| Sketchley's Translations Main Index | Macross Portal |
| By AARON SKETCHLEY (aaronsketch@HOTdelete_thisMAIL.com) | Ver 1.0 2013.04.28 |
| Technology 01I: Variable Fighter |
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Illustrated by Jun Wada
Caption: One of the supreme propositions of a VF is an improvement in pilot survivability. In order to clear that proposition, VFs at first used ejection seats similar to those in conventional fighter aircraft. Afterwards, a variety of escape systems continued to be devised.
Variable Fighter: The VF Escape Systems that are Patterned on the Ones for Conventional Fighter Aircraft
Like the fighter aircraft before the fall of the ASS-1, escape mechanisms which allow the pilot escape when shot down or trouble occurs are standard equipment in a Variable Fighter (henceforth VF).
Although the crew can escape by themselves in an AVF, it became impossible for the pilot to separately escape and withdraw from the battlefield with VFs that fly in an atmosphere and space. This became the physical factor of the escape system that have been installed into VFs.
However, that alone isn't the reason why escape systems are installed. Similar to conventional fighter aircraft pilots, there are enormous costs in training and maintaining VF pilots. Also, it is important to avoid pilot casualties even if one only considered the cost side, as it's necessary to secure the pilot when injured or dead. In addition to this, the necessity of escape systems is also increased when being shot down or aircraft trouble directly leads to pilot death in action, which deteriorates the morale of the other pilots.
The escape system that was installed in the first prototype VF-0 was the ejection seat from the same family line as that installed in traditional fighter aircraft. This was an improved model of the Martin-Baker Co. made GRU-7A. It ejects the seat and all outside the aircraft and the pilot makes a soft landing by parachute. In other words, although the seat itself in a VF has been improved upon, it is basically unchanged from the conventional model. However, although there are restrictions on the ejector seat, such as the escape altitude/speed and so on, it is an excellent atmospheric escape system and it has been adopted into VFs since the VF-1.
The problem was that the prolonged survival of the pilot was difficult in outer space with the ejector seat. Even if the pilot wore an airtight suit, they couldn't survive for a long time when the ejector seat shot them out into space. Therefore, such VFs as the VF-1 and VF-11 implemented and used such airtight escape systems as an exchange-mechanism equipped detachable style nose block and the cockpit module itself. And in the latter part of the 2050's, the EX-Gear spread as a new escape system, which serves as both an ejector seat and powered suit.
Related Matter: The Escape Mechanisms of the Armaments For the Zentraadi
The Zentraadi mobile weapons, such as the Battle Pods and Battle Suits, are weapons similar to powered suits, and the crew can do nothing but escape by themselves. Because of this, although their survivability doesn't seem to be high, it could be said that the survivability tendency of the Zentraadi is high because they have a high absolute number of military personnel due to the soldiers' ability to be "manufactured", something uniquely applying to the Zentraadi.
Right: Rigaado
Although the Rigaado can detach its armaments and legs, more than an as an escape system, this was for withdrawing from planets.
Caption: In November 2009, Ichijo Hikaru escaped from the aircraft he was piloting when he was shot down in the defensive battle for the Macross in the open sea around Tori-shima (Izu Islands). On that occasion, Ichijo, who fell into the sea, received injuries over his entire body.
Caption: Although there are few limits on the escape speed and altitude of EX-Gear, the degree of danger after escaping isn't greatly changed from that of the other systems.
Related Matter: Returning Alive Without an Escape System
When VFs suffer serious damage due to being shot down or in accidents, even if the pilot doesn't operate it, the escape system automatically operates and the crew are forced to escape. However, in cases where the means of escape will greatly damage the crew, the system might not operate. Cases have been seen here and there where the VF was greatly damaged and the pilot returned alive even though the escape system didn't operate.
Caption: Even though Isamu Dyson had accidents in the VF-11 and VF-19 in Project Super Nova, which was carried out in 2040, he returned alive without having escaped from the aircraft.
