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98-422: The VF-1 was created between 1980 and 1982 by Japanese mecha designer Shoji Kawamori with contributions by his Studio Nue partner Kazutaka Miyatake . The VF-1 Valkyrie was to be the centerpiece mecha design for the anime series The Super Dimension Fortress Macross which aired between 1982 and 1983. The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle and Grumman F-14 Tomcat with its variable-sweep wing design, served as

196-414: A " swing wing ", is an airplane wing , or set of wings, that may be modified during flight, swept back and then returned to its previous straight position. Because it allows the aircraft's shape to be changed, it is an example of a variable-geometry aircraft. A straight wing is most efficient for low-speed flight, but for an aircraft designed for transonic or supersonic flight it is essential that

294-527: A brochure on the UKVG proposal; various proposals would be issued to cover the use of multiple different engines. The quick production of a demonstrator aircraft, powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce/MAN Turbo RB153 turbofan engines, was also mooted. As solely funding for the UKVG was unrealistic, the British government pursued partners within its fellow NATO members, promoting the concept of developing and procuring

392-460: A common NATO strike aircraft. In July 1968, a memorandum of understanding was signed between Britain, West Germany , Italy , the Netherlands , Belgium , and Canada . This memorandum eventually led to the launch of the multinational Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) project, which successfully produced a variable geometry aircraft for the strike, reconnaissance, and interception missions in

490-579: A complete round of wind tunnel tests, the British Government failed to provide financial backing for the work, allegedly due to budget constraints at the time . Independently from Baynes, British engineer Barnes Wallis was also developing a more radical variable-geometry concept, which he called the wing controlled aerodyne, to maximise the economy of high-speed flight. His first study was the Wild Goose project. Subsequently, Barnes devised

588-561: A configuration for the TFX (Tactical Fighter Experimental) program, which resulted in the development of the General Dynamics F-111 , a sizable twin-engined aircraft intended to perform multiple roles. The F-111 is the first production aircraft to feature a variable-geometry wing and it, along with other systems such as terrain following radar and turbofan engines outfitted with afterburners , were innovative technologies for

686-554: A few of them became iconic Transformers: Generation 1 toy designs. Among them the first Optimus Prime ("Convoy") toy design, Prowl , Bluestreak , Smokescreen , Ironhide, and Ratchet. In 2006, he designed both the Hybrid Style Convoy and the Masterpiece version of Starscream for Takara . One of his key mech design innovations was transforming mecha, which can transform between a standard vehicle (such as

784-648: A fighter plane or transport truck) and a fighting mecha robot. Kawamori came up with the idea of transforming mechs while working on the Diaclone and Macross franchises in the early 1980s (such as the VF-1 Valkyrie in Macross and Robotech ), with his Diaclone mechs later providing the basis for Transformers . Some of Kawamori's most iconic transforming mecha designs include the VF-1 Valkyrie from

882-478: A name the group would use years later during the development of the fictional world of the Macross series. Shoji Kawamori occasionally used the alias Eiji Kurokawa (黒河影次 Kurokawa Eiji ) early in his anime career when he started as a teenage intern at Studio Nue and worked as assistant artist and animator there during the late seventies and early eighties. Later in his career Kawamori created or co-created

980-499: A number of further studies, including a wing controlled aerodyne in response to OR.346 for a supersonic STOL fighter-bomber, then as BAC two further submissions: the Type 583 to meet Naval ER.206 and Type 584 to meet NATO NBMR.3, both also being V/STOL requirements. In 1960, Maurice Brennan joined Folland Aircraft as its chief engineer and director; he soon set about harnessing his experience of variable-geometry wings. Accordingly, such

1078-531: A percentage of total wingspan ) between the wing pivots. By adopting a wider spacing, this not only reduced the negative aerodynamic effects of changing wing sweep, but also provided a larger fixed wing section which could be used for landing gear or stores pylons . This could, in fact, be adapted to more-or-less existing airframes, which the Soviets accordingly did, such as with the Sukhoi Su-17 (based on

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1176-407: A radical aircraft configuration for high-speed flight, which he regarded as distinct from the conventional fixed-wing aeroplane and called it the wing controlled aerodyne. His previous work on the stability of airships had impressed on him the high control forces that could be exerted on the body of an aircraft, through very small deflections. He conceived of a simple ichthyoid (fish-like) fuselage with

1274-604: A range of Macross toys. Their first release was the 1/55 VF-1 Battroid Valkyrie, which was the first fully transformable replica of the VF-1. The toy was licensed by Hasbro for release in their markets as part of the Transformers toyline, and was retooled to become the character Jetfire . Due to Hasbro licensing the toy, Matchbox was unable to release it as part of the Robotech toyline (instead, Matchbox opted to release

