Great Mechanics.DX 9 article: VF Evolutionary Theory

[Sketchley]

Author's notes: The other large, long-term project I've been meaning to commence.  Unlike the Great Mechanics.DX 8 Macross article, I think that I won't do a complete translation and type it up later, but start the translation, and work on it when I find the time and motivation.  This is mostly because it's a very large article (compared to previous issues of the magazine) and the nature of the article lends itself to being translated caption by caption.

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Pg 014
From "Zero" to "F", Great Mechanic.DX's editorial department's original analysis of the logic [reason] of the evolition of the VF.

VF (Variable Fighter) Theory of Evolution
In the story, in the months and years making up to about half a century, the Variable Fighter of "Macross" has been evolving.  What purpose where they made for and how were they used?  This time, this magazine considers that, and searches for the appearance of the truth of the VF, while introducing the mechanism of each VF.  In addition, it takes charge of the setting of the VFs, and we wanted it verified by Dr. Chiba's own comments.

[Sketchley]

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Pg 015

VF-25 Messiah

Anti-optical Weapon Vaporizing Armour
A function added to the passive stealth coating substance spread on the surface of the airframe is to vaporize instantaneously when exposed to high energy, thereby diffusing the beam.  (Approximately 30% is dampened from the output of a beam machinegun grade weapon).

Fold Detection Sensor
A sensor that comprehensively detects fold waves, as well as such things as gravitational fields, magnetic fields, and infra-red rays.  The name is QFS-06.  Various radar, sensors, avionics and so on are enhanced more than existing craft, and they have evolved in the VF-25, too.

Linear Actuator
It is possible to transform the VF-25 in a time that's said to be 2/3's that of existing craft, by not with mechanical actuators, but with ones that have an electromagnetic driving force.  There are also the advantages of such things as a reduction in breakdowns and an increase in maintainability, because the complex mechanical mechanisms have disappeared.

Shield
It is made of the 2nd generation type of strengthened energy conversion armour material that is also used in the armour pack.  It becomes a rectification fin when in fighter.

EX-Gear
(EX-Gear is an) "Interface that's worn", which enables highly accurate flight control due to the pilot's muscles' electrical current.  In addition, there are such things as a medical kit and simple cold sleep functions.  The EX-Gear is also provided with a life preservation function for the pilot, whom should be regarded more than then manned craft (itself).


Pg 016-017

VF-25 Messiah
With the adoption of EX-Gear, it is feasible to have a performance boost drastically greater than the existing models.

Airbrake
Internally is stored a chaff, flare, and anti-optical weapon multipurpose discharger.

BLC (Boundary Layer Control)
The BLC function is added to the the flaps at the front and rear of the main wings, and defends against the seperation of the airflow of the wing surface flow and the improvement of the high-angle of attack and low-speed flight characteristics.

Variable Swept Wing
A variable swept wing was adopted into the VF-25, as it is intended for the aerodynamic performance improvement in the atmosphere, and the cases where the VF-25 is operated on space carriers.

Active Stealth Wing
In addition to the anti-radar coating, the main wings are mainly used as heat sinks after combat ends, to avoid infra-red ray detection (during combat).

Stage 2 Thermonuclear Turbine Engine
The maximum instantaneous thrust in the void of space is 1,620 kN (1 engine), and compared to the VF's until now, it's thrust is extremely great.  Even in fighter form when there is 50% or greater output, a built-in light-type of energy conversion armour can be activated for defensive use in the areas of the cockpit, engines and so on, because there is surplus output.  


VF-25 Spec
Length: 18.72 m (14.53 m in battroid mode, not including the laser machine gun)
Width: 15.50 m (main wing fully extended)
Height: 4.03 m (not including landing gear)
Empty Weight: 8,450 Kg
Engine: Shinsei Industry / P&W / RR company made FF-3001A Stage II Thermonuclear Turbine Engine x2 (Maximum thrust in space is 1,620+ kn x2)
ISC: ISC/TO21 (Shinsei Industry Macross Frontier Arsenal / LAI company made original development specification)
Armament: 25 mm machine gun or 25 mm beam cannon, the latest 58 mm gun pod, etc..

