by Pieter Thomassen, with Peter Walker and Rob Morgenstern
edited by Tim Wing
Attachments:
- Quel-Quallie reference file
- Quel-Quallie gallery
Designation: Boquomouxy Quel-Quallie electronic warfare/ long range recon vehicle (UEDF reporting name: Cyclops)
Note: While Zentraedi ships have been assigned Terran naval/space type designators, it must be stressed that their size and capabilities placed them in a class of their own, matched only by contemporary Tirolian and modern Terran construction of like designations. As such, their designations must be viewed as indicators of intent and use rather than absolute strength. In addition, the proper translation of the Zentraedi vessel designations into English was never completely agreed upon; for instance, some texts call the Quel-Quallie-class recon auxiliary a ‘theatre scout pod’ or ‘troop carrying recon vehicle’.
Names and disposition:
- The Quel-Quallie is a design from the Boquomouxy 2117334th Zentradi Fully-automated Weaponry Production. Quel-Quallie craft were built in that, and every shipyard that constructed Zentraedi naval vessels. Almost all Zentraedi warships carried several of these smaller vessels; in total, more than 20 million Quel-Quallie must have been constructed.
- The Quel-Quallie entered production in 1812 and remained in production until the final years of the Tirolian Mercantile Empire.
Ship’s Complement:
- Ship’s crew: 3 men
- Troops: 5 men
- Life support limits are for a full combat complement and about 2 supernumeraries (10 men total)
Dimensions:
- Length: 126.7 meters, 84.9 meters (legs extended downwards)
- Width: 57.8 meters
- Height: 29.8 meters (radar pod retracted), 38.2 meters (radar pod extended), 90 meters (legs extended)
- Weight: 2076.9 metric tons (typical)
Propulsion systems:
- Main power system: 2 x 16.8 GGV class Boquomouxy protoculture-fueled Reflex furnace clusters. The powerplants of a Quel-Quallie class vessel can nominally deliver up to 336 Gigawatts of power, and can operate for 75 minutes at maximum power before overheat initiates auto-shutdown.
- Maneuvering Thrusters (76): fusion-plasma reaction thruster clusters with steerable nozzles. There are eight quadruple clusters with larger type thrusters; under and over the nose of the vehicle, one on each flank and two on top of the rear engine housing, and on the flanks of the vessel outboard of the landing legs. Smaller quadruple clusters are located on the housings of the telescoping landing legs and forward of the lower hatch. Two twin thrusters are located in the flank, forward escape pod hatches.
- Two Boquomouxy type 23 plasma-shock expansion engines mounted in the rear facing aft. The maximum output of each thruster is 259.5 GN.
- Four Lebikanma gravity pods.
- Planetary Capabilities: The Quel-Quallie is fully atmosphere capable through its reaction thrusters and anti-gravity system . The Quel-Quallie can land on any sufficiently firm surface using its telescoping landing legs. In a Zentraedi hangar bay the Quel-Quallie must be docked in a special cradle to prevent the craft from rolling over as it would rest on the bulging hangar doors in its belly.
Endurance and mobility limits:
The dry stores endurance is one week maximum. After this time, the Quel-Quallie will have to restock its supplies.
The mecha consumables supplies are non-existent. Mecha cannot be rearmed on board the Quel-Quallie. However, protoculture cannisters can be carried wherever there is space for them, and changing cannisters on mecha in the field is eminently possible.
The Reflex furnace can function for about 12 years at normal usage levels before an energizer rebuild is necessary.
The Quel-Quallie has a combat radius delta-v of 14.7 kps on its reaction mass alone. The engines lack the efficient long-duration thrust modes of those on larger Zentraedi ships, but they can propell the vessel at over 2.5 g until fuel exhaustion.
The maximum sustained speed in an Earth-like atmosphere is 2460 kph at 12.000 m. The maximum hover time on the anti-gravity systems is limited only by the protoculture supplies and maintenance requirements.
The maximum underwater speed is 30 knots; note that this involves firing the main engines and is decidedly un-stealthy, with a noise level that can be detected hundreds of kilometers away and a steam trail pointing to the vessel above the surface. The maximum underwater speed using the telescoping landing gear as legs is 5 knots.
The maximum speed using the telescoping landing gear is 65 kph. However, as a rule, the Quel-Quallie pilots use their anti-gravity systems and maneuvering thrusters rather than the leg system.
Weapon systems:
Cannons:
- Four Makral Martszur-6 (also known under the Terran designation of PB-10a) sextuple-barreled rotary particle beam cannons mounted in the bow. The sub-barrels can each fire a particle beam of 2.5 MJ every second, all can be fired in parallel, for maximum localized damage, or in series for increased chances of a hit. The barrels for these cannons are reinforced over the common barrels such as those found on the Regult battlepods as the Quel-Quallie is capable of re-entry.
