The article above was posted on Hobby Japan Web January 2, 2025. See it here.
Yamato Mechanics Part 3: Cosmo Hound
A new series that explains the mechanics of battleships and other vessels that appear in the reboot version of the Yamato series from Yamato 2199 to REBEL 3199. The third installment is about the experimental dimensional submarine Cosmo Hound, whose action in Chapter 2 is still fresh in our memory. We will take a closer look at the performance of this machine, which is equipped with a dimensional submarine function through technical exchange with Garmillas.
Writer: Yuka Minakawa
Captions:
A: Variations of the Type 5 medium transport boat include the presidential plane of the Air Force and the gunship type for patrols. (The illustration shows the presidential plane.)
B: Because it can dive and surface under 1G, it was used in the Yamato crew’s escape mission from the new capital city invaded by Dezarium. Garmillas’ dimensional submarine UX-01 and Dezarium’s Taygeta-class large transport ship have similar capabilities, and are used in operations such as secretly infiltrating planetary surfaces.
C: Conceptual diagram of the Cosmo Hound stored in the second hangar. In reality, the stabilizing wings are folded.
The first H-201-class experimental dimensional submarine was developed as a special boat that can travel between normal outer space and subspace. The dimensional submarine technology was provided through a technology exchange with Garmillas, and the name Cosmo Hound is derived from the code name “Hound” of the Garmillas military’s dimensional submarine UX-01 during its operational use (“Hound” was also the nickname of the UX-01’s captain, Commander Wolf Frakken).
The ship navigates using a large composite nozzle at the rear of the hull, but uses a dimensional wave engine in normal space and a Gesh-Val engine for propulsion in subspace. In addition, it has two Cosmo Turbines and one linear spike Cosmo Engine as auxiliary engines (the dimensional wave engine and dimensional submarine device are located in the center of the linear spike Cosmo Engine unit).
To break through and submerge in dimensional boundaries, it uses a multidimensional phase ballast tank, just like the dimensional submarine. The multidimensional phase ballast tank is installed inside the delta wing-shaped stabilizer. The stabilizers are detachable, and in an emergency, they can be forcibly removed to rise to normal space. At this time, the auxiliary engine (linear spike type Cosmo Engine) installed at the tail of the main body is used for propulsion.
The separation structure of the main body and stabilizers is due to the fact that the base hull was developed under the concept of a multipurpose transport craft. This concept was to make the main body highly versatile by attaching various units to it. By 2207, variations of the Type 5 medium transport craft were deployed to each branch of the Earth Defense Forces.
Dimensional diving is possible even on planetary surfaces under gravity of about 1G. For this reason, it is more operable than warp, which has problems such as gravity damage to the engine due to the effects of gravity and appearing in a place that is different from the target coordinates. (However, normal dimensional diving travels through the shallow depths of subspace, so it is not possible to shortcut distances in light years like warping.)
The usefulness of this dimensional diving function was demonstrated during the rescue of the royal family from Iscandar during the Iscandar incident in 2205. The Cosmo Hound traveled to and from subspace within the Sanctel inside Iscandar.
After the Iscandar incident, the Cosmo Hound was used as a test vessel to collect various data, and then was assigned to the Asuka-class supply carrier Asuka. It was not armed during the test phase, but at this point the hull was equipped with self-defense armaments equivalent to those of the Type 5 medium transport. After the order for Operation DAD was issued in 2207, it was transferred to Yamato when Asuka reached the Icarus Observatory. It was stored in Yamato‘s second hangar and used as a support vessel.
Although the Cosmo Hound is capable of dimensional diving, it launches from the landing port at the starboard rear of Yamato. This is because it is technically difficult to submerge in the immediate vicinity of an extra dimension.
Wave-Motion Energy is defined as a vibration of the six-dimensional membrane surface of an extra dimension, and this vibration “ruffles” the dimensional boundary. Diving into subspace requires that the dimensional boundary be stable, and diving or surfacing in a state of intense vibration can lead to the loss of the hull or aircraft. (There is also a theory that this is a cause of frequent accidents that occurred during the development of the Gesh-Val engine). For this reason, the Cosmo Hound cannot perform a dimensional dive inside the second hangar.
Click here to read designer Junichiro Tamamori’s coverage of the Cosmo Hound