RX-77 Guncannon
Encyclopedia
The RX-77 Guncannon is a fictional mobile suit from Mobile Suit Gundam
anime
series, originally designed and illustrated by Kunio Okawara
. One of earliest mecha designs in the Real Robot
genre, Guncannon's concept of a heavily armored humanoid machine with dual shoulder cannon became the inspiration for various artillery fire-support mecha in other mecha anime and games. The Dankof from Blue Comet SPT Layzner
(1985), Dragonar-2 from Metal Armor Dragonar
(1987), Schutzwald from the Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation
video game series, and other designs owe to the aesthetic of the Guncannon as inspiration for their designs.
's Project V
in the original anime series
. 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 Guntank
; while the Guntank was more a "tank" than a humanoid robot
, the Guncannon was a true mobile suit with limbs. However, it did share the Core Block System, using the same FF-X7 Core Fighter. This allowed the Guncannon's pilot to quickly change control with Guntank and RX-78 Gundam.
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 gun
s 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 fire support. The Guncannon was also armed with a high-precision beam rifle for sniping operation, being one of the first mobile suits equipped with a beam weapon.
The Guncannon was less mobile but more heavily armored than its cousin, the Gundam. This allowed the Guncannon to be a significant threat to Zeon's Zaku
s. Unfortunately, the extra armor provided no additional protection against the powerful beam weapons, and heavy projectile weapons (such as the Giant Bazooka used by MS-09R Rick Dom) were also capable of causing severe damage. It also lacked any sort of melee weapon, rendering it having to fight empty-handed during close encounters with an enemy unit. Another disadvantage was that its 240 mm cannons only held 20 rounds per cannon, limiting the Guncannon's effective operation time on the battlefield.
During the Zeon attack on Side 7, only one RX-77-2 survived the attack. It was later stationed aboard the Pegasus-class assault carrier White Base
and assigned to Kai Shiden
. However, when White Base made its way to Jaburo, another Guncannon was transferred to the White Base to replace the space-incompatible RX-75-4 Guntank piloted by Hayato Kobayashi. To separate the two units, they were named the "C-108" and "C-109" respectively. Both units were heavily damaged at the final 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
.
In the 7-minute avant-title video of Mobile Suit Gundam Battlefield Record U.C. 0081, another Guncannon named "C-203" appears along side White Bases assault on A Baoa Qu's S-field and performed a brilliant shield kick on Erik Blanke's Gelgoog, before taking out another Zaku and moves on.
The RX-77-2 Guncannon was the only Project V mobile suit ever to have limited mass-production. 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 pursue the infamous "Midnight Fenrir" Zeon special operation 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 units. There were also reports of several Guncannons used to assist the 16th Autonomous Corps, the Thoroughbred as well as at least 1 Guncannon used to assist Yu Kajima during the final days of the Blue Destiny units' test.
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin
features a Guncannon in the same role as the Guncannon in the original series. Like other designs from the original Gundam series, it received a slight makeover by Kunio Okawara; the barrels of its shoulder cannons are longer and there are only 3 fingers on each hand.
and was designed by Yutaka Izubuchi
.
As the One Year War came to a close, the Federation began plans to mass produce the other machines of Project V
. The RX-77D Guncannon Mass-production Type did away with the Core Block System and used the more economical titanium/ceramic composite armor instead of lunar titanium to cut costs. In addition, it possessed additional verniers and thrusters, making it even more powerful and maneuverable than the older model. However, this revision was never produced as planned, with only a few suits being distributed to units such as the Pegusus carrier Gray Phantom and the White Dingo team in Australia.
, defending Jaburo from the descending forces of the AEUG. Unlike most of the other MSV units featured in the Jaburo episodes of Zeta it would retain its original color scheme.
Both Guncannon Heavy Arms Type and Guncannon first appear as part of Mobile Suit Variations and were designed by Kunio Okawara
.
, is the first mass-production model derived from SNRI
's Formula Project
. It was introduced in the early U.C.0120s and was considered both a distant descendant of the RX-77 Guncannon series and a mass-production version of the SNRI's F90S Gundam F90 Support Type. The G-Cannon's primary armament was the pair of large 4-barrel 130 mm machine cannon
s mounted on its shoulders. While intended to be used as a fire support unit, the machine cannons could be removed, leaving the G-Cannon still well-armed enough with Vulcan guns, two forearm-mounted twin-barrel beam guns and a pair of beam sabers, and thus able to maneuver and operate as a good general-purpose/close combat unit. This miniaturized mobile suit largely outperforms the contemporary RGM-109 Heavygun, thanks to its lighter weight, higher reactor and thruster output, and better armaments.
