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sketchley

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  1. sketchley
    Expanding on that point: the ramjets would not work at all unless the VF-4 was travelling at high speed in an atmosphere. At the speeds required (apparently they're most efficient at Mach 3 and work up to Mach 6), the turbines wouldn't be used at all*. * At high mach speeds with the VF-1, they closed the air intakes and turn the turbines into what amounts to a rocket motor. While it is unclear if the VF-4 has the same capabilities, it defeats the purpose of the ram jets: to use the atmosphere as much as possible to conserve fuel. That "rocket mode" of the turbine engines uses propellant in lieu of atmosphere, consuming fuel at as high a rate—or higher—than in space. So, without any published specifics, I'd hazard a guess that the ramjets produce an equivalent (or somewhat greater) amount of thrust as the turbines, but they do it much more efficiently at high speeds.
  2. sketchley
    A decade or so ago, there was a pilot on a Discovery show that said something along the lines of: modern air combat is firing missiles at beyond visual range and then bravely retreating. Due to that, I don't think that the ground-to-air/air-to-ground combat will disappear from these kinds of movies. For starters, seeing ground scenery rushing by not only gives the viewer a sense of how the jets are spatially moving, it's also a lot more exiting than planes looping in blue sky! Nevertheless, I agree with your sentiments about more air to air combat—the writers just have to come up with a good reason to send the ace pilot(s) into aerial combat after finishing air combat school!
  3. sketchley
    I wouldn't write off your story right away. Pluto is definitely a viable place to build... something. There is frozen water on the surface (literally mountains made of ice), and in the real world places with water ice are where we are most likely going to explore and build (permanent) settlements on first. In short, water also provides air (oxygen) and fuel (hydrogen). As the fuel thirsty VF-1 (and other Valkyries) apparently rely on 'hydrogen slush' for fuel, it makes perfect sense to build at least a mining outpost/refinery on Pluto. I understand that you are being a bit facetious, but it makes perfect sense to have some kind of orbital platform to facilitate the transfer of fuel to cargo ships. So, a McDonald's orbiting Pluto isn't completely out of the question—though, shouldn't it be 'Humburger Popo'*? 😋 * where Hikaru and Minmei went on their date in DYRL
  4. sketchley
    I meant more that "cryo-sleep is a thing in SDF-1" rather than the other part (in that we first see cryo-sleep depicted in Macross Plus). Anyhow, I've been pouring over my SDFM books, and scanned what few pictures there are on South Ataria Island after the space fold. Keep in mind that they are all immediately after the fold: ① What was transported and its state immediately after arrival (note the dispersal direction arrows in the lower right of the bottom right image): ② One of South Ataria's emergency shelters floating in space: ③ A pair of mystery objects floating in space from the same episode. While the second one looks like some type of tug or rescue boat, the first one could be a fuel tank from the airport (based on the 'JP-7') or even some kind of satellite. The text that accompanied the images is equally baffling: 'stuff floating in space':
  5. sketchley
    The official description of the island is: http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/Stats/Locations/EarthTransNeptunian.php#Ataria Due to its depiction in series, and just the nature of a (massive) chunk of rock with little—if any—internal support that was subsequently slammed into by the SDF-1 shortly after defold, I've always interpreted the remains as: "It is slowly spreading over a larger area due to events that occurred immediately after its arrival and subsequent interactions with gravity fields and the Solar Wind. The area looks more like an icy 'smudge' (perhaps occasionally being mistaken for a comet) in space." So, while it may be possible to convert 'some' of the remains into a Satellite City*, it would be significantly smaller than what the island was prior to the space fold. * I'm presuming you mean a city floating in space, as we're not sure exactly where the SDF-1 defolded (1). In this scenario it would be cheaper just to build a new Satellite City from scratch in situ than sending someone to collect the floating debris and transport them back to Pluto's orbit (2). (1) It's incredibly vague where the defold happened. At worst, it is in the frustratingly expansive "in Pluto's orbit" (as in any part of the path Pluto takes in its 247.94 year orbit). At best, it would be "near" Charon (based on the assumption that the SDF-1 was attempting to fold to the opposite side of Earth's Moon, and the guidance computer they were using mistook Charon for the Moon). (2) We know the Unified Forces were deploying space patrols after the First Interstellar War. It's plausible that they used the remains to build some type of (hidden) monitoring post and/or front-line base in the ruins for the Super Valkyries and other patrol vehicles. It would certainly be nicer on the pilots than putting them into cryo-sleep for the journey to/from Pluto's orbit. Which is apparently a thing!
