The Praedian Records

J.G. Phoenix

Favorites In Fiction

YF-29 Durandal

The YF-29 Durandal is a high performance variable fighter developed in secret and designed specifically to fight the Vajra. It is a sibling unit to the VF-25 Messiah. The unit’s key features are the integration of the Tornado pack used by the VF-25 Messiah, four thermonuclear reaction turbine engines, and the use of highly-purified fold quartz.

Features

Fold Quartz Integration

The key feature of the Durandal is its Fold Wave system, which grants an inexhaustible supply of energy for the unit through the integration of highly purified fold quartz.  The Fold Wave system uses four fold quartz, each named after the four relics contained in the golden hilt of the legendary sword, Durandal: Saint Peter’s tooth, Saint Basil’s blood, Saint Denis’ hair, and piece of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s raiment.

3-mode transformation

Like virtually all valkyries, the Durandal has a 3-mode transformation scheme: Batteroid mode (B-mode), GERWALK mode, and fighter mode. Each comes with its own strengths and trade-offs.

Batteroid Mode

The most physically versatile of the Durandal’s three modes, batteroid mode is an inspiration carried down from the first valkyries. Its purpose is to allow pilots to face off against Zentradi giants directly, be it in open battle or in the realm of their own massive dwellings. Batteroid mode also excels in hand to hand combat

GERWALK Mode

GERWALK (Ground Effective Reinforcement of Winged Armament with Locomotive Knee-Joint), is an intermediate mode between Batteroid and Fighter mode. While it shares its control scheme and ability to fly with Fighter mode, GERWALK enables the use of the variable fighter’s arms and legs. GERWALK mode is enables ‘gunship’ behavior, such as low altitude hovering and landing on rought terrain.

Fighter Mode

The Durandal’s standard mode, fighter mode is the most mobile and familiar mode for valkyrie pilots. While in fighter mode, the Durandal has access to all weapons with the exception of the assault knife. In exchange for having a conventional fighter form, fighter mode offers exponentially higher top speeds than batteroid or GERWALK modes.

Inertia Store Converter

The I.S.C. TO22 assists the Durandal’s pilot by counterbalancing the immense G forces imparted by the unit’s high speed maneuvers. The TO22 model can handle a maximum instantaneous acceleration of 30 Gs.

Quantum Beam Gun Pod

 

High-speed Machineguns

 

Twin MDE Beam Cannon

 

Heavy-Armored Shield

 

Assault Knife

 

Pin-point Barrier System

 

Micro-Missiles

 

Super Pack System (Optional)

 

Specifications

General Characteristics

  • Crew: 1 Pilot +1 Passenger; cockpit for EX-Gear equipped pilot and rear auxiliary seat (hidden by cover, which can be pulled away allowing seat to rise)
  • Batteroid Dimensions: Height Unknown
  • GERWALK Dimensions: Unknown
  • Fighter Dimensions: Wingspan 14.15 meters (with main wings deployed); height 3.88 meters (without landing gear); length 18.73 meters
  • Mass: empty 11.92 metric tons (not including space equipment)
  • Power Plant: two Shinsei Industry/ P&W/ RR FF-3001/FC1 Stage II thermonuclear reaction turbine engines; two Shinsei Industry/ LAI/ RR FF-3003J/FC1 Stage II thermonuclear reaction turbine ramjet engines
  • Propulsion: 2 x 2,105 kN (maximum thrust in space); 2 x 1,470 kN (maximum thrust in space)
  • Thrust-to-weight ratio: (empty) 61.14
  • Maximum Airframe Design Load: 32.5G

Performance

  • Fighter Mode: at 10,000 m Mach 5.5+, on account of fuselage heat-resistance limit; speeds of Mach 10+ possible for brief periods
    Maximum Airframe Design Load: 32.5G
  • 3-mode variable transformation

Equipment and Armament

  • F.Q.A. (Fold Quartz Amplifier)
  • I.S.C. (Inertia Store Converter)
  • A.S.S. (Active Stealth System)
  • 1 x Howard/L.A.I. HPB-01A Heavy Quantum Beam gun pod
  • 2 x Remington ES-25A 25mm high-speed machine guns
  • 1 x TW2-MDE/M25 twin MDE beam cannon
  • 1 x Heavy-Armored Shield
  • 1 x Ka-Bar OTEC AK/VF-M9 Assault Knife
  • 1 x pin-point barrier system
  • 100 x micro-missiles in 12 x Bifors MBL-02S micro-missile launchers

Optional Equipment

  • Super Pack system

My Favorite In Fiction

Macross’ variable fighters combine two of my favorite types of vehicles into a near perfect whole. It’s hard to pick only a single one I like the most out of all of them. It all comes down to going through the ones I like the most and asking myself, “Which one do I want to pilot, above all the others?”

The answer is the YF-29 Durandal.