Real World Technical References of Macross Variable Aircraft

[charger69]

Thanks to David Hintgen!

PAK-FA and VF-30/31 weapons placement:

PAK-FA

VF-30/31

Edited February 12, 2016 by charger69

[Mr March]

More PAK FA is always the answer. Love that design

[grigolosi]

Just like more cowbell.................

[no3Ljm]

Adding this post from Arcadia VF-4G thread.

As i am waiting (with baited breath) my vf-4, i couldn't help but wonder what real world plane was the inspiration for this? I know that vf-0's was the f-15 and so on... but tried as i might, i couldn't find anything on the 4g. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Dumb question: so what plane has Kawamori stated as his inspiration for the design of the VF-4, if any? I'm surprised I'd never noticed the resemblance before, but....

Yes he mentions the SR-71 in relation to the VF-4 in Macross Design Works.

From GM.DX 4:

Peculiar Engine Mounting: SR-71 and VF-4
SR-71 Blackbird
The design of this VF-4 was designed as an advanced Valkyrie at the time of the broadcast of "Super Dimension Fortress Macross" (it appears as a model in the original story). The form of the engine mounts is reminiscent of the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. Moreover, this craft has a design more close to the SR-71 than the V-BR-2, which was designed simultaneously as one of the craft of Advanced Valkyrie.

[charger69]

Sv-262 Draken III's drone units are called "Lil Draken." Which is the name of the real life J35 Draken's prototype, the Saab 210 Flying Test Bed .

Thanks to Veef and Gywn!

[grigolosi]

I kind of suspect that the inspiration for the VF-14 was also the SR-71......I don't know maybe the shape or something.

[Valkyrie Driver]

The Shape of the SV-262 intakes mirrors the F-105 a bit...

[charger69]

F-105 and Macross Delta Episode 5's Mystery Fighter (probably a Sv-53?) have also a similar silhouette.

Edited May 4, 2016 by charger69

[Mr March]

Yeah, that early Windermerean fighter looks like an SV-51 with some elements of an F-105. I have a suspicion that this may sadly be the only thing we ever see of it. I doubt if there is any tranformable artwork for it. The design looks more like it was built just as a fighter for the sake of a filling a brief design need to tell some backstory for the Knights of Windermere and the White Knight in particular. But I hope I'm wrong and art of it in GERWALK and Battroid mode does exist.

[David Hingtgen]

Chronocidal pointed out the pre-262 has a T-tail like an F-104. Combined with its intake cones and wingtip pods, it's very F-104-ish.

[wmkjr]

That mystery SV looks more F-104 than F-105 to me.

Mystery SV:

F-104:

F-105:

[charger69]

Yes, definetely more F-104 vibe in it!

[Sildani]

Which makes a kind of sense, since Windermere feels very Germanic in style, with an Alpine terrain, and the Luftwaffe used Starfighters extensively in the 1970's and early 80's.

[grigolosi]

I wonder if it has a pilot light in the exhaust too, just like the F-104......

Definitely a close resemblance between the 2 aircraft. The real big differences is the Sukoi style big nose instead of the pointed missile nose, the area between the intakes on the lower fuselage, and the trailing edges of the wings.

[Nazareno2012]

After doing some research, it has been stated by Kawamori that the YF-19 is inspired by the X-29. It's weird as the YF-19 bears a MUCH closer resemblance to Grumman's Concept 9 ATF proposal than the X-29, and also the Concept 9 proposal has been designed and submitted to the USAF around 1982, way before work on M+ has been started.

[grigolosi]

Probably the the biggest inspiration in it was the forward swept wing. Considering the X-29 was probably the most publicly recognized forward swept design of the past 30 yrs.

Edited May 8, 2016 by grigolosi

[d3v]

After doing some research, it has been stated by Kawamori that the YF-19 is inspired by the X-29. It's weird as the YF-19 bears a MUCH closer resemblance to Grumman's Concept 9 ATF proposal than the X-29, and also the Concept 9 proposal has been designed and submitted to the USAF around 1982, way before work on M+ has been started.

Probably because being a variable fighter design has some design limitations (twin engines, twin vertical stabs) that end up making the plane look more like the latter, despite being inspired by the former.

The 262 is probably the first time in forever that he's deviating from the twin exhaust/twin tail look.

[Mazinger]

I happened to be in a restaurant in Burbank, CA a few days back and saw this on the wall.

The test pilot: Herman "Fish" Salmon

If it wasn't for M:Delta I might have not have taken notice of the rocket in the background, a YF-104A Starfighter.