The F71 G-cannon has two other variants. One, the VSBR Type sports two shoulder-mounted variable-speed beam rifles instead of machine cannons. The other variant, the Full Equipment Type, packs even more firepower in the form of missiles, cannons and other weapons.
Designed by Kunio Okawara
, it first appeared in the movie Mobile Suit Gundam F91
.
Mobile Suit Gundam
is a televised anime series, created by Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcasting Network on April 7, 1979, and lasted until January 26, 1980, spanning 43 episodes...
anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series, originally designed and illustrated by Kunio Okawara
Kunio Okawara
is a mechanical designer in the Japanese anime industry. A mechanical designer is similar to a character designer, but the design is for robots, ships, and other mechanical items found in a particular show. Okawara was the first in the industry to be specifically credited as a mechanical designer...
. One of earliest mecha designs in the Real Robot
Real Robot
is a genre of Japanese animation. The genre contains mecha robots that are powered by conventional power sources and weapons explainable by real world science, and that use ranged weapons and speed to survive battle situations....
genre, Guncannon's concept of a heavily armored humanoid machine with dual shoulder cannon became the inspiration for various artillery fire-support mecha in other mecha anime and games. The Dankof from Blue Comet SPT Layzner
Blue Comet SPT Layzner
, sometimes translated as Blue Meteor SPT Layzner, is an anime series produced by Sunrise between 1985 and 1986. Its original creator was Ryousuke Takahashi of Armored Trooper Votoms fame who served as the writer and wrote the scripts for such shows as Panzer World Galient, Tetsuwan Atom, Zero...
(1985), Dragonar-2 from Metal Armor Dragonar
Metal Armor Dragonar
is a 48-episode mecha anime series, created by Sunrise and aired from 1987 to 1988. Devised shortly after the release of Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ, Dragonar was intended to be both a "starter" series to get new fans into mecha anime, and a potential successor to the Gundam franchise. In fact, it's...
(1987), Schutzwald from the Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation
Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation
is a tactical role-playing game for the Game Boy Advance, developed and published by Banpresto in Japan, and later localized by Atlus in North America....
video game series, and other designs owe to the aesthetic of the Guncannon as inspiration for their designs.
Role in Plot
The Guncannon is the second prototype design model that stemmed from the Earth FederationEarth Federation
The is a fictional organization in the Universal Century timeline of the Gundam anime series. The name also made a reappearance outside of the Gundam series in following media.* Godzilla vs...
's Project V
Project V
The Project V was a fictional weapon development program in the mecha anime Mobile Suit Gundam-Background History:...
in the original anime series
Mobile Suit Gundam
is a televised anime series, created by Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcasting Network on April 7, 1979, and lasted until January 26, 1980, spanning 43 episodes...
. It was developed during the One Year War
One Year War
The is a fictional conflict from the Universal Century timeline of the anime Mobile Suit Gundam metaseries. The One Year War is very similar to World War II, the major difference being that The One Year War is in a science fiction setting and some major battles occurred in space...
in response to the Principality of Zeon's MS-05 Zaku I
MS-05 Zaku I
In the Mobile Suit Gundam universe, the MS-05 Zaku I was the first successful mobile suit design to be developed by the Zeonic Company in the Principality of Zeon's quest to develop a combat-capable mobile suit that used the AMBAC System and the Minovsky ultracompact fusion reactor. The Zaku I was...
and MS-06 Zaku II
MS-06 Zaku II
The MS-06 Zaku II is a mobile suit from the Mobile Suit Gundam metaverse. It is redesigned by Kunio Okawara based upon the earlier draft by the series director Yoshiyuki Tomino, in which only the name was kept. The Zaku II has seen various redesigns and variants for hundreds of pieces of...
mobile suits.
The Guncannon was a step up from the RX-75 Guntank
RX-75 Guntank
The RX-75 Guntank is a fictional weapon from the mecha anime Mobile Suit Gundam. The real life Type 87 self-propelled anti-aircraft gun of the Japan Self-Defense Forces was unofficially nicknamed as Guntank after the fictional weapon by troopers....
