The FA-78-1 Full Armor Gundam (aka Gundam Full Armor Type, Perfect Gundam II and Full Armor Gundam (Type A)) is a variant of the RX-78-2 Gundam and is featured in the original design series Mobile Suit Variation.
Contents
Technology & Combat Characteristics
The Full Armor Gundam was one of the mobile suits developed under the "FSWS (Full-Armor System and Weapon System) Plan" initiated by the Earth Federation Forces in the late stages of the One Year War. This plan was based on feedback from the various data collected by the RX-78-2 Gundam, and served to enhanced the Gundam's capabilities through the equipping of additional armor and weaponry.
On the Full Armor Gundam, the added armor are mainly placed on areas that are more frequently hit or damaged in combat, such as the chest, shoulders, waist, forearms, legs, etc. These added armor are also designed to be removable. To achieve a level of firepower equivalent to a single battleship, the Full Armor Gundam is equipped with a new backpack-mounted 360mm rocket launcher, missiles bays in the added chest and leg armor, and a twin beam rifle on the right forearm. It also has a small shield on the left forearm, and retained the original Gundam's head-mounted Vulcan guns, while the pair of beam sabers were relocated to the added armor on the back of the waist.
However, due to the increase in weight caused by the added armor and weaponry, the mobile suit suffered a drop in mobility. To solve this issue, auxiliary propulsion units were added to the legs, and as a result, the amount of thrust produced per leg is comparable to the Core Booster's main thrusters. With this, the Full Armor Gundam can engage in a high mobility combat with a mobile armor, or retreat quickly during an emergency. It was originally intended that the Gundams produced under the FSWS Plan would be piloted by a unit composed of Newtype pilots, but the war ended before this was possible.
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 Launcher
- A large rocket-firing cannon mounted on the right side of the backpack, and on the left is a control and targeting device.
- Missile Bay
- The Full Armor Gundam has 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 are each loaded with three rounds, while the knee armor's missile bays are each loaded with two rounds.
- Twin Beam Rifle
- A double-barreled armament equipped on the right forearm. Its barrels can be folded for storage.
- Shield
- A small, simplified shield that is integrated with the additional armor on the left forearm.
- Beam Saber
- A beam weapon for close combat. Two units could be mounted on holders in the added armor on the back of the waist. However, the holders are simple in design and are not equipped with the energy recharge mechanism for the beam sabers.
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
There are conflicting accounts of whether the Full Armor Gundam was ever built. According to MSV-R, it only existed as simulation data. However, Mobile Suit Gundam: Big Picture Book of Strategy and Tactics stated that it was piloted by Lieutenant Heinz Baer during the war. In Mobile Suit Gundam MSV Battle Chronicle Johnny Ridden, it was destroyed by Johnny Ridden's "Full Bullet Zaku" at A Baoa Qu.
Gallery
.jpg "Fa-78-1(armorless).jpg (60 KB)")
Manga
.jpg "War in the Pocket (Manga).jpg (102 KB)")
Gunpla
Action Figures
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.
- An MSV Gunpla advertisement released in the 80s featured a MS-14C Gelgoog Cannon leading a team of MS-06R-2 Zaku II High Mobility Type on an attack on Side 7 in U.C. 0083 and discovering the Full Armor Gundam inside the colony. This was later referenced in the 2010 MG manual as one of many pieces of urban legend surrounding the Full Armor Gundam.
- In Gundam Breaker Mobile, the Haro serves as its AI Pilot instead of Heinz Baer, as the latter has yet to appear.
References
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