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Illustrated by Hidetaka Tenjin

VF-25F/TW1: The New Equipment That Proved Its Worth In Every War Situation

Aircraft Explanation
Although the VF-25 was developed based on the baseline design of the YF-24 and was a state-of-the-art multi-role Variable Fighter, it was pressed into an inferior position by the Vajra opponents, who were an unknown enemy. Thereupon, a beam gun that was able to be installed on a VF-25 was developed due to the heavy quantum beam gun miniaturization technology that was brought from the Macross Galaxy Fleet. However, although the beam gun was miniaturized, when securing a depressed angle of elevation, the huge beam gun turret adversely affected the aircraft's controllability. The Tornado Pack is additional equipment that was developed with the objectives of suppressing that deterioration in controllability with powerful thrust while bestowing high manoeuvrability. The VF-25 equipped with this pack was put into combat as the VF-25F/TW1 Anti-Vajra Trial Heavy Quantum Beam Gun Operating Proving Craft, commonly known as "the Tornado Valkyrie".

Main Pilot: Saotome Aruto

Data *data is for when it's in fighter form
Attached to: S.M.S.
Length: 18.72 m (20.12 m when the cooling unit expands)
Width: 17.05 m
Height: 4.50 m (up to the top of the turret when the beam gun turret barrels are placed horizontally, and not including the landing gear)
Empty Weight: 10,070 kg
Highest Speed: Mach 4.0+ (although it can accelerate greater than this speed, the speed limit is due to the strength and heat-resistant limit of the beam gun turret)
Standard Armament: Beam Gun Turret (TW1-HPC/M25) x1, 2.25 mm Machine-gun (Rammington ES-25A) x2, 58 mm Gatling Gun Pod (Howard GU-17A) x1,
Micro-missile Launcher (Bifors BLM-02S) x10, Large Outer space Use Micro-Missile Pod (LLM-03A)

Size Comparison: VF-1J, VF-25F/TW1

Development Genealogical Chart: VF-25 > VF-25 equipped with Super Parts > VF-25F/TW1

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Operation Record
The Tornado Valkyrie was put into combat during the mission to rescue the Macross Galaxy Fleet. However, on that occasion, the battle switched from outer space to within the atmosphere of Island 1 because of the Vajra's unexpected fold. Although there were concerns about atmospheric combat, the Tornado Valkyrie's self-learning dogfight computer instantly corrected for aerodynamic changes by jointly operating the variable nozzles of the main engines, rotating the wing-tip engine pods, utilizing the high-manoeuvrability thrusters in various places on the fuselage, and using the auxiliary variable wings. As a result, the Tornado Valkyrie acquired the manoeuvrability that made up for the aerodynamic lose from the giant gun turret, and it exhibited dogfighting manoeuvrability when operated in an atmosphere that surpassed the VF-25 due to the Tornado Pack Super Parts Equipment.

Caption: The Tornado Pack was preferentially provided to newcomer Warrant Officer Saotome Aruto by the judgement of S.M.S. squadron leader Ozuma Lee.

Caption: When the excellent record of operation by Warrant Officer Saotome was seen, Michael Bran's VF-25G was also later equipped with a Tornado Pack.

Standard Equipment
TW1-HPC/M25 Heavy Quantum Beam Gun
A combination of the Bifors and Macross Frontier Arsenal made Prototype Heavy Quantum Beam Gun Turret and its operating reaction engine, power condenser and cooling unit. At maximum output, the beam's continuous radiation time is less than 5 seconds, and the beam generating unit's lifespan is 300 seconds.

Caption: The giant beam turret demonstrated enough performance as a revolving gun turret that covers the area surrounding the Tornado Valkyrie in outer space. However, as the air resistance increases in the atmosphere and the turret becomes a hindrance to controlling the aircraft, the Tornado Valkyrie wouldn't be easy to operate if manoeuvrability wasn't secured by such things as the main wing engine pods.

Micro-Missile Launcher BLM-02S
Three are built into the right and three into the left sides of the TW1-WCA Fixed Main Wing Reinforcing Units. Also, the outer space use LLM-03A Large Micro-Missile Pods can be equipped under the wings in the exo-atomospheric specification.

Howard GU-17A 58 mm Gatling Gun Pod
Although the Heavy Quantum Beam Gun Pod was under development, the Tornado Valkyrie is equipped with a pre-existing Gatling Gun Pod, as the beam gun pod wouldn't have made it in time for combat. The gun pod uses hypervelocity armour piercing ammunition for bullets.

Fighter Mode
The beam gun turret, which has very long gun barrels, ruins the aerodynamic balance of the Tornado Valkyrie and generates turbulence when the gun barrels are turned within an atmosphere, and it makes controlling the aircraft extraordinarily difficult. Therefore, the fighter mode of the Tornado Pack is equipped with engine pod turrets, which are installed in rotary-supporting racks in the main wings and wing tips; and by allowing the large-thrust engines on both wing tips to move rotationally, the entire airframe is moved around to keep the beam guns turned toward the enemy without revolving or moving the gun barrels up or down. Also, these engines aren't used only in outer space, but are also used for posture control within an atmosphere, and they realized a mobility that overturned the concept of existing aircraft.

