Macross R / Macross The Ride

[Graham]

Noticing some differences between the rough Kawamori VF-19EF/ES(?) sketch, the VF-19EF CG pic and older VF-19 (A/F/F/S/P)variants.

Initial comments/thoughts: -

• The rough Kawamori sketch of the VF-19EF/ES(?) seems to have the extended Leading Edge Root Extensions (LERX) of the VF-19Kai/F/S/P, whereas the CG pic of the VF-19EF seems to show a LERX shaped somewhere between the kinked LERX of the YF-19/VF-19A and the more streamlined extended LERX of the VF-19Kai/F/S/P.
• The VF-19EF/ES(?) sketch seems to lack the vernier ankle ring of the VF-19Kai/F/S/P, but does seem to be an all new type of lower leg, as it also seems not to be the same as the YF-19/VF-19A either.
• Canards in both the sketch and CG pic look smaller than the canards on the YF-19/VF-19A/Kai.
• Nice to see that the wing-root lasers are still present on the CG pic, although I note that on the Kawamori sketch, they seem to be covered with some sort of blanking panel(?).
• The sketch seems to have some sort of auxiliary intake(?) on the LERX, whereas the CG pic does not.
• The vertical tails seem quite small and seem to be positioned somewhere between those of the VF-19kai/F/S/P and the YF-19/VF-19A, i.e. from the CG pic they appear to be spaced outboard as per the VF-19kai/F/S/P, but not as far outboard as we are used to seeing for those models.
• The folding main wing is interesting. A new high-speed mode perhaps?
• The shoulder nacelles are also interesting an appear likely to contain some type of weapon.
• Anyway, nice to see a new 19 variant(s). I wonder who will get the toy rights?

Even if this is a novelization, if it is anything like the monthly Gundam novelizations in Dengeki Hobby, it will have lots of pretty pictures.

Graham

[Graham]

Ah, if the Google translation of the Dengeki 'Macross The Ride" website is correct, that might not actually be a CG pic, but rather a conversion of the Hasegawa 1/72 scale YF-19 model kit, which would explain the discrepancies with Kawamori's sketch.

And calling the VF-19E 'Monkey Model', is hardly a complimentary name! How do we go from the original cool sounding 'Excalibur', to fricken 'Monkey model'!????????

Graham

[Seto Kaiba]

And calling the VF-19E 'Monkey Model', is hardly a complimentary name! How do we go from the original cool sounding 'Excalibur', to fricken 'Monkey model'!????????

The name they give for the informally named VF-19EF/ES appears to be a kana rendering of "Caliburn", one of the older names for Excalibur derived by "Latinizing" Caledfwlch, the original Welsh name for the sword.

The term "monkey model" is a nickname given to simplified (and inferior) export versions of (Soviet) military hardware. For more, see this Wikipedia article.

Edited November 26, 2010 by Seto Kaiba

[AcroRay]

Just noticed this... Talos suggests that it may be intended to be read as "Caliburn".

Or "Caliban"?

[Seto Kaiba]

Or "Caliban"?

Almost certainly not... the Japanese Wikipedia article for Excalibur spells the name of the sword Caliburn as カリバーン, which is the same spelling used on the Dengeki website's section about the VF-19EF. "Caliban" (as in the character from William Shakespeare's The Tempest) is spelled キャリバン.

"Caliburn" fits well enough as both a play on the "Excalibur" name for the non-stripped-down version, and it ties into the name NUNS Special Forces squad "Round Table", who got the VF-19EF's that SMS didn't snap up according to the website.

Edited November 26, 2010 by Seto Kaiba

[Graham]

Will scan in the whole Dengeki article tomorrow.

And in the magazine, it is written as "VF-19EF Caliburn".

In the meantime, here's scans of two of the pages, including some new Kawamori lineart.

Graham

[azrael]

Separation complete. Talk away.

[thegunny]

And calling the VF-19E 'Monkey Model', is hardly a complimentary name! How do we go from the original cool sounding 'Excalibur', to fricken 'Monkey model'!????????

Graham

The monkey model would be cheaper to run as it only needs bananas to fuel it

[Vic Mancini]

Is it me, or is the Hase Model sporting a VF-25's gunpod?

[Lobizon]

Is it me, or is the Hase Model sporting a VF-25's gunpod?

Anyhow, new stuff:

VF-19EF Karibaan

A VF-19E monkey model. The mass produced VF-19E of the Frontier Fleet.