1372-547: A semi-transformable version scaled to fit a 3 3/4" action figure with the Valkyrie/Veritech's proportions selectively compressed). Takatoku released the smaller 1/100 VF-1S Battroid Valkyrie later in the same year. In 1984, Bandai acquired the molds of the Valkyrie toy from Matsushiro Toys (which had obtained them from a bankrupt Takatoku Toys months prior) and used them as the basis for a new range. To coincide with

1470-609: A six-foot scale model , at speeds of up to Mach 2. However, in 1957, British government decided to withdraw backing from many aeronautical programs, including Wallis' work. Despite this lack of backing, the Swallow attracted international attention for some time. During late 1958, research efforts were temporarily revived through cooperation with the Mutual Weapons Development Programme of NATO , under which all of Wallis' variable geometry research

1568-479: A sliding wing root or larger tail stabiliser, must be incorporated to trim out the changes and maintain level flight. The added weight of the sweep and trim mechanisms eat into the performance gains, while their complexity adds to cost and maintenance. By moving the wing pivots outboard and only sweeping part of the wing, the trim changes are reduced, but so too is the variation in span and accompanying operational flexibility. British engineer Barnes Wallis developed

1666-590: A small angle during flight. This allowed longitudinal trim in the absence of a separate horizontal stabiliser. The concept would later be incorporated in Barnes Wallis's wing-controlled aerodyne. During the Second World War , researchers in Nazi Germany discovered the advantages of the swept wing for transonic flight, and also its disadvantages at lower speeds. The Messerschmitt Me P.1101

1764-439: A total lack of tailplanes . It is armed with 1, 2, or 4 (depending on model) Mauler RÖV-20 laser cannons mounted on a ventral turret, a GU-11 55mm three-barrelled gun pod holding 200 rounds, four underwing hardpoints holding up to twelve medium-range AMM-1 missiles, twelve Mk-82 LDGP bombs , six RMS-1 large anti-ship reaction missiles or four UUM-7 micro-missile pods containing up to 15 Bifors HMM-01 "micro-missiles". Like most of

1862-438: A variable wing. No other control surfaces were needed. Subtle movements of the wings were able to induce the small deflections which controlled the direction of flight, while trim was maintained by adjusting the angle of sweep to compensate for the varying position of the centre of lift at different speeds. For supersonic flight a delta-planform lifting body is more suitable than a simple ichthyoid. A conflict also arises between

1960-485: A very large automatic rifle. This mode is the intermediate one which was originally intended to simply allow the craft to land in a combat zone with a maximum of defensive ability. However, many pilots soon realized that this mode's considerable maneuverability combined with its speed made it formidable in low level aerial combat as well as when making flanking maneuvers on the ground, and most took advantage of these characteristics for such situations. Valkyrie pilots also have

2058-454: A wing was combined with the firm's Folland Gnat light fighter for two different concepts – one tailless and one using with a conventional tail – for a multipurpose fighter/strike/trainer, designated as the Fo. 147. It had a unique mechanism for wing sweep that combined tracks on the fuselage sides and the underside of the wings, which was actuated by hydraulically -driven ball screws positioned at

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2156-669: Is best known for creating the Macross mecha animated franchise and the Diaclone toyline, which were in turn the basis for the Robotech and Transformers franchises, respectively. He is also known for creating The Vision of Escaflowne anime series. He pioneered several innovative concepts in his works, such as transforming mecha (including the VF-1 Valkyrie in Macross and Optimus Prime in Transformers ) and virtual idols (including Lynn Minmay and Sharon Apple in

2254-401: Is capable of perfect transformation without the need of swapping parts. In addition, the transformation to Battroid mode utilizes retractable actuators that are accurate to the original line art. Shoji Kawamori Shōji Kawamori ( 河森 正治 , Kawamori Shōji , born February 20, 1960) is a Japanese animation creator and producer, screenwriter , visual artist, and mecha designer. He

2352-542: Is higher than that of an unswept wing. These tradeoffs are particularly acute for naval carrier-based aircraft . A variable-sweep wing allows the pilot to use the optimum sweep angle for the aircraft's speed at the moment, whether slow or fast. The more efficient sweep angles available offset the weight and volume penalties imposed by the wing's mechanical sweep mechanisms. Its greater complexity and cost make it practical mostly for military aircraft . A number of aircraft, both experimental and production, were introduced between

2450-473: Is not necessary to sweep the port and starboard wings in the same sense - one can be swept back and the other forward, as in the oblique wing . Varying the sweep asymmetrically by small amounts was also fundamental to the principle of the wing controlled aerodyne. The earliest use of variable sweep was to trim the aeroplane for level flight. The Westland-Hill Pterodactyl IV of 1931 was a tailless design whose lightly swept wings could vary their sweep through

