Retracting Head Ter Ter

Was at the Ocean City TRU last week. Didnt see any Astro Plan toys.

Just the usual double boatload of Gundams (boooooooooooooorrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiggg.....)

Well, I am just surprised how quiet it was in the A380's cabin compared to the A320s , B777s and 747s I have been in. Just felt wierd since I am used to engine noise while in the planes. Wondering if it is because of better insulation since the bird is so phat or its because of the engine design.

Got a question on moveable LERXs messing up the stealth. How different is that to the moving airlerons and rudders on say a F-22? Besides it being out in front.

Longer, with heavily redesigned wings. Plus what is basically the 787's engines, which makes them newer/better than even the A380 engine.

I was on an A380 recently. Was VERY surprised at how quiet it was inside the cabin. Could hardly hear the engines.

Is it just as quiet _outside_ the plane?

Mach 2.5, with 1.9 at cruise? I'll believe that when it flies over my house that fast. Yeesh, I'd have trouble accepting that supercruise level from a YF-23.

Also---every comment from "people whose opinion I give weight" put all the "little non-stealthy aspects" as more than countering the big, obvious stealth aspects. Thus, it's probably only a bit better than a EF-2000, stealth-wise.

Which are the 'little-non stealthy aspects'?

Besides the straight intakes (can be mitigated by shape of ramps inside?), the IRST ball, those funny cylinders at wing trailing edge and the tubes and antennaes (on prototype only?).

I'm with Nied on the F-35 argument.

But yes its not a beautiful plane. I especially hate the shape of the V-stabs.

I hated the YF-22 when I first saw it too (esp since the YF-23 was revealed first). In F-22 form it looks a little better now.

Interesting. The long winded article (sorry Mandarin only) sometime after the 60th anniversary PRC parade which I read where the Deputy Commander of the PLAAF talks about the J-XX is starting to make sense now.

In the aforesaid article, the salient points I remember are something like.... Goes on about the YF-23. How the J-XX will use S-shaped intakes like the YF-23. Use pelican tails like the YF-23 but due to flight control issues, will have canards too. Internal fuel only issues, but acceptable to PLAAF since the focus is on defence rather then 'Global Policeman'. Thrust vectoring engines. Lessons learned from J-10B intakes to be used. Some other yadda yadda about the YF-23.

Seeing how this T-50 takes many YF-23 cues (that fron quarter profile view really looks like a 23 to me! Especially the landing gears' stance!) and how there is going to be at least SOME Russkie content in the J-XX, the article makes more sense now.

I predict the J-XX is going to be a T-50 with S-intakes and Canards slapped on!

edit : OH yes! STONE AND BURN all them YF-23 haters!!!!! Tasteless atavars!

I though Predator 2 was quite a good and watchable movie too.

I always though Gung Fu was Chineese, and was originated by the Shaolin Monks of Tibet.

You WERE being sarcastic right?

I nominate Franco Columbu to be Conan. Sure he's older now, but he hung with Arnie and even played a Terminator in the first film.

The head is too big! Damn you Yamato!

So how much does a J-85 cost anyway?

Its been in the news over here in Singapore for some time. Our neighbours the Maylaysian Air Force had a pair of J-85s for their F-5Es stolen by some base personnel and the figure being repeated everytime by the press about the cost of EACH engine was S$21m or about USD 14-15mil.

That makes about 30mil just for a pair of engines?!?!? WTF?!? You can buy 2 F-5s for that kind of price right?

http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/...220-187008.html

I like my Conan stories over-the-top. Not metrosexual hippy.

Bring back the muscle slabs!

At the rate Hollywood is selling-out, next we are gonna have some long fringed pretty boy Conan the Vampire to cater to the teenage girls.

I'm gonna be joining A1 on the rooftop with my crate of Molotovs.

It's not exactly a problem limited to the Space War 1-era destroids, y'know. Unless they were equipped with plot armor because they were carrying a named character, Zentradi beam weapons tended to do pretty much the same thing to the lightly-armored Valkyries of the day as well. Even plot armor didn't save Hikaru's VF-1J from being torn to shreds during hand-to-hand combat, and the only other major instance of Valkyries going into hand-to-hand combat was faked for the benefit of Quamzin... whereas the Spartan at least comported itself reasonably well after the war as a police unit for the specific mission of controlling violent Zentradi.

