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VF-11B in Battroid mode
VF-11B in GERWALK mode
VF-11B in Fighter mode
VF-11B Fighter schematics
Color Code Transformation Guide
30 mm Gun Pod (with anti-armor bayonet)
(drawn by Jeff Sorley, colors by C. Wilson)
30 mm Gun Pod (with anti-armor bayonet deployed)
(drawn by Jeff Sorley, colors by C. Wilson)
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Shinsei Industry VF-11B Thunderbolt
Equipment Type: UNS/UNSAF main variable fighter
Government: U.N. Spacy, U.N. Space Air Force
Manufacturer: Shinsei Industry
Introduction: 2028
Operational Deployment: April 2030
Accommodation: pilot only in Marty & Beck Mk11 ejection seat (entire canopy ejectable as an emergency escape pod)
Dimensions:
Battroid Mode: height 12.92 meters
Fighter Mode: wingspan 11.2 meters; height 3.49 meters; length 15.51 meters
GERWALK Mode: wingspan 11.2 meters
Mass: empty 9.0 metric tons; with FAST Packs 11.2 metric tons
Structure: SWAG energy conversion armor
Power Plant: two Shinsei Industry/P&W/Roice FF-2025G thermonuclear reaction turbine engines
Propulsion: 28,500 kg [x g] x 2 (279.59 kN x 2); 2 x vertical two-dimensional vectored exhaust nozzles; 2 x dorsal auxiliary thruster pods; many x P&W HMM-5B high-maneuverability vernier thrusters
Thrust-to-weight ratio: (empty) 6.33
Performance:
Fighter Mode: at 10,000 m Mach 3.5+; at 30,000+ m Mach 8.2; max rate of climb at S/L 28,500 meters/minute
g limit: +22.0/- 14.5
Design Features: 3-mode variable transformation; variable geometry sweep (VG) wing; canard forward wing; vertical Take-off and landing (VTOL); supersonic cruise and maneuvering in region of Mach 3.5+ below the stratosphere; two-dimensional thrust vectoring; improved waist joint system; anti-projectile (bulletproof) shield; retractable two-piece canopy cover (for Battroid mode); head-turret-mounted main sensor system and rear camera; 4 x conformal sensors (mounted within the main airframe's forward edge, behind canard wings, just above the air intakes); 4 x special equipment hard point stations for external Shinsei Industry space Super Part units; option of two solid-fuel rocket boosters; option of radome
- Armament -
Guns:
1 x fixed rear anti-aircraft pulse laser gun (mounted center dorsal section in Fighter/GERWALK mode, becomes head turret in Battroid mode)
1 x standard external multipurpose 30 mm 6-barrel gun pod with sensor, foregrip, anti-armor bayonet (on early space models, removed on later gun pods due to high cost) and large barrel magazine (mounted ventral fuselage in Fighter mode, in arm manipulator for GERWALK/Battroid modes); 2 x spare magazines stored underneath shield
1 x standard bulletproof (anti-projectile) shield (mounted center rear dorsal fuselage in Fighter mode, mounted on arm in GERWALK/Battroid modes)
Bombs & Missiles:
4 x special equipment hard point stations for external space Super Part units for 8 x Hughes HMMM-Mk 6 micro-missile launchers (mounted on dorsal fuselage); 2 x chaff and flare dispensers (mounted in Super Part propellent tank units on engine sections)
chaff and flare dispenser system (mounted within either engine section)
Optional Armament:
Protect Armor System with reactive armor shield
Numerous optional weapons
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In the early 2020's, the U.N. Government found itself requiring a new type of variable fighter with a combat profile much different from that of the current VF-5000 fighter. In 2022, development began on the VF-11 Thunderbolt, a design descended directly from the original VF-1 Valkyrie (though the two Battroid mode silhouettes are similar, the structures vary greatly). After the VF-1, few variable fighter airframes were multi-environment and were limited to operating either in the air or in space. The VF-11 Thunderbolt broke from the norm and was a legitimate multipurpose successor to the VF-1. The program proceeded on schedule and the VF-11's first flight was made in 2028. Early in the development process, then Captain Milia Jenius of the Eagle Nest Aerial Tactics Center became one of many vocal advocates for the inclusion of the forward canard wing on the VF-11, a design choice which caused heated debate. While the canard wing enhanced the VF-11's maneuverability considerably in an atmosphere, the increased air resistance also limited the fighter's maximum speed. Fortunately, Captain Jenius piloted the No. 2 VFX-11 prototype (fitted with a canard, unlike the No. 1 prototype) in an operation to rescue a U.N. chief advisor. The flight data collected during this operation convinced the U.N.G. to adopt the VF-11 with the canard wing implemented. In December 2030 mass production of the VF-11 began and the Thunderbolt officially replaced the VF-4 Lightning III as the main variable fighter of the U.N. Spacy.
The VF-11 was deployed on long-distance immigration ships, colonized planets and deep outer space forces where it served well as a variable fighter with emphasis on speed, maneuverability and economy of design. The Thunderbolt excelled in all respects such as firepower, maneuverability and maintainability while showing high comprehensive performance for a general purpose machine both inside and outside of atmosphere. The VF-4 Lightning III and the VF-5 emphasized deployment in outer space and the VF-5000 Star Mirage focused on atmospheric performance. By contrast, one of the factors which granted the VF-11 high-deployment status was the Thunderbolt's multipurpose design and high level of comprehensive performance in any operational environment (similar to the superior flexibility of the VF-1 Valkyrie). Utilizing a 30 mm gun pod as it's primary weapon, the VF-11's had as much destructive power against modern enemy mecha in a much smaller caliber than the VF-1's 55 mm cannon. The smaller shell size also granted the VF-11 a much greater ammunition payload and the gun pod design included extra magazines for reloading in battle. An emphasis on close-range combat capability in Battroid mode was also featured by way of an anti-mecha bayonet. In addition to the anti-aircraft pulse laser, the VF-11 included the first hard defense feature in the form of an anti-projectile shield for GERWALK and battroid modes that dramatically improved resilience. The success of the anti-projectile shield prompted implementation in future variable fighters. The success of the VF-11 also saw the development of a modern Super Part system (which gave the Thunderbolt missiles in space) and the APS-11 Protect Armor system for special operations.
The VF-11 Thunderbolt served with distinction for over a decade and operated as the main variable fighter of the U.N. Spacy all throughout the 2030's. Eventually, the VF-11's lack of missile weaponry and aging design prompted new priorities for the U.N.G. military. In 2040 the VF-11 was scheduled to be replaced pending the winning design of the Super Nova AVF project, a competition between the YF-19 and YF-21 variable fighters in development since the mid-2030's. In 2041 the formal decision was made to adopt VF-19 as the next generation of main variable fighters but while the VF-11 would be slowly replaced, the Thunderbolt continued operational deployment in many fleets well into the 2040s.
Note: The design inspiration for the VF-11 is the Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker and variants. The VF-11 Thunderbolt was named after the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt (a World War II American fighter) and the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, a contemporary American close-support attack craft.
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Debut: Macross Plus, Episode 1
Pilot(s): Milia Jenius, Isamu Dyson
Other appearances: Macross Plus Movie; Macross 7
Original mechanical designer: Shoji Kawamori, Kazutaka Miyatake (cockpit), Shigeki Ninomiya (colored schematics) |
Information Courtesy of the Macross Compendium: www.macross.anime.net/wiki/Main_Page
Images From - This Is Animation Special Macross Plus and other macross books
C. Wilson - Writer, Editor and Colorist
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