2 new Variable Fighter Master File books: VF-22 and VF-1 Squadrons

[spanner]

paid for mine the other day, used another whole bunch of rewards points I had with CDJapan so it cost me almost nothing! cant wait for it to arrive so I can perv on all those glorious pics!

[Mommar]

I'm more disappointed that they didn't even make an attempt to give information on the VF-22's gun pods... this book is depressingly light on useful trivia. Lovely art, but with so few variants of the VF-22 out there in Macross proper, you'd think they could've spared more thought for the details.

Kind of odd, isn't it? The Valk with the least number of variations has a book with no additional Valk filler and they still managed to completely skimp on a lot of areas. Not that that portion matters to me as much considering I can't read it anyway. There are some pretty fighter pics though.

[jvmacross]

[MILKAUTICO]

Damn, all of these Master File pics with the Uraga Class Carrier photos is telling me we NEED a model/toy/whatever of one.

If 1/60 scale please.

It would be one thing doing math of about 9 m. hahahahaha. would this fabulous!!!!!

Edited September 30, 2014 by MILKAUTICO

[Seto Kaiba]

Kind of odd, isn't it? The Valk with the least number of variations has a book with no additional Valk filler and they still managed to completely skimp on a lot of areas. Not that that portion matters to me as much considering I can't read it anyway. There are some pretty fighter pics though.

If anything, Mr March seems more miffed about it than I am... he was really hoping we'd get some clarity on the VF-22's gun pods and other hard details.

It's weird that they felt compelled to invent a bunch of new, bizarre variants for this when they didn't even cover one of the official variants that existed in the time period... YF-21-1, YF-21-2, VF-22, and VF-22S, but no VF-22HG?

[Mommar]

What's the HG? I haven't heard of that one.

[Andras]

That's the Harmony Gold version... (sorry, couldn't resist.)

Google says it's from Macross: The Ride

far left, middle row

[sketchley]

Maybe the VFMF writers couldn't get permission from the people behind MtR?

The other possibility is that the VF-22HG was an aircraft produced under licence with unofficial modifications (if memory serves, it was a test bed for some of the new technologies that went into the VF-27). So, as a top secret fighter (even the VF-27's existence wasn't wildly disseminated before the events of MF), it makes sense that it wouldn't show up in the VF-22 book (given that they're written from an in-universe perspective - and this one in particular, by writers on Planet Eden).

[Mommar]

Maybe the VFMF writers couldn't get permission from the people behind MtR?

The other possibility is that the VF-22HG was an aircraft produced under licence with unofficial modifications (if memory serves, it was a test bed for some of the new technologies that went into the VF-27). So, as a top secret fighter (even the VF-27's existence wasn't wildly disseminated before the events of MF), it makes sense that it wouldn't show up in the VF-22 book (given that they're written from an in-universe perspective - and this one in particular, by writers on Planet Eden).

Good explanation why it wouldn't be in there then. At least, it makes a great scape-goat for the Master File writers. lol

I guess I never saw that version in MtR. What sorts of stuff for the 27 were tested on it?

[Ignacio Ocamica]

My book is sitting in customs right now, can't wait to receive it!!!

[sketchley]

I guess I never saw that version in MtR. What sorts of stuff for the 27 were tested on it?

Again, if memory serves, I believe it was the cyborg version of the BDI.

[Ignacio Ocamica]

Picked up the book this morning from the post office, it's a great addition!!!

Only nitpick is the lack of enough battroid pics.

[Mommar]

Boy, I'd love an Arcadia 22 in that tan/brown CF color. Pretty much every fighter looks great in that color.

[Ignacio Ocamica]

Boy, I'd love an Arcadia 22 in that tan/brown CF color. Pretty much every fighter looks great in that color.

Couldn't agree more!

[xrentonx]

So this is where the VFMF book thread is

Mine is still sitting in HLJ WH. Tryin my hardest to be patient until I have more stuff to ship with it

[Andras]

This is as good a place to ask as any, does anyone else have issues with the VF22s Gerwalk form? The thrust exhaust is in the farthest back part of the body, and nearly all the weight is in front of the thrust vectoring outlets, there's no way it can center its mass on the exhaust column.