My point is that it would serve the background consistency so much and not mess up the plot if they just bothered to have the cannon fodder destroids shown taking multiple hits from the smaller mecha weapons, damage to various locations before finally blowing up.

Anybody care to share some common sense tips on keeping an old car alive and healthy for as long as possible?

I'm not having any trouble with my car whatsoever - and I change the oil every 10 thousand Kilometers, I've gotten its' break thingies changed and generally it works great.

But given that it's punching 10 years, is there anything I should look out for? It's a Mazda 626 Sedan. 135 thousand KM (not miles!).

Just asking to maybe pick up some wisdom from people with experience in stuff like this.

Pete

I am driving a 18 yr old W124. 200k+ miles.

IMHO, no special difference in treating an 8 yr old car or an 18 yr old car. Just have to watch the dials and be vigilant for wierd noises and behaviour. And check for physical wear and damage which can potentially cause rust (esp. in those hard to see areas - e.g. battery acid leaks over the years corroding the firewall near the battery).

1. Whatever happened which stopped me from getting Autoduel 2. (and Autoduel 3,4,5 etc etc for that matter).

2. Replacing Lu Bu's iconic halberd with that dumb arsed swastika weapon in Dynasty Warriors 6.

3. The head numbing butt-rock electric guitar music for the whole Dynasty Warriors Series.

Destroids make sense if you go by the background material about them having more armour to take the abuse as compared to lighter skinned valks.

But that all goes to plot hell when in SDFM you see the destroids blow up when lightly caressed by the common Zentran mecha weapons.

but somehow the current Stealth Technology means ugly air frame, well some stealth design are good like the VF-22 raptor and the B2 Spirit.

Before the rest of the supporters chime in ......... YF-23!!!!!!!!!!

Heh, so c'mon own up, how many of you spent the whole movie trying to spot Neytiri's nipples?

Graham

Raises hand...

if gaia in this case was able to tap into the thoughts of animals and mount a defence why did it take 7 years to do so then all of a sudden it needs to react to the threat in the last hour.

Emmm, because like Pocahontas, Last Samurai, Mummy Tomb of the Dragon Emperor etc etc, the world can only be saved when a White Man arrives to lead the natives. Never mind that he is crippled and needs an Avatar.

BTW, anyone watching the movie ask themselves, "Damn, if it was me I would have used the Bulldozers instead of unmechanised troops. I'd like to see them hammerhead pachyderms try ramming my Giant Caterpillar!'"

Kinda makes 'em look a bit cartoony I think. If it were anime, I could see cannons to sticking out from the "back packs"

I wonder how those CFTs affect performance.

Thats my opinion too, gives em the 'Super and Strike Parts' look.

Wow! I never knew this existed! Hearing it in Chan's distinctive voice is quite unusual. But it is quite suitable.

As if getting shot down wasn't bad enough, getting shot down by THAT would really add insult to injury!

Hmm, if only there was a rich export customer that likes advanced technology and is in the market for a new fighter to replace its ageing Phantoms...

And who couldn't get their first choice airframe?

Yeah----my -21 won't have the back plate that flush no matter what---even with the legs and belly plates entirely removed from the plane. I can't even force/hold it in place that well-aligned.

You are not alone... It drives me nuts.

But even with all that, everything I hold the dang thing in fighter mode I think its the most bleepin' beautific valk toy ever made by FAR.

Well, if a 38 yr old Captain is the main star, THAT WILL BE A FREAKIN REFRESHING CHANGE FROM SOME 15YR OLD RED HAIRED PUNK STILL WEARING HIS SCHOOL UNIFORM SAVING THE UNIVERSE!!!

I guess we're just going to have to put the F-20 squadrons in our dream Air Force along with the wing of F-23s and the XB-70 bomber fleet...

Don't forget the F12B to go intercept the incoming hordes of Backfires and Blackjacks.

Someone is probably going to come along and rant about the Tomcat-21 soon.