Question concerning mobile suit subflight systems.

[Wedge14]

Whats the deal with the things mobile suits hitch a ride on today? For instance i'm thinking about SpaceJobbers and in one case the Zeta gundam in wave rider form.

Now with the space jobbers or 'shackles' do they have a human operator or are they flown by the mobile suit's own balance. (like a surfboard or something.)

Also during Zeta gundam during the kilimanjaro battle while Kamille was running around with his poncho wearing lady friend. Lt. Quattro was riding the Zeta in wave rider form pretty much like it was a Dodai Kai. Does this answer my own question? Or is that an ability unique to the Zeta and it's wave rider form.[/quote]

[Genocide]

I'd assume for the most part, support lifters like the Dodai Kai and Base Jabber are automated. I recall at least one instant where the MK II jumped off of a lifter, flew around, and then landed back on it without having to go through the hassle of locating the thing. I'd imagine that some coordinating system exists that can integrate the lifter with the mobile suit using it. It's also possible to pilot them manually though, as we saw Hayato fly one in ZZ.

[Hyakushiki]

The Space Jobbers in Zeta had cockpits so they can be either piloted or operate autonomously. As far as the Zeta goes, the designers probably didn't intend it to be used that way but it obviously can.

[CYNICISM AT IT'S BEST]

actually the Dodai is manned, as we see in ZZ Hayato flying in one during the evac of Dublin, though units like the base jobber and shackles seem to be unmanned as I can't seem to see a cockpit on either.

[Mark064]

It's both for the most part but most of the time they seem to go and do it automatically and skip out on the manned version.

During the One Year War, the Principality of Zeon adapts the Dodai bomber into a flying platform for transporting mobile suits through Earth's atmosphere. But the Dodai also retains all the functions of a conventional aircraft, such as navigation and fire control systems, and requires its own dedicated pilot. This makes the Dodai highly versatile, but also rather expensive.

After the war, the Earth Federation Forces refine this concept into a dedicated mobile suit support device, substantially reducing its cost. These Sub Flight Systems, or sled, come in both atmospheric and space versions. During the Gryps Conflict, they are often unmanned models controlled by the mobile suit itself, but later versions are equipped with cockpits so that they can also be used as transport craft.

[Gelgoog Jager]

In LWC, in the chapter where Zeon is trying to film a propaganda video of the then just recently introduced Dom destroying a Big Tray, we see at first two manned Dodai IIs as the ones in charge of filming, after they drop two Goufs.

Later, one Dodai is destroyed and the other one gets hit in the cockpit. At this time, Ken's Zaku II gets on top of the Dodai and asks May, who survived the attack on the Dodai, to pass control of the Dodai to him. Afterwards he picks up May with the hand of the Zaku and then flies on top of the Dodai on collision course with the Big Tray. The Zaku bails out and the Dodai rams the Big Tray through an already heavily damaged area, destroying it.

Therefore, Zeon was already capable of using unmanned Dodais since the OYW.

[mcred23]

Of course, that's according to LWC, which contradicts the other (And IMO, more plausible/believable) source in this case.

[bluemax151]

Has any information on Gundam Official even been updated since Gundam essentially dried up?

[Dark Duel]

Last update was an incomplete update to the GSD page waaay back in June.

[Sean_ODuibher]

I can't speak too much about the other series, but as for the Cosmic Era, the subflight lifters are definitly unmanned. The two that I can think of off the top of my head are the ZAFT Guul and the Fatum 00. The Guul is remotely controlled by the mobile suit, and has weapons of its own. It is kind of the mainstay in SEED, but Destiny has way more mobile suits that can fly on their own. The Fatum 00 is actually the Justice's backpack (the Infinite Justice has one too; I believe its the Fatum 01, but they are more or less the same thing). There are plenty of scenes where the Justice will jump up and the Fatum 00 will slip off its back and fly underneath it. Likewise with the Guuls, where someone (like Yzak) will jump off it to try to get at Kira and basically fall until the Guul flies down underneath them again. Sometimes a C.E. mobile suit will ride on another, like the GAT-X131 Calamity riding on the mobile armor version of the GAT-X370 Raider, but by and large they are remotely operated lift platforms only.

[Janx_Dolaris]

There's been updates for 00, which came out after june.