RX-77 Guncannon
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The RX-77-2 Guncannon was the second mobile suit design model that stemmed from the Earth Federation's "Vinsion Project" or "V Project" in the mecha anime Mobile Suit Gundam. It was developed during the One Year War in response to the Principality of Zeon's MS-05 Zaku I and MS-06 Zaku II mobile suits.
The Guncannon was a step up from the RX-75-4 Guntank; while the Guntank was more "tank" than mobile armor, the Guncannon was a true mobile suit with limbs. However, it did share the Guntank's Core Block System, using the same FF-X7 Core Fighter.
The first Guncannon was the prototype RX-77-1A Guncannon A, which had poor mobility due to its heavy armor. The second version, RX-77-2 Guncannon, corrected this problem. As defensive weapons, it mounted two 60 mm vulcan guns in the head. However, the Guncannon's primary weapons were the twin 240 mm cannons mounted on the shoulders, which were used for the mobile suit's design purpose: mid-range support. The Guncannon was also the first mobile suit used by the Earth Federal Forces capable of firing a beam rifle.
The Guncannon was less mobile but more heavily armored than its cousin, the RX-78-2 Gundam. Unfortuantely, the extra armor provided no additional protection against beam weapons, and powerful conventional weapons (such as the Giant Bazooka used by some Zeon mobile suits) were capable of causing severe damage. It also lacked any sort of melee weapon, making it helpless when an enemy mobile suit got too close. Also, its 240 mm cannons only held 20 rounds per cannon, meaning the pilot had to learn how to conserve cannon ammunition and use it wisely.
During the Zeon attack of Side 7, only one RX-77-2 Guncannon survived the attack. It was stationed aboard the Pegasus-Class assault carrier White Base and piloted by Kai Shiden. However, when the White Base made its way to Jaburo, another unit was transferred to the White Base to replace the Guntank. It was piloted by Hayato Kobayashi. To separate the two units, they were named the "C-108" and "C-109". Both units were heavily damaged at the last battle of the One Year War at the Zeon's space fortress A Baoa Qu. Kai's Guncannon later reappears in Hayato's mobile suit museum in Zeta Gundam.
The RX-77-2 Guncannon was the only "V Project" mobile suit to ever be produced in limited numbers. It served as a main mobile suit until the Federation introduced the RGM-79 GM; however, due to the high cost of beam weapons, many Guncannon units were armed with conventional machine guns or rifles. Some unlucky pilots were not issued a hand weapon at all, and had to rely on the Guncannon's built-in armaments. In the Gundam 0079: Zeonic Front video game, a three-man Guncannon squad was commanded by young, brash Federation pilot, Lieutenant Agar (who would later become pilot of the RX-78-6 Mudrock Gundam). This team would persue the infamous "Midnight Fenrir" Zeon special forces mobile suit team up to the Battle of Jaburo. Also in Cross Dimension 0079 video game, at least two Guncannons was used by Albatross transportation team in the Gobi Desert, though game's dialogue said they already loss several of them.
RX-77-1A Guncannon A first appear as part of Kunio Okawara's MS Collection original design series while RX-77-2 Guncannon first appear in Mobile Suit Gundam and both of them were design by Kunio Okawara.
A variation on the RX-77-2 was also intended to be mass produced very late in the One Year War. This version, the RX-77D Guncannon Mass Production Type did away with the Core Block System and used titanium/ceramic composite armor instead of Lunar Titanium. It possessed additional verniers and thrusters, making it even more powerful than the older model. However, this revision was never produced as planned, with only a few suits being distributed to units such as the Gray Phantom and the White Dingo unit in Australia.
RX-77D Guncannon Mass Production Type first appear in Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket, design by Yutaka Izubuchi.
The basic model of Guncannon also developed into the RX-77-3 Guncannon Heavy Arms Type, intended to stand on its own. This revision was a simple upgrade of the RX-77-2 with improved armor and armaments. Nevertheless, the design was a success, leading to the production of the RX-77-4 Guncannon II. Instead of 240mm conventional guns, the Guncannon II carried a single beam cannon and targeting sensor, making it much lighter and more mobile than previous incarnations.
Both RX-77-3 Guncannon Heavy Arms Type and RX-77-4 Guncannon II first appear as part of Mobile Suit Variations and design by Kunio Okawara.
In the original Mobile Suit Gundam TV anime, only one Guncannon was aboard the White Base until the final battle at A Baoa Qu; instead of a second Guncannon unit, it was accompanied by the RX-75-4 Guntank. The movie version of events is considered more canonical, as it reflects Tomino's decision to emphasize 'real robot' elements and downplay or remove remnants of the 'super robot' genre.
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[edit] Specifications
[edit] RX-77-2 Guncannon
Manufacturer: Earth Federation Forces "Project V"
Operator: Earth Federation Forces
Unit type: limited production artillery mobile suit
Dimensions: overall height 18.1 meters; head height 17.5 meters
Weight: empty 51.0 metric tons; max gross 70.0 metric tons
Construction: Luna Titanium
Powerplant: Minovsky type ultracompact fusion reactor, output rated at 1380 kW
Armament: 2 x 60 mm vulcan gun, fire-linked, mounted in head; 2 x 240 mm cannon, variable independent-fire/fire-linked, 20 round magazine each, mounted over shoulders; 2 x spray missile launcher, mounted over shoulders in place of 240 mm cannons; BOWA·XBR-L beam rifle, powered by rechargeable energy cap
Pilot(s): Kai Shiden, Hayato Kobayashi, Amuro Ray
[edit] RX-77-3 Guncannon Heavy Arms Type
Manufacturer: Earth Federation Forces
Operator: Earth Federation Forces
Unit type: prototype artillery mobile suit
Dimensions: overall height 18.1 meters; head height 17.5 meters
Weight: empty 58.6 metric tons; max gross 79.1 metric tons
Powerplant: Minovsky type ultracompact fusion reactor, output rated at 1380 kW
Armament: 240 mm cannon, mounted on backpack over shoulders; 2 x 60 mm vulcan gun, fire-linked, mounted in head; beam rifle, powered by rechargeable energy cap; grenades, stored in optional grenade rack on left hip armor
[edit] RX-77-4 Guncannon II
Manufacturer: Earth Federation Forces
Operator: Earth Federation Forces
Unit type: prototype artillery mobile suit
Dimensions: head height 18.0 meters
Weight: empty 52.7 metric tons
Powerplant: type ultracompact fusion reactor, output rating unknown
Special Equipment: specialized targeting sensor suite for beam cannon, mounted on left shoulder
Armament: 2 x vulcan gun, fire-linked, mounted in head; beam cannon, mounted on right shoulder; beam rifle, powered by rechargeable energy cap; grenades, stored in optional grenade rack on left hip armor
Pilot:
[edit] RX-77D Guncannon Mass Production Type
Manufacturer: Earth Federation Forces
Operator: Earth Federation Forces
Unit type: mass production mid-range fire support mobile suit
Dimensions: overall height 18.1 meters; head height 17.5 meters
Weight: empty 51.0 metric tons; max gross 70.2 metric tons
Powerplant: Minovsky type ultracompact fusion reactor, output rated at 1410 kW
Armament: 2 x 60 mm vulcan gun, fire-linked, mounted in head; 2 x 200 mm cannon, mounted in backpack over shoulders, can be fire-linked or fired independently; 90 mm machine gun, clip-fed, 20 rounds per clip; beam rifle, powered by rechargeable energy cap; 100 mm machine gun, clip-fed
Pilot(s): Lido Wolf, Master P. Rayer, Leung Fee-Fai, Maximilian Berger
