The good old blue and red, it's the original God Phoenix! This is our week to pay tribute to the classic Kagaku Ninjatai ship. With that in mind, here are some of my Gatchafunnies: Plus a shot of the God Phoenix from the teaser trailer for the new movie: Everyone knows that most of my screenshots are ER (Gatch II and F) so let's see some original God Phoenixes!!

The original Phoenix will always be my favourite. No matter how hi-tech the more recent shows may make it, the original is still the best. Yayyyyyyyy Phoenix!! SJ

Original God Phoenix... Okay! One from the original series One from Gatch II

Yes, it was the best, even if it looked like a brick. Plenty of High performance RL planes are plug ugly too

Hi all! Ahh, the God Phoenix. The best of the best among the Gatchaman mecha. I know some people think the OAV version is wonderful, but I'll take the original one anytime. For a long, long time, I dreamed of getting an original cel of that ship, a goal I finally achieved a few years back. I think that a lot of the success of that ship comes from the simple elegance of the design. It has enough linework to look cool, but not so much that it looks overblown. It works, and it works well. As first conceived, the "Phoenix" in the series was not going to be just a ship, but the name of an organization as well. In one of the earliest known pieces of planning for the series, back when it was called "Science Ninja Squad Number 5," the Science Ninja Squad worked for the Phoenix Headquarters, a group who worked for world peace. The organization worked out of a saucer-shaped submarine that was also named "Phoenix," which acted similar to both Crescent Coral Reef and the God Phoenix in the TV series. This disc-shaped Phoenix could operate both underwater and fly in the sky, and acted as a mobile base-of-operations for the Science Ninja Squad. The Phoenix would have housed the best in technology, and would have supplied the Science Ninja Squad with the equipment they needed to complete their missions. Obviously, this changed as the planning progressed, giving birth to the God Phoenix we are familiar with today. The final Planning Establishment for the series didn't have many references to the God Phoenix directly, except in a section describing the mecha used by the Science Ninja Team. In it, the God Pheonix was described as follows: "God Phoenix" (United Mecha) The united G-1 ~ G-5 (Performance) It jointly utilizes the engines of the G-1 ~ G-5 Maximum Speed: Mach 5.0 (Function) It is capable of submerging. (Weapons) Installed with Bird Missiles (It will not set without the wiring of the G-1 ~ G-5). It has Dr. Nambu's seal, and cannot be fired without the Doctor's permission. Additionally: Pushing the Transformation Generator UP can cause the ship to momentarily disappear. Furthermore, when the Generator is UP in the Red Zone, a powerful blaze (The shape of the Firebird) is born. This is one of the processes the Science Ninja Team uses to save themselves from predicaments. But, this cannot be produced without them enduring a fair amount of pain. The command to call this forth is "Science Ninja Technique Firebird!" During the course of the series, we do learn some details regarding the ship. The Mach 5.0 maximum speed is confirmed (#75), though all five Ninja Team vehicles need to be united for the ship to reach this speed (#52). The ship can reach a top altitude of 3,000KM (1864 miles), and can operate in space (#9). The ship can withstand ocean depths up to 2,000 meters (1.24 miles) (#7, and heat up to 3,000 degrees Centigrade (5,432 degrees Fahrenheit) (#22). It's main offensive capabilities come from the Science Ninpo Firebird (#1) and the Bird Missiles (First shown in #4, though first mentioned in #1). When the God Pheonix was destroyed and rebuilt, the Bird Missiles were replaced with Super Bird Missiles (#67). While the ship originally carried a large supply of Bird Missiles (#5), it only carried two Super Bird Missiles (#67). Other equipment on board the ship included a Geiger Counter (#2), Fog Lamps (#5), an Electronics Radar (#14), and Sonar (#55). The main screen in the Control Room has a filter for infrared rays (#2), a Super-Telephoto Lens (#14), and a filter to detect radioactivity (#6. At various other times, the God Phoenix has been shown to carry scuba equipment (#2), a Light Collection Dish (#10), a Sound Collection Dish (#41), and a Mini Submarine (#55). The interior of the God Phoenix has room to hold 200 people (#42). Maybe they had to take the Mini Submarine out to make the room... To give credit where it's due, the design for the God Phoenix created by Mitsuki Nakamura, who did all the main mecha designs for the original Gatchaman. He would later be joined by Kunio Okawara, and the two shared mecha design duties on the series until episode #44, when Okawara took over entirely. Nakamura was also the Art Director for Gatchaman, a role he held through the series run. Anyway, that ought to tell you a few things about the God Phoenix! James