2548-559: Is the primary mode used in high altitude aerial combat planetside and in space combat. In this mode, it features a basic fuselage similar to the real-world F-14 Tomcat jet fighter, including underslung intakes and variable-sweep wing , but with outward-canted vertical stabilizers similar to the F/A-18 Hornet 's, swiveling under-wing hardpoints (last seen on the F-111 Aardvark , Su-24 Fencer , and Panavia Tornado ), and

2646-647: The Do You Remember Love? variants. These toys were released mainly for the North American market. Kaiyodo released a series of VF-1 Valkyrie Battroid figures on their Revoltech line in 2006. Despite not being transformable, these figures boast extreme points of articulation and poseability. Transformable versions of the Revoltech VF-1 Valkyrie figures were released in early 2010. These figures are currently being offered in

2744-467: The Hollywood movie industry. In addition to his innovative mecha design work, Kawamori also came up with innovative concepts in his character writing. In contrast to earlier mecha anime which focused on combatants, he wanted to portray a mecha conflict from the perspective of non-combatant civilians, which led to his creation of the fictional singer Lynn Minmay in Macross . She went on to become

2842-701: The Macross and Robotech franchises, and Optimus Prime (called Convoy in Japan) from the Transformers and Diaclone franchises. In 2001, he brought his mecha design talent to real-life projects when he designed a variant of the Sony AIBO robotic dog , the ERS-220 . Kawamori came up with several innovative concepts and helped create several franchises which had a significant impact on popular culture, both in Japan and internationally. One of his original ideas

2940-477: The Macross franchise - most recently in 2008 as part of Macross' s 25th anniversary and the launch of Macross Frontier . In 2010, Bandai released an all-new transformable 1/100 VF-1 Valkyrie toy under their VF Hi-Metal line. In 2001, Yamato Toys released their 1/60 VF-1 Valkyrie line. Two years later, they unveiled their 1/48 scale Valkyrie, which went into production until 2007 with limited reissues in 2010. In 2008, Yamato used design and engineering cues from

3038-497: The Macross franchise). His work has had a significant impact on popular culture, both in Japan and internationally. Shoji Kawamori was born in Toyama, Japan in 1960. Later in his youth he attended Keio University in the late seventies and in the same years as Macross screenwriter Hiroshi Ōnogi and character designer Haruhiko Mikimoto , where they became friends and founded a Mobile Suit Gundam fan club called "Gunsight One",

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3136-557: The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 fighter and the Sukhoi Su-24 tactical bomber, both of which flew in prototype forms around the end of the 1960s and entering service during the early 1970s. During 1962, Tupolev's design team, recognising room for improvement on the recently introduced Tupolev Tu-22 bomber, begun work on an extensively redesigned derivative that incorporated a variable geometry wing, intended to address

3234-529: The SDF-1 Macross alien spaceship. It was preceded into production by an aerodynamic proving version of its airframe , the VF-X. Unlike all later VF vehicles, the VF-X was strictly a jet aircraft , built to demonstrate that a jet fighter with the features necessary to convert to Battroid mode was aerodynamically feasible. After the VF-X's testing was finished, an advanced concept atmospheric-only prototype,

3332-524: The Sukhoi T-4 designs. Designated as the Tupolev Tu-160 , it entered operational service with the 184th Guards Heavy Bomber Regiment located at Pryluky Air Base , Ukrainian SSR , during April 1987. The aircraft is the largest and heaviest combat aircraft, the fastest bomber in use and the largest and heaviest variable-sweep wing airplane to have ever flown as of 2020. A variable-sweep wing

3430-503: The Swallow , a blended wing tailless aircraft, which was envisioned to be capable of making return flights between Europe and Australia within ten hours. Later on, the Swallow was increasingly viewed as a potential supersonic successor to the subsonic Vickers Valiant , one of the RAF's V bombers . During the 1950s, several modes of the Swallow were subjected to promising tests, including

3528-612: The United States by Harmony Gold USA through Robotech.com. ThreeZero planned to release the fully transformable VF-1J figure as part of Robo-Dou line under license from Harmony Gold USA and Crunchyroll . During the run of the original Macross series, model kits of the VF-1 Valkyrie were released in Japan by Arii, Imai, and Nichimo. Most of these were non-transformable and required glue and paint to assemble, but variable types were also released in 1/100 and 1/72 scale. These transformed into all three modes, but required swapping

3626-411: The camber or chord of the wing automatically to adjust to the flight regime; this technique is another form of variable geometry . A straight, unswept wing experiences high drag as it approaches the speed of sound, due to the progressive buildup of sonic shockwaves. Sweeping the wing at an angle, whether backwards or forwards, delays their onset and reduces their overall drag. However it also reduces