Caption: Gamlin Kizaki's aircraft (Macross 7 Fleet) was greatly damaged in a collision with an enemy craft. Even though Gamlin dug up a snowfield [when he crashed], he miraculously survived.
Caption: Although the VF-19 of Gamlin's comrade Decker was also defeated in the Anti Protodevilun battle, he was safe [without having escaped from the aircraft].
Seat Ejecting Types
Initiated by the crew member's operation or automatically, after the forced removal of the canopy, the crew member's seat is ejected from the aircraft. In an atmosphere, a parachute opens immediately after ejection. Although it has a low price as the simplest escape system, in addition to the survivability time in space being controlled by the ability of the pilot's airtight suit, in an atmosphere it had the problem of not being able to be used due to [high] speed or altitude.
Caption: It's possible to use the ejection seat not just in Fighter and GERWALK, but also in Battroid form. [When ejecting in Battroid] in the VF-1, the head tilts forward or is removed, and the seat is ejected from the head joint.
Right: the Ejection Seat
The ejector seat for the VF-1. It's a typical type that ignites rocket motors in the bottom and ejects the pilot and seat outside the aircraft.
Caption: The escape is manually operated by pulling a dedicated lever. Depending on the circumstances, the ejection speed seems to be automatically altered.
Cockpit Block Ejecting Types
The system where the cockpit itself is the escape system. It differs from the ejection seat because the airtight cockpit block has been made into an escape pod. The pilot has a long survival time after escaping. If compared to the ejector seat, it has the advantage of having few physical and mental strains on the pilot. It is a system that was often seen in the aircraft that were developed in the 2020's and 30's, such as the VF-11.
Caption: In addition to the VF-11, the Varohta Fz-109 and Az-130, which are assumed to have been based on the VF-14, also use an identical mechanism.
Left: the VF-11's Escape Pod
The cockpit section block is ejected as is in the VF-11's escape system. Although auxiliary rockets are installed in it, it has low mobility.
Caption: As the cockpit itself is airtight, the possibility of the pilot being damaged even if the VF explodes is greatly decreased.
Nose Separating Types
The system where the nose exchange mechanism is diverted into an escape system. In order to make the nose into a life pod, which is equipped with such things as auxiliary fuel cells, it features the point that the survivable time is even longer than the cockpit block ejecting type. There were cases when only the nose and all crew members were recovered when there wasn't time to recover friendly VFs that had been incapacitated.
Caption: In the beginning of the First Interstellar War, Roy Fokker's VF-1S recovered only the nose of Ichijo Hikaru's VF-1D, which was incapacitated.
Up: the Cockpit Capsule
The VF-1's single seater and dual seater specifications were implemented by exchanging the aircraft's nose. Because of this, it was possible to divert the aircraft's nose into a lifeboat.
Left: when installed on the arm
The nose can be separated by external manipulation, and the nose module can also be suspended under the aircraft like a gun pod.
EX-Gear
The atmospheric and space flight unit furnished enhancing suit transforms into a G-resistant seat and control device, and was adopted into VFs from the YF-24 series. Although the EX-Gear escapes after the canopy has been removed, like a normal ejection seat, in addition to transforming into a powered suit and space suit, the seat is able to fly independently in an atmosphere and space. As there is a shock-wave generating board under the seat in the VF-25, it is possible to escape the aircraft even when flying at hypersonic speeds by unfolding that board.
Caption: Unlike a parachute, EX-Gear has the ability to move by itself, body strengthening functions, and a high survivability. There are times that EX-Gear can be used as an enhancing suit even when the pilot isn't escaping from the aircraft.
Right: EX-Gear
Enhancing Suit form. It has an atmospheric and space flight unit on the back and rollers for running in the feet. It also has life support installed into it and functions as an information terminal.
Left: Seat Mode
The G-resistant seat and control device form. The control column and throttle are the arms when in Enhancing Suit form, and the pedals are arranged in the legs. Immediately after escaping from the VF, it transforms into the Enhancing Suit.