MS-05Q Zaku I

MS-05Q Zaku I
MS-05Q Zaku I
Unit Type
Custom General-Purpose Mobile Suit
Profile
Developed from	MS-05A Zaku I Early Type
First Seen	0078 U.C.
Manufacturer	Zeonic
Operator	Principality of Zeon
Known Pilots	Norris Packard
General Characteristics
Head Height	17.5 meters57.415 ft <br />688.976 in <br />
Empty Weight	54.8 metric tons
Power-plant	Minovsky Ultracompact Fusion Reactor
Pilot Accommodations	Pilot only (in standard cockpit in torso)
Armor	Super-hard steel alloy
Real World
Appearances*
Variation	Mobile Suit Variations R

The MS-05Q Zaku I (Norris Custom) is a variant of the MS-05A Zaku I Early Type. It is piloted by Norris Packard from Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team. It first appeared as a part of the MSV-R line.

Technology & Combat Characteristics

The MS-05Q Zaku I is an upgrade version of the regular Zaku I; which features a more powerful Minovsky type ultracompact fusion reactor and hardened armor. The head now has power pipes and has a right shoulder armor. The Zaku I unit's head-mounted Mono-Eye camera system and several cameras mounted around the mobile suit's body granted the pilot excellent visibility from the enclosed cockpit. The Zaku I also incorporated laser sensors, infra-red sensors, and a powerful computer to facilitate the MS' operation. Its main weaponry are a 120mm Machine Gun, a Heat Hawk, a 280mm Zaku Bazooka, 3-tube Missile Pods, and special Knuckle Spikes.

Armaments

• 120mm Machine Gun

The 105mm machine gun is a standard weapon for Zaku type mobile suits. It is a shell firing gun that does not require energy to be used, however its effectiveness against heavy armor is very little. This model used a 100-round drum magazine.

• Heat Hawk

An early type of melee weapon developed by Zeon based on the concept of superheating a metal blade to create a weapon that could melt armor as it cut, thus increasing its overall effectiveness. The Heat Hawk is shaped like an axe and is stored on the rear waist armor. The thermal energy is generated by the power output of the Zaku I's thermonuclear reactor and relayed through the MS' hands.

• 280mm Zaku bazooka

The 280mm Zaku Bazooka was another standard weapon that could be equipped to a Zaku type mobile suit. The bazooka fired explosive rounds that were quite effective against the armor of Earth Federation battleships. However the bazooka could only be loaded with a single round at a time, thus it had to be used carefully. The bazooka was front loaded which is difficult to do while a mobile suit is changing vectors. The bazooka could be stored on the rear waist armor while spare ammunition could be stored on the side hip armor.

• 3-tube Missile Pod

Mounts on each leg of the Zaku I (Norris Custom) is a 3-tube Missile Pods. Each missile launcher is loaded with small missiles that can typically do significant damage to a mobile suit or other similarly armored target, but it less effective against the heavy armor of a battleship.

• Knuckle Spikes

Three spikes on each hand for punching attacks. Being simple steel spikes, they do not draw any power from the reactor. Because these Knuckle Spikes do not have the range or the power of a normal thermal-based weapon, thus the pilot is required to be more precise in their use, relying more on skill than technology.

History

In 0078 U.C, while the MS-06 Zaku II units was now in the progress of production, many pilots still preferred to be with their existing mobile units the MS-05A Zaku I Early Type. The Principality of Zeon started a program to upgrade Zaku I units and the result was MS-05Q Zaku I units. The plan was to upgrade 240 Zaku I units but only manage to upgrade 164 units since most of the priority was given to the production of the Zaku II units. At the end of the war, less than 30 units were also converted. Many of the MS-05Q Zaku I units were used by ace pilots like Norris Packard. Packard piloted a custom Zaku I unit with purple and red color scheme. The unique thing about his Zaku are the knuckle spikes on its hands.

Picture Gallery

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MS-05Q Zaku I (Norris Custom)

References

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MS-05Q Zaku I (Norris Custom)

MS-05Q Zaku I (Norris Custom)

MSV-R - MS-05Q Zaku I (Norris Custom) - Technical Data/Design

External Links

• MS-05Q Zaku I (Norris Custom) on MAHQ

Template:Early Universal Century Mobile weapons