Knight26

Argh Top Gun, that movie was complete and utter crap, I mean my god the F-5F as the Mig-28, the birdie scene. I'm sorry I hate that movie, I liked it as a kid, thought it was so cool, but once I came of age, sorry I can't watch it anymore. Of course I will admit that part of my hatred of that movie comes from where I worked in college, the trainees always wanted to watch that and live it. When we flew aggressor there was one comment that would garuntee us shooting down a trainee, "I'll hit the breaks and he'll fly right by." If the grader heard that over the radio that was it, that trainee was dead, no ifs ands or butts. As for the YF-23, Northrup owns one, the Air Force the other, it was sold to the, as is common with most multiple prototypes, the company will retain a few for development testing and the military the other for their own. Heck the Navy has one of the old YA-9s and its out at China Lake for munitons testing, in other words they shoot if full of holes all day long when they get a new gun. They never would have hooked that POS model up to the catapult if the cat was charged. Even if then if they hook it up with the catapult not being charged I garuntee it wouldn't be for long. Man final countdown was an awesome movie, one of the few time travel storylines I actually liked. Yes the movie is cheesy as all get out but you have to love it, the Nimitz goes back in time and when it realizes where and when it is has to decide whether or not to avert Pearl Harbor. Firefox was another great movie, and the design was actually believable as well as cool looking. Very nice lines on a clean airframe. "Remember to think in Russian" Hmm, the Firefox against the YF-21, two mind controlled planes, hmmm. That's it the Firefox needs to show up in this stealth movie, then it and this "Switchblade concept" rip off can fight the evil AI fighters. The Switchblade then go to save an old friend held hostage at the AI's seperate core leaving the Firefox to fight the AI fighter and only beat it by running into it. Oh wait, sorry that was Macross Plus wasn't it?

Besides wasn't the VF-14 (blackbird type) the later production version? I thought that hte VF-14 seen in M3 was a pre-production prototype. That might explain the differences in the design, the VF-14 seen in Macross 7 is a later model with more passive stealth features. I personnaly prefer the head of the Macross-7 version, but the overall fighter design for the M3 version is better IMHO with the head the biggest detractor. My biggest problem with the design though is that the cockpit is exposed in battroid mode, no armor covering it like in almost all other valkyries.

man its times like this that I wish I was good at building and painting (mostly Painting) models. *wonders how much someone would charge to build up one of these kits for him*

I have that same edition of PM, talked to a friend of mine who works at a local anime shop about it, not where I bought it. He said that it is legit, just a later printing. They were sold in the US, somehow got in under the HG radar, just like Clash of Bionoids did. The postcard was in relation to an attempted translation of the book, but due to the cost of doing so and HG finding out about it, the project was nipped in the bud. It's too bad too it would have been nice to ahve seen a translation. A friend of mine was going to translate it for me, but I moved out of town for my job before he could, that project was going to insanely huge though, including scanning in all the artwork pages to put the translations in over the original text. And yes I was going to pay him for it.

where are those screen caps from, DYRL?

I thought that first one was the VA-14, the attack varient made for zentraedi forces.

Probably signing up as a test subject for the drug that causes it. lol, jk

Actually both YF-23's are in museums last I heard, one down near LA, the Northrup museum and I think the other is at the Air Force Museum. DH you're the YF-23 expert is that the location of the second one?

Yeah I saw that too, very interesting.

Oh here is the Switchblade I was referring to earlier, definitely looks like they took the basic concept of the design and crappified it. Having Flashbacks of the B-3 in Broken Arrow.