[FONT=comic sans ms]Also the God phoenix is a hovercraft I did this one long time ago...definetly the God phoenix its a very versatile craft [/FONT] http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/579/68097356vb7.png" alt="" />

Here are some nice renderings from Deviant Art... KernBrit's version (Our very own Ste) Inspector 97's version (Our very own Thunder Bird) Bink's version And some great pics with the GP in the background... Bdy's version (Buddy Paraiso)

Pssssst. Springie, that last one is actually the New God Phoenix (a.k..a Chicken Ship).... Thanks for the information, James! I was just writing about episode number 5, and I counted the Bird Missiles. There were 30 onboard in that ep. That's a lot of BMs! Especially if you consider that they only had 2 Super BMs when they rebuilt it. And of course, who can forget that in BOTP the Phoenix had a sickbay where the 'not dead' astronauts were housed... Another thing... presumably the God Phoenix had a bathroom somewhere... right?

Originally posted by Transmute Jun Another thing... presumably the God Phoenix had a bathroom somewhere... right?

presumably it is located near the sickbay so the team can clean up after they are "sick"

Hi all!

There were 30 onboard in that ep.

Actually, the number of available Bird Missiles in that episode can vary widely depending on how you wish to count things. The absolute minimum number of missiles launched is 18. This is calculated by the number of times we see Joe push the launch button/hear the button launch sound effect from inside the God Phoenix Control Room (4 against the fog machine, 10 against the battleships, and 4 against the saucers). On the opposite extreme, there could be 39 Bird Missiles on board. This is calculated by counting every time we see/hear the launch button being pressed, counting every missile we see launching, and counting every missile we see in the air as though none are showing the same event twice (11 against the fog machine, 22 against the battleships, and 16 against the saucers). This does not include the possibility that Joe was continuing to fire missiles during the scenes where all we saw were ships exploding, in which case the number could jump up to somewhere around 70 Bird Missiles. So, because of the gray area involved in determining exactly how many missiles there might actually be, I'll stick with "...a large supply..." James

Originally posted by tatsunokofan So, because of the gray area involved in determining exactly how many missiles there might actually be, I'll stick with "...a large supply..."

Fair enough. But since I need a number for my fic, I'll go with my count of 30. 70 though... that was quite the binge Joe went on if it was really that many...

Model God Pheonix: Gold God Phoenix he he..

Now, if only we could find the gold-plated Hallmark Keepsake God Phoenix ornament to decorate our trees at Christmas...

Originally posted by Transmute Jun Pssssst. Springie, that last one is actually the New God Phoenix (a.k..a Chicken Ship)....

Oops! You're right! I didn't notice since we were looking at the underside! That's what i get for posting in a hurry!

Oooo...a GP for the tree! I'd love that!

Originally posted by Transmute Jun The good old blue and red, it's the original God Phoenix! This is our week to pay tribute to the classic Kagaku Ninjatai ship. With that in mind, here are some of my Gatchafunnies:

I love those 2 pics TJ. I can just imagine the Swallow seeing one outside a supermarket and jumping in, putting coins in and imagine that hie's actually flying the Phoenix. Plus a shot of the God Phoenix from the teaser trailer for the new movie:

[i] Everyone knows that most of my screenshots are ER (Gatch II and F) so let's see some original God Phoenixes!!

