The FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam, also known as Gundam Full Armor Type or Full Armor Gundam (Type A), was a variant of the RX-78-2 Gundam introduced in the original design series Mobile Suit Variation.
Technology & Combat Characteristics[]
The FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam was the RX-78-2 Gundam equipped with a set of optional armor, weapons, and auxiliary propulsion systems designed as part of the FSWS Plan, an enhancement plan for the RX-78 Gundam series. The plan was intended to improve the performance of RX-78 type units for use by Newtype pilots.[1][2] The FA-78-1 equipment was planned to be equipped by the Gundam after it had undergone Magnet Coating treatment.[3] This equipment was fully modular and could be easily equipped or removed. The optional armor that was a part of the equipment was applied to frequently damaged areas: chest, shoulders, waist, arms, and legs.[1][2][4]
The Full Armor Gundam's added weapons were designed to give it the offensive capabilities of a battleship.[5] It was equipped with a back-mounted rocket cannon, a twin beam rifle on the right arm, two 3-tube missile bays in the shoulder armor, and two 2-tube missile bays in the knee armor. It also had a simplified, small shield on the left arm, and could be equipped with a pair of optional beam sabers on the back of its waist. Its back and legs were equipped with auxiliary propulsion systems. However, there was insufficient data to suggest whether or not these compensated for the added weight from the additional weapons.[2][3][4] A sensor was mounted on the left side of the backpack.[5] Overall, it had a balance of anti-mobile suit and anti-ship capabilities.[6]
Many equipment plans were considered for the Full Armor Gundam, which were ultimately narrowed down to three. The first plan, considered the most practical one, was the previously described loadout. The second plan included leg-mounted rocket engines with thrust rivaling the FF-X7-Bst Core Booster, which could be detached during an emergency, and a fixed beam saber mounted on either arm.[4][5] The third plan, which was described as being the furthest from a mobile suit, had its lower body almost completely covered by a booster, and was equipped with four fixed beam cannons.[5] However, it was said that none of these plans were completed.[1]
The Full Armor Gundam adopted a different basic paint scheme from the RX-78-2. The mobile suit itself was painted in a dark gray color known as "FA Gray", while the added weapon systems and the head were painted in a dark green color known as "FA Green". This color scheme was intended to lower visibility during visual range combat.[7] To differentiate this mobile suit from the FA-78-1B Full Armor Gundam (Type B), it was also referred to as the "Full Armor Gundam (Type A)".[8]
Armaments[]
- 60mm Vulcan Gun
- A pair of shell-firing weapon built into the head. Though not powerful, its high rate of fire meant it was employed to intercept enemy missiles/units, as warning shots, and to destroy lightly armored targets.
- 360mm Rocket Cannon
- A rocket-firing cannon mounted on the right side of the backpack. It held 5 rounds.[5]
- Missile Bay
- The Full Armor Gundam had four missile bays, one in each side of the added chest armor, and one in the added armor on each knee. The chest armor's missile bays were each loaded with three rounds, while the knee armor's missile bays were each loaded with two rounds.[3]
- Twin Beam Rifle
- A double-barreled beam rifle equipped on the right forearm. It could be moved to the left forearm if needed and its barrels could be folded up for storage.[3] A pair of spare barrels could be carried on the left forearm's shield using dedicated holders.[9][10]
- Shield
- A simplified small shield mounted on the left forearm. It could be mounted on the right forearm as well.[3]
- Beam Saber
- Two beam sabers could be mounted on holders in the added armor on the back of the waist.[3] This holder was said to be a simplified beam saber rack and not equipped with energy recharge mechanism for the beam sabers.[11]
Special Equipment & Features[]
- The prototype mobile suits produced by the Earth Federation Forces' Operation V, are equipped with a central block which houses the mobile suit's cockpit, control systems and main power source. This core block can eject in case of emergency and unfold into a small Core Fighter.
History[]
Origin[]
The FSWS Plan, initiated in the late stage of the One Year War, was designed to enhance the RX-78 series' performance for Newtype pilots, with the ultimate goal of creating a set of optional weapon systems for every RX-78 unit, to serve as the mobile suits of an all-Newtype team. The first unit of this plan was the FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam.[1][2]
Data regarding the FA-78-1 was extremely scarce, and whether or not it was actually produced was unknown.[6] By one account, when the RX-78-2 Gundam was destroyed during the Battle of A Baoa Qu, the FSWS Plan was halted.[12] By another account, due to the expected loss of mobility caused by the added equipment, the FA-78-1 was redesigned into the FA-78-2 Heavy Gundam.[13] By a third account, a prototype was created and even underwent operational testing. Though there were many rumors of its appearance, as well as simulation footage created for data collection purposes, nothing that could conclusively prove its existence, including parts and production lines, has been found.[6]
King of Urban Legend[]
Computer simulated image of the Full Armor Gundam engaging the Zeong
During the One Year War, the FA-78-1 was considered top-level military secret and was not publicized. This remained the case after the end of the war, but as time passed, the restrictions gradually loosened, and images of the Full Armor Gundam began appearing in photo collections and historical records.[7]
One image, found in a military history records collection published by the Earth Federation government, depicted the Full Armor Gundam engaging the MSN-02 Zeong in space. This was not a photograph, but an image taken from a computer simulation. No captions were provided, but it was speculated to be from a general performance comparison test between the Full Armor Gundam and the Zeong.[7]
Some experts argued that this image was created after the war for propaganda purposes, reasoning that the Federation Forces obtained the design blueprints and operational data of the MSN-02 and the Dolos-class space carrier (visible in the background) long after the end of the war. The Federation Forces ignored these claims, but since there was no concrete evidence to prove that they had acquired data on the Zeong and the Dolos-class during wartime, they were put in a difficult position.[7]
Image supposedly showing the Full Armor Gundam undergoing testing
Another image of the Full Armor Gundam was published in a records collection commemorating the one-year anniversary of the Federation's victory in the war. It appeared to depict the Full Armor Gundam conducting a general performance test in medium-high Earth orbit.
