Apollo Leader

To this day, Halo 2 remains the number one online game on the 360. Not surprising since there are like 7 million plus copies of the game out there and Call of Duty 2 (the most popular 360 game online during the past year) just recently became the first 360 game to break 1 million sold.

Milk, I'll send you a friend invite when I get home tonight. Funny thing is I just picked up RR6 for the second time last week. Got it at launch, but I traded it and Perfect Dark off as part of a trade in special at Gamespot back in the spring (basically I got $30 for it). But when it finally came down to $20, figured it was time to add it back to the collection again. Basically I got to keep RR6 and make $10 off of it. I know you're 2D fighting fan so hopefully we go a few rounds at SFII. BTW, make sure to get a Nyoko Intercooler unless your room is cold to begin with and/or you have a good fan blowing directly on it. Got the Intercooler after my first 360 went bad back in July.

From what I've been reading, there won't be a price cut, but it looks like a pack in special might take place in which you get a game basically for free. It's possible that a $50 to $100 price cut could happen to combat the Wii and the PS3 (a $50 price cut would put the Core 360 at the same price as what Nintendo is launch the Wii for), but I think the best chance for a price cut will come next spring. I assume Microsoft is still taking a loss for each 360.

Guess I should start the PS3 thread since Sony's uber system comes out in just two months two. Constant delays (no spring 2006 launch and now Europe won't see the PS3 until at least March 2007 - I had a strong suspicion earlier this year that one or more major markets wouldn't see the PS3 in 2006), major production shortages (400,000 for the US launch and only 100,000 in Japan), accusations of ripping off other people's ideas and products (Sony giving their controller similar motion sensitivity as Ninento's Wii-mote), a less then steller E3, and major titles that were highlighted at last year's E3 (as movies) are MIA today (Killzone 2), and then of course there is the price tag(s) which is quite expensive (for a game system - sorry Sony, the huge number of people buying this system are buying it because it's a game system, not some sort of Swiss Knife entertainment PC). Of course we know of all the horror stories of people's PS1 and PS2's going bad so what should we expect from this? But even with all the negative buzz, this system will be the most powerful in the world, should be able to play virtually your whole PS1 and 2 libraries, play Blu-Ray movies, and will have a lot of third party support right off the bat. And though it is expensive (for a game system), there is no denying that you will get a lot of bang for your buck. So who's thinking of getting one at launch or in the next 12 months?

Yes I did use two "!" to purposely correspond and mirror the two i's in Wii. Anyway, lots of news and developments for the Big N's next system. Here in the US it will retail for $249.95/.99, but it will be coming with a sports compilation game which will put the Wii-mote to good use. Japan will be getting it closer to $200, but no pack in. Here are some of the developments posted at Gamespot: Wii released in Japan on December 2nd for $213. Wii released in the US on November 19th for right at $250. (Again, with a game pack in). Nintendo's Wii press event today. So who's thinking of getting a Wii as their main or secondary system (otherwise the whole Wii60 phenomenom)?

Finally broke 2000 achievement points! But considering our own Mike/Pharohman is at 4000, I guess that isn't too big an accomplishment! Right now I've pretty much opened up all the achievements for Konami's Time Pilot and Scramble and I'm doing pretty good with Frogger. Right now I'm in the top 300 Scramble players and the top 1000 Frogger players in the world! Also have been playing a lot of Dead or Alive 4 in recent days trying to open up all costumes and beat the story mode. It's funny that I play the single player mode pretty well, but get my @$$ handed to me online! Guess I just need more practice... I win the majority of matches I play of Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting on Xbox Live, but then again I've been playing Street Fighter II for over 15 years! I hoped to finally get to Ghost Recon AW very soon too after not touching it since March. I know the 360 games I mentioned came out earlier in the year, but I was so addicted to Call of Duty 2 and Geometry Wars Evolved that I haven't played much of anything else! But when I get COD3 and Gears of War, I plan on playing those right off the bat.

In the end I decided to cancel my preorders and applied the money to my Smallville season 5 set. I'll stick with LD set for now.

