David Hingtgen

Just a little note--XP's "repair install" can be VERY helpful/useful. A lot faster and easier than a true re-install, but easy to miss since it's NOT the obvious "recovery install" option it gives you at the first screen. Fixed my PC about a year ago when all else failed, and I was ready to format the entire drive. http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/How-to-repa...ws-XP-t138.html

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1788161 Scarily accurate to life in '94.

10 or so days until Mass Effect comes out. And just a warning---I will personally ban anyone that posts spoilers about it, starting now. That includes "first hour" spoilers and "stuff every review/site has already mentioned".

That's probably the remnants of the inboard leading edge flap--technically the LEX vent. It physically still exists, just immobile. You can see it deployed on early models though. As for the vents on the upper rear fuselage---exhaust for the environmental systems. Here's an early F-18E with the LEX vent deployed--it goes down further than the LE flaps. Its main purpose is actually to dump the air and allow it to flow THROUGH the LEX at high alpha--basically the LEX can work TOO well in some conditions. Production models use the spoilers only, so they're apparently sufficient. But the LEX vent flap is still 100% there on production models, just unused. Easily visible when the LE flaps are down. I have plenty of pics of the production version's "remnants" if you want. As for the gear door edges--they're perfectly done from the factory, and the actual extreme "edge" of the door isn't red---but that only lasts until the first touch-up. Then it's pretty haphhazardly applied. The "actual" intended painted area is is the border area of the inside face--about 1 or 2 inches in. I do have pics, but no good ones, and most are of "atypical" situations so wouldn't be very helpful. Just paint the edges of the doors on the inside surface. Many people just use a red Sharpie marker.

Hmmmn. I have some experience in stripping paint off of plastic with rubbing alcohol. And knowing he's got G1 colors underneath all that silver and dirt...

Yeah, it looked distinctly bronze/gold to me in the animation---not plain "tan".

Meh, looks like the VF-0. Which looked like the VF-1. All of Kawamori's recent valks are too similar, both plane and battroid. I like the Sv-51 because it's DIFFERENT. (Much how the YF-19 and -21 were). And -4. And -17. But the last 5 years---all variations on the VF-1.

White F-15E is SP. CFA-44's ARE fun to shoot down--I think I *gunned* one down yesterday---they're worth double points, and few people can aim the EML well, so I usually like when there's *one* around. (A ton is bad) Also, the CFA-44 STOPS in mid-air when pulling high-G's. Even if you only do it for like 2 secs, and engage full burner at 350kts---you'll still continue to decelerate and fall like a rock until you hit 0kts. It's just they way it is. So watch for it and nail them. (If you have like 500+ kts left when you stop the high-G turn, you should be able to pull out of it with like 150kts remaining----but with the rate at which airspeed it lost, that's like 1 sec of turning---but that's really all you need with its turn rate). The CFA-44 is basically the opposite of the F-15E----very short duration, high-rate turns. The F-15E can hold the turn longer than any other plane, but doesn't turn as tight. To ban the CFA-44, just set the plane limit to "Level 3". That allows all but the CFA-44. Level 1 is F-16 and Mirage. Level 2 is up to and including Su-33. Level 3 goes up to and including F-22. (about half the planes in the game are level 3---not many are level 2) Sigh, with probably 25+ "wins" lost due to the game not auto-saving, I'm ONLY playing 5 min matches now. Otherwise it'd take a week or two to get back my wins. Tonight didn't go well.

I really just want a "model" trailer that's the right scale and proportions. (Prime has a very short van-trailer, 'cuz he's a 70's truck----but most stuff out there is very long) I've always thought both the KO and official trailers looked weird, because they copy MP Prime's chassis/suspension design--which is the least-accurate part of his vehicle mode. It's just wrong, entirely. And it looks worse when applied to a trailer. They should have totally ignored it, and used just the wheels and tires, if that. Prime's wheels are not to scale with himself, and when used with a trailer they look even more so, especially using "robot legs" for the axle mounts etc.