Looks alright but I need to see more of it and see it in action before deciding whether it's as good as the original.

Originally posted by Transmute Jun Another thing... presumably the God Phoenix had a bathroom somewhere... right?

You actually never see them go at all do you? They would have needed one and presuming some quarters with clean numbered T-shirts in BOTP since they have to travel to other planets and galaxies?

Originally posted by shamrokchick Model God Pheonix: Gold God Phoenix he he..

I hope our other Owl member, Fury has finsihed with his GP and test flown it alright? I can remember the gold painted GP in that episode. It was to protect the ship from some kind of mech.

Originally posted by tatsunokofan I think that a lot of the success of that ship comes from the simple elegance of the design. It has enough linework to look cool, but not so much that it looks overblown. It works, and it works well.

I agree, that the original God Phoenix was the best design. It's a shame they decided to change it. Who was responsible for the design of the Gatch F ship?

Originally posted by lborgia88 Who was responsible for the design of the Gatch F ship?

Hold your horses! We'll have Gatchaspartan week soon....

Okay, great pictures, everyone! Now how about some interior shots? I know James posted the interior schematics awhile ago, along with the (various) seating arrangements.

Originally posted by Transmute Jun And of course, who can forget that in BOTP the Phoenix had a sickbay where the 'not dead' astronauts were housed... Another thing... presumably the God Phoenix had a bathroom somewhere... right?

But it did not, apparently, have anywhere to sleep...

Originally posted by lborgia88 But it did not, apparently, have anywhere to sleep...

That particular scene made for quite an interesting PWP that Springie wrote for me...

Originally posted by Transmute Jun Okay, great pictures, everyone! Now how about some interior shots? I know James posted the interior schematics awhile ago, along with the (various) seating arrangements.

At times I was confused to where people were seating. I knew from BOTP as a kid, that Tiny as pilot was at the front left, usually Mark was next to Tiny, but exactly where the other three would seat was a bit confusing. I think Keyop and Princess was sitting facing the front and Jason was sitting behing them witht those big radar screens.

Originally posted by Metaliant At times I was confused to where people were seating. I knew from BOTP as a kid, that Tiny as pilot was at the front left, usually Mark was next to Tiny, but exactly where the other three would seat was a bit confusing.

Not surprising! James explained to us that the configuration would change from episode to episode, depending on who was directing/producing it.

Hi all!

Who was responsible for the design of the Gatch F ship?

Quick answer: Kunio Okawara. He did all the Mechanical Designs for Gatchaman II and Gatchaman Fighter. Long answer, and part of why the designs looked so different than they had from the first series: Between the production of the first series and the production of the second and third series, the sponsors had gained far more control over the shows that they were sponsoring. As a result, the major sponsors for a show were able to make certain demands that the production crew had to follow. In the case of the second and third Gatchaman series, the toy manufacturer Popy was one of the big three sponsors (Along with Morinaga, a candy company, and Showa Note, who produced paper products (Coloring books, puzzles, note pads, sketch books, and the like)). As a result, Popy had a certain amount of influence regarding the vehicle designs, since they were going to be manufacturing toys based of what the vehicles looked like. To a degree, Popy could say that they wanted the vehicles to have certain basic shapes and to have specific gimmicks that they wanted to include in the toys, and studios had to create their designs around those specifications. In the case of the Gatcha Spartan, it is likely that Popy told Tatsunoko that they wanted a main vehicle that was made out of the five vehicles combining, since that gimmick had proved popular with the toys based on the robots from Combattler V and Voltes V. I would not be surprised if the basic shape of the Gatcha Spartan was also from an Popy-derived edict. So, Kunio Okawara created the design for the Gatcha Spartan, but he was doing so under the constraints placed upon him by a sponsor. The result was a vehicle that was designed to be a toy, while the first series vehicles were all designed to look good in animation. James

Hi all!