With all the other VFs with leg mounted engines, when the legs are under the center of the body they at least looks balanced.

image borrowed from M3:

[VF5SS]

When it transforms a series of vents open up underneath to direct trust all along the backpack.

The Master File book goes into this with more detail.

[Andras]

Yes, I've seen the picture, but the weight of the fighter is not balanced on top of the thrust column.

Nearly all the weight is in front of the exhaust. Look at the real-life Harrier, the engine is in the center of the plane, not the tail.

Edited October 4, 2014 by Andras

[sketchley]

No. Those "vent" like things are panels like Venetian blinds that rotate open as the engine assembly slides forward when transforming.

They have nothing to do with the engines or thrust that comes out of the engines - as the engines are located directly above and behind those slats.

[Mommar]

I have a question for those with the talent for reading Japanese (my attempts at accelerated learning are NOT working.) Somewhere between page 70 and 75 (looks like 72, really) they seem to cover the internal systems they use to explain how the wings can flex. I was wondering what the explanation actually is.

[Ignacio Ocamica]

I was about to ask the same

[anime52k8]

I love the crazy original variantions they come up for in these books. I love the YVF-22SA, the Beam gun boosters and the alternate face design. the swing wing design is just plain crazy but cool. BTW, think about the YVF-22E and where the cockpit bulges will end up in battroid mode. VF-22 MAXL II anybody?

[George Yamamori]

The oddest weapon would be the stealth micro-missiles (!). On the other hand, there are some large missiles with fold out forward-swept wings that are very reminiscent of the discarded idea for micro-missile loaded cruise missiles in Macross Zero (does it need to be mentioned that they're stealthy?).

Can you post pictures of these and other weapons from the book?

[sketchley]

Can you post pictures of these and other weapons from the book?

See my signature for details.

[jvmacross]

Can you post pictures of these and other weapons from the book?

Did you take a look at page three of this thread? Think there is a pic of the various weapons that the VF-22 can carry.

[Uxi]

On 9/28/2014 at 11:31 AM, Seto Kaiba said:

So... the one on the left is for Kamen Rider, and the one on the right is for a Gundam fan who's compensating for something?

Have been going over my copy recently.  Can anyone translate what these were about? 

Def disappointed there was not more Gerwalk or Battroid. I do love the load out pages and FAST/beam boosters, etc. If Arcadia or Bandai ever does VF-22, hope they do a 'full set'

[Seto Kaiba]

10 minutes ago, Uxi said:

Have been going over my copy recently.  Can anyone translate what these were about? 

The various variants described in the "VF-22 Variations" section of Variable Fighter Master File: VF-22 Sturmvogel II are mainly one-off or limited experimental designs that General Galaxy did to examine various aspects of the VF-22's performance.

The VF-22B on pg46 is described as an attempt to reduce the burden on the active stealth system by making the design more passively stealthy by changing to a tailess delta wing design and applying a carbon nanotube paint that reduced LADAR reflectivity.  

The VF-22D on pg47 is a "pure attack aircraft" conversion based on the VF-22B concept that did away with the brainwave control system entirely installed a tandem cockpit.  It had a substantial bomb/missile payload but at the expense of speed and maneuveraility.  It was used as a training aircraft instead.

The YVF-22E on pg48 is a one-off based on the VF-22D prototype with a side-by-side cockpit and dual brainwave control system.  It was mainly used as research aircraft.

The YVF-22U on pg49 is a conversion of a YVF-22E into a drone control mothership that was meant to allow the second pilot to control multiple drones using the brainwave control system.  The big fin is a massive communications antenna connected to the BCS which was, in theory, able to control up to 30 drone aircraft.  It's said that, in practice, the actual maximum number was dependent on the user and many operators struggled to control even one or two drones.  

The YVF-22VG on pg50 was an experimental one-off made to evaluate if a conventional variable geometry wing could substitute for the very expensive deformable wing material.

The YVF-22SA on pg51 is an experimental one-off made to assess a reported defect in the fixed-forward laser cannons that were supposedly damaging the aircraft exterior during high-g maneuvers by installing a separate set of lasers for fighter mode use behind the cockpit.