Well, I'm going to be online a lot tonight, trying to get what the game "owes" me, achievement-wise. Probably be hosting, as no one ever sets up decent matches (it is SO easy to ban the use of the CFA-44 without affecting ANYTHING else, yet people don't ban it then bitch when someone uses it) Gamertag: Xenogears Id. Will be flying a white F-15E. PS--don't worry, it'll probably rank me as "red" for host suitability. But my connection is rock solid with no variation, I've never had any issues hosting. As opposed to last night, where a bunch of people rated yellow had problems all the time--half my matches ended early due to host failure. (AC6 rates few people as having good enough connections to rate "green")

You mean ID4's depiction of drunken crop-dusters flying F-18's wasn't quite right?

Found this article there, which is the true answer to what the second season needs--- more HRG: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20036782_2...0152506,00.html At least Kring realizes exactly what's wrong--Claire in love is sappy and pointless, Hiro was in Japan *way* too long, and the big "plot of doom" took too long to get to. (And I also think Peter was in Ireland without his memory too long)

Noyhauser----F-18E? I really don't have that many pics of the E model. (I've never seen one--just F's---I keep trying to see an E) Try here: http://www.s205409446.onlinehome.us/AWA1/6...aub/walk606.htm (there's a lot more cockpit pics for F models, as their rear cockpits vary and there's much interest in the differences, and there are more F's than E's in the world). I think any early F's front panel should be the same as any E's. Afghanistan load? I can probably get you exact for early operations---what squadron? PS---look at this photo, trust me. http://www.s205409446.onlinehome.us/AWA1/0...es/18ftoprr.jpg That's how that area is---part bare metal, part vents, part "black gaping opening", part metallic grey heat-absorbing blankets... If you want, there's a very good fairly cheap book out there with lots of useful modeling pics: http://store.spruebrothers.com/shared/Stor...et=products.asp

As they age, every plane gets flight restrictions. F-14's were down to 5.5G's at the end, maybe 5G's. F-14 speed restriction was M 1.88 I think, F-15's are currently at M 1.91. They really should comment on that when talking about old fighter planes needing replacement. Again---a B-52 has a "calm" life for an airframe----they don't pull G's or go fast in the first place, and are still 100% as good as new in that regard. And due to low cycles despite their hours, they have no load restrictions AFAIK. (C-130's now, have such high cycles the older ones have severe load restrictions, as do many KC-135's). But fighters age much faster, and lose sheer flying capability. There is no F-15A/B/C/D out there that can pull 9G's or go Mach 2.5 anymore. They are 7G, Mach 1.9 fighters now. New F-15's could help, but as they now cost almost as much as F-22's---we should just buy F-22's.

Son of a.... This explains why NOBODY has any of the 30+ wins for any category, and why I don't have my 200+ kills achievement: IT DOESN'T AUTOSAVE ONLINE STATS. So if you kill 75 people, end the game, and turn off the console---then kill 30 more the next day---it says your total is 30, not 105. I got 100 kills because I played for 3 hours straight. Man, I would have my 200 kills, and 30 team wins by now if it remembered cumulative. Save manually after you're done online. Also, winning a free-for-all is tough---and I had 2, but now I know it didn't save them. (30+ will never happen on that, I plan to get 10 and stop)

If you played Castlevania 3, and/or MegaMan 2 you know they have some of the all-time best VG music. And I discovered this part of Screw Attack's site way too late: http://www.screwattack.com/RetroRemix.html Skip the first minute or two (or five), trust me. But after that, they rock. Just fast forward past all the talking until you get to the music. For the first MM2 track (actually the second one listed--they're in reverse chronological order) you need to skip the entire first half. But if you're like me, and you could listen to MM2 for the rest of the your life and be happy, the rest of the track is gaming music bliss.