Airframe Outline
The VF-25 is a craft based on the YF-24 Evolution, that includes original improvements by the Macross Frontier fleet.  It is possible to say that the greatest feature is the equipping of the ISC, which is a buffer that deals with inertia, and protects the pilot and airframe.  The ISC has the buffer ability of 27.5 G x 120 seconds (acceleration has an apparent reduction of 27.5 G, and it can be maintained continuously for 120 seconds), and is an LAI original improvement on the model installed on the YF-24.  Moreover, the controls are called Extender Gear (EX-Gear), which performs as a kind of power suit that is worn.  The EX-Gear acts as the interface of the pilot with the airframe, and literally the VF-25 can be precisely controlled by the sensation of one's hands and feet.  Coupled with the basic function improvement of such things as these new mechanisms, engines and avionics, the VF-25 has achieved an exceptional ability improvement that is greater than that of the VFs up until now.

ISC
There is a reduction in the acceleration is it is apparently slowly reduced, as a part of the acceleration that hangs on such things as the airframe and pilot is stored in an internal capacitor.  Fold quartz of high purity that only the large Vajra class can produce is necessary for manufacturing ISC.

Dr. Chiba's Private Opinion [personal view; personal opinion]
The VF-25 is a Macross Frontier independently developed craft based on the YF-24 Evolution.  As the New Unified Forces as well as the Emigrant Fleets want to guarantee predominance of some sort, it doesn't mean that the the entirety of the YF-24's technology was disclosed.

Multi-purpose Sensor Set
It's a multi-mode radar for use in the void of space and anti-ground and anti-air on planets.  When folding, it operates with the fold booster's sub-space (hyperspace) sensor, and before fold-out it can detect the likes of the objective and obstacles.

Vortex Controller
It produces the flow of the air current on the surface of the airframe, and it attempts attitude control by negative pressure.

High Manueverability Thruster
(no text)

Consideration and Verification by this Magazine
Since the VF-19, even though the airframes named the VF-22, VF-171 and so on were made, a definite successor (manned) craft was not made by the New Unified Forces.  The main reasons are thought to be: (1) At the point in time of the VF-19, the problem on the pilot's side, was that manned craft had already met the limit.  (2) the New Unified Forces were anxious about such things as rebellions and terrorists using excessively high-performance craft.  (3) A new enemy for whom a high-performance aircraft was needed, did not show up.
However, the existence of the Vajra is recognized in 2048, and the situation changes radically.  The reason for the preceding (3) is overturned, and before a concrete threat, conniving with (2) also cannot be helped.  The force flowing toward development of a new model craft, in short, automatically brings about changes in the distribution of such things as budgets and resources.  The completion of ISC (Inertia Store Converter), which is the solution to the remaining anti-G problem, rapidly moves ahead as well.  There might also have been a change in the system of the development of new model craft, too.  Moreover, even though it's expected that the equipping of the VF-19 with ISC is by all rights economical, new development goes ahead as it's thought that it will protect military jobs, as well as the possibility that the abilities of the Vajra exceed those of the VF-19.  It can be guessed that there were such circumstances in the background of the development of the YF-24 Evolution.
The VF-25 and VF-27 are original developments of the YF-24 by each fleet.  Both craft have ISC whose degree of completion is enough that they are fit for use in actual combat, and the method of controlling the airframes which were made with high performance is more certain and are also original discoveries (in each fleet).  Furthermore, it is presumed that each place in the VF-25 makes use of ISC; a technology that is the first to utilize fold quartz, which originates in the Vajra.  This fold quartz is to become the key to the development of VF in the future.


Pg 018

Two armament packs that are greatly different in character
In the super packs, attaining a high-acceleration is hardly first.  Moreover, a standard of equipment strengthening was also aimed for.  The manufacturing cost is also held down to inexpensive, as a prerequisite of the super packs is that they are disposable.  Adding heavy armament and heavy armour are the main (purpose) of the armoured pack.  Though a booster is also attached to the pack, it's orientation is prevent the mobility deterioration due to the weight increase.  The objective of the boosters are to have the ordinary acceleration of a normal VF-25.  The cost of manufacturing (the Armoured Pack) is also high.

VF-25 Super Pack
Main Booster Unit
The total of the thrust of the main and sub-boosters is 2,940 kN.  Even though the acceleration of a super pack that's fully-loaded with propellant is somewhat inferior to a VF-25 that's lightly equipped (15 G), when the propellant is used and the craft becomes light, acceleration becomes near 30 G.  The VF-25 has the most high-manoeuvrability when it's on the verge of exhausting it's fuel.


