VF-19 Excalibur
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The VF-19 Excalibur is a fictional spacecraft in the anime Macross. It is an Advanced Variable Fighter, the UN Spacy's latest frontline variable fighter to replace the already aging VF-11 Thunderbolt. In the year 2040, a contest was held for the design of the Advanced Variable Fighter. Two companies, Shinsei Industries and General Galaxy, joined the competitions. Shinsei's entry was the YF-19 (the different code indicating a prototype) and General Galaxy's entry was the YF-21.
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[edit] Background:
The VF-19 Excalibur is the production-line version of Shinsei Industries' YF-19 AVF Prototype which won the Project Super Nova design contest of 2040. Although destined to eventually replace the aging VF-11 Thunderbolt as the main variable fighter for the UN Spacy, distribution to date has been slow. Currently the Excalibur is being used as a fighter for UN Spacy colonization fleets. The rare VFs are usually only piloted by the best and brightest pilots, similar to the status enjoyed by the VF-17 Nightmare. The VF-19 will gradually phase out and replace the VF-11 as the main fighter of the UN Spacy.
Several design changes have taken place since the YF-19 was selected as the winner of Project Super Nova. The FF-2500E engines in the prototype were replaced with newer FF-2550J thermonuclear turbine engines that could provide 17% more thrust than the earlier versions, and the P&W HMM-6J thrusters were upgraded to P&W HMM-7 units for increased maneuverability. Other than these changes, the initial production VF-19A was essentially identical to the YF-19 prototype. Later, the VF-19F model was released by Shinsei which replaced the forward canard wings with an extra bank of maneuvering thrusters for better performance in space, and also redesigned the entire wing structure of the craft, replacing the long variable-forward-sweep wing with a shorter fixed-sweep one, for better space maneuverability (by keeping the ship's mass closer to center, a higher roll rate can be achieved). The wing lasers and GU-15 gun pod were kept as main weapons for the VF-19 (all versions). It can mount medium range missiles or two banks of 24 high-maneuverability mini-missiles that are more suited for close-range high-speed mecha combat. Finally, the entire head unit was redesigned on the VF-19F and S versions, and a group of four lasers were added to complement the single head pulse laser on the VF-19S model. The VF-19 is fully compatible with a fold booster and can execute individual folds like its prototype predecessor could. Several variant models have been produced by individual colony fleets to suit their particular needs, such as the VF-19S Custom (unofficially called the Fire Valkyrie) produced by the Macross 7 Colonization Fleet.
During the Protodeviln War, only one unit of 3 Excaliburs (two VF-19Fs and one VF-19S) were stationed onboard the Macross 7. This unit, called Emerald Force, served as the vanguard of the Macross 7 defense forces during the latter half of the war and was part of the historic Operation Stargazer assault on the Protodeviln homeworld. Unfortunately two of the three fighters were destroyed during this operation, and the third one was damaged a short time later during the final battle of the war. During the Operation Orpheus mission to rescue the Milky Dolls from Zentradi forces one VF-19A was stationed aboard the Valhalla III carrier. The VF-19 Excalibur is proving to be a very able design and will continue to become the main variable fighter of the UN Spacy for the foreseeable future.
[edit] Statistics
- Length: 18.62 meters
- Wingspan: 14.87 meters
- Height: 3.94 meters (fighter configuration) 15.48 m (battroid configuration)
- Weight (Empty): 8,750 kilograms (19,250 lb. or 9.625 tons) (Overload in Space): 46,102 kilograms (101,424 lb. or 50.71 tons)
- Maximum Speed: Mach 5.1 @ 22,000 meters
- Cruising Speed: Mach 1.8 @ 15,000 meters
- Rate of Climb to 5,000 meters: 65,000 meters per minute
- Powerplant: Shinsei/P&W/Royce FF2200B x 2, Shinnakasu/P&W/Royce FF2500E x 2
[edit] Weapon Systems
(Most specifications are for the YF-19 prototype)
MAULER REB-30G ANTI-AIRCRAFT PULSE LASER: The YF-19 mounts a single pulse laser for use in air combat skirmishes and for defensive purposes.[1]
ANTI-AIRCRAFT LASERS (4, VF-19S Only): The command version of the VF-19 is equipped with head lasers similar to those used on the old VF-1 Valkyrie for use in air combat skirmishes and other defensive purposes.
MAULER REB-23 LASER GUNS: Two semi-fixed laser guns are mounted in the wings of the YF-19, near the base of the wing where it connects to the main body. These lasers can be fired in any mode (the beams exit the hip-mounted wing units in soldier mode) but can only be aimed along the front arc of the mecha (max angle is about 45 degrees in any direction from the nose).
HOWARD GU-15 EXTERNAL GUN POD: The main weapon of the YF-19 is the GU-15 Gun Pod produced by Howard. The gun pod is mounted on a special hardpoint below the vehicle in fighter mode, and is hand-held in GERWALK and Battroid modes. Unlike the gun pods used by the original VF-1 Valkyrie, the GU-15 uses magazines instead of a self-contained supply in the barrel of the gun. Two spare magazines for the GU-15 are mounted on the back of the VF-19's bulletproof shield; replacing a magazine takes two melee actions and can only be done in GERWALK or Battroid mode.
BIFORS ALL-ENVIRONMENT HIGH-MANEUVERABILITY MINI-MISSILE CLUSTERS: The legs of the YF-19 are equipped with two concealed missile launcher bays, that can each hold up to 24 high-maneuverability mini-missiles (VF-19) from Bifors in each bay.
BODY/WING HARD POINTS: Two fixed hard points are mounted on the fuselage of the VF-19, and an additional two hardpoints are mounted on each wing for a total of 6 hardpoints on the fighter.
[edit] Special features
HOWARD PBS-03F PIN-POINT BARRIER SYSTEM: The YF-19 is equipped with a new mecha-scale pinpoint barrier system for defense. The system can generate a single pinpoint barrier that can be moved anywhere on the mecha and used as a shield against incoming attacks. Even if destroyed by combined attacks, the shield is capable of regenerating itself.
Active Stealth
Environmental Cockpit The foot section of the VF-19 cockpit are replaced with LCD display, allowing the pilot to gain full 360 degree of view from top to bottom.
[edit] Design
The YF-19 design shares coincidental similarities with the Russian fifth generation prototype fighter Sukhoi Su-47, but was created several years before the Su-47 was made public.
[edit] References
- ^ (1995.03.01) This is Animation Special: Macross Plus. Tokyo: Shogakukan, 76-78. ISBN 09-101581-6.