::mod hat on:: You know, we DO have a "warfare" thread that is generally allowed to be a bit more political (but this forum is still supposed to be "no political discussions"----we've come very close the last couple posts). http://macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=22252

Was at BestBuy again---I think the 1080 (vs 720 at 32in 5 feet away) only looks better with static text---images generally look nigh-identical. While that may be nice for video games, I don't think it's worth almost double the price of a nice 720. (BB changed settings again, the two 720p Sonys are on completely different demos, impossible to compare again)

MW is unofficially PG-13, and we've received complaints about the thread. That's why the first post was edited. As for this time----without loading and saving each pic individually to track down which is which due to how MW stores attachments, it's nearly impossible to 'selectively' remove 'offending' pics---so they had to all go.

Nice point---people keep talking about how much the F-22 is, but don't seem to realize that due to inflation, the F-15 costs just as much. (Makes me wonder---so was the F-15 back in the 70's seen as "horrendously expensive" as the -22 is now?) The F-15 was in response to the "MiG-25 threat", and they tried to get as many built as soon as possible. Yet now we have Super Flankers, which unlike the MiG-25 really are amazing planes that are a serious threat to our air dominance, yet they say we don't need -22's...

I do see a lot of those, and they do quite well. I still go with the F-15E. Incredible raw speed and power, and 6 AMRAAMs. And a good defense rating----not an A-10/Tornado, but better than a lot. Long-range missiles suffer from the same problem as the last few games---you have to fire from SO far away to take advantage of them, that you pretty much only get one chance, then you're in the merge and have to go for guns. Plus they don't seem as agile as medium-range. (Which is/should be true) F-14 doesn't do as well in this game it seems---SAAM is great off-line in missions due to "super homing", but in a melee against a lot of other people moving crazily---I've only seen one kill with it. (Someone got me)

Best controller ever is an early US Saturn's. Also, for a Dreamcast--buy the ASCII pad! (Which is basically a Saturn controller that plugs into a DC). I also bought one for my PS2. (though the PS2's isn't as nice)

<<<<< The Royal Australian Air Force is facing a six- to 18-month gap in the availability of operational in-flight refuelling aircraft, as a result of plans to withdraw its final Boeing 707 tanker from service in July 2008. The service is not expecting to achieve initial operational capability with its new Airbus A330-based KC-30B multi-role tanker transports until late 2009, with this milestone set for the availability of two of its five aircraft. Australia's Department of Defence announced that only one 707 tanker will be in service for the next eight months, following the 31 October retirement of the RAAF's only other available example from an originally five-strong fleet. The retired aircraft are being cannibalised to provide operational spares for the sole remaining platform. The first converted KC-30B made its debut flight last June, but phase one flight testing is only just starting. "The test readiness review is expected to occur by the end of October 2007 in support of commencement of Phase 2 test activities in early 2008," the DoD says. "The in-service date - for two aircraft, qualification tested and issued with military airworthiness certificates - remains as planned for late 2009." >>> How about waiting until you have the replacement before retiring the old one? Though the RAF already got rid of its Sea Harriers, and they still don't have any JSF's... (nor will for quite a while)

If the C/D's are having issues, what about the A/B's still in service? There's been a lot of swapping/upgrading since the F-22 came into service, but there's still some squadrons that have the early models. As for structure: Go look at any F-16 block 40/42. You'll see retrofitted reinforcement plates to stop the cracking on them. The increased weight was too much for them. (block 25 and 30 also have some, but far fewer)

I've been annoyed by the number of total noobs on AC6. They have NO achievements (and you get 1 just for playing the prologue mission---how hard is it to shoot down a B-52?) and pick like an A-10 with Mavericks for a 4-on-4 dogfight. I just think "please don't be on my team, please don't be on my team". Of course they just get shot down and never shoot anyone else down, making it harder for everyone else on their team to win. I'm not some AC6 elitist, but c'mon--at least pick a FIGHTER plane and AIR TO AIR weaponry when you're playing with other people in a pure air-to-air mission.