A few more comments from looking at the cockpit design, poorly designed cockpits are a pet peeve of mine. FIrst off the flight suit: THat helmet is crap there is no kind of visible forced air system in it, how the Sheol is the pilot suppossed to breath in that thing, especially if they make any kind of high-G manuevers? The flag on her shoulder is on the wrong shoulder, the flag goes on the left shoulder, except in rare cases where it can be found on the right. Even then the flag is facing the wrong direction, the star should be at the front. Now onto the cockpit: Fair to good forward visibility from what I can see here, complete lack of rearward visibility, common in sci-fi designs, but if this is to be a near future aircraf then it is a bomber. There is not even enough rear canopy to allow for an over shoulder upper rear quarter view, very bad, very sci-fi, not very real. The cockpit must be a podded ejection, should be interesting to see if anyone ejects. I say this because for one thing, that seat would never clear the aircraft if it were to eject, and second the seat is imbedded into the rear wall of the cockpit. Whoever designed this POS must have no experience with fighters. It almost looks like it was intended as a two seater, the hump behind gives that impression to me. Also, maybe it's just the angle but that instrument panel looks way too high to me, the top looks to be eye level with MS Biel, hmm maybe forward visibility isn't that good then. Man this movie looks like it will suck.

The plane looks similar to that "Switchblade" concept that Pop-Sci reported on a few years back. Hard to tell really, but if that thing could actually fly it would unstable as SHeol and no way would it be a fighter, maybe a bomber. THe helmet is pure hollywood sci-fi crap, it's just so you can see the pilot's face better. THought I have to agree that Jessica Biel in any flight suit would be just yummy. I would like to see more of plane from these few shots it looks terrible, too bulky not veyr aerodynamic, a nice planform view would help greatly. If it based on the switchblade concept those wings will fold back into an FSW shape. The design just really doesn't look aerodynamically clean to me, too many protrusions, more like some kind of space fighter really.

Interesting, very good piano player. ANd Exo you really think this guy has ever seen a woman off a computer screen, come on bro, maybe if he was playing some rock or Jazz.

Interesting comparisons there. It actually is semi-common practice amongst sci-fi writers who work with the theory that man evolved from alien planted seed to make the references somewhat biblically explainable in nature. A lot of sci-fi writers also tend to point at ancient legends as evidence of alien contact and visitation, I know I do in my books. Some of the connections are very stretched I agree, but it is still interesting to see. As long as this doesn't turn into a religious debate this should be a fun topic. Revelations is fun to try and interpret, and can be intrepted in numerous ways, heck according to Revelations my dog was the anti-christ, lol. Man if GodMedia was still around he would have field day with this one.

I like the signal idea from the Aphos. If memory serves in the first episode of the original SDF Macross Exodore and Breetai (sp?) mention a signal originating from Earth that they tracked there. That could possibly be how they find the Earth to begin with, maybe those two will have a brief cameo where they pick up the signal? hmmm

need more pics, show how you did it.

Maaa Fetch me my whooping stick, someone done brought up a beat to death stupid topic again.

Interesting, since camo is only effective in a visual battlefield, maybe this means a return to close in combat training. I believe the digital camo may actually be a throw back to an old WW1 submarine camo scheme. Back in WW1 the brits discovered that by painting their subs in multiple shades of grey that where the colors were all in sharp geometric patterns that it threw off visual tracking. It made it much harder for attacking sub commanders to get a good distance estimate or keep good eye tracking on the target. Seems almost a little pointless considering that even gun engagements are made a distance where those patterns won't really be visible, and modern gun reticles make such a scheme pointless as well IMHO.

I'll be there, we made up some bullshit excuse meeting for everyone at the office to go too, lol, should be great.

It actually is a recquirement that to have a pilots liscence anywhere in the world that you be able to speak and understand english well. For air traffic controllers as well.

Damn it man, my jaw just hit the floor so hard it broke, must see more.

I got a little time to work on the rifle designs while I was underway, did a lot more writing though. Anyway I made some small mods to the H-R-P, including a remodeled stock and adding hte bi-pod to the front. I didn't go with the CLubbed Foot Stock though becuase it would not have allowed room for the internals that this beast requires.

Very nice but I still think that wing joint looks way too flimsy.

very nice, can't wait for it to come out. Not wild about the Battroid mode, find it unnecessary really, would rather just see a dual mode verion with a better looking Gerwalk/Destroid mode. very nice overall though.

Uh did I miss something during my three weeks out at sea? Would one of you Pollywogs care to explain to you trusty Shellback just what in the world is going on here?