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Also, I was re-watching MacrossII the other day (was bored) and noticed that they referenced NUNS in some of the background art. I know it's an alternate timeline, but has it always been called NUNS in the main series, but never really referenced as such? Or is it just one of those strange coincidences?

Limits of animation, I'd assume, although most likely fighter mode provides the most speed and changing to anything else would result in a drop in speed thus allowing the enemy to either catch up or speed away. But I'm fairly certain they've changed modes in a dog fight, although I can't think of a specific example. I'll have to keep an eye out for this the next time I watch anything Macross. I'd assume that it's just a normal part of any kind of combat, whether it's in space, air, or on the ground. As the two enemy forces engage, launch projectile weapons first (shells, missiles, arrows, spears, catapult, whatever) as both sides approach each other, and then follow up via melee. The initial attack allows you to take out as much of the enemy as you can without directly engaging them, so that when you do engage them, there's less of them.

Looking closely at when the VF-27 shot at Alto & Luca, the beam hits the leftover cabling that was holding Luca's Valkyrie in place, but also hits his gunpod so it's hard to say if he was trying to help or was just being an ass. Edit: Actually, looking closer, it's hard to say because of the lack of depth perception. Could be that he was aiming and missed because the damage to the cabling was minimal. Or he was just being an ass.