VF-4 Lightning III

The VF-4 Lightning III is a fictional fighter aircraft from the Macross universe.

The fighter was developed by Stonewell Bellcom in late 2009, and was promoted as the "next generation" variable fighter for the UN Spacy by the company. The VF-4 was faster, more maneuverable, could generate more thrust than the standard VF-1 Valkyrie, and was armed with dual beam cannons in addition to the traditional GU-11 gun pods. Early models of the VF-4, designated VF-X-4 Prototypes, were produced on Earth for testing purposes in 2010, just as Space War One started to increase in magnitude. The VF-X-4 prototypes were heavily based on the VF-1 Valkyrie design; 35% of the VF-X-4's components were directly taken from the VF-1 Valkyrie, including the entire nose and forward fuselage section.

More VF-X-4s were constructed and tested by a number of UN Spacy pilots, including Skull Squadron leader Hikaru Ichijyo. In 2012 the final design for the VF-4 Lightning III was completed and mass production of the new fighter began.

The first VF-4 squadrons were issued to the Skull and Iron Chiefs Squadrons, which accompanied the SDF-2 Megaroad-01 on her colonization mission in late 2012. After the Megaroad left production of the VF-4s continued, and in 2020 the Lightning III officially replaced the VF-1 Valkyrie as the main tactical fighter of the UN Spacy. The VF-4 design was itself replaced in 2030 by the VF-11 Thunderbolt. A grand total of 8,245 VF-4s were produced for the UN Spacy between 2012 and 2030.

Variants

* VF-X-4: Trial-produced variable fighter built using 35% VF-1 Valkyrie parts, including the nose and forward fuselage section.
* VF-4G: Production version in service in 2047 with engines replaced and upgraded for increased thrust.

Trivia

*First appeared in .
*The VF-4 Lightning III was named after a proposed name for what would be eventually be deemed the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, the next United States Air Force main fighter. The suggested Lightning 2 name in turn was coined from the Lockheed P-38 Lightning, a World War II American fighter. Lightning II was later adopted as the name of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, after the P-38/F-5 Lightning and the BAC English Electric Lightning, a Cold War-era British supersonic interceptor.
*In Robotech (an American adaptation based on the original Macross television series and two other works), the VF-X-4 (subsequently named YF-4) was declined for production due to "staggering cost and complexity," and was superseded by the VFA-6 Alpha.

External links

* [http://www.anime.net/macross/mecha/united_nations/variable/vf4/index.html Macross Compendium entry for the VF-4]
* [http://www.macrossnexus.com/ Macross Nexus]