 10rds, when you can have the G21 with full power .45ACP rounds and a 13rd mag. I know some people find the G21 too big for their hand, but I never had that problem. I'm only an average to small size guy, but I find the G21 fits my hand even better than the G17 and shoots softer as well (nearly zero perceived recoil and barely any muzzle rise). Graham

Miami Vice ran for five seasons. In the first two seasons, Don Johnson's character Sonny Crocket carried a chrome plated Bren Ten 10mm pistol. In seasons 3 and 4 he switched to a stainless steel S&W 645 .45ACP pistol. In season 5 he carried a S&W 4506 stainless steel .45ACP pistol. His back-up gun carried in an ankle holster was a Detonics Combat Master .45ACP, which is a cut down compact 1911 type pistol. Graham

Yup, what he says about the DE .50AE is all true. Company I used to work for used to be the HK agent for Magnum Research, so I have a fair bit of experience with their guns. Desert Eagles are basically only for actors to look good in movies. In any real world application, they are just to cumbersome and unreliable. Graham

Still think it's really bad that those mecha defending Zion don't have any armor around the cockpit to protect the pilot. While armour might not offer much protection against Sentinel attack at least it is better than no armor at all. At the momet, if a Sentinel get's into close quarters, one strike with a tenticle and the pilot is dead. At least with some armor protection it would buy the pilot some time to kill the Sentinel before it peeled open the armor and killed the pilot. Graham

H&K G36 is a very reliable rifle, but the trigger pull leaves a great deal to be desired . Also, the optical sights on the version which has the dual stacked sights are pretty piss poor IMO. Tiny field of viw, plus to use the upper red dot sight, you have to break your cheak weld. Graham

Hmm...haven't really thought ahead to Christmas yet. As my birthday is coming up soon and most of the stuff I want is coming out in October or November (PS2 Macross Game, 1/48 VF-1S Hikaru, 1/48 VF-1J Hikaru), and I'll end up getting them long before Christmas, so that leaves nothing left on my wish list. Graham

Has it actually been confirmed that the game features a versus mode? We've been talking about it, but I don't recall seeing anything official yet. Graham

Used to be heavily into IPSC shooting (stock guns, not race gun crap), but had to stop due to financial reasons. Used to own the following firearms: 1) Glock 17 9mm. 2) Glock 21 .45ACP. 3) S&W 745 .45ACP. 4) Combat customised Remington 870 12 ga. shotgun. 5) S&W 629 6.5" .44Mag. Used to work in a gunshop/shooting range for 5 years, so had a chance to shoot a lot of firearms. My favorite guns 1) S&W 5" .45ACP pistols, i.e. models 645, 745, 4506 & 945. So reliable and point well for me. 2) Full size Glocks, especially the 21 and 17. Mine never jammed in over 10,000rds. 3) S&W N frame revolvers with 4", 5" or 6" barrels in .357mag, .45ACP and .44 magnum. 4) 7.62 FN FAL, what I used during my service. 5) 7.62mm G3 rifle. 6) Sig 550 & 552 rifles. Not a fan of the 5.56mm round generally, but these things are pure class. Quality through and through. The best 5.56 assault rifles ever. 7) Browning Hi-Power MK.III. John Browings only good pistol. Benelli M1 and M3 Super 90 shotguns. My least favourite firearms 1) Beretta 92 series. Fits my hand poorly and is too bulky for a 9mm. 2) All 1911 style pistols. I've tried em all, all brands stock and custom even from America's top gunsmiths and they are all jam-o-matics due to the poor feed angle, fragile components and lousy internal extractor and magazine design (especially the hi-cap frame designs). I've seen more failures to feed with 1911 type pistols than all other types/brands of pistols put together. I would never ever trust my life to one. 3) M16A2. Far too heavy and has the worst designed most uncomfortable grip ever designed. Plus reliablity in adverse conditions is not too great. The earlier lighter M16A1 was much better IMO. 4) H&K USPs. The compact is ugly. the full size version is oversize. I shoot with a high thumb (thumb on top of safety) and when shooting from cocked & locked I've sen too many people draw and press the safety down too far and go into decock, thus slowing down the first shot. Embarassing in a match, could be fatal in a self defence situation. 5) H&K MK.23. That gun is a joke. Designed by committee, so oversize. Never gets used by all accounts. Graham

Heh, I used to have the full set, even some doubles (don't ask me why). But thankfully I came to my senses and threw the fugly things out a couple of years ago. They are absolutely terrible sculpts. However, the bundled character figs were quite good IIRC and I think I may have kept them somewhere in one of my many junk drawers. Graham

Getting back on topic, the VF-1 is shown with thrust vectoring during gameplay in the upcoming PS2 Macross game. Graham

