Hold on to your Chickens...

This week we are honoring... well, discussing... the New God Phoenix and Pimer, it's Zark-like autopilot.

Here is the New God Phoenix.



And a more 'menacing'; view of its front.



And for some reason, it had a rainbow on its back (goooo 70s designers).



However, it could do a mighty fine Firebird.



Here is the inside of the New God Phoenix. Notice Pimer in the middle doing the flying. Ryu still got to sit up front, though.



Pimer could be out of sight, and when necessary rise up from under the floor and slide along some tracks to the front of the New God Phoenix.



And here's a close up of Pimer. He looks like a cross between Zark and a gumball machine. Fortunately, he didn't really have a personality or talk much. Except in one ER episode... but we won't go there.



You may all be wondering WTH were the designers thinking? Well, James will elaborate on this I'm sure, but essentially, the sponsors pf the show (including Popy, the toy manufacturer) had a lot of say in the design of these vehicles. They were the ones who liked the bird ship. So you can thank them for all of those lovely Gatch II and F designs.

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Oh good lord.

If I was a birdie and I saw that ship, I'd demand the old one back or I'd quit.

No way in hell I'd fly around in a giant chicken... Yukky yukky ...

But, hey. Maybe it was an effective distraction to the Galactor goons. I mean, they'd be uncontrollably laughing their asses off at the ship ... Can't aim properly when you're laughing ... it's much like trying to whistle.

SJ

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Sighhh

Why do men snore when lying on their backs?
Because their balls fall over their butt holes and they vapour lock.

See - the Flying Chicken is what you get when you contract out to the Government and Committees to build things!

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"When I'm old, I don't want them to say of me, "She's so charming." I want them to say, "Be careful, I think she's armed." -G. Stoddart

Does this mean the New God Phoenix was the precursor to Robo Chicken?

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There are few problems that a swift kick to the head by a highly trained ninja can't solve.

So what was the story line for changing ships?

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"They say the Titanic sank because it hit an iceberg, but that must have been Galactor's fault too."

I notice in the interior shot that Ken and Ryu have changed locations.

I always think of Ken on the left as you look into the Command center, no the right. Was it just this image or is he in this position throughout this series?

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Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.

Every time I see that ship I think "Wow, I didn't know turkeys could fly."

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Old age is a high price to pay for maturity.

I still cringe everytime I see that ship - and the team's mechas for that matter!! I get the whole "giving in to what the sponsor's want" thing, but yeesh! You can still make toys kids will want without making them the laughing stock of the anime genre...

And Pilmer... I can't help but shake the thought that that's where Sandy Frank got the idea for Zark... Ok, Pilmer and R2D2.... But poor Pilmer suffers the effects of my dislike for Zark...

At least Pilmer was of more use than old Zark ever was! (sorry, Barrdwing. I know you're a Zark fan!)

I sometimes wonder what Tatsuo Yoshida would have thought/done with the design direction if he had still been alive...

ETA

Wow, LB! I would say that makes a HUGE difference! At least that ship would have gotten some respect!!

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Hinotori
Eagle in Charge

I love those improvements LB!
Now that I could almost call a ship - even if it is still not the Phoenix I love.

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Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.

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There is no problem that cannot be solved with time, patience, and a judicious amount of high explosives.