David Hingtgen

Hmmn. My current vote is that is a 1/1 model of part of the Yamato. Reasoning: 1. It appears to have been built "out of order". Some sections are far ahead of the others, regarding how real ships are built. It'd be like if a 747 had the front half done and painted, but the back half still raw frames and stringers. 2. It doesn't appear to be in the water nor a dry dock, there's concrete within 1 inch of the outer hull. 3. Where's the back half of the ship? 4. Where's the massive tarps and scaffolding? All the ship-building equipment for that matter. 100-ton cranes, etc. My guess is there's a movie to be filmed, or something, and they need that part of the Yamato in 1/1.

I know I've talked about glow-in-the-dark decal formation lights for jets. If that's it, then you want CAM decals. Their website's messed at the moment though, but many online hobby shops have them. Notably brookhursthobbies.com and greatmodels.com http://www.brookhursthobbies.com/camdecals...amaction=decals

Been buying up .45 sabers again. ROTJ Luke should arrive tomorrow, trying to get an Ep 4 Obi-Wan for a decent price. Also plan to get an AOTC Hasbro Anakin, lightest and smallest of the ~$15 ones, twirls very nicely.

Surprisingly, sunlight can UN-yellow many things. According to LEGO, white Legos turn yellowish when exposed to INDIRECT light, and leaving them in the sun will whiten them. I need to try it, I have some old white ones that are very yellow in spots. Also, yellowed decals can be helped by exposure to sunlight for a while. I've tried it myself and it worked. So maybe people need to stop leaving their models indoors, behind glass, and leave them out in the sunshine. PS--the problem with models is always trying to determine what yellowed. Was it the white paint, or was it the clear coat? Sometimes it's both.

If it's this one: http://www.combinedfleet.com/Yamatobackbig.jpg Then it's a colorized pic, not a color pic. Anything else, I don't know.

T/I sold out pretty early--I snagged one though. ARC-170 is plentiful. For TRU (T/I and ARC) every store is different--some have them on clips, some in boxes, some on racks. Just look all around both the SW area and LEGO area of the store. Also, you can buy the mini sets alone if you want at TRU.

The F-15's original design spec was to get to Europe without refuelling, and CFT's were designed to fullfill that requirement. However, much like going Mach 2.5, that never ever happens in real life. Any modern deployment in a known warzone often presumes they'll have to fight their way in, and go in fully armed. Not ultra-sleek and carrying large heavy empty CFT's when you arrive. IIRC, it took 7 mid-air refuellings to do Langley to Saudi Arabia, due to drag/weight from being loaded up for combat. CFT's on a F-15C are basically used when you're in a really desolate area. Alaska, Iceland. When you could easily be REALLY far from a suitable place to land. It's little more than a safety margin/reserve in real life. The E mainly gets more use from them because it flies at gas-guzzling low level and weighs more with more drag. It uses more fuel to fly the same distance as a C, due to how it flies and what it carries. So it needs more fuel just to have the same range as a C. Plus without the CFT pylons, it can only carry like 1/4 as much ordnance.

CFT's on an F-15 can hold missiles, but only because they cover up the normal mounts on the fuselage. The original plan was to use them to hold ADDITIONAL missiles, likely AIM-82's. (Which never came to be) The F-15E can also mount missiles on its CFT's similar to how the F-15C does, but it does require some rearranging of parts---since there are usually 3 bomb racks on the large inner CFT-mounted pylon, but only 2 missile launchers. Read all about it here: http://www.f-15estrikeeagle.com/weapons/lau106/lau106.htm Neat mixed config for an F-15E: http://www.f-15estrikeeagle.com/weapons/lo...hics/ods_08.gif CFT's are an option on the F-16 Block 50+/52+. Note the plus. They are standard on the Block 60.

I've ordered from the Saber Vault. Minis though, not an FX. But they seem to be among the few with an FX Anakin in stock at the moment... I recently ordered mini ROTJ Luke from TRU/Amazon because Saber Vault just sold out, but just checking today them seem to have gotten Luke back in.

Yup--FAST was the original name, but nobody uses it anymore. Most everyone says CFT---mainly because that's about all they're used for---the missile and sensor options really fell by the wayside early on. While the F-15C/D can use them and introduced them, it's extremely rare. AFAIK, only Langley, Kadena, Soesterberg and Elmendorf ever even had them, only Soesterberg used them often.

Best stuff about Sifo-Dyas: http://www.theforce.net/swenc/entrydesc.asp?search=35942 http://www.theforce.net/swenc/entrydesc.asp?search=35926

Just a comment for the Mace Windu FX: More so than any other FX saber, the size and shape is greatly (IMHO) distorted to accomodate the electronics. And the coming re-release will not be upgraded (and resized/shaped) to hold 3AA's, it will still be the bulky 6AA version. It's my 2nd-fave saber (and fave blade color) but I will not buy it due to being quite "off" in shape, and having the worst blade. (AFAIK, it is done with alternating rings of blue and white LED's with a pink filter screen between--it sorta looks purple when on, but rather "ringed" and splotchy). A Qui-Gon FX should be able to be done perfectly, since green LED's are old and common, and the saber itself is a simple and large shape. Though I wonder why the Mace FX doesn't use purple LED's---while a good, rich purple LED costs a lot of money, the "cheap" ones (basically pink-coated-blues) should last plenty long enough, especially with how it seems 90% of FX owners duel with them anyways and knock out half the LED's in the first week. LED burnout doesn't seem an issue with FX's... Not to mention the early cheap purple LED's are more of a pinky-lavender, which is what Mace's blade is anyway---purple sabers aren't deep royal/Decepticon purple, they usually appear as a rather magenta/pink as purples go. Or in summary: just me ranting about how a MUCH desired saber isn't done very well.

