MS-06E-3 Zaku Flipper

The Zaku Flipper is one of many variants of the standard MS-06 Zaku II created by the Principality of Zeon during the One Year War.

History
Of the one hundred or so MS-06E Zaku Reconnaissance Types that were built during the One Year War, a handful were further upgraded into the MS-06E-3 Zaku Flipper. The Zaku Flipper was designed to play the role of a reconnaissance and scouting unit. The Zaku Flipper mounted the highest performance thruster array of the MS-06S Zaku II Commander Type, giving it three times the speed of a standard MS-06 Zaku II, as well as two additional thrusters in the chest and larger capacity fuel tanks.

To properly fill its role as a scouting unit, the Zaku Flipper featured several external cameras in both of its shoulders and its front pelvic armor, as well as high-tech sensory equipment and sonars in its head. However, the Zaku Flipper's standard Zaku head was replaced by a more sophisticated design, with extra equipment on a swiveling pivot so it could quickly flip backwards without having to rotate the head, or move past the fins projecting up from behind the Zaku Flipper's shoulders.

The Zaku Flipper's most distinguishing feature was the six fin-like projections on its backpack. These six fins were directional laser and sonic sensors that had the quirky habit of making flapping and flipping motions as they moved to acquire and track objects. The flipping motions of the fins on the Zaku Flipper's backpack is what earned the unit the nickname "Flipper" amongst the Zeon ranks.