VF-25 Armoured Pack
ASWGA
ASWGA is Energy Conversion Armour with a strength several times that of the normal VF-25.  When operating at  maximum performance, it has the armour class strength of a heavy cruiser space battleship, and can also endure a Vajra's largest attack.  The energy conversion armour can be used even in forms other than Battroid, due to the energy capacitor built-into the Armoured Pack.

Compound Sensor
A special sensor is installed on the surface of the airframe, because the installed armour-pack closes over [blocks] the principal equipment.

VF-25 Aegis Pack
DSAF-03
An electromagnetic wave / fold wave sensor.  The Aegis pack is abundantly equipped with devices that use and detect fold waves for anti-Vajra use.  The QV-4000 Ghost is also controlled by the application of fold waves.

Highly Sensative Sensor
(no text)

VF-25 Sniper Pack
SSL-9B
The sniper rifle was born as a result of live bullet ordinance being reviewed, as it's said that armaments didn't have dominance due to such things as anti-optical weapon armour and the guidance disruption of missiles.  Due to explosives [gunpowder] and a linear driver, the sniper rifle boasts of a bullet speed said to be 7,490 m/s.

[Sketchley]

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VF-27 Rushifaa (Lucifer)

4 Engines
(...)

Cannard
(...)

BDI System
(...)

ICS
(...)

Armoured Canopy
(...)

Beam Gun Pod
(...)

Fuselage (...)
Based on the YF-24 Evolution, the same as the VF-25 (...)

VF-27 Spec:
Length: 18.8 m
Empty Weight: 12,080 Kg
Engine: Shinnakasu / P&W / RR / MG made FF-3011/C Stage II Thermonuclear Turbine Engine (Maximum thrust in space is 1,377+ Kn x4)
Basic [main] Armaments: 20 mm Beam Machine Gun, BGP-01β Beam Gun Pod
ISC: MG made IVC/GC 01γ

[Sketchley]

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Pg 020-021

VF-0 Pheonix
The archaeopteryx [original bird, first bird] of the variable fighters, which was completed partly against (the UN Forces)'s will.

Active Stealth
It is equipped with the initial active stealth mechanism.  It is useful against fighter mounted radar, radard-guided missiles and so on, but it is difficult to deceive large radars and the like.

Conventional Jet Engine
Because the thermonuclear reaction engine wasn't developed in time, (conventional) jet fighter use EGF-127 engines, with the maximum level of thrust in a turbofan engine, were tuned up and installed (in the VF-0).  In combination with the power generating system, (the engines) become the source of power for the operation of the transformation system, laser machinegun, and so on.  However, the cruising range is pretty short because of the amount of fuel the VF-0 can load.

Ghost (Fighter) Equipment
The back was occasionally equipped with a QF-2200D Ghost as a booster.  Rather than increasing the (VF-0's) high mobility, the nuance is quite large when it is said that the heavy Ghost Equipment only compensates for the decrease in mobility that it causes; however it is also thought to lead to the later FAST Packs and Super Packs.


Outline of the airframe
A testing craft (one of the testing craft actually) of variable fighters that unites technology produced from the analysis of a crashed alien battleship with existing aircraft.
Though the engines cannot operate without optional packs in space because they are conventional jet engines, (the VF-0) has been completed as a VF (variable fighter), with alien technology (OTM) used in the energy conversion armour, (power) generating equipment, capacitors, and so on.
However, as it's development is because of a new catagory of weapon [arms] called VF, the pilot's training is difficult to master.  In the "Tori no hito" struggle [contest, competition] in the vicinity of Mayan Island by the UN Forces and the Anti-UN Forces, the fight with the Anti-UN Force's mutual prototype VF, the SV-51, unfolded [opened up].

VF-0 Spec
Development Manufacturer: Northrop Gruman / Stonewall / Shinsei
Length: 18.69 m (in fighter mode)
Width: 11.2 m
Height: 12.92 m (battroid mode)
Empty Weight: 16,191 Kg
Engine: EGF-127 Turbofan Engine Kai [custom]
Thrust:  91.08 kN (A/B time 148.9 kN) x2
Armament: Laser Machine Gun, 35 mm Gun Pod, Medium Range Air to Air Missiles, Micro-missiles

Another Possibility, the SV-51
The SV-51 is designed by a different concept than the VF-0, which is said to be "opposing alien powered suits, battle pods, and so forth".  Though the technological level of the SV-51 and the VF-0 had both merits and demerits, it can be said that the SV-51's concept had gone further ahead than the VF-0's.  If the SV-51's system method had been adopted, the VF history of evolution after that might have been greatly changed.