Dragon finds new ways to screw up all the time. I have actually seen them have a 100% accurate mold for something already, then come out with a new, modified mold just for one paint scheme---and that new mold is totally wrong! It'd be like if they came out with a new, accurate, F-15E mold--and painted it up in 1FW colors, when they have a nice F-15C already they should have used.

Those are recon 'saders though. Still cool, but you gotta love the fighter versions just a little bit more.

It's more of a "why?" Same reason the Blackbird isn't flying now---incredibly complex and expensive to maintain on a day-to-day basis, and satellites are almost as good. Yes, an SR-71 can be anywhere really quickly and take pics of EXACTLY what you want, but the USAF apparently doesn't consider it worthwhile enough to keep in service. I doubt we could do anything notably superior, but to make another similar plane is quite possible, just very expensive. Past Mach 3, the mach cone gets quite tight. Aerodynamic problems, regardless of strength/heat/structure. The sheer shockwave starts eating at the frame. For all the people who claim Mach 4 or Mach 5+ for the SR-71, they obviously know nothing about shockwaves. A Blackbird will self-destruct from its own shockwave at about Mach 3.5. And one A-12 on a high-speed run did ruin its wings and tails trying to do so. (Fastest Blackbird ever--went about 3.5 before parts started ripping off) Survived, but was immediately scrapped after landing due to damage. SR-71 speeds: 3.2 Normal cruise 3.3 High cruise, approved flight-by-flight. Depends on atmospheric temp more han anything. 3.35--Max dash speed, 5-10 mins 3.4---emergency, moderate damage sustained 3.5---severe damage/destruction. Both of the bottom two assume you have a very cold day, and a "cold" engine. 99% of the time, the turbine inlet temp is the limiting factor for the SR-71's speed. The numbers above presume a PERFECT engine running very cool, and that the shape of the airframe itself is the limiting factor, not how hot the engine is running.

Ironically, one of the reasons there's so little titanium in the XB-70 is because had it gone into production, it would have required over 1/4 of the USA's titanium at the time, at the rate and numbers the USAF wanted. The SR-71 was "allowed" to have so much titanium in its structure as it was supposed to be such a limited production aircraft (and it was). They could have a few dozen medium-large spy planes, but hundreds of gigantic B-70's would have required new titanium mines to be opened...

I want an ISD above all else, followed by Executor. And if they lit up, drool drool drool. It's sad that the best ISD by far is the LEGO one. The AMT/Ertl kit has horrendous fit and accuracy, even as the AMT Star Wars kits go. And that's saying something. You need a vise to get some of the parts close enough just to try to bridge the gap with epoxy... And all the little diecast etc ISD's have crude detail. I collect LOTS of mini diecast ships and planes, I know what can be done for what price. They could be done a LOT better, but they're not even worth buying IMHO. Still, I'm looking forward to the Venator-class coming out from Revell. (That's the new "Republic Star Destroyer" in Ep III). Revell's done quite nice stuff lately, and though the design isn't as neat as an ISD, it is neat.

Bought a mini ROTS Anakin at BestBuy today. I'd take pics, but it's raining and dark here. Maybe tomorrow. Interestingly, it's packaged "sideways"---when you open the box, you're looking at what most people would consider the underside of the saber.

It's not so much the structure, as the systems. Even something as "simple" as a fuel pump has to be totally designed from scratch. Early Blackbirds had problems with the wiring becoming unsoldered in flight as it heated up, then resoldering itself in different places as it cooled again. THAT can really mess up the electrical systems... Most equipment and liquids used in jets just will not take the heat of continuous Mach 3 operation.

Seems the one that started the thread is 61-17958. It is an SR-71. Huh, there's 3 A-12's in Alabama, while Georgia has a single SR-71. "What the Hell's an A-12, Anyway, and Why Are They So Cool?" http://www.serve.com/mahood/a-12/a-12s.htm Quite interesting to read the rest of the links on that site, the guy went out to Area 51 and found the crash site of 60-6928 (no one else ever had). And brought home some titanium. List of where all the Blacknbirds are (though I like calling the A-12 the Cygnus): http://www.blackbirds.net/sr71/srloc.html

Gotta ask--which one, where? The majority of "SR-71's" on display are actually A-12's. (Even to the point that the plaque says SR-71, when it's not). I know the one at Offut is actually an SR-71, as is the one at Dulles.

The Vader ESB FX is supposed to be only 1.8mm bigger around than the "real" thing. Not very oversized IMHO. Don't know about ROTS Anakin but since it's similar in construction I doubt it'd be significantly different.

I'll try to get a pic of the Hasbro color-change saber tonight. It's much brighter blue than red. Though retail is $30, almost any Target/WalMart has them for 15.

I wondered about the 1995 pic too, but since the first FX saber came out in like 2002, I figure it's just a camera battery problem or something. Anyways---the .45 mini sabers are 100% as nice as the full size ones, just smaller. Basically---you can either have 1 full size saber, or every mini saber ever made, for the same price. I'd rather have a whole collection. (Unless you've got like 5 grand to spend on full-size ones) PS---the non-battle-damaged .45 Maul saber is coming out soon. You have to join the new collector's club for it though. It's like $60 for the membership, and you get the saber with it, and coupons for like 50 bucks off a full-size saber, 20 bucks off an FX, and 10 bucks off a .45 mini. (2 coupons of each type--but you can't use both on a single saber) It pays for itself and then some. Heck, a .45 Maul alone would be like $45 due to its size.

My Vader looks just like that in some photos. Told you it was possible to make it look bright yellow. PS--for anyone that doesn't own an FX saber, this is how they really look to the human eye, in a dark room: http://www.rebelscum.com/mr/mrfxsabers1.jpg