Early and Late Block???

[Thai Boxer 9901]

Can someone explain to me what Early and Late Block mean? I was looking at the Un Spacy Database and looking at the VF-1 Cockpit pictures and it kept saying Early and Late Block and I cant figure out for the life of me what that means.

[sketchley]

Basically it's the difference between TV series and movie versions.

The in-universe explanation of DYRL is that it is a movie, made in the Macross universe, based on the story of SDF:M. As it was made a couple of decades after the actual events, they used the equipment available at that time: more advanced versions of the VF-1, etc..

Block, in this case, means the set of VFs manufactured (or upgraded) to a standard equipment level. The most obvious differences, are the seat, consol screen, HUD (use of the cockpit glass in the later block), and controls (lack of battroid specific controls to the left and right of the control panel//jet HOTAS act as controls in all modes in the later block.)

http://macross.anime.net//mecha/united_nat.../vf1/index.html (scroll to the avionics section.)

Edited December 23, 2006 by sketchley

[Skull-1]

A "Block Number" is a segment of the production line often with minor changes.

For example...

P-38J-5-LO

The "J" is the model and the "5" is the "Block Number."

The P-38L would be a different model number with various block numbers produced within it.

In the Valkyrie's case you might see something like...

VF-1J-10-SB

VF-1J-20-SB

VF-1J-30-SB

Etc.

The -20 may or may not differ from the -10 in some significant way but not enough to justify a completely different model.

Procurement vagaries affect model letters (A, B, C, D, E, etc.) and such as well.

Edited December 25, 2006 by Skull-1

[sketchley]

Skull-1, please don't pull numbers out of nowhere.

The official numbers are:

Block 1 through 5 (TV series cockpit)

Block 6 and above (movie series cockpit.)

[Skull-1]

Skull-1, please don't pull numbers out of nowhere.

The official numbers are:

Block 1 through 5 (TV series cockpit)

Block 6 and above (movie series cockpit.)

A Lockheed-Built VF-1A of Block 1 configuration:

VF-1A-1-LO (P-38J-5-LO)

Stonewell-Bellcom VF-1A:

VF-1A-01-SB

VF-1A-2-SB

VF-1A-5-SB

etc.

I think he knows what I meant at any rate... Where the VF-1 is concerned, the SB and LO are pure conjecture for the sake of explanation.

Edited December 25, 2006 by Skull-1

[David Hingtgen]

Do we know Block 1 THROUGH 5 existed? Or are only 1 AND 5 mentioned? Rarely are block numbers sequential. And having 2 sequential numbers (5 and 6) doesn't at all mean others are sequential. The F-16 skipped right from block 1 to block 5.

[sketchley]

Block 4, 5, 6, and 12 are directly mentioned. The vague terms of 'block # and earlier/later' machines are also used, thus implying that most, if not all, of the numbers not directly mentioned also exist.