Awesome Legioss/Alpha!

I bought two sets of these guys (I think I average less then $20 a piece) - one set for storage and the other set is to put on display here are work... in fact they're sitting on the book case right behind me waiting to be put on display. Was also able to get Hikaru VF-1S for free. Thanks for everyone mentioning about the stand being a source of problems. I'll try to be careful with it.

I have all three movies reserved at Suncoast (don't worry, they will match the better prices in town) and will probably stop there tonight to pick them up along with Smallville S5. Off the top of my head these are all the versions of Star Wars OT that I currently have: 1995 Laser Disc set. I can't remember if I sold off my VHS set (fullscreen) when I got rid of most of my VHS collection last year. 1997 Special Edition on VHS (Widescreen) - bet you next year that Lucas puts out a two disc set with the 1997 and 2004 SE versions together for comparison! 2004 DVD boxset (Widescreeen) Since I have the 1995 Laser Disc version and my LD player seems to be working just fine, should I just stick with that? Are the extras that come with the DVD's that came out yesterday the same exact extras that were in the 2004 boxset (I know the commentary track by George Lucas, Carrie Fisher, et al on the special edition disc is the same)? If the only thing "new" is the original theatrical cuts and that's it, I might go ahead and save the $40 and not buy them. The original theatrical cuts will probably see the light of day again when the super box set comes out or when Star Wars makes the leap to DVD's successor (whether it's HD-DVD, Blu-Ray, or something entirely different).

I see our thread is back in place. When I get the chance I will post some pictures of the 3D models of my Super Dimension Rocket Macross which I should be back to work on soon.

This product line has never been marketed as Robotech merchandise. So far, all the VF-1's made in this 1/100th scale line represent VF-1 variants from Macross DYRL... last time I've checked, DYRL has never been part of Robotech. Since Toynami has involvement with the DYRL 1/6th scale figures, should that thread be moved here just because it's Toynami? This is a legitimate Macross product and this thread should go back in the proper place. This thread only showed up here when Macross World came back into operations a few days ago.

http://www.macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?...&st=0&p=427641& I had the pictures posted in that thread but here they are again. After some major repairs, Mobile Rocket Gundam flew at LDRS 25 (Wayside, TX) on June 30th. Besides being fixed up after damage it took on its last flight (June 2005), I modified it to take three additional 38mm motor mounts in addition to its single 54mm motor mount. For this flight, I basically went with the most powerful combination I could: a Cesaroni Pro54 L730 with three Pro38 I285's which were to be ignited a half second into flight. The night before the flight, I started assembling the four motors and the electronics; little did I know that trying to wire up the altimeter (primary ejection) and the two timers (midair ignition of the three I's and the secondary ejection charge) would have me up to just after 6:00 in the morning. Ugghhhh! I went to bed for a few hours and came out to the field just after noon. Fortunately, all the hard work paid off. Immediately after liftoff, all three I's lit and Gundam really started to move. Parachute deployment took place at apogee (just over 6,400 feet) and the rocket gently came down on its single parachute about a mile or so away (should have watched the odometer on my truck). This flight represented numerous firsts and some of my greatest rocketry accomplisments to date: 1) Most powerful flight yet for me. With all four motors lit, a total of about 4,300 N/S of thrust was generated. My previous high was about 2,760 from the two single L730 flights I had done on the Gundam by itself. 2) Highest official flight! Besides breaking 6,000 feet for the first time, it was the first time I know for sure I broke a mile. My previous official highest flights were to about 4,800 feet. 3) First time to airstart motors in midair and first time to fly a cluster rocket using composite AP motors. 4) With three electronic items onboard and the three motors to light, this was definitely my most complicated flight ever. My Level 3 flight will be easier to fly then this! I'm not sure when Gundam will fly again, but the next time I fly it, my plan is to use an AeroTech K1100 or another high thrusting K motor at liftoff and then like two to three seconds into flight I would ignite three Pro38 I class Smoky Sam motors to produce a nice dark smoke trail up in the sky.