3724-427: The giant alien invaders on their own scale as the military had anticipated they would need. As shown in the original TV series, this mode allowed the humans to disguise their VF-1 as a Zentradi officer and to infiltrate one of their warships during a rescue operation. The VF-1 valkyrie in battroid mode is also much stronger than the average Zentradi soldier and is able to defeat them in unarmed combat with ease. However,

3822-485: The 1/48 line to release newer versions of their 1/60 line. An unpainted, unassembled kit version of their 1/60 VF-1S Valkyrie was released in 2010. This kit is targeted to collectors who are into customizing their Valkyrie collection. In 2009, Yamato Toys released their Valkyrie Battroid figures on their GN-U Dou line to compete with Kaiyodo's Revoltech figures. Despite being non-transformable, these figures boast exceptional articulation and poseability. In 2013, Yamato Toys

3920-556: The 1940s and the 1970s. The majority of production aircraft to be furnished with variable-sweep wings have been strike-oriented aircraft, such as the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-27 , Tupolev Tu-22M , and Panavia Tornado . The configuration was also used for a few fighter/ interceptor aircraft , including the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 , Grumman F-14 Tomcat , and the Panavia Tornado ADV . From the 1980s onwards,

4018-603: The AFVG, as it was working on two competing in-house projects: the variable geometry Mirage G and the Mirage F1 . According to aviation author Derek Wood, both Dassault and the French Air Force were unenthusiastic participants in the AFVG, the former wanting to pursue its own indigenous variable geometry aircraft, while the latter had determined that the type did not align with its future equipment plans. In June 1967,

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4116-512: The F-14 Tomcat, sweep between 20 degrees back and 72 degrees back. Unlike the F-14, the wings can sweep 90 degrees back for storage, with the tail module folding up over the fighter's back. Although the VF-1 technically has an unlimited service ceiling and atmospheric range (since it can operate in space), the VF-1's internal tanks cannot carry enough propellant to achieve a stable orbit and needs

4214-556: The French government announced their withdrawal from the AFVG project ostensibly on the grounds of cost. Despite the AFVG programme's collapse, the design was revamped by BAC into a larger strike-oriented variable geometry aircraft. Holding contracts were issued to BAC to support the project, which had been re-designated as the United Kingdom Variable Geometry (UKVG) aircraft. In November 1967, BAC issued

4312-648: The GBP-1S (see below), the FAST pack doesn't prevent transformation. Fighter mode has two sub-modes: The shield that covers the cockpit in Battroid mode is usually absent, except on pilot's request for use as a heat shield, for example in case of atmospheric re-entry (seen performed in the original Macross series in episode 27). In GERWALK ( G round E ffective R einforcement of W inged A rmament with L ocomotive K nee-joint) mode (called "Guardian Mode" in Robotech ),

4410-697: The GBP-1S Ground Battle Protector weapon system. Manufactured by Shinnakasu Heavy Industries this pack is armed with fifty-six 28 cm (11 in) diameter Erlikon GH-32 Grenade Crusher high maneuverability micro-missiles (twenty-two mounted in two shoulder launchers, ten mounted in two chest launchers, sixteen mounted in side leg launchers, and eight mounted in rear leg launchers), eighteen Erlikon GA-100 Crusher high-speed armor-penetrating projectiles mounted in two lower arm launchers, and six Remington H-22T large hand grenades mounted on torso. This armor pack has to be ejected to allow

4508-458: The Hollywood movie Top Gun (1986). According to Kawamori, "Many people pointed out that later films like Top Gun copied that idea and setting, as well as including the combination of many songs and fighters too." Note: Macross II is the only animated Macross project in which Kawamori had no involvement. Variable-sweep wing A variable-sweep wing , colloquially known as

4606-549: The P.45 light attack/trainer to AST 362. This work fed into a joint Anglo-French programme to develop a variable geometry strike aircraft – the Anglo French Variable Geometry Aircraft (AFVG). This multirole aircraft was to be equipped with a variable geometry wing and was intended to perform the strike , reconnaissance, and interceptor roles. However, as early as 1966, the French aircraft manufacturer Dassault began to actively undermine

4704-694: The TSR-2 was terminated during the flight testing phase primarily due to the programme's spiralling costs. To replace the TSR-2, the Air Ministry initially placed an option for the American General Dynamics F-111K ; while the F-111K was promoted as being cheaper, this too was terminated during January 1968 on grounds of cost. Following the TSR-2's cancellation, BAC moved their variable-geometry work to Warton, there submitting

4802-524: The Tu-22's poor handling characteristics more so than bolstering its efficiency at high speeds. As of 2014 more than 100 Tupolev Tu-22M strategic bombers are in use. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Britain was developing the BAC TSR-2 , a supersonic low-level strategic bomber. Later variants of the type would have been fitted with variable-geometry wings. However, on 1 April 1965, development of