The weapons equipped on the Full Armor Gundam appeared to be genuine and set in operational mode. The ships seen in the background and below were believed to be support and command vessels for this test, as well as chasers and workboats for the FA-78-1. The absence of patrol or escort units in the vicinity was attributed to the fact that the test was conducted after the war. However, there was also a possibility that this image was generated from a computer simulation. It remained uncertain whether research or testing on the FA-78-1 continued after the war.[7]
In the post-war period, countless documentaries and reenactment dramas about the war were created. Among them were self-proclaimed journalists propagating conspiracy theories and "newly discovered facts" about mobile suits in underground websites and anonymous message boards, giving rise to countless urban legends. In particular, the Full Armor Gundam was described as the "king of urban legend", with numerous outlandish stories involving it, like how it fought a mobile suit team led by Johnny Ridden in U.C. 0083. The most eccentric of these stories was how it fought the MSN-02 Perfect Zeong, another mobile suit whose existence was questionable.[3]
By U.C. 0090, it was generally accepted that the FA-78-1 only ever existed as simulation data.[14]
Reported Sightings[]
Possible image of the Full Armor Gundam experimental unit
One source claimed that a top-secret experimental unit that consisted of eight FA-78-1, based on a North Pole-class battlecarrier/assault landing ship, was formed near the end of the war and began training in Luna II space in December, U.C. 0079. This unit was intended to annihilate the Principality of Zeon defenses surrounding the lunar base Granada, but due to its classified nature, most of its data records were erased. Due to the lack of publicly available records, it was unclear if the unit ever saw combat, though there was an eyewitness account claiming that a large, gray Federation machine with a Gundam-type head was seen engaging a mobile suit resembling the Zeong in Granada airspace.[15]
In the alternate history war fiction, Spirits of Zeon - Dual Stars of Carnage, Zeon ace pilots Kurt Roswell and Robin Bradshaw fought a Full Armor Gundam piloted by Takashi Kitamoto during the Battle of Solomon. This unit was based on a RX-78-1 Prototype Gundam.[16][17]
By one account, during the Battle of A Baoa Qu, Johnny Ridden, piloting the MS-06R-2 Zaku II High Mobility Type "Full Bullet Zaku", destroyed a Full Armor Gundam.[18]
Federation ace pilot LTJG Heinz Baer was said to have piloted the Full Armor Gundam during the One Year War.[19]
On January 1, U.C. 0080, during the Federation's African mop-up operation, Zeon's Brauer Corps encountered and destroyed a Full Armor Gundam.[20]
Gallery[]
Manga[]
.jpg "War in the Pocket (Manga).jpg (102 KB)")
Illustration & Artwork[]
Game[]
.jpg "Fa-78-1(armorless).jpg (60 KB)")
Gunpla[]
![1/100 MG FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam [Blue Color Ver.] (P-Bandai exclusive; 2014): box art](/wiki/File:Gunpla_MG_FullArmorGundamBlueColor_box.jpg "Gunpla MG FullArmorGundamBlueColor box.jpg (224 KB)")
Action Figures[]
![Gundam Fix Figuration (GFF) #0036 "FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam [Frame Model] / RX-78-2 Gundam Real Type 'Ver. Ka'" figure set (2007): package front view](/wiki/File:GFF_0036_FullArmorGundamFrameModel_box-front.jpg "GFF 0036 FullArmorGundamFrameModel box-front.jpg (121 KB)")
![GFF #0036 "FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam [Frame Model] / RX-78-2 Gundam Real Type 'Ver. Ka'" figure set (2007): package rear view](/wiki/File:GFF_0036_FullArmorGundamFrameModel_box-back.jpg "GFF 0036 FullArmorGundamFrameModel box-back.jpg (247 KB)")
![GFF #0036 "FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam [Frame Model]" figure (2007): product sample (left) with parts convertible to "RX-78-2 Gundam Real Type 'Ver. Ka'" figure (right)](/wiki/File:GFF_0036_FullArmorGundamFrameModel-RealTypeGundamVerKa_Sample.jpg "GFF 0036 FullArmorGundamFrameModel-RealTypeGundamVerKa Sample.jpg (120 KB)")
