ewilen

I think the gun is different, too. Anyway, bootlegs aren't what they used to be. Back in '86 or thereabouts I got a bootleg 1/100 in San Francisco Chinatown that was at least as good as the Takatoku/Bandais. I wouldn't expect that kind of quality from this one.

Raptor, I don't know where you are, but if you can't swing a deal with UN Spacy, I see copies for sale on Yahoo Japan, and on eBay (coming from HK and/or Japan). I'm sure you can do better than 6000 yen.

Here's the original thread. http://www.tfans.com/index.php?showtopic=14983&hl=jetfire It's apparently a Chinese bootleg, not a photoshop fake.

The word fighter is what's confusing you. For the rest, http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=8543 http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?showtopic=12053

If you buy on eBay, you can probably get it for less than $50. I got mine from etrade168, I think. Is it worth the money? I'm not sure it would be worth modding your PS2 (or getting a Japanese one) just to play the one game, but if your system can already to play Japanese games, I'd say go for it.

That wasn't Hikaru, Misa or Minmay. That was Rick, Lisa and Minmay. Or should we say, Rick, Lisa, and "Minmay". Sherman, to see older versions of the original trio, you should check out Macross Flash Back 2012 if you haven't already done so.

Oh I don't know, maybe the vast majority of anime fans who don't watch subtitled cartoons perhaps. Whether anime fans who don't watch subtitled cartoons are a majority or not, I think the question is, how many of them would be significantly interested in seeing a dubbed Macross when there's already "The Macross Saga" of Robotech. In other words, the people who want to see the original Macross are not necessarily representative of anime fans in general. I'd expect a higher number of "purists" among them, who are the sort who dislike or at least don't need dubs. The market of people who will only buy SDF Macross (or who will buy it again) if it has a dub may not justify the costs of production.

That one goes into my "Interesting Stuff" folder. Those bots are amazing--I can't believe they're able to get up after falling down. Any more info on them? to the original poster: Roomba? I'm half-kidding. I was searching for a robotics page that summarized all the robots out there (I know I've seen it, but no luck this time) when I came across something about hacking the roomba. To make it do what, I don't know.

Honda Asimo

BTW, I got replies and pictures from the person who had the ASF-14 cockpit up on his website. Unfortunately, there was nothing new there other than some alternate angles of the ST-21 model which you can see on various sites, and a diagram showing Grumman's Advanced Tomcat plans. I.e., no external pictures of the ST-21. He mentioned that one of the model pictures is from "Grumman F-14 Tomcat" from Airtime Publishing ( http://www.airtimepublishing.com/ ) so if you don't have that book, it might be worth checking out. The rest of his pictures came from Airpower magazine, March 1992, Volume 22 No. 2, which had an article with "a lot of detail about the Tomcat 21 project." Back issues are apparently available. See http://www.airpoweronline.com/back_issues/1992/1992.html He added,

Whatever footage they showed in the Sentinels that showed them getting married had to have been original animation made for the Sentinels. HG couldn't have used any original Macross footage for the Sentinels other than what they had from SDF Macross (TV), and since there's no footage of Hikaru and Misa's marriage in that--or indeed anywhere--HG must have cooked up their own animation. Note that the Sentinels Movie is just a re-edit of the Sentinels episodes, which HG had animated in Japan but which never made it to broadcast.

The MX (Peacemaker) reportedly has a CEP of 100 m, meaning it can be relied on to come within 100 m of its target 50% of the time. That may not be particularly useful with conventional warheads, but the military is working on a project called FALCON that includes intercontinental hypersonic cruise missiles with multiple bombs, and, apparently, some sort of ICBM with a highly maneuverable and highly accurate "delivery package". http://www.janes.com/defence/air_forces/ne...40329_1_n.shtml http://www.capitol.northgrum.com/press_rel...ress112503.html (Etc. I searched on "common aero vehicle", which is the name for the maneuverable bomb that would be delivered both by the hypersonic cruise missile and by suborbital boosters.) About the F-111 reference: My mistake. It was a B-1. http://www.afa.org/magazine/nov2003/1103bombers.html

Yeah...for fun, I'd rather have a transformable VF-1. But I find I have a lot of anger as I make my way to work and/or drop my wife off at school. So I think I'd go for the stomping GBP-1S and give the obnoxious drivers something to think about.

