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VF-22S Sturmvogel II

The VF-22 Sturmvogel II is variable fighter that makes it's first appearance in Macross 7. The design got more screen time in it's prototype phase, the YF-21 for the Original Animated Video series, Macross Plus. The Plus video series came out on VHS in the summer of 1995, less than a year after Macross 7's premiere and a few months before it's end and detailed the VF-19 Excaliber's and VF-22's days of development. The story line for Plus took place before the events of Macross 7.

The design is considered to be a combination if human and zentraidi technology with the zentraidi portion closely resembling components from the female battler armor/suite the Queadluun Rau. Unlike all other variable fighter designs that have engine in the 'legs' of the battroid mode, the Sturmvogel has the engines mounted like a back pack. The Sturmvogel prototype, the YF-21 was piloted by a 'brainwave control system' (BDS) that allowed the pilot to control the aircraft with his/her mind but it proved to have defects shown in Plus so the VF-22 has the more traditional controls of other variable fighters.

This Hasegawa kit (No 65765) is a non-transformable kit that shows the VF-22 in fighter mode. Initially released in 2003, it has gone through periodic re-releases.