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Echo|Fox (echofox@wingzero.net)
Wed, 8 Nov 2000 20:02:34 -0700
Well, sort of ;p
I picked up the HGUC GP01 the other day (not one of my favorite MS designs,
but after building the kit I'm kind of fond of it now) based on the glowing
review at the Newtype Asylum ... which was absolutely, positively 100% true.
This is a _Great_ kit and was a ton of fun to build and paint. Proportions
are perfect, its stable as hell, and posability is positively great. Of
note, this is not only the first 1/144 kit I've built, but its the first
larger than SD kit I've painted (I've built, but have yet to paint, 3 MG
kits).
Since I'm still not comfortable with painting white (it always comes out
streaky and nasty looking), and my brushpainting isn't great, I went with a
slight custom color variation. The GP01 is now in traditional GM colors (tan
limbs, red torso) and my occasionally inadequate brushpainting skills look
almost intentionally done, since once its fully dry I'll be painting even
more wear onto it.
Back to the point though. No custom paintjob is as fun without a backstory
though, so here we go:
Check out http://www.wingzero.net/regzeph.jpg (just the pic from the
Mechadomain, slightly color adjusted in Photoshop to get the idea across) to
get a vague idea what it looks like. I'm still undecided on whether I should
leave the original Gundam head, or try and come up with a 1/144 GM head
(something from 0080 era might look nice) and replace it.
Presented in Burke's All the World's Mobile Weapons format, since it looks
so nice:
(some stats omitted since I have no idea how "refining' it would effect it)
Model number: RGP01
Code name: Refined Gundam "Zephyranthes"
Unit type: fast attack mobile suit
Manufacturer: Anaheim Electronics Corporation
Operator: Earth Federal Forces
Rollout: Never constructed
First deployment: Never
Accomodation: pilot only, in panoramic monitor / linear seat cockpit in
torso
Dimensions: overall height 18.5 meters; head height 18.0 meters
Construction: gundarium alloy on semi-monocoque frame torso, titanium /
ceramic compositeon semi-monocoque frame limbs
Powerplant: Minovsky type ultracompact fusion reactor, output rated at 1790
kW
Equipment and design features: head-mounted sensors, range unknown
Fixed armaments: 2 x 60 mm vulcan gun, fire-linked, mounted in head; 2 x
beam saber, stored in recharge racks in backpack, hand-carried in use
Optional hand armaments: XBR-BOWA M-82A beam rifle, power rated at 1.5 MW,
powered by replacable e-pac, with mounted "jutte" beam saber blocking unit,
2 spare e-pacs stored in shield; 90 mm machinegun, clip-fed, 20 rounds per
clip; shield
TECHNICAL AND HISTORICAL NOTES
When Anaheim Electronics recieved the first combat data from the GP-01,
several engineers began planning a mass produced version of the suit. It was
quickly realized that they would not be able to reduce its cost to be
competitive with GM's, so a new project to refine its design for the purpose
of creating a special operations, fast attack mobile suit that could be put
into limited production for elite units.
Omitting the costly core fighter, and replacing it with a linear seat
similar to the one found in the GP-03, as well as stripping out the
Gundarium alloy, save for the torso, and replacing it with the cheaper
titanium/ceramic composite normally used in mass produce units. The
armament, having proved reliable, remained the same, however it could be
outfitted with a variety of handheld beam and projectile weapons based on
mission specific needs.
The ReGZeph, as it was called while in the design phase, was to be sold to
the Earth Federation as a fast attack mobile suit, meaning an MS that could
operate alone on strike missions, as well as acting as a squad commanders
personal mobile suit during larger operations.
The refined design was to be presented to Earth Federation command, however
the rise of the Titans derailed the project, and the design schematics were
purged when the entire GP line was wiped from history. No ReGZeph's were
ever produced, and thus the MS never saw combat.
---So there you have it ... I guess this would fit into Giren's Greed or somesuch in the case of either the Titans not rising to power, or the Titans making use of AE's designs. I'd take a picture, but I lost the use of the old digital camera I had access to (no big loss, it took really bad pictures), so I'm going to need to hunt me down another camera..
--- Nicholas "Echo|Fox" Paufler, now a 1/144 Convert http://www.wingzero.net - Home of the High Quality Gundam Image Archive http://www.outlawstar.org - The Unofficial Home of Outlaw Star "The most likely way for the world to be destroyed, most experts agree, is by accident. That's where we come in; we're computer professionals. We cause accidents." - Nathaniel Borenstein- Gundam Mailing List Archives are available at http://gundam.aeug.org/
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