| Sketchley's Translations Main Index | Macross Portal |
| By AARON SKETCHLEY (aaronsketch@HOTdelete_thisMAIL.com) | Ver 1.0 2014.07.13 |
| Mechanic: All 03A: The Vicissitudes Of VF Cockpits |
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Down: YF-19
[Source: Bandai Visual "Macross Plus" DVD Box Vol.1 box jacket]
Down: YF-21
[Source: Bandai Visual "Macross Plus" DVD Box Vol.2 box jacket]
Down: VF-19 Kai "Nekki Basara Special"
[Source: Bandai Visual "Macross 7" DVD Box inner jacket]
The Battlefield That's The Cockpit
The history of the development of the Variable Fighter (VF) -which was created due to the unknown technology named OTM- was also the development history of the "cockpit"; which bears the role of protecting the pilot from the behaviour of the VF and conveying the pilot's intent to the aircraft. Here, we explain the several cockpits that were epoch-making in the VF development history, and look back on the things that they aimed at.
Down: VF-25F Messiah
[Source: Bandai Visual "Macross F" Zentora-Serving Blu-ray Box box inner jacket
* retouched when published]
Illustrations by Hidetaka Tenjin
Caption: The VF-0 possessed plenty of augment-ability, and it was possible to operate armaments from the cockpit, such as hurriedly added missile pods, as the pilot pleased.
Down: when in Fighter Even though the cockpit rotates 90° in Battroid form, the meters are unchanged from Fighter form.
Down: when in Battroid
Related Matter: Two-Seater Aircraft Cockpits
In each generation's VFs, two-seater model aircraft are operated as trainer planes and aircraft for special missions. The two-seater VFs basically follow aircraft conventions, with the front seat in charge of flying, and the rear seat's allotment carrying out such things as confirming the meters and operating all sorts of systems.
Caption: The VF-1D that Ichijo Hikaru boarded for the first time was a training plane, and the person in the guidance position sits in the rear seat and coaches the flying of the aircraft.
Caption: The VF-0, whose control was more complicated than existing aircraft, investigated the introduction of a two-seater model. Pictured is the electronic warfare VF-0D aircraft.
Caption: The VF-25 was able to be a two-seater, by unfolding a supplementary seat in the rear. The pictured VF-25G used the supplementary seat for the mission where it amplified and oscillated a singer's songs.
2008 - The Leap From Currently Used Armaments
VF-1 Valkyrie
The VF-1, which advanced to mass production after the tests with the VF-0 and the VF-X, despite emulating the cockpit layout of the aircraft from the same generation, incorporated mechanisms peculiar to VFs, such as the activation of monitors that indicate all sorts of information when transforming to Battroid. On the other hand, the survivability in outer space was still developing, with such things as the escape seats, which were the same as those in traditional aircraft.
Up: when in Battroid
Up: when in Fighter/GERWALK
Caption: The VF-1 cockpit safety devices as well as the pilot suit couldn't sufficiently cope with combat with the giants, and they put a heavy burden on the pilots in such things as hand-to-hand combat.
Down: The VF-1's ejector seat had low survivability in space, as it was a design that was assumed to be for use within the atmosphere.
Up: emergency seat
2030 - Maturity As A VF For Space
VF-11 Thunderbolt
The VF-11, which was officially adopted in the Space Emigration era, advanced a cockpit design on the premise of being operated in outer space. The mechanisms that supported various activities in outer space, such as guaranteeing a favourable field of vision in Battroid form due to being completely surrounded by monitors, and an escape pod that improved survivability, were greatly valued.
Down: when in Battroid
Up: The cockpit of the VF-11C. It appears to be able to reduce the feelings of oppression in outer space, and has widened layout.
Caption: Information from the equipment on various places of the fuselage is displayed on the several monitors that have been installed in the cockpit, and they contributed to the pilot's decisions in emergencies.
Caption: The point that the cockpit part functions as an escape pod, even if the aircraft is shot down, is said to have relieved the soldiers who fought on the front lines.
Up: when in Fighter
Caption: A supplementary seat was able to be installed behind the control seat (it seems that it has mechanisms which assume that the copilot boarded to monitor the aircraft).
Left: when in Battroid
Down: when in Fighter
Up: Visibility has been improved by devices that project the scene under the aircraft on monitors that are installed around the pilot's legs.
Left: the control column
2034 - The Entrance Of The Man-Machine Interface
YF-21
An aircraft that came to be equipped with the BDI (brainwave sensing) System -which links the pilot and the aircraft-, as a result of having thoroughly investigated aircraft performance. Although the YF-21 has control columns and monitors installed in the cockpit, they are, ultimately, for emergencies, and different mechanisms normally allow the pilot -who is integrated with the aircraft- to completely perceive and control the aircraft.
Caption: Manoeuvres are enabled at will by the pilot, who mentally concentrates in the cockpit, and personally senses and synchronizes with the aircraft.
Up: the BDI (brainwave sensing) System
Up: the BDI System supporting helmet
Caption: By introducing the BDI System, the pilot doesn't need to move his body, and as a result, the burden on the pilot's body during high manoeuvres is also abated.
2041 - The Unique Cockpit
VF-19 Kai Nekki Basara Special
Perhaps the strangest cockpit in the VF development history might be the one for this VF-19 Kai "Nekki Basara Special". Neither a control column nor throttle exist in this aircraft's cockpit; instead, it has a mechanism where aircraft control, throttle adjustment, and equipment activation is performed with a guitar type control stick. On top of that, as Nekki Basara -the pilot- performs high-G manoeuvres without wearing an anti-G suit, it can be said that it is an aircraft that cannot be approximately measured with common sense.
Caption: Nekki Basara manipulates this control stick, which cannot be regarded as a joystick, and is said to have performed high manoeuvres that put the Unified Forces aces to shame.
Down: when in Battroid
Left: when in Fighter
Left/Up: The cockpit layout of the VF-19 Kai. More than for anti-G performance, it's said that the seat gave priority to "easily musically performing".
2057 - The Breakthrough Named ISC
VF-25 Messiah
An aircraft equipped with the groundbreaking ISC (Inertia Storing Converter) system, which enables high-G manoeuvres that exceed the limits of mankind's bodies by temporarily accumulating the G's produced in the aircraft in Fold Space.
Caption: In addition to ISC, the EX-Gear System, which serves as both an anti-G suit and an escape device, is used in the VF-25, and the cockpit itself is a bundle of new-generation technologies.
Caption: The VF-25, which protects the pilot with ISC and EX-Gear, evolved the mobility of VFs by several steps.
Caption: EX-Gear also boasts of great performance as a Powered Suit, and it contributed to an improvement in pilot survivability.
2057 - The Computer Terminal Named Cyborg
VF-27 Lucifer
It is only for Cyborg Soldiers, and in addition to ISC, mobility that transcends mankind is enabled by improving the anti-G performance of the pilot's body itself. Also, by using the BDI System, the aircraft is able to be operated as an extension of the pilot's own body.
Caption: The pilot, who is connected to the aircraft with the BDI System, can visually confirm the information on the surroundings without using his own eyes. For that reason, the VF-27's canopy is completely made of armour.
Caption: The VF-27 that the cyborg pilot boards boasts of manoeuvres and a reaction speed that surpasses that of flesh and blood soldiers.
Caption: The VF-27's BDI System also enables the remote control of the aircraft.