A fighter jet or a starfighter that can transform into a manned mecha in the MACROSS franchise. It was introduced in the first series Choujikuu Yousai Macross from 1982.
Most of them have three modes of transformation: giant robot (battroid), fighter jet, and an in-between mode called gerwalk.
Variable fighters were renamed Varitechs in the ROBOTECH American adaptation of Macross.
Most of the variable fighters of the franchise (except those from Macross 2) were designed by mecha designer and anime creator Kawamori Shouji.
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