[Nekko Basara]

Great photo. I was baffled by those faired-over intakes and had to google around until I learned that it was just done to conceal the new intake design (versus the XF-104 that didn't have/need shock cones).

[David Hingtgen]

Story behind that---the F-104's intake design was very advanced/unique for the time, and there were no good images of it for quite a while (intentionally). But an artist who did an "artist's impression" for a Japanese magazine turned out to be spot-on, and for a while it was suspected there was either a spy or someone leaked the design. But no, he just had a really good guess, long before the actual specifics were publically known.

[JB0]

Story behind that---the F-104's intake design was very advanced/unique for the time, and there were no good images of it for quite a while (intentionally). But an artist who did an "artist's impression" for a Japanese magazine turned out to be spot-on, and for a while it was suspected there was either a spy or someone leaked the design. But no, he just had a really good guess, long before the actual specifics were publically known.

That apparently happened to the Manhattan Project, too. Author wrote a short story that proposed a nuclear bomb, and he was close enough to right that the feds came knocking on his door to find out where he was getting his information.

http://www.digplanet.com/wiki/Deadline_(science_fiction_story)

[sketchley]

After doing some research, it has been stated by Kawamori that the YF-19 is inspired by the X-29. It's weird as the YF-19 bears a MUCH closer resemblance to Grumman's Concept 9 ATF proposal than the X-29, and also the Concept 9 proposal has been designed and submitted to the USAF around 1982, way before work on M+ has been started.

It's very possible that the Concept 9 proposal was the actual inspiration, but Kawamori-san has deliberately chosen to publicly state that it was the X-29 - simply because the X-29 was much more well known, and in the days before the internet, it was next to impossible for fans to find any information on the Concept 9.

[Kelsain]

All this talk of F-104's, I can't help it...

"Nice basket!"

[Valkyrie Driver]

It's very possible that the Concept 9 proposal was the actual inspiration, but Kawamori-san has deliberately chosen to publicly state that it was the X-29 - simply because the X-29 was much more well known, and in the days before the internet, it was next to impossible for fans to find any information on the Concept 9.

Or, since the X-29 was actually built and proved the concept could work, gave Kawamori the justification he needed to go ahead. Both may have played a part in the design, or maybe just the X-29. It might have actually been very hard for Kawamori to get access to the Concept 9 sketches, as those were part of a government project, from a company that ended up not being part of the final trials, and the details of which might have still been classified at the time (early 90's when the ATF competition was still going on, those materials were probably still classified).

Might just be a case of Kawamori's ideas and specifications lining up well with a real concept purely by coincidence. Like the Starfighter stuff and A-Bomb stuff mentioned earlier...

[Nekko Basara]

All this talk of F-104's, I can't help it...

"Nice basket!"

Hahaha! Now I need to go watch the full MST3K again. The "sex talk" during the refueling is classic.

[Kelsain]

Hahaha! Now I need to go watch the full MST3K again. The "sex talk" during the refueling is classic.

Yeah, unfortunately I couldn't find a clip of only that scene on YT...

[anime52k8]

you know, I don't think this has come up in at least 5 minutes but SK totally worked out how to make an F-104 transform already, so I'm pretty sure our mystery SV has a robot in there somewhere:

[d3v]

I wonder if parts for that early Windermere fighter are as easy to acquire as those for a 104, and you can just buy a field and wait for one to crash on it. 😂

Edited May 9, 2016 by d3v

[Mr March]

you know, I don't think this has come up in at least 5 minutes but SK totally worked out how to make an F-104 transform already, so I'm pretty sure our mystery SV has a robot in there somewhere:

lv-7-battroid.jpglv-7-fighter.jpg

I'm REALLY hoping there is a Battroid mode for that Windermerean F-104/SV-51 style fighter from Macross Delta. That would be unexpected, but most welcome. Though I feel like it might look too much like the SV-262 Draken III does and so we likely won't see it

[grigolosi]

Hahaha! Now I need to go watch the full MST3K again. The "sex talk" during the refueling is classic.

LOL I love that episode of MST3K. having personal experience from 20 yrs in the USAF I rolled on the floor laughing. My favorite part was the poopy suit song. I have actually worn one also....they are not very comfortable needless to say. Now back to our topic...after this...

[charger69]

Back from death!

Origin of the Gerwalk Mode!

[Knight26]

How about, no.

[JB0]

I think that's a Go-Bot!

[pengbuzz]

On 5/9/2016 at 8:38 AM, Kelsain said:

All this talk of F-104's, I can't help it...

"Nice basket!"

 

 

That music sounds like they're waiting in line at a 50's automat.

Edited March 6, 2022 by pengbuzz