; while the Guntank was more a "tank" than a humanoid robot
Humanoid robot
A humanoid robot or an anthropomorphic robot is a robot with its overall appearance, based on that of the human body, allowing interaction with made-for-human tools or environments. In general humanoid robots have a torso with a head, two arms and two legs, although some forms of humanoid robots...
, the Guncannon was a true mobile suit with limbs. However, it did share the Core Block System, using the same FF-X7 Core Fighter. This allowed the Guncannon's pilot to quickly change control with Guntank and RX-78 Gundam.
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 gun
M61 Vulcan
The M61 Vulcan is a hydraulically or pneumatically driven, six-barreled, air-cooled, electrically fired Gatling-style rotary cannon which fires 20 mm rounds at an extremely high rate. The M61 and its derivatives have been the principal cannon armament of United States military fixed-wing aircraft...
s 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 fire support. The Guncannon was also armed with a high-precision beam rifle for sniping operation, being one of the first mobile suits equipped with a beam weapon.
The Guncannon was less mobile but more heavily armored than its cousin, the Gundam. This allowed the Guncannon to be a significant threat to Zeon's Zaku
MS-06 Zaku II
The MS-06 Zaku II is a mobile suit from the Mobile Suit Gundam metaverse. It is redesigned by Kunio Okawara based upon the earlier draft by the series director Yoshiyuki Tomino, in which only the name was kept. The Zaku II has seen various redesigns and variants for hundreds of pieces of...
s. Unfortunately, the extra armor provided no additional protection against the powerful beam weapons, and heavy projectile weapons (such as the Giant Bazooka used by MS-09R Rick Dom) were also capable of causing severe damage. It also lacked any sort of melee weapon, rendering it having to fight empty-handed during close encounters with an enemy unit. Another disadvantage was that its 240 mm cannons only held 20 rounds per cannon, limiting the Guncannon's effective operation time on the battlefield.
During the Zeon attack on Side 7, only one RX-77-2 survived the attack. It was later stationed aboard the Pegasus-class assault carrier White Base
White Base
The White Base is a fictional spaceship from the Japanese science fiction anime series Mobile Suit Gundam. It serves as the mothership of the protagonist crew members and the famous mobile suit Gundam...
and assigned to Kai Shiden
Kai Shiden
was one of the supporting characters in the classic anime TV series Mobile Suit Gundam.Kai's name is derived from the name of a World War II era Japanese fighter plane, the Kawanishi N1K2-J Shiden-Kai.-History:...
. However, when White Base made its way to Jaburo, another Guncannon was transferred to the White Base to replace the space-incompatible RX-75-4 Guntank piloted by Hayato Kobayashi. To separate the two units, they were named the "C-108" and "C-109" respectively. Both units were heavily damaged at the final battle of the One Year War
One Year War
The is a fictional conflict from the Universal Century timeline of the anime Mobile Suit Gundam metaseries. The One Year War is very similar to World War II, the major difference being that The One Year War is in a science fiction setting and some major battles occurred in space...
at the Zeon's space fortress A Baoa Qu. Kai's Guncannon later reappears in Hayato's mobile suit museum in Zeta Gundam
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
is a television anime, part of the Gundam series and a sequel to the original Mobile Suit Gundam. The show was created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, with character designs by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, while the series' mechanical designs is split amongst Kunio Okawara, Mamoru Nagano, and Kazumi Fujita...
.
In the 7-minute avant-title video of Mobile Suit Gundam Battlefield Record U.C. 0081, another Guncannon named "C-203" appears along side White Bases assault on A Baoa Qu's S-field and performed a brilliant shield kick on Erik Blanke's Gelgoog, before taking out another Zaku and moves on.
The RX-77-2 Guncannon was the only Project V mobile suit ever to have limited mass-production. It served as a main mobile suit until the Federation introduced the RGM-79 GM
RGM-79 GM
The , supposedly an acronym of Gundam Mass-production type, is the mass-produced version of the RX-78 Gundam. Though many variants were produced over the years, the RGM-79 GM was the Federation's first true mass-produced mobile suit...
; 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
RX-78 Gundam
The RX-78 Gundam is a fictional manned robot, introduced in 1979 in Yoshiyuki Tomino's and Sunrise's anime series Mobile Suit Gundam. In the series, it is a testbed weapon for the Earth Federation when it falls into the hands of Amuro Ray, the son of a weapons designer, who goes on to pilot it in...