4900-727: The US Navy procured the Grumman F-14 Tomcat to replace the canceled F-111B fleet interceptor during the 1970s. The F-14 was a more nimble fighter than the F-4 Phantom II and, unlike the F-111, its variable-sweep wings automatically adjusted over its speed range, and could be moved even during turns. Furthermore, the wings could be swept forward for tight "bat" turns in close quarters aerial combat, as well as rearwards for dash speeds. Rockwell adopted variable geometry for

4998-552: The VF-0 Phoenix, was flight-tested from 2005 to 2007 and briefly served as an active-duty fighter from 2007 to the VF-1's rollout in late 2008, while the bugs were being worked out of the full-up VF-1 prototype (VF-X-1). The VF-1's combat debut was on February 7, 2009, during the Battle of South Ataria Island - the first battle of Space War I, and was the mainstay fighter of the U.N. Spacy for the entire conflict. Introduced in 2008,

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5096-441: The VF-1 looks like a fighter airplane folded up to resemble a 12.7-meter-tall (42-foot-tall) humanoid. The legs are now straight and bend in the normal direction; the sides of the nose now resemble a human chest and shoulders (where the arms attach), and the laser turret is now a head. While the Battroid mode has some limited altitude control, its primary purpose is for ground hand-to-hand combat , which enabled Earth forces to fight

5194-408: The VF-1 looks like the nose and wings of a fighter plane stuck on "chicken walker" legs with two arms. The legs are formed by the aircraft's engines and intakes, bent down and forward. The arms are stored between the engines in fighter mode and fold out to the sides, reaching around from behind the legs. In GERWALK mode, the gun pod is held by the fighter's manipulator "hands" and acts in all respects as

5292-406: The VF-1 would be out of frontline service just five years later, replaced by the far more advanced VF-4 Lightning III . However, the fighter would continue to show its worthiness years later when, during the events of Macross 7 , Milia Jenius (a major character in the original series) would use her old fighter in defense of the colonization fleet. In Robotech , development of the Valkyrie began at

5390-532: The VF-1's nomenclature, the "GU" and "AMM" designations of its weapons are references to current US military designations (GPU for Gun Pod Unit and AIM for Air Intercept Missile ). In fighter mode the VF-1's thermonuclear engines and the several vernier rockets on its fuselage make it capable of operating as an aerospace fighter. It can reach a maximum speed of Mach 3.87 at high altitude (above 30,000 m (98,000 ft)), and Mach 2.71 at medium altitude (10,000 m (33,000 ft)). Its wings, similar to those of

5488-420: The VF-1. As Hasegawa's products are geared towards more experienced modelers, their Valkyrie kits are very accurately detailed. Since the VF-1, Hasegawa has released kits of variable fighters from most of the other Macross series as well. In 2013, Bandai released an all-new 1/72 scale transforming kit of the VF-1 Valkyrie to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Macross . Unlike previous transforming kits, this model

5586-448: The Valkyrie's transformation into GERWALK and Fighter modes. The VF-1 Valkyrie is a variable geometry aerospace fighter built in four main variants). The four models differ slightly in engines, avionics, and armament: Information listed here is only canon for the Macross continuity. This list is incomplete. Models referenced here are only from the Robotech continuity. This list is incomplete. In 1983, Takatoku Toys released

5684-548: The animation studio Satelight . Shoji Kawamori is also a visual artist and a mecha designer — projects featuring his designs range from 1983's Crusher Joe to 2005's Eureka Seven . Also, each and every variable fighter from the official Macross series continuity has been designed by him. Kawamori also helped to design various toys for the Takara toyline Diaclone in the early 1980s, many of which were later incorporated into Hasbro 's Transformers toyline. Quite

5782-420: The concepts which served as basis for several anime series such as Super Dimension Fortress Macross , The Vision of Escaflowne , Earth Maiden Arjuna , Genesis of Aquarion , Macross 7 , Macross Frontier , and Macross Delta . His projects are usually noted to contain strong themes of love , war , spirituality or mysticism , and ecological concern. Kawamori is currently executive director at

5880-571: The design and manufacturing quality. The F-111B, intended for the US Navy , was cancelled in 1968 due the aircraft's weight and performance issues, as well as its inadequacies for the service's fighter requirements. Several variants, such as the FB-111A strategic bomber model, featured elongated wings to give a greater range and load-carrying capability. The F-111's wing featured pivoting pylons (two under each wing) which automatically adjusted to

5978-400: The development of such aircraft were curtailed by advances in flight control technology and structural materials which have allowed designers to closely tailor the aerodynamics and structure of aircraft, removing the need for variable sweep angle to achieve the required performance; instead, wings are given computer-controlled flaps on both leading and trailing edges that increase or decrease

