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In the fictional series Robotech and Macross, the first Variable fighter or "Veritech" fighter is called the VF-1 Valkyrie. The VF-1 was designed by legendary Japanese mecha designer Shoji Kawamori in 1981 to be the centerpiece mecha design of the anime series Super Dimension Fortress Macross.
The VF-1 is built in three different variants: A standard soldier's fighter is the brown-painted VF-1A, a group leader's fighter is the white-painted VF-1J and a commander air group 's fighter is the garishly colored VF-1S. Other than paint schemes, the three models differ slightly in armament: The VF-1A has one laser on its head, the VF-1J has two and the VF-1S has four.
The VF-1 was preceded into production by an advanced-concept prototype, the VF-0 Phoenix, which 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. The VF-1's combat debut was 11 February 2009, during the Battle of Macross, the first battle of the First Robotech War.
The VF-1 is different from modern fighter aircraft in that it can transform into three different configurations for different combat environments, and can perform the task of more than one fighting vehicle: In fighter configuration it acts as a jet fighter; in gerwalk (or Guardian) configuration it acts as an attack helicopter; in Battroid configuration it acts as an infantry fighting vehicle.
The VF-1's fighter configuration is its basic mode and is the typical mode employed when the craft is parked and is the primary mode used in high altitude aerial combat planetside.
In this configuration, it resembles a single-seat, swing-winged hybrid between the F-14 Tomcat and F/A-18 Hornet jet fighters. It's armed with 1, 2 or 4 (depending on model) laser cannons mounted on a belly turret, a GU-11 55mm three-barreled gun pod and up to twelve medium-range AMM-1 anti-mecha missiles. Later VF-1 variants could carry pods containing up to 15 "micro-missiles" in place of the AMM-1 missiles. Like most of the VF-1's nomenclature, the "GU" and "AMM" designations of its weapons are referential to US military designations (GPU for Gun Pod Unit and AIM for Air-launched Interceptor Missile).
The missiles were carried on multiple-ejector racks on the four wing hardpoints. Long-range anti-mecha missiles could be emplaced for fleet-defense roles, but in the target-rich environments the Valkyries faced, this was not typically done. In fact, based on enemy weapons loadouts the optimal solution appeared to be to emplace as many "micro-missiles" as possible. They could also carry large antiship missiles for destroying enemy capital ships.
In fighter configuration, the VF-1 can reach a maximum speed of Mach 3.87 at high altitude (above 80,000 feet), Mach 2.5 at medium altitude (between 10,000 and 80,000 feet) or Mach 1.38 at low altitude (below 10,000 feet). Its wings, similar to those of the F-14 Tomcat, sweep between 20 degrees back and 68 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 technicaly the VF-1 has an unlimited service ceiling and atmospheric range (since it can operate in space), the VF-1's engines cannot produce enough thrust to achieve a stable orbit and need the help of a booster pack to reach Low Earth Orbit.
In GERWALK (Ground Effective Reinforcement of Winged Armament with Locomotive Knee-joint) configuration (called "Guardian Mode" in Robotech), 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 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, the mode's considerable maneuverability combined with its speed made it useful in low level aerial combat and flanking maneuvers on the ground. Pilots have the option to deploy the legs alone, leaving the arms in storage.
In GERWALK mode, the VF-1 has a service ceiling of 10,000 feet and a maximum speed of 670 miles per hour.
In Battroid configuration (called "Battloid Mode" in Robotech), the VF-1 looks like a fighter airplane folded up to resemble a 42 foot tall human. 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 mode has some limited flight ability, its primary purpose is for ground fighting which enabled Terran forces to fight the giant alien invaders on their own scale the military anticipated they would meet.
In Battroid mode, the VF-1 has a service ceiling of 10,000 feet and a maximum airspeed of 138 miles per hour. Its maximum running speed is 80 miles per hour.
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