From the Gundam 0080 Film Comics...

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toysdream
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Re: From the Gundam 0080 Film Comics...

Gelgoog Jager wrote:Check pictures 6, 7, 8, 9 and 25. The first four pictures not only show the two different grips, but even an optional grenade launcher.
Yep. According to the description in the kit manual:
120mm Machine Gun
A wide grip version of the mobile suit weapon known as the "Zaku machine gun," which was often used in the last stage of the One Year War. The grip and trigger guard were enlarged, and it could also be equipped with a grenade launcher. However, even though it was carried by Doms, it never became known as the "Dom machine gun."
Regarding the various 320mm and 360mm bazookas included with the MS-06R series, this is a little confusing since the newer kits don't seem to provide any explanation of these weapons. The original Master Grade Black Tri-Stars Zaku II kit included a couple of versions of the 320mm "large bazooka" - I'll call it that because of the "LB" initials in the serial number, versus "GB" in the giant bazooka serial numbers - which seemed like an attempt to justify the fact that Johnny Ridden's Zaku II was often depicted with a giant bazooka back in the MSV days. In other words, this 320mm large bazooka seemed to be a retcon to avoid having Zakus carrying the full-fledged 360mm giant bazooka.

The recent "Ver. 2.0" kits, however, include both types of bazooka, but offer no background explanation. And since there's no Ver. 2.0 of the Dom yet, we can't really compare the different versions of the giant bazooka, either.

domtropen wrote: IIRC Gouf in movie II also use giant bazooka during Jaburo drop. That's another proof that smaller hand can hold larger weapon grip.
Ooh, good point! I kind of doubt that they'd develop a special "giant hand" option for the Gouf just to let it carry that bazooka. :-)

Gelgoog Jager wrote: Most units of the J and JC type seem to be refitted from F types considering the plates located over the usual location of the verniers (let's call them vernier plates for the time being). These units could actually be considered some sort of FJ and FJC types respectively.
That's interesting, but I'm not sure how seriously we should take it. The line art for 08th MS Team includes simplified "animation versions" of each Zaku type, which omit details like the vernier covers, and so there's line art of (for example) each Zaku in Top's team both with and without these covers.
As an additional interesting detail, during the Federation's siege at Ghinias base, Norris' MS team is seen taking the elevator back into the base. There we can see both a Zaku J-type and a Dom holding identical Zaku machineguns, which seem to be using the older non-Dom type grip. The hands of the Dom in question also seem to be only as big as the hands of the Zaku.
Now that really is interesting. Not only does the 08th MS Team version of the Dom have little hands, but when you compare the line art to other versions of the Dom, it looks like designer Kimitoshi Yamane was deliberately trying to match the proportions and styling of the Rick Dom II. Although the film comics essays insist that the United Maintenance Plan focused mainly on space mobile suits at that point in the war, the fact that they still developed new versions of the Gogg and Z'Gok proves that it wasn't entirely space-oriented, so perhaps we could be seeing some kind of terrestrial UMP offshoot here?

Incidentally, I just picked up Takeshobo's little pocket book on "The Secrets of Mobile Suit Development," which turns out to be a bit more interesting than I expected. In its chapter on the United Maintenance Plan, it describes "late production types" such as the Zaku II F2 and the Dom Tropen as being "UMP-compliant" thanks to their standardized cockpits and manipulators, and suggests that the Gouf Custom falls into this category as well. This is distinct from "second stage production types" such as the Zaku II FZ, Rick Dom II, and Gelgoog Jaeger, in which "the influence of the United Maintenance Plan was further intensified."

If the Gouf Custom can be considered at least somewhat "UMP-compliant" even though it doesn't implement the entire program, then why not extend this to the Zakus and Doms we see in 08th MS Team, which use the same cockpit and appear to be able to share many of their weapons?

-- Mark
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AmuroNT1
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Re: From the Gundam 0080 Film Comics...

I do apologize if this is off-topic, but the discussion of bazookas and rocket launchers reminded me of something I've been wondering about for ages. The G Generation series often gives the High Mobility Gelgoog a rocket launcher which vaguely resembles the giant bazooka but has some distinctions (like a top-loading clip). However, information on it seems rather scarce; is there any official data on this particular weapon?
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JEFFPIATT
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Re: From the Gundam 0080 Film Comics...