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6076-419: The earlier swept wing Sukhoi Su-7 ). The limitation of the wide spacing, however, was that it reduced the benefits of variable geometry as much as it reduced their technical difficulties. As such, producing new, "clean-sheet" Soviet designs remained desirable. For this, TsAGI devised a more narrowly-spaced arrangement somewhat similar to that of the F-111. This design was used, albeit at different scales, for

6174-730: The end of the Global Civil War, when an alien spaceship crashed into Macross Island in the South Pacific. After learning of the existence of large aggressive humanoid aliens, a United Earth Government was formed and development began on the mecha by the Robotech Defense Force to combat the alien threat by using Robotechnology obtained from the SDF-1 alien ship. In the "Robotech" continuity, the VF-0 did not exist;

6272-486: The end of the conflict, the partially complete P.1101 was recovered and transported to the United States , where it was studied in depth by Bell Aircraft . However, due to a lack of documentation as well as some structural damage sustained, Bell decided against completing the aircraft itself. Instead, a close copy, known as the Bell X-5 , was constructed with wings that enabled the sweep angle to be altered mid-flight. As

6370-459: The era. Despite this head start in the field, development of the F-111 was protracted; flight testing of the F-111A model only ended in 1973. During 1968, cracks were discovered in the F-111's wing attach points , the issue also has been attributed with the loss of an F-111 in the following year. Accordingly, the attach points were structurally redesigned and subject to intensive testing of both

6468-563: The first virtual idol . Voiced by Mari Iijima , Minmay was the first fictional idol singer to garner major real-world success, with the theme song "Do You Remember Love?" (from the film Macross: Do You Remember Love? ) reaching number seven on the Oricon music charts in Japan. Kawamori later took the concept further in Macross Plus (1994) with the virtual idol Sharon Apple , an artificial intelligence (AI) computer program who takes

6566-403: The form of an intergalactic pop star . The same year, he created Macross 7 (1994), which featured the virtual band Fire Bomber who became a commercial success and spawned multiple CDs released in Japan. The Macross franchise set the template for later virtual idols in the early 21st century, such as Hatsune Miku and Kizuna AI . Another innovative character concept he came up with

6664-736: The form of the Panavia Tornado. Following the AFVG effort, Dassault Aviation constructed a prototype fighter, the Mirage G, completing two aircraft, the Mirage G4 and G8, in 1968. Furthermore, Dassault also worked in cooperation with the American manufacturing interest Ling-Temco-Vought to develop the LTV V-507 , which was submitted for US Navy's VFX project . From the VFX submissions,

6762-563: The front fuselage for Battroid mode. Many of these kits were imported into the U.S. by Revell under the Robotech Defenders line. When Imai went out of business, the molds of their Macross model kits were acquired by Bandai, who reissued the kits throughout the 1990s. In 1999, Arii released the 1/24 scale VF-1S Valkyrie fighter kit, which is the largest scale replica of the Valkyrie to date. In 2001, Big West commissioned Hasegawa Corporation to manufacture new 1/72 model kits of

6860-494: The help of a booster pack to reach Low Earth Orbit . While in fighter mode, the VF-1 can also be equipped with a FAST (Fuel And Sensor Tactical) Pack space booster and weaponry system. This system vastly improves the speed and survivability of the fighter as well as giving it access to extra ammunition. The FAST pack isn't adapted for atmospheric use, due to its impact on a Valkyrie's aerodynamics and its weight; as such, it needs to be discarded before atmospheric entry. Contrary to

6958-496: The initial sponsor, which wanted a more conventional robot for the hero to pilot. When creator Shoji Kawamori designed the transforming "Breast Fighters" (later redesigned and renamed the "VF-1 Valkyrie" fighters) instead, he had no real thoughts of a third mode. But when the manufacturer Takatoku Toys sent along the prototype of a Valkyrie toy for his input, the prototype's legs were not yet locked into place in Fighter mode, causing

7056-420: The legs to swing down. This was reminiscent to him of the discarded "GA-WALK" mecha idea that had been shot down early in pre-production. He liked the idea, and worked to incorporate the third mode, now renamed "GERWALK," into Macross . In GERWALK mode, the VF-1 has a maximum speed of 500 km/h (310 mph) flying, 100 km/h (62 mph) walking. In Battroid mode (called "Battloid Mode" in Robotech ),

7154-431: The main design inspiration of the VF-1. When it came to naming "Valkyrie" was used as a tribute to the real world XB-70 Valkyrie , which was an experimental supersonic strategic bomber developed in the United States in the 1960s. The VF-1 was created entirely by Kawamori and Studio Nue. In Macross , the VF-1 was developed by Stonewell/Bellcom/Shinnakasu for the U.N. Spacy by using alien Overtechnology obtained from