Caption: The Tornado Valkyrie enabled a marvellous mobility in the combination of the rotary engine pods in both wing tips and the vectored nozzles of the legs. This data was capitalized on in the development of the YF-29.

Caption: Within Island 1, the concept of posture control by thrust showed results that were beyond what were assumed to be possible, and the potential was also demonstrated during the high-speed combat with the Vajra in the urban areas.

Down: Endo-Atmospheric Specification

Left: The Tornado Pack is equipped with a beam gun turret unit on the upper surface. Two D-30R1 joint jet and rocket engines are installed into each TW1-TJR Mobile Rocket and Jet Pod that the Tornado Pack has on both wings.

Down: Exo-Atmospheric Specification

Down: Auxiliary Propellant Tanks and Atmospheric Reentry Fairings are installed into the tips of the engine pods. The undersides of the wings can be equipped with large micro-missile pods.

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GERWALK Mode
GERWALK mode is an excellent match with the Tornado Pack. The Tornado Pack's rotary engine pods raise the standard of the traits of GERWALK mode, which enables a flexible manoeuvrability, and the Tornado Valkyrie exhibited especially excellent traits within the atmosphere. Also, the swivelling gunfire of the beam gun turret is limited to when the fighter is below the speed of sound. When the Tornado Valkyrie is hypersonic, the beam gun turret becomes a fixed gun, as the gun barrels are locked directed in front of the nose. For that reason, when the beam gun turret is used within the atmosphere, GERWALK mode is considered to be particularly suitable for carrying out combat.

Caption: When hovering in GERWALK mode, the wingtip engine pods are used at the same time as the main engines. The Tornado Valkyrie's posture isn't upset, even when the powerful beam guns are used.

Caption: Although it would be difficult to maintain posture if both wingtip engine pods are lost, the Tornado Valkyrie could still cope with limited hovering if it were in GERWALK mode.

Caption: In the battle in Island 1, the Tornado Valkyrie continued to fight mainly in GERWALK mode, even though it had lost both auxiliary propulsion parts on both wings, and fought to the bitter end while using the beam gun turret.

Right: Endo-Atmospheric Specification

Left: With the Endo-Atmospheric Specification, just like Fighter Mode, the Tornado Valkyrie doesn't have the Auxiliary Propellant Tank and Atmospheric Reentry Fairing. The legs are equipped with TW1-CFT Leg Conformal Propellant Tanks.

Left: Exo-Atmospheric Specification

Up: The Tornado Valkyrie is equipped with the fairings and under-wing micro-missile pods. The "tail" in the rear of the beam unit is a cooling unit for use in outer space.

Battroid Mode
In Battroid mode, the silhouette from the front is close to that of a normal VF-25, with the main parts of the Tornado Pack -the main wing units and dorsal beam gun turret- arranged on the airframe's back. On the other hand, the Tornado Valkyrie is evidently different from the normal craft, as there is a shoulder beam gun turret. The Tornado Valkyrie can demonstrate the beam gun turret's power even in Battroid mode, however, its firing range is limited when compared to the other modes. Also, neither the chest nor loins are equipped with additional armour. With this point, one can catch a glimpse of the difference in directionality of the Tornado Pack, who's main objective is operating the beam gun turret, and the Super Parts and Armour Pack, both of which aim at enhancing all forms of a VF.

Caption: Aruto wielded the assault knife in Battroid mode in order to rescue Ranka. Although the Tornado Valkyrie is equipped with a very long beam gun and a giant unit on the back, it didn't lose the height of the VF-25's hand-to-hand combat performance.

Caption: The main armament of Battroid mode is the gun pod. The YF-29 prototype showed the point that the Tornado Valkyrie was originally planned to be equipped with the Heavy Quantum Beam Gun Pod.

Caption: In the battle within Island 1, the Tornado Valkyrie succeeded in acquiring beneficial proving data on endo-atmospheric combat from the beam gun turret to hand-to-hand combat. The usefulness of this aircraft's concept came to be verified in the YF-29.

Right: Endo-Atmospheric Specification

Left: Within the atmosphere, some of the exo-atmospheric parts are removed. The Tornado Valkyrie is equipped with the main wing units and beam gun turret on the back side, and the front gives the impression of a normal VF-25. The volume in the back is contrasted with the silhouette of the slim VF-25.

Down: Exo-Atmospheric Specification

Up: Outside of the atmosphere, the cooling unit in the rear of the beam unit is unfolded, because the Tornado Valkyrie cannot use the atmosphere to cool the beam generating core and reactor. It looks especially like a tail in Battroid mode.

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© Aaron Sketchley