  6. sketchley
    as per http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/MCRtechnology/15aNatureRegenerationProject.php : "millions (some say tens of millions)"
  7. sketchley
    Here's the Macross Chronicle article detailing the effects, and the (ongoing) cleanup measures: http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/MCRtechnology/15aNatureRegenerationProject.php And the complimenting article about the Earth (generally describing the state just before and during SWI): http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/MCRworldguide/03aEarth.php The key statement in the latter article is "Much of the planet has become a wasteland, but cities were built by those who survived."
  8. sketchley
    The way that "Mobile Weapon" is used in the original materials, it appears to explicitly mean Zentradi mecha. Obviously there's a lot of overlap between the human ground mecha and Zentradi mecha. So, the way "Mobile Weapon" and "Destroid" are used in the original Japanese is more to describe the primary user rather than the purpose or use (especially as such things as the "Fighter Pods" are also described as Mobile Weapons!)
  9. sketchley
    Did someone say chainsaws on a VF? https://www.deviantart.com/studiootaking/art/VT-1CS-Silviculture-Valkyrie-Lineart-605492693
  10. sketchley
    Yesterday, when I picked up the latest Great Mechanics G 2023 Winter issue (the one with the awesome Mospeada cover, BTW), and was surprised to find an article on Macross Zero, specifically the upcoming Macross Zero BD release. Apparently it's using the "latest AI remastering technology"(!), The official (?) release site with the BD particulars (cost, content, extras, etc.): https://v-storage.bnarts.jp/sp-site/macross_zero_bdbox/ And the Macross Youtube channel has a promotional video—which thankfully shows a side-by-side comparison on some shots:
  11. sketchley
    Seto gave a great response. But there was one thing that appears to have been neglected: the Battroids and Destroids were scaled the size they were to facilitate communication (I like to think this means in such things as peace talks). It may also be one of the reasons why the VF-1's Battroid doesn't have guns and missile launchers poking out of every crevice like we see on the Destroids.
  12. sketchley
    I would describe the differences as "not insignificant". That said, Hasegawa is the company that produced both versions of the SDF-1 kit with few changes to the central "core" ship between the movie (released first) and TV series versions. It suggests that if they produce a TV version of the Q-Rau, it will mostly be the movie version molds, with a few key elements changed (i.e. the top antenna).
  13. sketchley
    The technology to do that didn't exist at that time. While it is easy to strap any old sharpened piece of metal to a gun pod, it wouldn't be very effective against armoured targets using Energy Conversion Armour (like the Battle Pods). Therefore, an effective anti-mecha blade weapon isn't seen until something like the 2040's—after a good 20 or 30 years of humanity both micronizing and working the kinks out of OTEC to enable a viable Valkyrie-scale bladed weapon.
  14. sketchley
    Which begs an interesting pair of questions: where was that "rainforest"? And when did it grow? As indicated by the Macross Chronicle sheet I linked to above, global temperatures rose drastically, and sea levels fell. Therefore, what we think is "a tropical rainforest" may not necessarily be in the Tropics. Also, some plants grow wickedly fast. While that rainforest could have survived the destruction, given enough time (and a place devoid of nasty radiation), it could have grown within a couple of months to a couple of years. Anyone who has had experience with Japanese knotweed will appreciate what I'm getting at.
  15. sketchley
    There's not much—if any—specifics on it. I think it was mentioned that a single VF-24 (or a small squad of them) could successfully overcome the defences of something like an Eden class planet. As for specifics, we've only been able to infer some of its capabilities. Such as the comparatively "limited" capabilities of the YF-24 being brought up to something equivalent to the VF-24 by using Ex-Gear (in the VF-25), or cyborg pilots (the "Cyber-grunts" in the VF-27). In other words, the 'impressive' capabilities of the VF-24 aren't so much the destructiveness and variety of its weapons, but its speeds and manoeuvrability.
  16. sketchley
    Which brings to mind this still from Macross Plus (that's not the Moon in the background): From what few appearances there have been in subsequent Macross series, there are several major metropolitan areas. There are also many in orbit, too. However, it's nothing like the Earth that we know. Going by the hard facts mentioned in the Macross Chronicle article, the arctic regions (where Macross City is located) are the new habitable zones, the tropical regions appear to be too hot, and there probably isn't much ice—if any!—in the polar regions any more.
  17. sketchley
    I recently translated the Macross Chronicle page on the cleanup after the orbital bombardment (Technology 15A: The Nature Regeneration Project): http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/MCRtechnology/15aNatureRegenerationProject.php It has some rather unsettling details (like what happened to the oceans, and subsequently the atmosphere), and some neat things like the orbital sunshade.