7252-491: The mid-1980s, with Macross: Do You Remember Love? (1984) and Zeta Gundam (1985) in Japan, and with Robotech (1985 adaptation of Macross ) and Transformers (1986 adaptation of Diaclone ) in the West. In turn, Macross and Zeta Gundam became influential in Japan, while Robotech and Transformers became influential in the West, with Robotech helping to introduce anime to North America and Transformers influencing

7350-470: The much larger Advanced Manned Strategic Bomber (AMSA) program that produced the B-1 Lancer bomber, intended to provide an optimum combination of high-speed cruising efficiency and fast, supersonic penetration speeds at extremely low level. The B-1's variable-sweep wings provide a relatively high level of lift during takeoff and landing, while also generating little drag during a high-speed dash. When

7448-493: The non-transformable VF-X was followed by a version which had only fighter and Guardian mode. Not until June 2007 was the final version of the VF-1, which could transform into battloid mode, released. It unofficially saw its first combat in early 2007, when test pilot Roy Fokker "borrowed" the first production-model aircraft - a VF-1S that would remain his mount for the rest of his life, and become Rick Hunter 's aircraft after his death - to thwart an Anti-Unification plot to destroy

7546-459: The option to deploy the legs alone, leaving the arms in storage. According to an article in Animerica magazine, the form came about partially by accident. Early in the development cycle for Macross , the creators planned a main mecha called "GA-WALK", with an ostrich-like leg configuration (similar to the enemy battle pods from the finished series). However, the idea met with resistance from

7644-438: The overall span of a given wing, leading to poor cruise efficiency and high takeoff and landing speeds. A fixed wing must be a compromise between these two requirements. Varying the sweep in flight allows it to be optimised for each phase of flight, offering a smaller aircraft with higher performance. However it has disadvantages which must be allowed for. As the wing sweeps its centre of lift moves with it. Some mechanism, such as

7742-452: The pivot mechanism he had developed, NASA also insisted on implementing a conventional horizontal stabiliser to ease the issues of trim and manoeuvrability. Although it was no longer the wing-controlled aerodyne that Wallis envisaged, it would prove a more practical solution than either his or Bell's. Swallow research led to several new configurations, including the adoption of a compact folding tail section and canards . Barnes' work inspired

7840-546: The release of the film Macross: Do You Remember Love? , Bandai released the 1/55 Hi-Metal VF-1A Valkyrie with the newer paint scheme used by Hikaru Ichijyo . This was followed in the same year by the VT-1 Super Ostrich and VE-1 ELINT Seeker, as well as the VF-1S Strike Valkyrie. Throughout the years, Bandai has reissued the 1/55 VF-1 Valkyrie toy line in Japan during anniversary celebrations of

7938-416: The superior size, physical strength, endurance and resistance to space vacuum of Commander Type Zentradi makes them much more dangerous and equal opponents for the Valkyrie. In Battroid mode, the VF-1 has a maximum airspeed of 220 km/h (140 mph). Its maximum running speed is 160 kilometres per hour (99 mph). In this mode, the Valkyrie can also be equipped with a reactive armor package called

8036-591: The sweep angle. Subsequent swing-wing aircraft, such as the Panavia Tornado and Sukhoi Su-24 , would also be similarly equipped. In the Soviet Union , military planners had also formulated similar requirements, which led to TsAGI , the Soviet aerodynamics bureau, performing extensive studies into variable geometry wings. TsAGI evolved two distinct designs, differing mainly in the distance (expressed as

8134-465: The task of more than one fighting vehicle: In Fighter mode it can act as a jet fighter or a space fighter; in GERWALK (or Guardian in Robotech ) mode it acts as a VTOL unit or a " chicken walker " mecha; in Battroid mode (or Battloid in Robotech ) it acts as a humanoid mecha . The VF-1's Fighter mode is its basic mode and is the typical mode employed when the craft is parked at a military base and

8232-549: The three primary symbols of UEG power. Officially, the first combat of the VF-1 was, like Macross , February 7, 2009, during the Battle of Macross Island - the first battle of the First Robotech War. Much like its "Macross" counterpart, the VF-1 would remain in service for the remainder of the conflict. The VF-1 is different from modern fighter aircraft in that it can transform into three different configurations or modes for different combat environments, and can perform

8330-413: The variable sweep wing. He devised a method of varying the tail geometry as well in order to stabilise the centre of lift; no sliding mechanism was necessary, instead, the wing wake interacted with the variable tail to effect the necessary trim changes. During 1949 and 1951, Baynes filed patent applications associated with this work. While the design reached the physical modelling stage and was subject to