(In) Flight Refueling Receptacle
Has an already existing (prior to OTEC) conventional mid-air refueling probe receptacle.  More than the sacrificing of the amount of fuel onboard to install OTM devices, the VF-0 had high fuel-consuming high-tuned engines installed, so the In-flight refueling receptacle equipment can also be called the VF-0's lifeline.

Seat With Anti-G Mechanism
It is not an OTM device; though the optimization of the angle of the seat is the subject of the body current stimulant system (the so-called vital point stimulation), in case of high g, it is also possible to handle an increase of about 20 to 30% more.

Consideration and Verification by this Magazine
For the sake of "contact" with a little over 10 m tall giant space aliens, so that a humanoid robot is efficiently moved on its own, given a transformation mechanism to take the form of an aircraft... this is the development concept of the VF series.
In short, the function of battroid = human form was main.  Therefore, the size restriction of the battroid form was strictly observed.
Moreover, because it was confirmed that the aliens used high mobility battle pods, in aircraft (fighter) form, regardless of being in space or atmosphere, the ability of a fighter craft was also sought.
Even though the VF-0's technical problem was the installation of tuned existing jet engines, the balance was broken from the limitations of the size of the dimensions and large output engines that were jammed in.  It's said that the VF-0 had been on the level of it's abilities as a fighter craft only somewhat exceeding those of the latest currently used fighter craft.
Of course, even though they didn't have these limits in the situation where as a variable fighter the 3 forms were used freely.  However, it is said that it was a problem to establish things like flying methods and tactics from zero; which also took time (to establish).
Nonetheless, the abilities of the technical camp and experimental force should be praised as they finished up the VF-0, which were new weapons for combat with a not-yet-known enemy,  using an unknown technology, and were able to endure actual combat while problems remained.

Dr. Chiba's Private Opinion [personal view; personal opinion]
Even if you fight with huge space aliens, the size might not have had to match that of the naked space aliens at all (laughs).  They also use things like battle pods and powered suits.  Concerning the result, the VF-0 and SV-51 class size was consequently good.


Pg 022

35 mm Gun Pod
The shell's [bullet's] initial velocity is 1,100 m per second.  Though it's destructive power is excessive when used against general aircraft, it is the "standardized" power against the hypothesized opponet of a battle pod equipped with a VF-0 class energy conversion armour.

FCS
A helmet pointing system built into the helmet, that takes aim by following one's eyes, is adopted for shooting the gun pod and laser machinegun.

Accidentally Discovered GERWALK
Though gerwalk is counted as one of the three forms of a VF, it's origin was an accidental imperfect transformation in the transformation program that occured.  However, with pilot's training (with only a little bit of psychological resistance), gerwalk form's stability and so on, it's predominance during combat was admited [observed, recognized], and it became one of the formal forms of a VF.

Laser Machine Gun
Though it can be said that the head laser machinegun is "standard equipment" of a VF, in the VF-0's case, particulars of why it was adopted is that the space efficiency of a laser machinegun is better than that of a machinegun and ammunition.

Energy Conversion Armour
Electricity is generated by a surplus of engine power, which is on the mechanism operated in the energy conversion armour; with the prerequisite that the VF-0 must be in battroid form.  However, by a leap in improvement in engine power, the latest VFs are able to partially operate the energy conversion armour in fighter mode.


Fighter Oriented D variant
The manueverability ofthe D type VF-0, with a clipped delta wing, in below sonic speeds, has been improved by lowering the wing load (compared to the A/S types).  On the other hand, because the main wing is bulky, mobility in battroid mode is somewhat inferior to the A and S types (of VF-0).

[Sketchley]

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Pg 023

VF-1 Valkyrie

Retractable Antenna
(no text)

Manipulator
Though they can be manually operated, the controls of the sensitive limbs in battroid form are done by AI auto-control by the integrated control support system.  The firing of the gun pod when in battroid form is also determined by aiming dependant on the helmet pointing system, and the limbs' mobility is controlled for steady shooting.  Furthermore, magic arms for repair work and so on are built-into the manipulators.