I'm confused. I thought the FAST packs were the conformal fuel tanks on the legs. Is there something we haven't seen yet? On all of the other VFs, the FAST packs only work in space (or at least a vacuum), and the VF-0 can't do that. Nope, the conformal fuel tanks referred to here are the two lumps on the chest plate, NOT the leg FAST packs. Graham

Actually, that's not true. IIRC, in epsiode # 1, Roy's VF-0s and maybe also the VF-0A cannon fodders were shown with 12 x AIM-200A AMRAAM 2 missiles mounted on the wings. Also, in episode # 2, when Shin is assigned guard duty on the island, you can see his VF-0D in Gerwalk mode with underwing ordnance. Graham

I bought it when it was first released months ago, but could never really get into it. IMO, there's no really outstanding tracks that really grab you. Personally, I think the Macross Plus OST 1 is far superior to the Macross Zero OST 1. Graham

I think it had it's theatrical release here in HK in 89, or possibly 88. I remember going to see it at the cinema 4 times. Great experience. And no, nothing was cut. Graham

Wow, everything shown so far looks great. The only thing that worries me is the low number of stages (8!). Hopefully, each stage will actually be divided into several sub-stages/missions. I'm still hoping for a versus mode, a survival mode and a player controlable mission generator. Graham

I'm loving what I've seen of the Yamato 1/60 GBP so far. IMO it looks 100 times better than the old 1/55 version. It's great that Yamato have made it with all the missile hatches opening, even the small ones on the rear of the legs. And yes, I love the big fists too. One thing I can't understand though is the need for the larger shoulders. The shoulder missile launchers could have easily been made to fit on the standard 1/60 shoulders. Graham

Finally got to watch the Ruliweb movie and the game looks great. I love that in fighter mode, they have the feet moviing for thrust vectoring and also that they show the FAST pack veriers and wing-tip roll thrusters working as well. Fantastic! Graham

Any link? Graham

Rewooh, there are only two Japanese companies that make Macross Plus toys. Yamato and Doyusha. Doyusha makes 1/144 scale, mostly die-cast versions of the YF-19 and YF-21. However, they are in fighter mode only and non-transformable. They are also out of production and are getting difficult to find. Yamato makes 1/72 scale transforming toys of the YF-19, YF-21 and VF-11B. these toys are made of ABS plastic with some die-cast parts. The YF-19 has the highest die-cast content, the VF-11B the lowest. Most of the Yamato Macross Plus toys have been out of production for a few years now and so are quite difficult to find. The most recent releases are the YF-21 FAST pack version and the VF-11B FAST pack version released earlier this year. Both are quite good toys with no fragile parts. As others have said, Yamato is doing a resculpt of the YF-19, which should be released next year. Graham

Wow.....that GBP looks really nice. Yes, this is the first time I've seen it myself. The big bubble fists look great, just like the old Arii/Imai box art. Yes, it's 1/60, as can clearly be read on the card. Also, as haterist mentioned, the leg joint below the hip armor is a big giveaway that it is 1/60 not 1/48. I have no idea whether the armor will be released seperately or bundled together with the VF-1J, but if I was a gambling man, I'd bet all my money that it will come bundled. I'm pretty sure the VF-1J can transform. If you read the card, it mentions '3' something, so I'm guessing that it says 'can transform into 3 modes' in Japanese. And for those naysayers among you, do you honestly think that Yamato is so stupid that they won't eventually release a 1/48 GBP? Yes, the purple color helmet is a tie in from the squadron (team?) that fly purple color Valks in the upcoing PS2 game. For pics of these purple Valks go check out the pinned PS2 game thread in the game forum. Graham

Yamato are planning to re-issue the 1/48 VF-1A Hikaru at the end of this month, along with the VF-1S Focker. These two re-issues will feature the improved nosecone attachment and flaps, first introduced on the 1/48 VF-1A Max. I'm not sure what you mean by a 'perfect version'? Graham

Although I haven't heard anything from Yamato yet, my guess is that the 1/48 M&M with FP is probably a done deal. I mean, it makes good financial sense as Yamato already has the tooling for the VF-1J, so they might as well milk the molds more and release other color variations. Personally, I don't think a 1/48 VF-1A CF is likely as firstly the 1/60 CF was not such a hot seller after the initial 'Limited' hype blew over. Secondly, many fans are getting tired of DYRL stlye VF-1A and I doubt Yamato would be willing to invest money to sculpt a TV type VF-1A head. I also think a 1/48 VF-1D is unlikey as it would require resculpting of several parts and color variations are not possible to help recover costs. Even though people are getting a bit tired of the VF-1A, I strongly suspect that we may end up seeing a Kakizaki VF-1A 1/48 from Yamato as they included his stikers in the FP set. Graham