Front [Pg 01-02]

Translator's note: the original page was only 2 pages. The front is new content, reverse left is the original's reverse, and reverse right is the original's front.

Illustrated by Hidetaka Tenjin

VF-11C Thunderbolt:
The variant of the main Variable Fighter that represents the Unified Forces in the 2040's.

Aircraft Explanation:
As the VF-11, which is an airframe that is a size larger than the VF-1, has surplus internal volume and loading weight, it corresponds to various uses in special missions mainly by being equipped with additional parts. Even though the VF-11's airframe design originally valued all-purposefulness, with these external parts it came to be able to support even special missions that required specialization more than all-purposefulness, such as a Reconnaissance model, an Electronic Warfare model and an Offensive Power Enhanced model. The Full Armoured Thunderbolt, which is a VF-11 equipped with armour units over its whole body, was especially highly appraised as an aircraft that had the offensive ability that enabled a single aircraft to shoot down even a battleship.

Main Pilot:
Kinryu

Top

---

Reverse Left [Pg 03]

Full Armoured Thunderbolt
The VF-11 equipped with dedicated Protect Armour is called a "Full Armour Thunderbolt" (model designation: APS-11). The purpose of the Protect Armour is to compensate for the lack of land-warfare ability of a VF that originates in the characteristic fighter aircraft airframe. The Full Armour Thunderbolt displays an overwhelming firepower and defensive capability in armour units that almost completely cover the Battroid form VF-11 and are equipped with weapons like micro-missiles, grenades and beam gun turrets. In the Macross 7 Fleet, it was operated in orbit over Planet Rakusu and so on, and it became the aircraft that Diamond Force's Captain Kinryu piloted at the time of his death.

Caption: Kinryu's Full Armour Thunderbolt simultaneously discharging its missile launchers. He forcibly boarded the No.05 craft that was in the midst of preparations to sortie, and left for the battlefield.

Caption: To cover the transformation of Battle 7, Kinryu detached the armour units from his craft and broke into the enemy warship. Kinryu, his VF-11 and the enemy ship were all destroyed.

Long-Barrel High-Penetration Gun Pod
Up: The experimental long-barrel high-penetration gun pod that Full Armour equipped craft carry. There is a multi-sensor installed in the front of the gun barrel.

Down: Side / Rear

Up: The top of the gun barrel is a large magazine, and spare magazines are not carried. The power pack unit that provides the driving force for the gun is above the grip. New recruits cannot deal with the gun pod because it is excessively large.

Right: The VF-11 has a thick appearance when in the Full Armour, which is a complete change from the smart form of the VF-11 itself. Its bullet-resistance is extremely high, and it is able to withstand direct hits from gun pod class weapons.

Up: The Full Armour is equipped with exclusive large booster units for dealing with the weight increase of the armour. The boosters can be used even after the armour units are detached.

Caption: Kinryu's Full-Armour Thunderbolt - even though his body was still in convalescence, shook off his restraints and sortied in order to rescue the Macross 7 Fleet from a crisis.

Armament
A: Shoulder Missile Launchers
Hughes HMMM-Mk6 Micro-missiles are loaded into the shoulder missile launchers in 3 rows of 5, for a total of 15 missiles on each side.

B: Chest Missile Launcher
Hughes HMMM-Mk 6 are loaded into the chest missile launcher in 2 rows of 9 missiles. The missile hatches are constructed to open so that they each turn toward the inner part of the craft.

C. Beam Gun Turrets
The beam gun turrets on the shoulders can consecutively fire up to 20 shots with the all-in-one energy pack. They have an axis of rotation, and they can also be cut loose from the Full Armour.

D. Shield
The Full Armour VF-11 doesn't have a normal bulletproof shield. It is equipped with a large shield that is equipped with reactive armour.

E. Hand-held Grenades
The sides of the hip armour units are armed with 3 hand-thrown grenades on each side. In addition, Kinryu's craft didn't use them.

F. Booster Units
When the armour has been ejected, the booster units exhibit manoeuvrability that surpasses a Super Pack equipped VF-11, as they have been optimized for the large weight of the Full Armour.

G. Leg Missile Launchers
The missile launchers of the leg armour units are divided into the front and rear; and they are each loaded with 6 HMMM-Mk6 missiles.

Left/Right: The missile hatches of the armour units are fully opened to set free the micro-missiles. The booster units also have micro-missile launchers.

Left: shoulder cover

Left: chest cover

Top

---

Reverse Right [Pg 04]

VF-11C Thunderbolt Endo-atmospheric Super Parts
The Endo-atmospheric Super Parts that were developed for the VF-11 Thunderbolt and the VF-11C (C Model) that is equipped with them. The VF-11 achieved high atmospheric manoeuvrability by being equipped with canard forward wings. At the same time as they greatly augment the VF-11's fire power, this option pack made it possible for the VF-11 to demonstrate excellent operability by enhancing its output.

Caption: The Endo-atmospheric Super Parts equipped VF-11C was operated in the "Operation Stargazer" assault operation on the fourth planet of the Varohta star system.

Caption: The 12 aircraft in the VF squadron that participated in "Operation Stargazer" were mostly composed of Endo-atmospheric Super Part equipped VF-11C.

Jet Boosters
Up: Jet boosters with built-in micro-missile launchers are installed on the left and right of the top of the airframe. They are furnished with an air intake on the top, and missile firing ports on the tops and bottoms of their tips.

Armament Containers
Up: The mid-unit armour panel on the armament containers that are installed in the sides of the engine nacelles is an opening and closing style hatch. Also, rear facing micro-missile launchers are arranged in the tail of the containers.

Armaments
Up: Micro-missiles
The missiles used in the Super Part micro-missile launchers. Tiny, high-manoeuvrability verniers are installed in the tips.

Right: Bulletproof Shield As the VF-11's fixed equipment, the Bulletproof Shield isn't equipment that's peculiar to the Endo-atmospheric Super Parts. It is possible to handle the shield with almost no interference from the Super Parts.

Fighter Mode
Up: The Fighter form of a VF-11C equipped with Endo-atmospheric Super Parts. The position that each unit is attached to is the same as the Exo-atmospheric Super Parts.

Down: The VF-11C is operated in the atmosphere with the shutters of the intakes, which are in the lower part of the airframe, open.

Up/down: The Super Parts have a streamlined shape that takes air resistance into consideration. The jet booster nozzles can deflect the thrust upwards and downwards.

Left: The lower side of the airframe when equipped with Super Parts. When equipped with Super Parts, the tail planes are stowed away.

Caption: Ejection Capsules were used in "Operation Stargazer", when they dropped to the planet from the mother ship.

Battroid Mode
Left: The Battroid form equipped with Endo-atmospheric Super Parts. Its total height is slightly extended as the booster units are larger than the Exo-atmospheric boosters.

Right: The Endo-atmospheric Super Parts equipped VF-11C demonstrated high manoeuvrability due to the vectored boost thruster nozzles.

Up: The booster units have a sensor on both the top and bottom of the center of their tips.

Top

---

© Aaron Sketchley