Front [Pg 01-02]

Illustrated by Hidetaka Tenjin

VF-14 Vampire
The supersonic vampire that's loved by aces

[o] Data: *data is only for when it is in Fighter form
Length: 19.58 m
Width: 15.60 m
Weight: 12,600 kg empty weight
Engine: Shinnakasu Heavy Industry / Daimler FF-2770D Thermonuclear Engine x2
Thrust: 2x 52,500 kg (maximum thrust in the void of space)
High Manoeuvrability Thruster: P&W / Daimler HMM-5C
Airframe Strength: +35.0 G / -20.5 G
Maximum Speed: Mach 3.8+ (at 10,000 m)
Standard Armament: 2x fixed medium-bore beam guns (Mauler BC-27A), 2x internal missile launcher pods (Bifors AAM-01S), 1x 35 mm Gatling Gun Pod

Size Comparison:
VF-1J, VF-14

Airframe Explanation:
[o] The Heavy Variable Fighter-Bomber of General Galaxy and Messi* design. The VF-14 was the aircraft that was defeated in competition by the VF-11 Thunderbolt in the "Nova Project", which decided the main fighter successor to the VF-4 Lightning III. However, the VF-14 came to be a priceless treasure in some of the emigrant fleets, frontier emigrant planets and so on, because the VF-14 has superior flight performance in space and yet is an able-bodied airframe that's easily maintained. Max and Miria of the Dancing Skull Special Forces Squadron ride the VF-14.

[Source: Macross M3 (game)]

* Translator's note: a play on words for the Messier company.

Development Chart:
VF-14 > VF-17 > VF-171

Main Pilots:
Maximilian Jiinasu, Miria Fariina Jiinasu

Top

---

Reverse Left [Pg 03]

Operation Record
As mentioned above, the VF-14 Vampire was the aircraft that was unsuccessful in the main fighter contest with the VF-11. One of the reasons why it was rejected was that the VF-14, which had a considerably large airframe as a VF at that time, is said to be because it was ineligible as a main craft that is required to be operated as a carrier-borne aircraft (when comparing the Fighter form, the VF-4 is 14.98 m long, and in contrast to the 15.51 m of the VF-11, which is around 15 m, the VF-14 is 19.58 m). Nevertheless, besides the high assessment of the able bodied airframe, that large fuselage brings about a lengthy cruising range, and a sizable payload, and it reached an adoption as a VF model, in the form of licensed production at such places as emigrant planets. Its popularity was especially high with Zentraadi pilots, and in the Fifth New Macross Class Super Long Range Emigrant Fleet (Macross 5), which was composed of My-clonized Zentraadi, the VF-14 and its derivative Variable Bomber VF-14* were operated as the main VF. Also, it was deployed to the Unified Forces Special Forces Dancing Skull squadron, and is considered to have been operated by the same squadron's Maximilian Jiinasu, Miria Farina Jiinasu and others.

* Translator's note: a typo that's meant to be VA-14?

Caption: From images that record the activities of the Dancing Skull squadron, which is a mixed unit. From the left, there's a VF-9, Variable Guraaji, and the VF-14.

Standard Equipment
The standard armaments of the VF-14 consist of a 35 mm Gatling gun pod, two medium-bore beam guns, and two internal-style missile launcher pods. Also, according to the squadron, they are equipped with such things as two twin laser machine-guns or large-bore blaster gun turrets in the Battroid chest payload bays.

Caption: A gun pod using VF-14. The pilot is Maximilian Jiinasu of the Dancing Skull squadron.*

* Translator's note: originally was: "The VF-14 that Max spurs on and is coloured blue, begins an attack in response to the biological weapons."

Left: Medium Bore Beam Gun As the main armaments of this craft, two beam guns are installed in the top part of the intakes in Fighter form, or in the shoulders in Battroid form.

Caption: A VF-14 fighting against huge creatures that are considered to be insect type biological weapons. Its from a recording that was filmed in around 2022.

Cockpit
When transforming the VF-14, the nose section greatly moves to the rear of the torso, and the cockpit is located in the Battroid's back. This layout, which arranges the cockpit in the most interior of the extremely robust torso among the Battroids, is considered to have been to raise the pilot survival rate when fighting. On the other hand, even though the rival VF-11 aircraft placed the cockpit in the front of the torso in Battroid form, it was also to raise the survival rate of the pilot after being shot down as when the aircraft was seriously damaged, the cockpit block could be speedily detached. It is very interesting to consider that the difference of design ideas between the VF-14, which especially valued a robust operational time, and the all-purpose model VF-11, which was prepared for every situation (including after being shot down), also influenced the cockpits.

