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The VF-1 Valkyrie is a series of variable fighters first featured in the Super Dimension Fortress Macross television series. Originally used by the U.N. Spacy during Space War I, these variable fighters have become an iconic symbol in the Macross timeline, so much so that "Valkyrie" is sometimes used as a synonym for "Variable Fighter".

It would eventually serve well beyond its original service date, with models such as the VF-1X Valkyrie Plus appearing in Macross VF-X2, the VF-1X++ (Hakuna SP) in Macross The Ride and the VF-1EX Valkyrie in Macross Δ.

Overview

The VF-1 was created between 1980 and 1982 by Japanese mecha designer Shōji Kawamori with contributions by his Studio Nue partner Kazutaka Miyatake. 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.[1]

History

In Macross, the VF-1 was developed by Stonewell / Bellcom / Shinnakasu for U.N. Spacy by using alien Overtechnology obtained from the SDF-1 Macross alien starship. 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-0A 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 5 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 Fallyna Jenius would use her old fighter in defense of the colonization fleet against the Protodeviln.

Variants

Gallery

References

External Links

RobotechLogo

For the Robotech equivalent, visit VF-1 Valkyrie.

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