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Flying Tiger decal on shoulder armor shield came from 1.48th Monogram P-40 fighter kit, placed there for "eye candy". Flying Tigers referred to American Volunteer Group (AVG) formed by Nationalist Chinese forces in 1941 during its war with Imperial Japan before US entry in WW2. Monogram 1/48 P-40B Tigershark model kit - http://airmodeller.tripod.com/48UsaP40b.htm
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AVG bolstered American morale in early 1942 as US suffered serious of military disasters following the Pearl Harbor attack, such Dec 1941 fall of Wake Island, mass surrender 70,000 US/Filipino troops in the Philippines April 1942, sinking of American Asiatic Fleet flagship USS Houston in Feb 1942 Battle of the Java Sea, etc. All be it, some American detractors claimed AVG members were merely mercenaries, but the Chinese being under constant Imperial Japan air bombardment were ever grateful for AVG's presence. Battle of Wake Island - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Wake_Island
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Rollover : Angle view of all the armor markings of Number 9, Flying Tigers, Trident, and LIN character on lower thruster deflector flap. In Chinese history alone, famous LIN clansmen abound, some examples listed below. Family Tree of Chinese Surnames - www.yutopian.com/names/nametree.html
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Lin Tse-Hsu | Via Imperial Chinese history, Lin Tse-Hsu (Lin Zexu as romanized by Communist China Pin-Yin system) was famed Ching Dynasty official who clashed with Great Britain in southern China over illicit opium narcotic trade. He ordered the destruction of all British opium stocks, thus igniting Sino-British Opium War of 1839. Chinese steadfastly held this was a war against global narcotic trade advanced by British Empire. The Brits at that time, held notion war was in defense of international commerce since they were trading Indian opium paste for Chinese silver coinage. BTW, Chinese were quickly defeated by modern European weaponry, thus ceded Hong Kong Island and Kaolin peninsula to British Imperial control up to 1997. Lin Tse-hsü (Lin Zexu) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lin_Zexu
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Lin Biao | In Red Chinese history, Lin Biao was head of People Liberation Army during 1920-1940s civil war era up to 1971. He graduated from Nationalist China Whampoa (also called Huang-Pu) military academy in early 1920s (when Nationalist and Communist Chinese formed a grand governing coalition, but neither side placed any tacit or explicit trust between the factions). During decade-long mass chaos of Chairman Mao's Cultural Revolution, he attempted a military overthrow (Lin was designated as Chairman Mao's constitutional successor and comrade-in-arms). Upon this failure, Lin tried to escape to Soviet Union via air transport, but plane crashed in Mongolia killing all aboard. Lin Biao - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lin_Biao
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Brigitte Lin (Lin Ching-Hsia) | Famed actress from Chinese cinema since early 1970s, she starred in various romance movies in 1970s-1980s, then switched over to feudal martial arts / modern action movies in 1990s. Although listed as "Taiwanese" as her birth locale, she is considered "Wai Sheng Ren" (Outside Provincial Person) because her parents came from Mainland Chinese during the Chinese civil war era 1940s. In fact, her father was career Nationalist Chinese military officer from China's Shantung province. Brigitte Lin Pictures - http://www.brns.com/pages/blinpict.html
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Most Chinese martial art film enthusiasts recall Brigitte Lin in 1992 movie "Swordsman II" playing opposite to Mainland China martial art actor Jet Li. However, for those who saw her growing up in Asian cinema, one of her first movies was famed 1971 "800 Heroes" Chinese war epic depicting 1937 Nationalist Chinese troops battling Imperial Japanese forces in Shanghai street battles, especially in the defense of Sihang Warehouse. Defense of Sihang Warehouse - Shanghai 1937 - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_of_Sihang_Warehouse
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Lin played Nationalist Chinese Girl Scout Yang Hui-min, who swam across Suzhou river during the battle to supplied besieged Nationalist Chinese troops in the warehouse with supplies, and most importantly a Republic of China flag. This became a patriotic apex during the 8 year war with Imperial Japan. Yang Huimin - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yang_Huimin
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Sandy Lam (Lam Yik-Lin) | Last but not least is famed Hong Kong singer Sandy Lam (via Cantonese phonetics is Lam Yik-Lin, via Mandarin is Lin Yi-Lian). She has been on the music scene since 1980s, she starred in a few Chinese action / romance movies, but she is a singer first and foremost. All be it, it is common routine for Asian singers to transition from singing roles to movie acting debuts.Sandy Lam - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Lam
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Japanese mecha anime that started whole craze, 1984 animation movie "Macross"
Macross | Wiki
Story plot revolves around earth battling alien invasion with super capitol spaceship called Super Dimension Fortress - One Macross (SDF-1 Macross)... or just plain Macross |
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Interesting aspect is that SDF-1 Macross "transforms" into human-like robotic form in combat (shown left).