![GFF #0000 "FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam [Frame Model] (Blue Color Ver.) / RX-78-2 Gundam 'Ver. Ka'" figure set (Limited release; 2008): package front view](/wiki/File:GFF_0000_FullArmorGundamFrameModelBlueVer_box-front.jpg "GFF 0000 FullArmorGundamFrameModelBlueVer box-front.jpg (112 KB)")
![GFF #0000 "FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam [Frame Model] (Blue Color Ver.) / RX-78-2 Gundam 'Ver. Ka'" figure set (Limited release; 2008): package rear view](/wiki/File:GFF_0000_FullArmorGundamFrameModelBlueVer_box-back.jpg "GFF 0000 FullArmorGundamFrameModelBlueVer box-back.jpg (87 KB)")
![GFF #0000 "FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam [Frame Model] (Blue Color Ver.)" figure (2008): product sample (left) with parts convertible to "RX-78-2 Gundam 'Ver. Ka'" figure (right)](/wiki/File:GFF_0000_FullArmorGundamFrameModelBlueVer_sample.jpg "GFF 0000 FullArmorGundamFrameModelBlueVer sample.jpg (123 KB)")
Notes and Trivia[]
- The Full Armor Gundam's design was based on the PF-78-1 Perfect Gundam from Plamo-Kyoshiro, revised to fit into the Universal Century timeline. The Full Armor Gundam's design was later re-introduced back into Plamo-Kyoshiro as the PF-78-2 Perfect Gundam II, which looked identical to the Full Armor Gundam, but featured a blue and orange color scheme.
- A series of MSV Gunpla advertisements released in the 80s featured Johnny Ridden, piloting a MS-14C Gelgoog Cannon or a MS-06R-2P Zaku II High Mobility Test Type, leading a mobile suit team on an attack on Side 7 in U.C. 0083 and engaging the Full Armor Gundam in the process. This was later referenced in the 2010 MG manual as one of many pieces of urban legend surrounding the Full Armor Gundam.
References[]
![GFF #0036 "FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam [Frame Model]" - color art and specification](/wiki/File:GFF_FA_78-1_Gundam.jpg "GFF FA 78-1 Gundam.jpg (504 KB)")
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 (2006-07-26) 〈復刻版〉機動戦士ガンダムモビルスーツバリエーション (3) 連邦軍編 (in Japanese). 講談社編 [Kodansha], pp. 88-89. ISBN 9784063721775.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 (2006-07-26) 〈復刻版〉機動戦士ガンダムモビルスーツバリエーション (3) 連邦軍編 (in Japanese). 講談社編 [Kodansha], pp. 13-14. ISBN 9784063721775.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Master Grade FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam (2010) instruction manual
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 模型情報・別冊MSバリエーションハンドブック [Model Information - Supplement Mobile Suit Variation Handbook] 2 (in Japanese). 講談社編 [Kodansha], pp. 7-9. 00069728.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 MSV 1/144 FA-78-1 Gundam Full Armor Type (1983) instruction manual
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Gundam Ace May 2010 issue, MSV-R Vol.13
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 (2006-07-26) 〈復刻版〉機動戦士ガンダムモビルスーツバリエーション (3) 連邦軍編 (in Japanese). 講談社編 [Kodansha], pp. 172-175. ISBN 9784063721775.
- ↑ Kenichi Kusakari (2012-03-22). 機動戦士ガンダムMSV-R 連邦編 [Mobile Suit Gundam MSV-R: Federation Edition] 1 (in Japanese). Kadokawa Corporation, pp. 10-11. ISBN 9784041202104.
- ↑ Gundam Fix Figuration (GFF) #0001 "FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam" (2001)
- ↑ Master Archive Mobile Suit FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam (2020), SB Creative, p.45
- ↑ Master Archive Mobile Suit FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam (2020), SB Creative, p.46
- ↑ (1984-02-25) 講談社のポケットカード 機動戦士ガンダム MSVコレクション [Kodansha Pocket Card - Mobile Suit Gundam MSV Collection] 9 (in Japanese). Kodansha [Kodansha], p. 2. ISBN 9784061723795.
- ↑ (1999-11-01) 機動戦士ガンダムMSVコレクションファイル 宇宙編 (in Japanese). 講談社編 [Kodansha], pp. 3-4. ISBN 9784063465501.
- ↑ MSV-R: The Return of Johnny Ridden MATERIAL-A001: Voice
- ↑ Robot Spirits ver. A.N.I.M.E. Data File
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam: Spirits of Zeon ~Dual Stars of Carnage~
- ↑ Gundam Ace June 2010 issue, Games MSV
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam MSV Battle Chronicle Johnny Ridden
- ↑ (1991-12-01) エンタテーンメントバイブル [ENTERTAINMENT BIBLE] 39 機動戦士ガンダム 戦略戦術大図鑑 ~ 一年戦争全記録 Mobile Suit Gundam Strategy and Tactics Encyclopedia ~ One Year War Complete Records (in Japanese). バンダイ [Bandai]. ISBN 4891891777.
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam: MS Sensen 0079
External links[]