Missiles:
- 12 x Rotpaen Touwhaug (UEDF codename: Minstrel) missiles in single tubes, six on each flank. The standard load-out for reconnaissance missions was 8 x standard Rotpaen Touwhaug and 4 x Rotpaen Touwhaug-likran nuclear missiles, the latter for anti-shipping or anti-installation tasking.
Air group and mecha complement:
- Four to five Zentraedi mecha (such as the Glaug or Queadluun-Rau) in the cargo bay. Typically these mecha comprised a surface recon team, to be inserted by the Quel-Quallie.
- One advanced sensor drone in the cargo bay (precludes carrying a mecha force).
- The Quel-Quallie is equipped with two Boreregue escape pods with room in each for four men.
Electronics:
Active sensors:
- ZTSP1-SS (*) super-long range high-frequency pulse Doppler radar in an extendable rotating radar dish on top of the vessel used for detection and large object tracking.
- ZTSP1-SS extreme range medium-frequency radar utilizing phased arrays throughout the vessel.
- ZTSP1-SS medium range phased array radar with spherical coverage, for various scan/track, navigation, targeting, battlefield surveillance and counterbattery modes. The system also has an ISAR mode.
- ZTSP1-SS variable frequency lidar system with spherical coverage. This system also functions as a laser ranger and designator.
Passive sensors:
- ZTSP1-SS gravity-wave sensors.
- ZTSP1-SS passive and active particle system cluster.
- ZTSP1-SS full-spectrum spherical EM sensors.
- ZTSP1-SS long range, high-resolution IR, UV and visible light sensor cluster in the nose.
- ZTSP1-SS medium range, spherical coverage IR, UV and visible light camera system. These sensors are backed up by numerous floodlights around the nose.
- ZTSP1-SS seismic sensors in the feet.
Strategic Electronic Warfare System:
- The cargo bay can be fitted with an extensive, high-power, broad-band EM sensor jammer pallet.
Tactical Electronic Warfare Systems:
- ZTSP1-SS High capacity chaff/flare dispensers.
- ZTSP1-SS High power broadband sensor jammers.
- The passive EM sensors are tied in to the jammers and dispensers, functioning as highly precise radar/IR warning receivers.
Elint management systems:
- ZTSP1-SS Information management system with extensive recording, computing, and data-link systems.
(*) Terran designation. The Tirolian designers considered the sensors part of the design and did not assign separate designations for these systems.
Design notes and history:
The Quel-Quallie was a Zentraedi naval auxiliary with the size of a small Terran wet navy frigate. Designed for reconnaissance taskings, the Quel-Quallie had standard a very comprehensive sensor suite. In addition, the vessel had a cargo bay in the belly. This cargo bay could hold a large sensor drone, a recon team of up to five Zentraedi mecha, or a large sensor jammer. The latter payload turned the Quel Quallie into a potent EW craft, capable of completely disrupting the radar functions of large ships, albeit only over a limited section of space.
Beauty is one quality the Quel-Quallie will never be accused of having had. The hull was short relative to its width, and two large main engines pointed to the rear. Two blisters flared out to the sides, containing reaction mass tanks, attitude thrusters, and two large semi-independent telescoping legs mounted on one large ‘V’ housing. The belly of the craft bulged down around the cargo bay, necessitating a supporting frame when the vessel was docked within a mothership or base. A large radar antenna sat on top of the craft, and could be erected before use.
The Quel-Quallie was used for many duties, ranging from preliminary reconnaissance to permanent surveillance. In addition, the craft was occasionally pressed into supporting offensive operations, either as an EW vehicle or as an assault team transport.
Robotech (R) is the property of Harmony Gold. The Super Dimension Fortress Macross (R) is the properties of Big West Advertising and Studio Nue. This document is in no way intended to infringe upon their rights.
Original artwork by: Miyatake Kazutaka
Acknowledgement is extended to the work of Egan Loo and the Macross Compendium. Egan Loo is given all credit for all quotes and paraphrasing of the Macross Compendium that has been utilized in this publication.
Images Courtesy of Chad Wilson (Marchly) and the Macross Mecha Manual. Chad Wilson is given all credit for all images from the Macross Mecha Manual that have been utilized in this publication.
Acknowledgement is extended to Peter Walker, Pieter Thomassen and Robert Morgenstern of the unofficial Robotech Reference Guide. Peter Walker, Pieter Thomassen and Robert Morgenstern are given credit for all quotes and paraphrasing of the unofficial Robotech Reference Guide that has been utilized in this publication.
Images from – Macross Perfect Memory (1983)
Content by Pieter Thomassen, with Peter Walker and Rob Morgenstern, edited by Tim Wing
Copyright © 2000, 1997 Robert Morgenstern, Pieter Thomassen, Peter Walker; 2016 Tim Wing