My understanding is that officially the regional bomber concept is supposed to provide a rapid response long range strike/interdiction capability. Longer range than the F-15E, so that it can operate from bases outside the reach of enemy counterforce capabilities (such as short/intermediate range ballistic missiles). If I recall correctly, the use of the F-111 to hit targets of opportunity (based on intelligence) during Operation Iraqi Freedom is cited as the model in at least one article I read. (I don't remember the attacks being particularly successful, though...I seem to recall them bombing a neighborhood restaurant in an effort to get Saddam, but they only killed a few civilians.) Again, I think the regional bomber concept is really a covert effort to expand the number of airframes built from the F-22 program, since if they can develop the FB-22 cheaply and build a bunch of them, the overall cost per aircraft for F/A-22 & FB-22 may end up looking a little better than the current F/A-22 numbers. This could keep the F/A-22 out of the Pentagon budget death spiral and help it avoid the fate of the Mitsubishi F-2. There are only three problems: a) Maybe Shin and others are right and the YF-23 will make a better regional bomber. It will then be rather funny watching the acrobatics as the Air Force has to switch from explaining how important the regional bomber is (because they really want more F-22's), to explaining why the superior YF-23-based bomber shouldn't be built (because it won't help build more F-22's). b) As the article I linked mentions, there are quite likely better ways to achieve the mission than via a "regional bomber", especially in the long term. And in the short term, it's doubtful we need it. (Well, unless we can make sure that we go to war with Iran and North Korea no earlier than 2013 but no later than 2025.) c) We don't have any money, and our politicians are already thinking of other ways of spending the money we don't have.

I voted Bandai 1J. I'm with Shin and Jolly Rogers on this: a 1/55 is instant out-of-the-box fun and joy. With a 1/60, it's better to know what you're getting yourself into and realize that you're *not* going to be transforming it in 60 seconds. (Spoken as a multiple 1/60 owner with just one 1/55.)

I realize I may be beginning to rant here, but I think even the above proposal is going to struggle to get funded. Here's an article which addresses the issue a bit more broadly, pointing to a number of proposed alternatives to the "regional bomber" concept : http://www.afa.org/magazine/Nov2004/1104strike.html It notes that the FB-22 (and this would certainly apply as well to an F/A-22 upgrade) doesn't have the range or loiter time to fill the niche that's supposed to justify it. But re: the FB-22 vs. FB-23--it'd be ironic if the AF picked a slightly-modified YF-23 becuse it looks more "conventional" than the FB-22, since the YF-23 was beaten out by the more conventional YF-22 in the ATF competition. Anyway, looks are one thing, but wouldn't the tailless design also potentially offer even better stealth for the FB-22 over a slightly-modded YF-23? Any stealth advantage would surely weigh heavily in choosing a plane designed to penetrate the air defenses of an adversary with "strategic depth".

I think there would be a fair amount of compatibility, maybe about what you see in F-16XL vs. F-16. What makes you think an FB-23 wouldn't be as different from the YF-23 as the FB-22 would be from the F/A-22? Anyway, I doubt the FB concept will get off the ground. To me it just looks like an effort to lower the cost of the F/A-22 by sinking a lot of money into an unnecessary and expensive regional bomber concept. Good on Northrop Grumman for making a go of it, though, instead of just rolling over for Lockheed.

You could do like I did for my 1J Super Hikaru and post a want ad for spare weapons. Maybe someone has a broken non-fastpack 1/60 that they'd be willing to part out.

Not that I really think things'll go one way or the other regarding an ADV release, but one point in favor of HG simply burying the series is my theory: HG really only licensed Macross to Animeigo as a way of bolstering their trademark on the Macross name. The same applies to the Macross baseball cap, the Macross Super Posables, and the DYRL SP's. Not sure about the chronology of the licensing relative to the Yamato/Toycom fiasco (and perhaps the VFX-2 cancellation). Anyway, it's a suspicion I've had for a while.

Kind of surprised to see the F-104 get the nod over the F-4, especially in the interceptor role. At least in the 60's/70's/80's, I'd think the F-4's radar would be superior. (But then, for most of the same time period, Sparrow wasn't so great, which might reduce the benefit of radar.)

I think he's talking about Apollo Leader's comments last month in the license debate thread.

Personally, I didn't care for Nadia's ending (I was forewarned about the Movie so I skipped it entirely). To me, the story just sort of ran off the road into a ditch, then they conjured up a lot of FX to distract you from the mess. I realize some might feel that way about M0, but not me. I really have no major complaints about the pacing or ending, although I'd rather they'd been a little more subtle with Nora and Ivanov's characterizations. M7 Dynamite doesn't really count since it's not so much an ending as an extension/side story/little bit of silliness. (Besides, I kind of like it, if for nothing else than the girl who sings one of Basara's songs in the local language.)

To follow up on treatment's except from the AoD forums, the front page at AoD now has:

I usually watch anywhere from one episode to a full DVD's worth (4-5 eps.) in a sitting, not necessarily on consecutive days but generally with no more than one or two off days. It's more or less substituting anime for my usual TV and movie-rental habits. Haterist, do yourself a favor and watch Mospeada over your breakfast cereal every morning. It's a great way to take in a series.

Anubis and lord_breetai are probably right. Time to bite the bullet, folks. You won't regret it (unless, yes, HG has a clause in their license that lets them take the whole thing and pass it off to ADV for the cheapie treatment).