2 Dimension Thrust Vectoring Nozzle
Even though a conventional jet fighter has 3-dimension thrust vectoring as well, continuing from the VF-0, the VF-1 employs a 2-dimension vertical thrust vectoring nozzle (they are also moveable to a degree to the left and right)*.  3 dimension (thrust vectoring) can be seen on later-made General Galaxy (Zentraadi-series) VFs.

[*translator's note: I believe the 3 dimension vectoring is related to the side-to-side movement of the ankle joint in battroid mode.  However, as the parts are nestelled into the rear of the engine nacelle in fighter mode, the range of movement is restricted significantly.]


Limited [constrained] to what is said as "the same size as giants"
The total height when in battroid was set at 12 m.  It is thought that the purpose of that was for the hypothesized "invade a giant alien's mothership and fight" case.  The fighter form having received that influence, consisted of a small 14 m fighter with comparable engine output, but bore drawbacks in the armaments, loading capacity and so on.  From the time of the VF-11, that thinking of "the same size as giants" changed, and thereafter VFs increased in size and became the same size as an average fighter in the latter half of the 20th century.


Electronic Warfare Specificied VF-1
The VT-1* is another VF-1 that is in charge of an early-warning system, as well as bombardment [bombarding, shelling] control to allied craft.  Though a large booster pack is installed, except for this it has a shortened velocity differential with lightweight equipped general (VF-1) craft, and it seems to be the craft for supporting operations [tactics].

[*translator's note: I think this is a typo.  As the picture next to it is a FAST pack equipped VE-1.]

Floodlight
(no text)

55 mm Gun Pod
It from [after] the VF-0's 35 mm gun pod, and has had it's calibrer [bore] enlarged.  It was for battle with energy conversion armour possessing alien battle pods, and also was shown to have more than enough power (against them).


Pg 024-25

VF-1 Valkyrie
Because it was the first actual combat craft, there were also a lot of problems!?

Pylons and Hardpoints
On each of the main wings, there are 2 places for pylons that mount air-to-ground missiles, micro-missiles, and so on.  Regardless of the angle of the main wing, the pylons and hardpoints are constructed to always turn the armaments mounted on them to the front.

The Long-awaited Thermonuclear Turbine Engine
Equipped with the thermonuclear turbine engine, the VF-1 is radically changed from the VF-0, and is able to attain the ability of almost limitless flight within the atmosphere.  However, the thrust itself isn't that large a difference from the amount of the VF-0, and when in space, the built-in propellant load as well as the time that the VF-1 can operate at full speed is unusually small.

Floodlight
(no text)

Outline of the Airframe
The mass-production Variable (Space) Fighter that Earthlings made using Zentraadi Overtechnology.

It is a 2-motored fighter and because it has thermonuclear turbine engines built-into it's small airframe, it has large points of difference as well with the prototype VF-0; and these engines enable action within atmosphere and space.

The rollout of the production type of VF-1 was in 2008.  Though a main candidate for a successor craft, such as the VF-4, appeared afterwards, the VF-1 airframe also continued to play an active role in active service until the development of the VF-11 in the 2030's.

Because there were a lot of manufacturers that took part during the production period, in production itself and so on, a lot of derivative craft, updated versions and so on were produced.


Cockpit
Though the seat is an ejector seat, the cockpit block can be seperated in an emergency and function as a lifesaving capsule.  In a structure similar to the descendant VF-25, in this way, it has the merrit that is said to be the ability to quickly change the nose to one with the built-in avionics that suit the operations.

VF-1(J) Spec
Development Manufacturer: Stonewell / Ballcom
Length: 14.23 m (fighter mode)
Width: 14.78m (wings at maximum extension)
Height: 12.68 m (battroid mode)
Empty Weight: 13,250 Kg
Engine: Shinnakasu Heavy Industry / P&W / Royce FF-2001 x2
Thrust: 11,500 Kg x2 (maximum available thrust in space)
Armament: Anti-air laser machine gun, 55 mm gun pod, micro-missiles, other


There are a lot of OP (option) packs, but if you turn it around...
The VF-1, for which option packs are prepared. which are also typical for later VFs, are said to be Armour Packs and FAST Packs.  However, for the VF-1, more than the stated positive strengthening, the things are said with a nuance of the VF-1 is compensating for lacking aspects.


