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QF-3000E Ghost Fighter
QF-3000E Ghost Fighter profile schematic
QF-3000E Ghost craft sortie from South Ataria airfield
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Northrom QF-3000E Ghost Fighter-Bomber
Equipment Type: all-environment unmanned fighter-bomber
Government: U.N. Spacy
Manufacturer: Northrom
Introduction: maiden flight 2003
Operational Deployment: 2004
Accommodation: none (AI controlled)
Dimensions: height 7.85 meters; width 9.35 meters; length 21.62 meters
Mass: empty 22.0 metric tons; maxmimum T-O 31.0 metric tons
Power Plant: thermonuclear reaction engine (*see note below)
Propulsion: **26,000 kg x 1 (255.06 kN); **48,500 kg x 1 (afterburner) (475.79 kN)
Thrust-to-weight ratio: empty 1.18; maximum T-O 0.84; empty (afterburner) 2.20; maximum T-O (afterburner) 1.57
Performance: unknown
Design Features: 1 x forward-looking main sensor; numerous other sensors; semi-autonomous AI system; blended lifting body; canard wings; overfuselage air intake
- Armament -
Guns:
6 x Mauser 55mm machine guns (mounted internally; each gun utilizing a separate forward-facing firing port; three guns each on the left/right sides of the forward fuselage)
Bombs & Missiles:
12 x Bifors multipurpose missiles (two 3-tube launchers mounted internally to the left and right of the rear fuselage)
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A next generation aircraft evolving from the hypersonic lifting-body Superbird series of unmanned fighter-bombers, the QF-3000E became an all-environment unmanned craft used throughout the U.N. forces. As an unmanned spaceplane the "Ghost" was aptly named like previous AI-controlled craft but the QF-3000E is much larger than its predecessors. Carrying numerous cannons and internal missiles makes the Ghost a potent weapon and the craft is often used in large numbers, sometimes equaling the manned fighter compliment onboard some U.N. carrier ships. Issues experienced with the reaction engine in the QF-3000E helped in the development of the VF-X. At the beginning of Space War One in February 2009, there were 120 QF-3000E's stationed aboard the SDF-1 Macross with a further 270 units deployed on ARMD-01. Less than 100 QF-3000E Ghost fighter units survived to remain active after the conclusion of Space War I.
*Variable Fighter Master File VF-1 Valkyrie Vol. 1 (2009) states the QF-3000E engine was the same model (FF-1999) later used within the initial reaction engine test airframes for the VF-0 Phoenix.
**Macross Journal Extra: Sky Angels: VF-1 Valkyrie Special Edition (1984) includes Ghost thrust ratings.
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Debut: Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Episode 1 (brief appearances, Episode 9 and 24)
Pilot(s): (unmanned craft)
Other appearances: none
Original mechanical designer: Kazutaka Miyatake |
Information Courtesy of the Macross Compendium: www.macross.anime.net/wiki/Main_Page
Additional Information Courtesy of fan translation (Seto Kaiba of the Macross World forum community)
Images From - Macross Perfect Memory and other macross books
Additional schematic: Macross Journal Extra: Sky Angels: VF-1 Valkyrie Special Edition (1984)
C. Wilson - Writer, Editor and Colorist
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