I know James posted the interior schematics awhile ago, along with the (various) seating arrangements.

That can be found here: God Phoenix Control Room Thread James

Thanks James. It does seem that the arrangement I have mentioned is the one which is more popular liked by at least 2 directors and it just feels right to me. I had a look at Snack J pic and never really realised that they had a stage. The layout looked like what I thought it would look like but I thought that there seats and 1 or 2 more tables where the stage was.

Thanks for the link ... Now we need a good picture of the Phoenix in firebird mode...

Originally posted by Transmute Jun

Originally posted by Metaliant At times I was confused to where people were seating. I knew from BOTP as a kid, that Tiny as pilot was at the front left, usually Mark was next to Tiny, but exactly where the other three would seat was a bit confusing.

Not surprising! James explained to us that the configuration would change from episode to episode, depending on who was directing/producing it.

I never really knew that as a kid. When I saw both BOTP and Gatchaman as an adult, I didn't really think about seating arrangements at all.

Thanks for the great info (again!) James! The Gatch II and F ship designs make alot more sense now. Ok, so they don't really make any sense, but the reasoning behind them does... (I guess this means I should stop asking "Who was the creative/art director for this and what were they thinking???" everytime I see the New GodPhoenix).

Originally posted by shamrokchick Thanks for the link ... Now we need a good picture of the Phoenix in firebird mode...

Ask and ye shall receive! (Hey, I'm not Hinotori for nothing!)

Originally posted by lborgia88

Originally posted by Transmute Jun And of course, who can forget that in BOTP the Phoenix had a sickbay where the 'not dead' astronauts were housed... Another thing... presumably the God Phoenix had a bathroom somewhere... right?

But it did not, apparently, have anywhere to sleep...

Being a Star Trek Next Gen fan that was a question that always came up at the conventions--where was the bathroom? But I did think it odd that they were sleeping on the shore and why do Ken and Joe sleep sitting up?

Originally posted by Hinotori

Originally posted by shamrokchick Thanks for the link ... Now we need a good picture of the Phoenix in firebird mode...

Ask and ye shall receive! (Hey, I'm not Hinotori for nothing!)

Thanks Hino! I couldn't find any good ones...

Originally posted by tatsunokofan Hi all!

Who was responsible for the design of the Gatch F ship?

The result was a vehicle that was designed to be a toy, while the first series vehicles were all designed to look good in animation.

Sigh, I expect that Gatchaman was not the first, or last, animated show that was pressured to create what the toy manufacturers, rather than the animators, wanted. If I recall, in the 1980s there were even a lot of animated kids shows created solely to promote existing toys.

Originally posted by Condorfan

Originally posted by lborgia88

Originally posted by Transmute Jun And of course, who can forget that in BOTP the Phoenix had a sickbay where the 'not dead' astronauts were housed... Another thing... presumably the God Phoenix had a bathroom somewhere... right?

But it did not, apparently, have anywhere to sleep...

Being a Star Trek Next Gen fan that was a question that always came up at the conventions--where was the bathroom? But I did think it odd that they were sleeping on the shore and why do Ken and Joe sleep sitting up?

There were couple of scenes in the series where in there was a bathroom in their quarters but another question is who actually did all the cleaning?

Originally posted by Hinotori

Originally posted by shamrokchick Thanks for the link ... Now we need a good picture of the Phoenix in firebird mode...

Ask and ye shall receive! (Hey, I'm not Hinotori for nothing!)

With the last pic, it most certianly looks like a roast chicken to me.

Originally posted by Metaliant With the last pic, it most certianly looks like a roast chicken to me.

Nahhh... We'll leave that distinction for the New GodPhoenix!!

Originally posted by Hinotori Nahhh... We'll leave that distinction for the New GodPhoenix!!

New God Phoenix week is coming! But not for a few weeks. Next week is Devilstars.