VF-1 Valkyrie
Hikaru and Roy sitting in a VF-1D dual-seater variant at South Ataria Island, 7 February 2009. Behind it is a single-seat variant, VF-1A.
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| First appearance | The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Episode 1 |
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| General characteristics | |
| Maximum speed | Mach 2.71 at 10,000 m (33,000 ft) Mach 3.87 at 30,000 m (98,000 ft) |
| Armaments | External GU-11 55mm gunpod 1–4 Mauler RÖV-20 anti-aircraft laser cannons Four pivoting hardpoints under the wings |
| Propulsion | 2x Shinnakasu Heavy Industry/P&W/Roice FF-2001 thermonuclear reaction turbine engines |
| Power | 11,500 kgf/650 MW each |
| Mass | 13,250 kg (29,210 lb) (empty) |
| Length | 14.23 m (46.7 ft) (fighter mode) 11.3 metres (37 ft) (GERWALK mode) 4 m (13 ft) (battroid mode) |
| Width | 14.78 m (48.5 ft) (wings fully extended) 8.25 metres (27.1 ft) (wings swept) 7.3 m (24 ft) (battroid mode) |
| Height | 3.84 m (12.6 ft) (fighter mode) 8.7 metres (29 ft) (GERWALK mode) 12.68 m (41.6 ft) (battroid mode) |
In the fictional Macross Japanese anime series and its English adaptation Robotech, the first mass-produced transforming aerospace fighter mecha is called the VF-1 Valkyrie. The VF-1 Valkyrie is referred to as a variable fighter in the series Macross, but this is changed to the term veritech fighter in the Robotech series.
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 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. Contrary to popular belief, the VF-1 was created entirely by Kawamori and Studio Nue, without any involvement from Harmony Gold USA or Carl Macek.
In Macross, the VF-1 was developed by Stonewell/Bellcom/Shinnakasu for the U.N. Spacy by using alien Overtechnology obtained from 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, 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, 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.
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