I don't have the link, but the guy cosplaying as Char who was going up to the International Space Station, had his flight into space canned due to health reasons, but whatever the problem is it isn't permanent so we might still see this uber Gundam fan go into space!

Too late, I got dibs!

I think Vader's, er the YF-19's hands are too small. Seriously, this looks great! Ditto with the VF-0/Ghost combo. Hopefully the YF-21 and VF-11 get the love they both deserve!

There's a barometric altimeter onboard which not only records altitude, but also do stuff like set off an electrical charge at apogee and set off a charge at low altitude (if you were trying to go for low altitude deployment of the main chute). In my case I was using a Missile Works RRC2. In the case of this one, it will beep out the altitude that it reached which makes life easy. I had a Transolve P5 years ago and it would beep off a code which you had to look up on a chart to decipher its altitude! The highest altitude Macross Plus has gotten up to was 4,604 feet on an L730 (check a page or two back). My highest altitude flight yet was with my Gundam rocket which reached 6,461 feet. I might get close to 10,000 when I fly my Macross DYRL rocket.

Here's the rest of the pictures.

Macross Plus' 10th flight just a little over two days ago! The guys standing with me in the picture is JELEINEN (Jason Leinen) of Macross World and is one of the guys responsible for Anime Sunday at the Blondo Street Dragon's Lair comic store each month. (http://www.animesunday.org/) The motor for this flight was the Cesaroni Pro54 K650 Smoky Sam... I think the sooty smoke gives it away. If our club's PA had been up and running, I was going to dedicate the flight to Scott Frasier. Scott was a newer member of our club who died of cancer back in April. This K650 belonged to him and it ended up in my hands a few weeks ago. Scott, this one's for you! The rocket just barely missed the power lines on the south side of the road and landed in the milo (?) crop. One of our teenage members and his dad were looking for a rocket of his and it landed right near them and they were nice enough to bring it to me. Macross Plus reached an altitude of 2,218 feet. It was recovered with no damage and will fly again later this fall or sometime next year. When I get the chance, I will start a Macross Plus thread to show the full story of one of my most successful rockets. From when I originally started building it back in January or February 2000 on through its many flights.

Before I forget, Macross Plus successfully flew on Saturday. Flight number 2 this year and its 10th flight since 2000. I will post pictures as soon as I have had the chance to reduce and crop. It might be a good time to whip out its construction pictures to show what it took to make this rocket.

When you start flying bigger and more powerful stuff here in the US, you have to have an FAA waiver. At the field we use here in southeast Nebraska, our waiver is set for the year and we can pretty much just call a day or so in advance to activate it (usually 9:00 to 5:00). Normally our waiver goes up to like around 15,000 feet MSL I believe. We can also get windows for a few hours to like 23,000 feet... we've had a few flights at our field go up to over 16,000 feet so we've put those windows to good use. As for motors, so far I've only used commercially made motors and reloads (ie. Estes, AeroTech, and Cesaroni). But maybe one day I'll try making my own.

That was the full list that was given by the movie's writers on the Yahoo webcast about an hour ago.

Here's the official character list! I'll update as soon as the other vehicle modes are announced. Optimus Prime - Bumblebee - Camaro Jazz – Ratchet – Ironhide – Megatron – Starscream – Brawl – Bonecrusher – Barricade – Police Car Scorpinok – Frenzy – Blackout -

http://www.nerocketry.org/newsletters/2006/Summer2006.pdf For those wanting to check out the newsletter I do along with more LDRS 25 pictures.

Actually I've had an ATF Low Explosive User Permit since 1997. The thing is the majority of high power motors H and above use Ammonium Perchlorate. Though the form of AP we use in these motors is scientifically proven not be an explosive, the ATF wants to go ahead and bully us and have AP model rocket propellant considered an explosive since we are a small enough niche hobby (unlike let's say the NRA which has millions of members and a lot more clout). For about 7 years now, both the NAR and Tripoli have had the ATF in federal court over this matter. Things have gone pretty positively for us. But even if we win most or all of our points we need to get legislative protection, too. Senator Mike Enzi from Wyoming has been one of our biggest supporters.