Blah blah blah SMS, prototype EX-Gear. Uses the GU-17A. 154 craft were made and they were mostly deployed by SMS. Does it need mentioning that the story's set in 2058?

[anime52k8]

Will scan in the whole Dengeki article tomorrow.

And in the magazine, it is written as "VF-19EF Caliburn".

In the meantime, here's scans of two of the pages, including some new Kawamori lineart.

Graham

I like the new girl.

[Bri]

Character designs by Enami Katsumi (Bacanno). The studio Bones look of characters works well with Macross imo.

(From Jikai Blog):

Chelsea Scarlett: Pilot at the private military provider S.M.S. (Strategic Military Services) Apollo platoon. A pure-blood Zentradi, her strange background has her viewed as an idol above all. Good at reading others, and a talented pilot.

Hakuna Aoba: A Frontier Colonial Fleet “Island 15″‘s old VF-1 Valkyrie Racer.

Also the SMS VF-19 in VF-1A cannon fodder scheme is pure win.

[Graham]

More pages from this month's "Macross The Ride" article from the new issue of Dengeki Hobby magazine (Jan 2011 issue).

That concludes all the "Macross The Ride" pages from this month's issue.

Enjoy.

Graham

[TehPW]

so WTF does this thread mean? i get the confusing vibe that either it's supposed to be a real ride (like a F-16 sim or something simular you might see at an actual airshow) or its just uber fluff for a model kit bash to the extreme. 'plaination for the confused halfling, please? o.O

[Dash]

so WTF does this thread mean? i get the confusing vibe that either it's supposed to be a real ride (like a F-16 sim or something simular you might see at an actual airshow) or its just uber fluff for a model kit bash to the extreme. 'plaination for the confused halfling, please? o.O

Did you read the first post?

Even if this is a novelization, if it is anything like the monthly Gundam novelizations in Dengeki Hobby, it will have lots of pretty pictures.

Graham

It's a serialized novel that will start in the Degenki Hobby magazine, the tittle is a little confusing but as far as I know this won't be a real ride just a light novel.

[Renato]

I'm wondering if that 19 sketch I've seen everywhere is by Tenjin, not Kawamori... The reason I say that is that I believe he is the one credited for re-styling the fighters.

If the answer is in the text of all those scans, I'm afraid I haven't looked at it because this wonderful forum software insists on taking forever to load the pic using flash or something before you can actually save it. No offense to all who took the trouble of scanning the pages, though.

[Lindem Herz]

Am I the only one who thinks that the model of the Caliburn looks quite... ugly? With the cut down canards, chubby wings and shortened rudders it loses the lines of the aerodynamic YF-19, but it still has too much canards and wings, and too little LERXs and rudders, to be as streamlined as the VF-19F. The sketch looks way better.

[sketchley]

I'm wondering if that 19 sketch I've seen everywhere is by Tenjin, not Kawamori... The reason I say that is that I believe he is the one credited for re-styling the fighters.

Indeed. The image with "FS Wing" (forward swept wing) is penned by him. When I perused the site, it gave Tenjin credits for the artwork - painting or colouring if memory serves (probably doesn't at the end of this long day of work).

(...) With the cut down canards, chubby wings and shortened rudders it loses the lines of the aerodynamic YF-19, but it still has too much canards and wings, and too little LERXs and rudders, to be as streamlined as the VF-19F.

That's most likely because it ISN'T the VF-19F, but a monkey model derivative (aka significantly performance reduced version).

[Graham]

Here's the pics originally posted by Kresphy in the Scoop thread. Thanks to Kresphy.

My comments in the first post, refer to the differences, between the folding wing 19 variant shown in this sketch and the Hasegawa model conversion.

And the link to the official site:

http://hobby.dengeki...ss_r/index.html

Graham

[Graham]

Here's two more pages from the latest issue of Dengeki Hobby magazine, which I missed before.

These two pages, may give us some idea what the novelization is going to be like.

Graham

[Knight26]

So what is this, some new Macross book, an actual ride, ala star tours, or something else, I am a bit confused. And I too am not loving the new take on the VF-19.

[Graham]

So what is this, some new Macross book, an actual ride, ala star tours, or something else, I am a bit confused. And I too am not loving the new take on the VF-19.

It's a novelization, that is being serialized in the monthly Dengeki Hobby magazine. Hopefully, it will be more of a photo-novel or novel with lots of pictures, rather than just pure text.

The title is somewhat misleading. It is not an actual ride.

Graham

The term "monkey model" is a nickname given to simplified (and inferior) export versions of (Soviet) military hardware. For more, see this Wikipedia article.