8428-444: The wing be swept. Most aircraft that travel at those speeds usually have wings (either swept wing or delta wing ) with a fixed sweep angle. These are simple and efficient wing designs for high speed flight, but there are performance tradeoffs. One is that the stalling speed is increased, necessitating long runways (unless complex high-lift wing devices are built in). Another is that the aircraft's fuel consumption during subsonic cruise

8526-434: The wing sweep angle necessary for trim and the optimal angle for supersonic cruise. Wallis resolved this by moving mass, typically the engines, out to the wing tips and swivelling them as the wing swept in order to maintain the thrust line. In the asymmetric engine-out condition, the remaining engines could be swivelled to divert the thrust line closer to the centre of pressure and reduce the asymmetry to manageable levels. It

8624-494: The wing swept back, the root also slid forwards, maintaining the centre of lift in a constant position. A variable-sweep wing of this sliding type was flown on the prototype Grumman XF10F Jaguar in 1952. However, flight testing of the F10F proved to be unacceptable, albeit for other factors such as a lack of engine power and considerable controllability issues. During the late 1940s, British engineer L. E. Baynes started studying

8722-424: The wing's inner ends. The wings could be swept from 20 degrees to 70 degrees; at the 70-degree position, longitudinal control was maintained by wing tip-mounted elevons , while this was provided by a retractable canard arrangement when swept at the 20-degree position, using full auto- stabilisation . By providing trimming functionality via the canard, the necessity of a large tailplane was eliminated. The Fo. 147

8820-688: The wings were set to their widest position the aircraft had considerably better lift and power than the B-52, allowing the B-1 to operate from a much wider variety of bases. Rockwell submitted its proposal in January 1970, competing against bids by Boeing and General Dynamics. The B-1's development was authorised in October 1981 as a stopgap between the increasingly vulnerable B-52 and the more capable Advanced Technology Bomber (ATB). Initial operational capability

8918-481: Was an experimental jet fighter which was, in part, developed to investigate the benefits of varying wing sweep. Its sweep angle mechanism, which could only be adjusted on the ground between three separate positions of 30, 40, and 45 degrees, was intended for testing only, and was unsuitable for combat operations. However, by Victory in Europe Day , the sole prototype was only 80 per cent complete. Following

9016-474: Was claimed to have been capable of speeds in excess of Mach 2, being limited by the heat buildup generated by high speed flight. Ultimately, the concept would not be developed to the prototype stage while the RAF showed little interest the prospective variable geometry trainer. During the 1960s, the first programmes to produce mass production variable-sweep aircraft commenced. In the United States, such

9114-580: Was reached on 1 October 1986 and the B-1B was placed on nuclear alert status. The Soviet Union also opted to develop a large strategic bomber equipped with variable geometry wings. During the early 1970s, Tupolev's design, which was initially designated Aircraft 160M , featured a lengthened blended wing layout and incorporated some elements of the Tu-144 , competed against the Myasishchev M-18 and

9212-637: Was restructured into Arcadia. The company is in the process of reissuing their 1/60 VF-1 Valkyrie replicas. In 2002, Toynami released a Robotech Masterpiece Collection range of products. Included in this range was a series of fully transformable VF-1 models in collector's packaging. Following the end of the Macross Saga of the Masterpiece Collection, Toynami released 1/100 scale VF-1 toys in 2006 that were marketed as Macross toys rather than Robotech toys. This lineup also included

9310-547: Was selected as the winning design used by Boeing 's entry in the FAA 's study for a supersonic transport , the 2707 . However it evolved through several configurations during the design stage, finally adding a canard, and it eventually became clear that the design would be so heavy that it would be lacking sufficient payload for the fuel needed. The design was later abandoned in favor of a more conventional tailed delta wing . The advent of relaxed stability flight control systems in

9408-546: Was shared with the Americans. According to aviation author James R. Hansen, American aerospace engineer John Stack was enthusiastic on the concept, as were numerous engineers at NASA ; however, the United States Department of Defense was opposed to committing any resources to the project. Wallis collaborated with NASA's Langley Laboratory on a design study for a variable-sweep fighter. Although it used

9506-496: Was the role of Misa Hayase in Macross (called Lisa Hayes in Robotech ), who was one of the main commanders of the Macross battleship. She was the boss and commanding officer of the fighter pilot protagonist Hikaru Ichijyo (called Rick Hunter in Robotech ), and later his love interest. This was a scenario Kawamori came up with which he had not seen in any Hollywood movies before. A similar scenario, however, later appeared in

9604-495: Was the transforming mecha , which can transform between a standard vehicle (such as a fighter plane or transport truck) and a fighting mecha robot. He introduced the concept with Diaclone in 1980 and Macross in 1982, with some of his most iconic transforming mecha including the VF-1 Valkyrie from Macross (later adapted into Robotech in 1985) and Convoy from the 1983 Diaclone line (later called Optimus Prime in Transformers ). The concept later became more popular in

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