Stonewell Bellcom VF-4 Lightning III

VF-4 in GERWALK Mode

Mekton Zeta play stats

MECHA PROFILE
Name                    Weight          Cost
VF-4 Lightning III      14 tons         237.8

MECHA PLAY STATS
Configuration   MV  MR  Land MA     Flight MA
Battroid        -0      6 (67mph)   18 (524mph)
Gerwalk         -1      6 (67mph)   27 (Mach 1.8)
Fighter         -2      ---------   36 (Mach 3.4)

MANEUVER POOL                   MAIN SYSTEMS
                                Power Plant XS: 5
MECHA COMBAT SKILLS             Plant split between LL, RL
Mecha Piloting  +MR=            Desert, space, reentry protection
Mecha Fighting  +MR=            Transform: fighter, hybrid, weapon network
Mecha Melee     +MR=            +1 MV Verniers
Mecha Gunnery   +MR=            VTOL
Mecha Missiles  +MR=

    COMMAND ARMOR, ARMOR, AND SERVOS
ServoModule CA-SP   CA-DC   CA-AbC  SP  DC  AbC Kills   Add+
Torso                               4   1       8
Head                                1   1       1
Left Arm                            2   1       4
Right Arm                           2   1       4
Left Leg                            3   1       4       +1
Right Leg                           3   1       4       +1
Left Wing                           0   0       2
Right Wing                          0   0       2

MOVEMENT SYSTEMS                SENSORS
Movement System Loc Kills       Sensors Main    Backup
L. Thrst (8 MA) LL  0           Loc     Torso   Head
R. Thrst (8 MA) LL  0           Range   11km    1km
                                Comm    1300km  300km
                                Kills   2       2
                                Notes
                                
                        ARMAMENT
Weapon          WA  Range   Damage  Shots   Kills   Loc Notes
Right Hand      +0  Melee   1K      na      1       RA  Quick, Handy
Left Hand       +0  Melee   1K      na      1       LA  Quick, Handy
R. Beam Cannon  +1  7       3K      inf.    3       RA  Interservo crosslink
L. Beam Cannon  +1  7       3K      inf.    3       LA      |           |
6 Missiles      +0  15      8K      6       3       T   Seeking: 2, Skill 6+

        SUBASSEMBLIES
Cockpit     # Crew  Type    Enc.    Options
Torso       1       Screen  Canopy  Escape Pod
Subassemblies                       Loc     Kills
Liftwire                            T
Antitheft Code Lock                 T
Spotlights                          T

VF-4 in Battroid Mode

Roleplaying Notes

The Macross Compendium, maintained by Egan Loo, has detailed information on the specs of the Lightning III.

The first official drawings of a transformed VF-4 were for the recently-released Playstation game, Macross Digital Mission VF-X. The picture above was apparently scanned from advertising material for that game. Notice the picture shows a gunpod. None of the other information I’ve found (including the game itself) indicates that VF-4s carry gunpods, so I didn’t include one in my design. There’s no reason a gunpod couldn’t be picked up when needed, though.

Design Notes

Certain liberties were taken here, mostly with speed, since Mekton Zeta doesn’t try to keep track of speed at various altitudes. For simplicity, I just went by the thrust/weight ratio.

There are certain design issues common to all variable fighters.