Interesting, I hadn't heard of that term before.

Graham

[sketchley]

Interesting, I hadn't heard of that term before.

2nded, but it fits with the general direction the Macross Universe has taken post VF-X2. I'm also glad that there is an actual, RL, established term for the concept.

Anyhow, I forget which magazine (probably Great Mechanics.DX), but there is a little bit of info on the back-story of the development of the YF-24/YF-24 Evolution/VF-25/(Y)VF-27. In short, the Unified Forces of Earth are keeping the best technologies for themselves, and sending monkey models out to the emigrant planets and fleets. With regards to ISC technology, the development of the EX-Gear and cyborg pilots are two examples of how emigrant fleets have compensated for the dissemination of ISC monkey model technology.

It's unclear if the ISC+EX-Gear of the VF-25 is better than the true ISC capabilities of the YF-24. Nevertheless, I (think I) remember reading somewhere that the ISC of the VF-25 is better than that of the VF-27.

So... it's interesting that the VF-19EF (F for Frontier?) incorporates EX-Gear. I'm not sure what the net result is, but I've spotted "10 G" appearing in the Macross-R text. Perhaps that's the max G-load of the VF-19EF sans EX-Gear? Wish I had a bit of time this weekend to poke around with the text of the Macross-R article...

[frothymug]

I thought I saw someone say that this is set in 2058? I see Ozma and the Pixies in that picture with the N-Ger firing on the 19. I suppose this would have taken place at the same time or before Michael joined up. I wonder if this Chelsea Scarlett will be a miclone or Meltran pilot? Would work well if she had something to do with the formation of the Pixies before MacF took place.

[azrael]

I thought I saw someone say that this is set in 2058? I see Ozma and the Pixies in that picture with the N-Ger firing on the 19. I suppose this would have taken place at the same time or before Michael joined up. I wonder if this Chelsea Scarlett will be a miclone or Meltran pilot? Would work well if she had something to do with the formation of the Pixies before MacF took place.

She's a pure-blood Zentradi with SMS's Apollo platoon/squad/squadron. And it's a side-story about a sporting competition where people compete with VFs. The male protagonist of the story, Hakuna Aoba, competes a VF-1 for example.

I expect to see lots of customized VF models from this novel like most of Dengeki Hobby stories.

[Lindem Herz]

That's most likely because it ISN'T the VF-19F, but a monkey model derivative (aka significantly performance reduced version).

I know; I was commenting on the looks of the plastic model, comparing it to the other versions of the VF-19 and the sketch it was based on. The design of the VF-19E itself, as shown on the sketch, is fine. I wish someone else would give it a try and make a more accurate representation.

Edited November 27, 2010 by Lindem Herz

[azrael]

In fact, if our Japanese users want to read it, Chapter 1 is available from the Dengeki Hobby website. You'll need the Crochet plugin, which you can also get of Dengeki Hobby's website. And it's available for everyone (even our USA users) to view as well. But it's in Japanese.

[sketchley]

I know; I was commenting on the looks of the plastic model, comparing it to the other versions of the VF-19 and the sketch it was based on. The design of the VF-19E itself, as shown on the sketch, is fine. I wish someone else would give it a try and make a more accurate representation.

Aah, that's most likely because it's a kit-bash of the YF-19. If I understand the pictures correctly (aka the process of construction), only the wings and rear section of the craft are modified, the rest is "as is". So, there are some 'errors', such as the dual canopy - which was only present on the YF-19, not the VF-19.

Anyhow, I'm looking forward to upcoming issues, as apparently there's going to be Tenjin Hidetaka art, and they've hinted at a GERWALK-mode race around poles (slalom races?).

[Roy Focker]

Looks like Reno Survived the Space War One.

[frothymug]

lol, yeah, I was wondering what those air show pictures have to do with the novel. Anyone who can read the text on there shed some light on the issue?

[sketchley]

Perhaps it's because it's about VF racing on the Frontier Fleet?

[frothymug]

Oh, I must have missed the part about it being about VF races on the Frontier fleet. So much to take in all at once!

[s001]

Not liking the new 19. Looks like a YF-19 without the cool features.

[Keith]

Hmm, this equates to more extra mission fodder & unlockables for the next Macross game. Excellent!

[sketchley]

Hmmm, it appears that there are two variants:

VF-19EF (standard)

VF-19EFs (officer/command specification, article states that it corresponds with the VF-19S, especially in regards to the head laser machine guns.)

What I find most interesting, is that they're using a small s to designate, not a big S.