A to Z Challenge: SDFs

The main prize in the first Robotech series is the SDF-1, which stands for Super Dimensional Fortress.  Why is it called this?  Because it can fold through dimensions and it's a fortress, I guess.

SDF-1, Cyclone, and Jetfires

The ship was designed by the alien scientist Zor as his personal transportation.  When he's killed, he has some loyal Zentraedi send the ship to a planet he saw in a vision:  a placid blue world far removed from the fighting.  You know, Earth.

The SDF-1 crashes on Earth and is badly damaged.  The Zentraedi on board are all killed.  Humans board the ship and decide to rebuild the ship as a way to unite all of humanity in a common struggle.  Besides the crash damage, much of the ship was designed for the giant Zentraedi so it had to be rebuilt and scaled down for the humans who would be using it.

That's part of the reason that when Rick Hunter and Minmei crash in part of the ship, no one finds them for weeks:  there's a lot of it that simply isn't in use at first.  This is helpful after the disastrous fold to Pluto because there's plenty of room in the ship to transplant most of Macross City into the SDF-1.

Besides this, two aircraft carriers that were anchored off the island are affixed to the sides of the SDF-1 to become sort of like arms when later the SDF-1 has to transform into a humanoid shape so it can fire its main gun.

The main gun is the ship's primary weapon, as you'd expect from the name.  It's a tremendous amount of energy unleashed between the twin booms that are at the front of the ship in its "cruiser" mode or on the shoulders in the "Attack" mode.  Though after the fold to Pluto the weapon can only be used in the Attack mode.  Also, after firing it the ship is basically drained of power for a couple of minutes until it can recharge.  That way the SDF-1 couldn't just keep blasting the Zentraedi like a video game until they were all dead, right?

After the fold to Pluto the fold engines disappear and are replaced by a weird energy that becomes a shield.  But to add more complications the shield can't be used at the same time as the main gun.  Because otherwise it'd be invincible!  You always have to have an Achilles heel.  Or two.

With the aircraft carrier arms, Lisa Hayes comes up with the "Daedalus Maneuver," which is basically punching an enemy ship.  A ramp in the front of the aircraft carrier (which totally have ramps in the front, right?  No.) is lowered and mecha launch a bunch of missiles into the enemy ship.  And like in Star Wars those missiles hit something vital and blow it up.

After the battle with Dolza's fleet, the SDF-1 lands on Earth forever.  It briefly gets airborne when Khyron attacks and launches one last burst from the main gun before Khyron's cruiser hits it and blows it up.

Along with it goes the ill-fated SDF-2.  The SDF-2 is an identical twin that was reverse engineered from the SDF-1.  It was supposed to have the SDF-1's engines installed, which is why the two ships were together when they were destroyed.  Lisa Hayes was supposed to command an expedition to Tirol to negotiate with the Robotech Masters.

SDF-3 and Alpha fighters

Instead, Breetai's Zentraedi flagship was scaled down and refitted into the SDF-3.  Because of that it can't transform like the SDF-1; it was stuck in the "cruiser mode." The SDF-3 doesn't really get to do a whole lot.  It jumps to Tirol to find the planet abandoned by the Robotech Masters.  After an attack by the Invid it pretty much just sits there for like 20 years, until it's time to go, when it jumps into another dimension.  In the other dimension its fold engines disappear but they eventually find the original SDF-1 engines and swap those in.

SDF-4

The SDF-4 was the first class of ships built after the humans took over Tirol.  If there was an SDF-5 or 6  there was really no mention of them in the books.

The SDF-7 is stolen by the Sentinels after their original ship is destroyed on Praxis.  The Sentinels rename it the Ark Angel.  After the Sentinels campaign it returns to Earth and is boarded by Scott Bernard and some others to find the SDF-3 once the Invid have left the planet.

Shadow Chronicles Ark Angel

There's an Ark Angel in the Shadow Chronicles movie but apparently it's not the same ship.  Probably not all that different.

It's weird that in the last book it says they're building an SDF-4 to explore the Andromeda galaxy.  Shouldn't it be SDF-8?  Whatever.