| Sketchley's Translations Main Index | Macross Portal |
| By AARON SKETCHLEY (aaronsketch@HOTdelete_thisMAIL.com) | Ver 1.0 2014.04.29 |
| Mechanic: F NUNS 03A VF-171EX Nightmare Plus EX |
|---|
Illustrated by Hidetaka Tenjin
CG Works by Masato Takahashi
VF-171EX Nightmare Plus EX
An improved VF-171 That Supports The Vajra War
Fuselage Explanation
Even though the VF-171 Nightmare Plus had both a balanced performance and excellent handling, it couldn't oppose the Vajra who were endowed with wonderful [astounding] abilities. The airframe that improves upon the VF-171 in order to abolish that situation is this VF-171EX. This machine has acquired the performance only to fight evenly with the Vajra from the installation of EX-Gear (Extender Gear), anti-Vajra equipment, the improvement of the avionics class, engine parts and so on, etc.. However, because it has been tuned to the airframe's design strength limit, it is an airframe that is hard to handle, even with the adoption of EX-Gear. This craft is produced by the Macross Frontier fleet, which had fallen into a state of exchange with the Vajra, and they brought up military gains [results] in the battle of the Vajra mother world, which was the final phase {of the conflict}. Furthermore, as for here, the focus is the Saotome Aruto Armoured Pack equipped craft, with the Aegis pack equipped Luca Angeloni craft as well as the general craft also being explained. In addition, herein we explain mainly the Saotome Aruto aircraft, which was equipped with the Armoured Pack, as well as the Luca Angeloni aircraft, equipped with the Aegis Pack, and the general aircraft.*
* Translator's note: last line not on original.
Main Pilot:
Saotome Aruto*
* Translator's note: originally was: "Saotome Aruto, Luca Angeloni, Maruyama, Jun".
Data: *Data is when it is in fighter form
Length: 15.52 m
Empty Weight: 12,950 kg
Engine: 2x Shinnakasu / P&W / Royce FF-2550F Thermonuclear Turbine Engine
Maximum Engine Thrust Outside of an Atmosphere: 2x 67.5 t
Vernier Engine: P&W, HMM-6B
Cruising Speed: Mach 4.3+ (at 10,000 m altitude without external equipment on the airframe) / more than Mach 21 (at 30,000 m altitude or more)
Equipment: 2x Bifors AMG-30 30 mm Heavy Machine-gun (using Enhanced Armour-Piercing Ammunition), 2x Ericon AAB-9A Beam Gun, 2x sets of Internal Bifors BLM-02S Micro-missile Launcher (improved by installing MDE warheads), 1x Gatling Gun-pod Howard GU-14B Kai (updated version for MDE warheads), 1x Bifors AAMM-05D Medium Range Anti-Air Missile (TV / Infrared / Radar Guided), 1x Sentinel FXA-60A High-Speed Armour-Piercing Rocket in 6-tube Rocket Pod, 1x L.A.I. / AAMS-02A Short Range High-Manoeuvrability Anti-Air Missile (Infrared guided) triple ejector rack, 1x Sentinel AVM-11R Anti-Carrier Large Anti-Ship Missile (equipped with Reaction Warheads) 4-shot rack (the Armoured Missile Canister used together with the Pinpoint Barrier functions as a shield in Battroid), 1x Shinsei Industry / L.A.I. Co. Macross Frontier Arsenal AVPAGC / MEDC30-EX-A Anti-Vajra MDE Particle Anti-Gravity Gun / 30 mm MDE Machine-gun Matrix (able to be operated held in the hand in Battroid mode), SWAG Energy Conversion Armour System (SWAG/RA155EX), Flare and Chaff Dispenser System, others
Size Comparison:
VF-171 > VF-171EX
Development Chart:
VF-1J, VF-171EX
Caption: The VF-171EX were deployed to the New Unified Forces 4th Company, and in the Macross Quarter Desertion Incident, they were dispatched as the pursuit squadron.
Caption: It's also possible to equip the VF-171EX with such things as the Electronic Warfare AEGIS Pack, and an Armoured Pack, which was mainly used on the commander's aircraft.
Fighter Mode*
Even though the base VF-171 had a lower output than the VF-17 model aircraft, highly reliable engines (FF-2110A) were installed in it, and it had a specification that even general pilots were able to handle. On the other hand, the VF-171EX has exchanged those engines for the VF-19's FF-2550F engines, and its manoeuvrability has been improved. As a result, this aircraft has acquired a performance that exceeds that of such vehicles as the VF-17 and VF-171, and its manoeuvrability in Fighter Form is also excellent. However, because the VF-171's basic design doesn't support ISC (Inertia Store Converter), ISC wasn't installed in the VF-171EX, and its high-manoeuvrability performance doesn't reach that of an ISC equipped aircraft. For that reason, the VF-171 was criticized as a makeshift aircraft by the pilots who were acquainted with the VF-25 Messiah.