Caption: The cockpit block in Battroid form. The canopy is covered by strong armour, and its bullet-resistance has been improved even more.

Fighter Mode
The Fighter form of the VF-14 adopts a three-hull form where the propellers are laid out on the left and right of the torso, just like the VF-4. The VF-14, which had adopted a variable mechanism into the main wings, in addition to a body shape with few undulations, acquires low air-resistance and optimum lift in any speed region in the atmosphere, and is considered to have demonstrated excellent performance. In addition, such things as the thin body shape of this craft and the vertical tails that are slanted toward the interior take stealth into consideration. And the stealth technology know-how that was acquired with this craft was inherited into the VF-17 Nightmare that General Galaxy subsequently developed. Also, the VF-14 didn't exhibit favourable performance only within the atmosphere, it also exhibited it in outer space. Its very-long cruising range, which originates in the size of the amount that the craft can be loaded with, was welcomed by such places as investigation fleets that mainly operated in remote regions.

Caption: Max's VF-14 carrying out a dogfight with the biological weapons. This craft, which has surplus thrust, exhibited high performance even in hand-to-hand combat.

Right: The aircraft which is mainly composed of red in the picture on the right, is considered to be the craft Miria Farina Jiinasu piloted when she was attached to the Dancing Skulls.*

* Translator's note: originally was: "Coloured as Miria's craft. The Varohta Forces Fz-109 Elgazorn is an improved fighter that's based on the VF-14."

Right: From the rear. It boasts a three-hull form fuselage shape that is reminiscent of the SR-71 Blackbird, a 20th century stealth aircraft.

Top

---

Reverse Right [Pg 04]

GERWALK Mode
While the lower half of the left and right engine blocks move to the front of the torso, the upper half of the engine blocks move to the rear, and they respectively transform into the legs and arms in the GERWALK mode of the VF-14. It's said that some experience was required for hand-to-hand combat and managing the gun pod in GERWALK, with its unique layout with the arms located at the end of the airframe. In addition, the medium-bore beam guns, which are fixed armaments in Fighter form, are also said to prized in high-speed combat in such places as urban areas, because they can be flexibly moved by controlling the movement of the shoulders in GERWALK form.

Right: Fz-109 Elgaazorun
The image on the right is the GERWALK form of the Fz-109 Elgaazorun, which the Protodevilun remodelled based on the VF-14. Just like this aircraft, the VF-14 also places the arms at the end of the airframe.

Related Matter: [7] Fz-109 Elgaazorun
The Fz-109 Elgaazorun, which was operated by the Varohta Forces, is an aircraft that's a characteristically remodelled VF-14. Even though the armaments and armour have generally been enhanced, even after it was remodelled it demonstrated great hand-to-hand combat performance, precisely because the VF-14 had surplus driving force from the start.

Battroid Mode
The Battroid form of the VF-14 features torso parts that have greatly moved. It is a complex mechanism, where the block that faced rearwards in Fighter form half rotates and forms the chest, in addition the cockpit block moves to the rear, and lastly, the nose moves forward from the back to become the head. Just like the GERWALK form, the shoulder medium-bore beam guns operate freely, and it is considered to have demonstrated its power in close-range combat.

Right: [o] Coloured as Max's craft. The aircraft that was used by the Blue Rhinoceros Company [of soldiers] who escorted the Research Fleet of the fourth Varohtan planet are somewhat different.

Left: A shot from the rear. Just like the later VF-19 and so on, the main wings are set on the exterior of the thighs.

Caption: Its air mobility in Battroid form is referred to as the VF-14's forte, as it has great thrust.

Related Matter: [7] VF-14 (The Specification Of The Fourth Varohtan Planet Research Fleet)
Even among the variations of the VF-14, the famous one in the photos is likely to be the aircraft that were deployed to the Special Research Unit of the fourth planet of Varohta 3198XE. The VF-14 of this unit were a heavily armed specification that exchanged the medium-bore laser standard equipment for missile pods, in addition to being equipped with two twin-laser machine-guns in the chest and two small-calibre laser machine-guns in the head.

Caption: The VF-14 squadron that headed toward the fourth Varohtan planet. Each craft was painted with black keynotes.

Caption: From the recorded images of the Research Unit that landed on the fourth Varohtan planet. The escorting VF-14 is in Battroid.

Top

---

© Aaron Sketchley