From the impression i got most of the MS we see in 08th MS Team were produced/converted at Ghinias base and were built using the most current specs The Dom's seemed to been built with zaku hands. The only issue i had was the fact that he got his hands on 3 Rick Dom II units when Zeon was trying to get it's forces in to space they would sent 3 top of the line space models down to earth. Unless they wanted to see if the UMP Dom body could be back refitted for earth use.
toysdream
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Re: From the Gundam 0080 Film Comics...

AmuroNT1 wrote:I do apologize if this is off-topic, but the discussion of bazookas and rocket launchers reminded me of something I've been wondering about for ages. The G Generation series often gives the High Mobility Gelgoog a rocket launcher which vaguely resembles the giant bazooka but has some distinctions (like a top-loading clip). However, information on it seems rather scarce; is there any official data on this particular weapon?
This rocket launcher was originally included with the 1/144 MSV kit, and off the top of my head I don't think I've ever seen a detailed discussion of it. But I'll see if I remember any obscure sources...
JEFFPIATT wrote:The only issue i had was the fact that he got his hands on 3 Rick Dom II units when Zeon was trying to get it's forces in to space they would sent 3 top of the line space models down to earth.
I don't think the machines he receives are actually Rick Dom II units; the line art just makes them look like the Doms that appear in the following episode. In any case, one imagines that being able to win the war with one superweapon would justify the sacrifice of a few extra Rick Doms.

-- Mark
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JEFFPIATT
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Re: From the Gundam 0080 Film Comics...

if anything they could be Dom II units during the last few episodes we see lots of late type MS popping out to the base I could see the other project at the base was producing Earth use UMP MS only for Ghinias to take the place over to build his "project" The comment given is that they got 3 MS-09R2 units possibility built there for export in to space only for Ghinias hijacking them to get the MA up and running. The entire concept of the UMP is to allow Zeon to have every MS to be able to be built with out replacing entire zaku factory lines and to allow for the shorter training time between various models. Seeing that we never see the Zeon forces deploy dom's until late it would seem that the line in Southeast asia was slowed down while they adapted the dom to UMP specs.
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Black Knight
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Re: From the Gundam 0080 Film Comics...

toysdream wrote:
As an additional interesting detail, during the Federation's siege at Ghinias base, Norris' MS team is seen taking the elevator back into the base. There we can see both a Zaku J-type and a Dom holding identical Zaku machineguns, which seem to be using the older non-Dom type grip. The hands of the Dom in question also seem to be only as big as the hands of the Zaku.
Now that really is interesting. Not only does the 08th MS Team version of the Dom have little hands, but when you compare the line art to other versions of the Dom, it looks like designer Kimitoshi Yamane was deliberately trying to match the proportions and styling of the Rick Dom II. Although the film comics essays insist that the United Maintenance Plan focused mainly on space mobile suits at that point in the war, the fact that they still developed new versions of the Gogg and Z'Gok proves that it wasn't entirely space-oriented, so perhaps we could be seeing some kind of terrestrial UMP offshoot here?

Incidentally, I just picked up Takeshobo's little pocket book on "The Secrets of Mobile Suit Development," which turns out to be a bit more interesting than I expected. In its chapter on the United Maintenance Plan, it describes "late production types" such as the Zaku II F2 and the Dom Tropen as being "UMP-compliant" thanks to their standardized cockpits and manipulators, and suggests that the Gouf Custom falls into this category as well. This is distinct from "second stage production types" such as the Zaku II FZ, Rick Dom II, and Gelgoog Jaeger, in which "the influence of the United Maintenance Plan was further intensified."

If the Gouf Custom can be considered at least somewhat "UMP-compliant" even though it doesn't implement the entire program, then why not extend this to the Zakus and Doms we see in 08th MS Team, which use the same cockpit and appear to be able to share many of their weapons?

-- Mark
We might explain these small Dom hands on Earth as an attempt to refit existing designs to make them more UMP-compliant without giving them the full UMP treatment. Sending down spare parts to refit Dom hands seems fairly easy, and quite intelligent from a logistics standpoint as it allows the Dom to use any Zaku weapon on Earth without having to send new grips for those weapons. More a "teach a man to fish" solution than a "give a man a fish" one.
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Re: From the Gundam 0080 Film Comics...

Great stuff so far! Any more info on the Kampfer included?
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