  18. sketchley
    First, you're assuming that the Destroids have been retired. New units appear to have been produced by such places as the Galaxy and Frontier Fleets as late as 2059. On the other hand, the UN Army was seen using tanks in the SDFM era. The ground forces in the Frontier Fleet were also seen using what amounts to a wheeled tank. Regrettably, your question is difficult to answer, as Macross tends to focus on the Valkyries operated by the space and air forces and ignore the ground forces and what they use. The general trend would be that the UN Army is using a combination of a Destroid like the Cheyenne II, along with armoured vehicles (APC, light armour vehicle, etc).
  19. sketchley
    Some links to images of the ground forces/infantry he's referring to: New Unified Forces Soldier Combat Uniform: http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/Stats/Statistics/Flightsuits/Spacesuits.php#MFMun2 Beatrice: http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/Stats/Statistics/AFV/Beatrice.php There are also the Special Forces version of EX-Gear shown in the Frontier movies that were retrospectively added, as well. It should be noted that the Beatrice was just as quickly destroyed by the Heavy Soldier Vajra, but the Cheyenne II was more effective at destroying the larval Vajra with its flame units.
  20. sketchley
    In a way, Destroids have never really gone away. Because Macross focuses on the Valkyries, the Destroids hardly ever appear, if at all. Post SWI, aside from the aforementioned Cheyenne II and the Destroids that appeared in Macross 7, there are: Destroid Works (arguably the most likely to be quickly developed into a combat Destroid): http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/Stats/Statistics/Cheyenne/Works.php the Destroid Works-esque Power Loader that appeared in Macross Delta the LDR-04 Maverick that appeared in one of the late 90's/early 00's games* ADR-04-Mk XV S-Defender from Macross the Ride: http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/Stats/Statistics/Defender/S-Defender.php Shield enhanced Destroid Monsters (on Bellfan April 2030) from the Macross M3 game** Looking farther afield, there are a pair of Destroid-like vehicles introduced in the VF-X2 game: Annabella Lasiodora Gjagravan Va Combined with the Zentrādi Armoured Personnel Carrier that appeared in the SS/PS1 Super Dimensional Fortress Macross - Do You Remember Love? side scroller, ground-based, non-transforming mecha are still being introduced in the series, when and where applicable. Nevertheless, this doesn't negate Seto Kaiba's point: there's a reason why the post-SDFM/DYRL Macross shows focus on the Valkyries, and the Destroids (if they appear at all) are relatively easy-to-defeat peons mainly used by the show runners to illustrate how relatively powerful the 'new' enemy forces are. On the topic of modifying a Battroid into a Destroid-like vehicle, there is the rejected design from SDFM for the MBR-08 Masamune (not sure if it's the correct designation, either). * note sure if that is the official name and designation for it. Nevertheless, it's penned by Kazutaka Miyatake himself. ** if memory serves, they are operated by the game's enemy forces. Nevertheless, an official example of Destroids with something akin to Pinpoint Barriers.
  21. sketchley
    Short answer: yes. They took a proto-human species on Earth and combined it with their DNA to make the human race (which they envisioned at the time as a "worker race" when they colonize the planet in the [distant] future). Longer answers: 1 The Protoculture Interference and the Installation of the "Bird Man" The Protoculture triggered the birth of the human race on the Earth. At that time, the Bird Man was placed to deter such things as self-destruction or the excessive development of civilization through wars and so on. Source: http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/MCRworldguide/02ABirdman.php and Planets inhabited by humanoids similar to Earth humans are likely to have experienced Protoculture interference. http://sdfyodogawa.mywebcommunity.org/MCRworldguide/01AProtoculture.php
  22. sketchley
    The Macross Chronicle article on the Factory Satellites indicate that they are still being actively acquired in the 2050's. Earth has a couple dozen. Eden has at least one. Emigrant Fleets that find them retain them as they continue on their journeys, etc. The factory ships like the one seen in Macross 7—while capable of manufacturing ships—just aren't as efficient at doing that as the Factory Satellites. They are more geared for consumer goods and smaller-scale military equipment (Valkyries, missiles, etc.)
  23. sketchley
    Long story short: Macross incorporates music that will sell the most. The only one in the OP's list that is remotely likely to do that is choir. However, the current trend for that (in Japan) are for ensemble groups like AKB48. Unless they have the entire voice actor cast participating, I doubt any show would have the budget for that many singers.
  24. sketchley
    The YF-21/VF-22 has sub-engines in the legs, too. I'll submit that the VB-6 is unique as its sub-engines are "normal" engines (aka thermonuclear reaction engines), however every VF that doesn't have "normal" engines in the legs has rocket motors or vernier-like engines in the legs (like the YF-21/VF-22 does).
  25. sketchley
    Which raises the question: are the particles being ingested good or bad for the engines? In other words, is it like an aircraft flying through a cloud of volcanic ash and the materials will melt and adhere to the inside of the engine like they did on BA 009? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Airways_Flight_009#Investigation
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