SDF-1 Macross | Wiki
Macross also serves as carrier, with extensive fighters and bombers (which can also transform into human-like robotic form).
Not to be outdone, Macross is also microcosm of human civilization, with plenty of regular civilians, shopping centers, highway system.
Now Mecha purists state 1974 Japanese animation "Space Battleship Yamato" is heir to modern Mecha.
Space Battleship Yamato | Wiki
Story plot centers around resurrected WW2 Japan super battleship Yamato to fend off alien invasion. Animation may be first rate for 1970s-era, but story plot slanted abit "revisionist" in subconscious praise of former Japanese Imperial Navy.
Space Battleship Yamato (spaceship) | Wiki
Yamato class battleship (WW2) | Wiki
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Macross fighters resemble modern day jets, some look like F-15 Eagles & F-14 Tomcats, while resemble F-35 Lightning II. They can operate in space and planetary atmosphere arenas.
F-35 Lightning II | Wiki
F-15 Eagle | Wiki
F-14 Tomcat | Wiki |
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Macross fighters can transform into Transformer / Robotic-style Mecha. Photo shows VF fighter variant from 1990s-era Macross anime series.
VF-0 Phoenix | Wiki
VF-4 Lightning III | Wiki
VF-19 Excalibur | Wiki
This high-end Japanese Macross action figure has multiple articulated joints and fold-in parts, price range is usually in the hundreds of dollars. |
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3-stage transformation of Macross VF fighters : 1) Fighter mode wing spacecraft, 2) GERWALK mode with semi-mecha with arms & legs, 3) Battroid Mode full transformation with pilot canopy folded into mecha's body, pilot position elevated to head section for close-quarter combat.
VF stands for Variable Fighter (transforming aerospace fighters) in Macross anime.
Variable fighter | Wiki |
|  Uwe built a VF-1A Valkyrie model (inset #1) in GERWALK mode (inset #2) back in late-1980s.
Macross Series | EHL
Macross Action Figures | EHL
Unfortunately, Uwe was dating this Taiwanese gal at the time.... let's call her "May Ling" (not her real name ofcourse) for sake of Asian soap-opera antics.
VF-1 Valkyrie | Wiki
Make long story short, broke up with May Ling and she dumped all of Uwe possession back (including my beloved highschool athletic jacket), but neglected to return the VF-1 model. At mundane times during these decades, Uwe misses that Valkyrie model since it was first Japanese Mecha Uwe ever built. :)
BTW, that Taiwanese gal is a LIN clansmen, from famed & powerful Taichung-Taiwan land gentry clan. That clan came over to Taiwan during mass ethnic-Chinese migration some 300 years ago under Chinese ruler Koxinga (aka Ming Dynasty Prince Zheng Chen-Gong)
Koxinga | Wiki
 Being Taiwan landlords, their regional political power was formidable. But they lost their land holdings when Nationalist Chinese (aka Kuomintang or KMT) moved to Taiwan in 1949 and enforced land reform by eliminating land gentry and tenant farmer classes. KMT gave land parcels to all Taiwanese lower-echelon agrarian class.
Kuomintang | Wiki
Thus, devoid of its gentry social status, this LIN clan of Taiwan is staunchly anti-KMT, anti-Mainland Chinese, anti-Wai Shen Ren (Outside Provincial People or so-called Taiwan newcomers), and religiously pro-Taiwanese Independence. But no need to lament for this clan, when I met May Ling, her family owned 3 houses in upper-middle class Kingwood-Texas north of Houston, along with another house in Taipei-Taiwan, so they were not short on social affluence & wealth despite losing out as Taiwan major land gentry class.
[Opinion] Maritime Power Theory of Taiwan BSR vs WSR | Donga.com The healing of Taiwan (Chen conviction) | JordanTimes.com
BTW, Uwe really hates Chinese gal name "May Ling", name was popularized by Bruce Lee martial movies in early-1970s. From that point onward, every flick'in Asian gal that suppose to resemble some ethnic-Chinese lineage in some American flick is named "May Ling". Kind of like every American is named John, German named Adolf, Frenchy named Pierre, and Brit named Kester.
Bruce Lee | Wiki
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Sobe #2 torso & legs flecktarn completed. |
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Sobe #2 arms & body flecktarn completed.
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Sobe #2 head, arm, should shields flecktarn completed.
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Flecktarn pattern done with Testor Forest Green enamel paint via hand brush
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