Is the "official" VF-11 side drawing really off?

[David Hingtgen]

One thing that's always bugged me is the quasi-canon side view of the VF-11. The tailfins are just plain wrong. I looked through every VF-11 drawing in the Design Works and M7 Animation book, and they're all quite consistent--and very different from what you normally see. It's almost as if the side view was drawn not taking into account perspective or something. Anyways, here's my re-drawn tailfins. Original on top, with "how I think it REALLY looks" on the bottom. Agree, disagree? Go look at the VF-11 drawings in Design Works or M+ TIAS or M7 Animation books and compare to the "official" sideview you find in most of those books etc.

[anime52k8]

the shape is defenetly better (on yours) though I think the fins should be bigger.

the tailfins on the original remind me of the ones on the yamato 1/72 vf11 prototypes only bigger.

[David Hingtgen]

Yeah, I know they should be a bit bigger. With my meager photo-editing skills I could pretty much only do shape OR size without really screwing up the other.

[chrono]

As someone who's been slamming their heads against the concept & final art I can only suggest that you do your best now and let someone else "prove" your version wrong. Just remember that unless the orginal artist directly tells you that your version is correct the offical printed material is completely correct.

Kinda makes you wish you had the email for his agent doesn't it!

[Steve68]

Just doing a search for VF-11 I came across this thread and another that confirmed the OP point. Check out this screen grab in this post, from a much older thread.

http://macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?s=&a...st&p=161887

If that link doesn't work then use this one and go down to post #73

http://macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?show...VF-11&st=60

Steve

[Sorata]

Just doing a search for VF-11 I came across this thread and another that confirmed the OP point. Check out this screen grab in this post, from a much older thread.

http://macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?s=&a...st&p=161887

If that link doesn't work then use this one and go down to post #73

http://macrossworld.com/mwf/index.php?show...VF-11&st=60

Steve

I thought that the leg stored missile bays on they VF-11 were non canon and only used in a lineart pic? But yet the reference pic that is provided in post 73 shows them in the series.

[Mowe]

Is this too big?

[Fatalist]

Look at the screengrab again. Needs to be taller and thinner.

[Mr March]

I thought that the leg stored missile bays on they VF-11 were non canon and only used in a lineart pic? But yet the reference pic that is provided in post 73 shows them in the series.

They are somewhat canon

From the Macross Compendium entry on the VF-11 Thunderbolt:

Leg weapon bays are not part of the official specifications for the standard VF-11 Thunderbolt. According to Shoji Kawamori's design works notes, the animators in Macross 7 episode used a draft design of his that was not originally drawn for use in Macross 7. (Shoji Kawamori did make leg weapon bays part of the official specifications for the VF-11MAXL variant.)

[David Hingtgen]

The screen grab is wrong IMHO. Yes, it's a screen grab. But it's off from every other depiction. Go watch M+. Also, Kawamori specifically mentioned a scene showing leg launchers which was an animation mistake using non-final details, so I wouldn't trust anything else drawn in that scene.

[Zinjo]

The question that comes to mind is that the Thunderbolt in Mac Plus was a "B" and the Thunderbolts assigned to Mac 7 were "C"s.

It is entirely possible that part of the upgrade from the "B" to the "C" was a change in the vertical stabilizers to a smaller size as we saw in the Battle 7 hangar bay.

There are no references showing the stabilizers in either Mac 7 animation books I own. The only one that shows the side view without fast packs is in TIAS Macross Plus.

The VF-11C was given a gun pod upgrade (mostly cosmetic it appears), along with optional atmospheric FAST packs and GBP armor system.

So I suspect there isn't as much controversy and some might think.

The VF-19 went through similar design changes in the 5 years from Mac Plus.

Only the "A", "K(ai)" and "P" production versions of the fighter sport swing wings and canards for atmospheric optimization.

The "F" and "S" production models were optimized for space by removing the canards and giving then fixed wing configurations.

Edited August 24, 2007 by Zinjo