Consideration and Verification by this Magazine
The airframe of the VF-0 is redesigned, and what is completed to act as a space fighter with such things as the installation of thermonuclear reaction engines, is the VF-1.  In actually combat, referred to as Space War I, it is thought that some problems with the VF-1 also appeared.
Being the first to launch, it seems there were concerns about it's operations in the void of space.  When compared to existing fighters, the VF-1 was a size smaller as the size of the airframe was decided to match the height of the Zentraadi in battroid; and there wasn't room for the equipping of such things as propellant and armaments.  Such things  as the equipment named FAST pack and Armoured Pack appear to have been powerful equipment whose significance was to compensate for the insufficient parts (of the VF-1 design).  Moreover, even when operating in the atmosphere, as for the composition of "engines with power significantly more than that of existing fighters installed in a small airframe", it was very likely the VF-1's airframe balance was worse than that of the VF-0.
Nevertheless, in actual combat, combat in the atmosphere didn't really take place.  Instead, in space the main duty of the VF-1 was air defence duties to defend the mother-ship from the enemy force that of a scale that far exceeded expectation.  Even though there weren't completely no cases where an enemy battleship was penetrated by a battroid form VF-1, it is in doubt that the reason for that is because the element that was secured in the VF-1's design (battroid form being the same height as the Zentraadi) came at the expense of its abilities in fighter form.  Might the weakness have resulted from there not having been any actual combat experience with the Zentraadi?
However, the VF-1 fought a good fight as the sparing partner with the Zentraadi fleet, and it shouldn't be exchanged as the key factor that led the fighting to victory.  Boiling down the concept of the airframe, it is said that the VF-1 is an airframe that didn't achieve comparatively enough big successes.

Dr. Chiba's Personal Opinion
Though there was also a problem concerning the propellant load, compared to the VF-1's heir, the VF-11 and needless to say the airframes on and after the VF-19, the VF-1 has a heavy empty weight.  As a matter of fact, because it's thrust is small, there is actually a possibility that there was a lack of feeling that the VF-1 is a space fighter from it's (limited) mobility.

[Sketchley]

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Pg 026-027

VF-11 Thunderbolt
(...)

Engine
(...)

Chaff Exit Portal (no text)

Light (no text)

Sensor (no text)

Assistance Booster
(...)

Air Brake
(...)

Cannards and Delta Wings
(...)

High-Manueverability Thruster (no text)

Fuselage (...)
(...)

VF-11(C) Spec
Development Manufacturer: Shinsei Industry
Length: 15.51 m (fighter mode)
Width: 11.2 m
Height: 12.92 m (battroid mode)
Empty Weight: 9,000 Kg
Engine: Shinsei / P&W / Royce FF-2025G x2
Thrust: 28,500 Kg x2 (maximum thrust in space)
Armament: Anti-air Pulse Laser Cannon, Bulletproof shield, multi-purpose gun pod, other

Enlarged Frame
(...)

Magazine Staff (?) (...)
(...)

Dr. Chiba's Personal Opinion
(...)

Pg 028

VF-11 Thunderbolt
(...)

Shield
(...)

Anti-air Pulse Laser Cannon
(...)

Evolution into Superpacks
(...)

VF-11 MAXL Kai [custom]
(...)

[Sketchley]

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Pg 029

VF-17 Nightmare
(...)

Two useable Gerwalk Patterns
(...)

Weapon Bay
(...)

Gattling Gun Pod
(...)

Surplus [excess, flexible] Payload
(...)

The Battroid Mode's also been enlarged
(...)

VF-171EX Nightmare Plus
(...)

From a Special Forces Fighter to the Main Force Fighter
(...)

Pg 030-031

VF-17 Nightmare
(...)

Engines of Significant Power
(...)

Arm Nacelle
(...)

Vernier (no text)

Light and Sensor (no text)

Passive Stealthy
(...)

Canopy
(...)

Fold Booster
(...)

Fuselage (...)
(...)

VF-17D Spec
Development Manufacturer: General Galaxy
Length: 15.63 m
Width: 14.18 m
Height: 15.18 m (battroid mode)
Empty Weight: 11,850 Kg
Engine: Shinakasu Heavy Industry / P&W / Royce FF-2100X x2
Thrust: 55,000 Kg x2 (maximum thrust in space)
Armament: multi-purpose gun pod, laser cannon, anti-air laser cannon turret, medium-bore beam cannon, other.