* Translator's note: originally was "Fighter Form".
Left: Aruto's aircraft in Fighter Form, equipped with the Armour Pack (AAS-171EX).*
* Translator's note: originally was: "Up: Aruto's Aircraft in Fighter Form, equipped with the Armour Pack (AAS-171EX). It features asymmetrical armaments on the left and right."
Right: The underside of an Armour Pack equipped VF-171 in Fighter Form. Energy Conversion Armour Protectors are installed on various parts.*
* Translator's note: originally was "Up: The underside of an Armour Pack equipped VF-171 in Fighter Form. Energy Conversion Armour Protectors are installed on such parts as the legs."
GERWALK Mode
The VF-17 model aircraft was a unique aircraft that had two kinds of GERWALK form: one for high-speed combat and one for hand-to-hand combat. However, the VF-171 and VF-171EX abandoned the elbow Laser Gun Turrets, which were the main weapons in the High-Speed Mode, and they possessed only a normal GERWALK mode. Even though the basic specification of the VF-171EX follows that of the VF-171, it has achieved an improvement in its combined performance, due to such things as enhancing its output and updating its avionics (improved ECM performance, changing to the AA/AS/SF-06 Search Radar Unified Sensor Matrix - the same model as the VF-25). Also, the Armoured Equipment that adds several propulsion motors to the edge of the legs, is said to have gained a favourable reputation from the pilots whose speciality was deflecting thrust in GERWALK Form.
* Translator's note: originally was "GERWALK Form
Even though the VF-17 model aircraft featured a unique specification where two kinds of GERWALK form were used for different purposes, there are many cases were the VF-171 used the normal GERWALK form, where both arms are completely extended. The VF-171EX is also similar to the VF-171. Even though the basic specification is the same as the VF-171, the VF-171EX has implemented a comprehensive performance improvement due to such things as enhancing its output and updating its the avionics (improving the ECM performance and changing the search radar to the AA/AS/SF-06 Integrated Sensor, the same type as the one in the VF-25)."
Down*: The outward appearance of the normal GERWALK is mostly unchanged from a VF-171, and it can be said that the VF-171EX features the point that it is slimmer, when compared to the model VF-17.
* Translator's note: originally "Up"
Up: An Armour Pack equipped GERWALK Form. Several small booster rocket engines are built into the leg protectors.
Caption: Aruto's aircraft takes to the rear of Ozuma's aircraft by transforming from Fighter to GERWALK, and suddenly decelerating. It's a manoeuvrer that's often used in dogfights.
Caption: In the battle between Aruto's and Ozuma's aircrafts, combat mainly occurred with both aircraft in GERWALK Mode. It can be said that high-speed, straight-line manoeuvres are a rare case in GERWALK Form.
Up*: A fighter without additional equipment. The aircraft can be equipped with the L.A.I. Co. Experimental Super Fold Booster on the main wings.
* Translator's note: originally "Right".
Left*: The white fuselage colour is from a coating of a newly developed Anti-Beam Vapourization Coating. The red line is Aruto's personal colour.
* Translator's note: originally "Right".
Caption: When fully equipped, the VF-171EX can make use of an abundance of armaments, and it excels in firepower. The MDE Particle Anti-Gravity Gun, on the top part of the fuselage, is the main armament.
Caption: The VF-171EX is equipped with three under-wing hard points on each wing.
Battroid Mode*
The VF-171EX has changed its Energy Conversion Armour to the SWAG/RA155EX type, and has realized an approximate 20% improvement in armour strength, compared to the VF-171. In addition, its output has been greatly increased by equipping the VF-171EX with VF-19 class Thermonuclear Turbine Engines, and its hand-to-hand combat abilities in Battroid Form have become very great. The VF-171 was modelled on the VF-17 -a Heavy VF that has such things as a highly assessed airframe bullet resistance and surface strength. The VF-171 has a combined performance as a main fighter that is said to be above that of the VF-17. The VF-171's performance was restrained, and the VF-171EX, which has a performance higher than the VF-171, has acquired the close-combat strength to be able to fight as an equal to the Vajra. Of course, it goes without saying that the VF-171EX has enhanced its G-resistance and improved its controllability due to EX-Gear, and that is the main reason for its high performance.
* Translator's note: originally was "Battroid Form".
Left/Down: The battroid form of Aruto's aircraft equipped with the Armour Pack. The head is different from the base craft, as the visor has two rows.
Left/Down*: The characteristic shape of the forearms is due to being equipped with the tails of Fighter Form. Also, both forearms have additional armament stations.
* Translator's note: originally "Left/Right"
Caption: The Vajra Homeworld Battle was a confused battle, and the Battroid's flexible close-combat ability was demonstrated. Aruto's aircraft (call-sign "Sagittarius 1") in particular, held a lot of military results.