MAT Arrow 1

MAT Arrow 1
Data
Type	Fighter/Transport
Length	15 m
Width	14 m
Weight	15 t
Max Speed	Mach 5 or more
Crew	3 people
Affiliation	MAT GUYS
First Appearance	Return of Ultraman episode 1 "All Monsters Attack"
Latest Appearance	Great Decisive Battle! The Super 8 Ultra Brothers

MAT Arrow 1 is the main combat aircraft deployed by MAT.

Overview

The MAT Arrow 1 is a primary jet fighter attack aircraft equipped with vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities and high attack performance. The cockpit is a dual-seat configuration, typically accommodating a pilot, a co-pilot responsible for attacks, and a radar operator. In certain missions, it can also be operated by a single pilot. The fighter lands by deploying its landing gear from the main wings. To distinguish the fighter's aircraft, a yellow stripe is painted on the nose.

As the basic attack mecha of MAT, MAT Arrow 1 is powered by a water pump-jet hybrid turbojet engine, which provides excellent acceleration and maneuverability. Its arsenal includes machine guns mounted under the wings, a flamethrower, MN bombs, and missiles launched from the underside of the aircraft. The nose is equipped with a laser emitter, and the aircraft is capable of brief underwater navigation, making it a highly versatile combat aircraft.

History

Return of Ultraman

In the series, MAT Arrow 1 serves as the primary combat mecha for the team, used for main patrols, exploration missions, and battling kaiju. Various enhancements were considered to improve its functionality, such as equipping missile pods under the main wings and adding extensions that allow the aircraft to emit high-temperature flames from the underside. Rocket pods were also utilized as external weapons. Additionally, new instrument equipment was installed in the cockpit.

In the later episodes, due to the absence of MAT Arrow 2, MAT Arrow 1 was commonly shortened to "Arrow."

Ultraman Mebius

GUYS Arrow MA1 Type

In the series, the improved GUYS Arrow MA1 Type was introduced and widely deployed to GUYS. This model was used not only as a training aircraft but also for unmanned METEOR experiments. During the attack by the Alien Empera, the remotely operated unmanned drone squad stationed on the apron was destroyed by shockwaves targeting the Gun Crusader MX's takeoff, resulting in the destruction of almost all the standby aircraft.^{Dark Clouds of Despair -Final Trilogy II-}

In the subsequent side stories, both the GUYS Arrow MA1 and MAT Arrow 2 were further modified to enable the reloading of the Gun Speeder.

Great Decisive Battle! The Super 8 Ultra Brothers

The MAT Arrow 1, piloted by Go and Aki, joined the Jet VTOL, Ultra Hawk No.1, TAC Space and Nippon Maru as they headed into space. ^{Great Decisive Battle! The Super 8 Ultra Brothers}

Other Media

Return of Ultraman: MAT Arrow 1 Takeoff Order

Another version of the MAT Arrow 1 appears in the unofficial special effects film Return of Ultraman: MAT Arrow 1 Takeoff Order, where it also serves as the primary combat aircraft for MAT in the film.

Similar to the original series, this aircraft is a VSTOL fighter capable of vertical and short-distance takeoffs. Its main armaments include air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, rocket pods, and a Vulcan cannon, among other fixed weapons. The aircraft can also carry various detachable containers at the rear.

In terms of design, the model used in this film is based on the Mikoyan MiG-31, the most advanced MiG fighter jet featured in the movie Firefox Firefox.

Concept Art

Trivia

• During filming, this mecha and its scale model were entirely made of paper.
  • A 1/48 paper model, discovered still intact in a warehouse in 2021, was subsequently sent for display at the Hideaki Anno exhibition.
• In 2021, in conjunction with the Hideaki Anno exhibition, model maker Toru Saegusa, who worked on the original models, recreated the MAT Arrow 1 and MAT Gyro models using the same paper specifications.

Gallery

Return of Ultraman

Ultraman Mebius

Great Decisive Battle! The Super 8 Ultra Brothers

Miscellaneous

Trivia

• The design of the MAT Arrow 1 was overseen by Akihiko Iguchi. It is reported that the model of this mecha was created using plaster molds taken from a balsa wood prototype, resulting in five models made from FRP. The pilots within the mecha were crafted from paper clay. Smaller models used for filming were made from commercially available plastic model kits.
• The initial set used for shooting the MAT Arrow 1 cockpit was later reused in the subsequent series, including Ultraman Ace, Ultraman Taro, Ultraman Leo, and the aircraft scenes in Jumborg Ace.

• To this day, there is a MAT Arrow 1 model from the 1971 series still preserved. The model is 55 cm long and made of FRP, with the tail fin and the rear part of the fuselage crafted from balsawood molds. The bottom of the model features a battery cover and a switch, which are part of the mechanisms for the night flight lamps at the ends of the main wings. The cockpit contains a pilot model made from plaster, representing a MAT team member.
  • The model is currently owned by Tomoo Haraguchi, who acquired it in 1978 from a Tsuburaya Productions insider. At that time, the model was nearly completely damaged, with the tail fin almost entirely missing, the cockpit absent, and the pipes on the main wings also gone. Due to its use in explosive scenes with pyrotechnics, there were black scorch marks on the rear part of the fuselage, which led Haraguchi to restore the model.
  • The model is currently frequently loaned out for exhibitions, including those organized by Tsuburaya Productions and related to tokusatsu. In 2007, the MAT Arrow 1 model was used in the filming of Ultraman Mebius for a demolition scene. Additionally, to create a replica for filming purposes, the model was disassembled by Tsuburaya staff and underwent a more refined restoration.Haraguchi later performed a new restoration in 2009, addressing and correcting various areas.