Magazine staff(?) (...)
(...)

Dr. Chiba's Personal Opinion
(...)

[Sketchley]

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Pg 032-033
YF/VF-19 Excaliber
The new generation (of) VF, aiming even higher.

Engine
(...)

Forward Swept Wings
(...)

Built-in Laser (no text)

FAST Pack
(...)

Active Stealth
(...) equipped with the 3rd generation of active stealth (...)

Canard
(...)

Vortex Controller
(...)

Compound Sensor (no text)

YF-19 Spec
Development Manufacturer: Shinsei Industry
Length: 18.47 m
Width: 13.52 m
Height: 15.48 m (battroid mode)
Empty Weight: 8,550 Kg
Engine: Shinsei / P&W / Royce FF-2550J x2
Thrust: 78,500 Kg x2 (maximum thrust in space)
Armament: Laser Cannon, Rear anti-air laser machine gun, High manueverability micro missile, multi-purpose gun pod.

Fuselage (...)
(...)

Dr. Chiba's Personal Opinion
(...)

Magazine Staff? (...)
(...)

Pg 034
YF/VF-19 Excaliber
(...)

Fold Booster
(...)

Supplementary Seat
(...)

Weapon Bay
On the outside of the engine pod is an internal weapon bay for carrying missiles to maintain a high stealth capability (...)

Pin-point barrier
(...)

VF-19 Series
(...)

[Sketchley]

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Pg 035
YF-21/VF-22 Shuturumufoogeru 2 > Sturmvögel 2 > Stormbird 2

Purgeable Arms and Legs [lit. hands and feet]
(...)

Light
BDI system (...)

Built-in Beam Gun (no text)

Pin-point Barrier
(...)

The Ghost is the true Next Generation Fighter!?
(...) unmanned, lower cost, and more manueverable than the YF-19/21.  (...)  Because of the Sharon Apple Incedent it probably won't become the main fighter (of the UN Forces).

VF-22 series abolishes the BDI System
(...)

Pg 036-037
YF-21/VF-22 Shuturumufoogeru 2 > Sturmvögel 2 > Stormbird 2
A high tech fighter with various ambituous innovations crammed in.

Three Dimensional Thrust Vector Nozzle
(...)

Built-in Beam Gun
(...)

Main Wing
(...)

BDI System
(...)

Multi-mode Sensor
(...)

Variegated flight form
(...)

Fuselage (...)
(...)

YF-21 Spec
Development Manufacturer: General Galaxy
Length: 19.62 m
Width: 15.36 m
Height: uncertainty (unknown?)
Empty Weight: 9,340 Kg
Engine: Shinnakasu Heavy Industryi / P&W / Royce FF-2450B x2
Thrust: 65,200 Kg x2 (maximum thrust in space)
Armament: Converging Energy Machine Gun, Large-bore converging energy cannon, micro-missile, multi-purpose gun pod.

Dr. Chiba's Personal Opinion
(...)

Magazine Staff? (...)
(...)

[Sketchley]

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Pg 038
Major Technologies Prompted by the Development of the VF
(...)

The VF, that kept absorbing unknown technology and evolving
(...)

Fighting against the wall of speed and distance
Thermonuclear Reaction Engines
(...)

Caption 1: VF-1
(...)

Caption 2: VF-25
(...)

Fold Navigation
(...)

Fold Quartz - the thing that VF's will carry from now?
(...)

Pg 039

Fighting with G (forces)
VF-22S Gravity and Inertia Control
(...)

ISC (EX Gear) VF-25
(...)

On the side of manned flight, cyber-grant* countermeasures
* Not sure if it is a typo in Japanese, or what the English word being copied is.  Cyber-implant?  Cyber graft?  The paragraph "defines" cyber-grant as a pilot who's being made into a cyborg to counter G forces.
(...)

(Weapons) To Fight Powerful Oopponents

Reaction Warheads
(...)

Active Stealth
(...)

PPB (Pinpoint Barrier)
(...)

MDE Warheads
(...)

[Sketchley]

Bumping up as I'm in the midst of translations on the VF-25.

[Sketchley]

Finished the VF-25 section.  Lot's of interesting, and eye-opening stuff.


EDIT: finished Dr. Chiba and Mag staff comments on the VF-0, too.

[Sketchley]

Finished the Dr. Chiba and Magazine staff comments on the VF-1.