). This team would pursue the infamous "Midnight Fenrir" Zeon special operation 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
Gobi Desert
The Gobi is a large desert region in Asia. It covers parts of northern and northwestern China, and of southern Mongolia. The desert basins of the Gobi are bounded by the Altai Mountains and the grasslands and steppes of Mongolia on the north, by the Hexi Corridor and Tibetan Plateau to the...
, though game's dialogue said they already loss several units. There were also reports of several Guncannons used to assist the 16th Autonomous Corps, the Thoroughbred as well as at least 1 Guncannon used to assist Yu Kajima during the final days of the Blue Destiny units' test.
RX-77 Guncannon (Manga Version)
The mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin
Mobile Suit Gundam: THE ORIGIN is a manga adaptation of the television anime series Mobile Suit Gundam written and illustrated by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, the original series' character designer...
features a Guncannon in the same role as the Guncannon in the original series. Like other designs from the original Gundam series, it received a slight makeover by Kunio Okawara; the barrels of its shoulder cannons are longer and there are only 3 fingers on each hand.
RX-77D Mass-production Type Guncannon
The Mass-production Type Guncannon first appeared in Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the PocketMobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket
is a 1989 Japanese science fiction original video animation series, the first such series in the Gundam franchise. Directed by Fumihiko Takayama, it was also the first time anyone other than creator Yoshiyuki Tomino was given a chance to direct a Gundam story. Released in 1989, it serves to...
and was designed by Yutaka Izubuchi
Yutaka Izubuchi
is a Japanese anime designer and director. Izubuchi is credited for designing costumes, characters and creatures, but most of his designs are mechanical...
.
As the One Year War came to a close, the Federation began plans to mass produce the other machines of Project V
Project V
The Project V was a fictional weapon development program in the mecha anime Mobile Suit Gundam-Background History:...
. The RX-77D Guncannon Mass-production Type did away with the Core Block System and used the more economical titanium/ceramic composite armor instead of lunar titanium to cut costs. In addition, it possessed additional verniers and thrusters, making it even more powerful and maneuverable than the older model. However, this revision was never produced as planned, with only a few suits being distributed to units such as the Pegusus carrier Gray Phantom and the White Dingo team in Australia.
MSV Guncannons
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. The simple upgrade of the original design was a success, leading to the production of the RX-77-4 Guncannon II. Instead of 240 mm conventional guns, the Guncannon II carried a single beam cannon and targeting sensor, making it much lighter and more mobile than previous incarnations. The RX-77-3 Guncannon would show up with other MSV units in Episodes 11 and 12 of Mobile Suit Zeta GundamMobile Suit Zeta Gundam
is a television anime, part of the Gundam series and a sequel to the original Mobile Suit Gundam. The show was created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, with character designs by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, while the series' mechanical designs is split amongst Kunio Okawara, Mamoru Nagano, and Kazumi Fujita...
, defending Jaburo from the descending forces of the AEUG. Unlike most of the other MSV units featured in the Jaburo episodes of Zeta it would retain its original color scheme.
Both Guncannon Heavy Arms Type and Guncannon first appear as part of Mobile Suit Variations and were designed by Kunio Okawara
Kunio Okawara
is a mechanical designer in the Japanese anime industry. A mechanical designer is similar to a character designer, but the design is for robots, ships, and other mechanical items found in a particular show. Okawara was the first in the industry to be specifically credited as a mechanical designer...
.
F71 G-Cannon
The F71 G-Cannon, manufactured by Anaheim ElectronicsAnaheim Electronics
Anaheim Electronics is a fictional civilian company that appeared in the Universal Century timeline of the Gundam anime metaseries. The company appeared first in Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam as the main financier, supplier, and manufacturer of the faction AEUG...
, is the first mass-production model derived from SNRI
Strategic Naval Research Institute
SNRI is a fictional Earth Federation think tank referenced in the Gundam series Mobile Suit Gundam F91 and the manga and kits Gundam F90...
's Formula Project
Formula Project
This article is about a fictional weapon series from the Universal Century timeline of the anime Gundam metaseries.- F71 G-Cannon :This Earth Federation attack mobile suit is the first mass-production model derived from SNRI's Formula Project....
. It was introduced in the early U.C.0120s and was considered both a distant descendant of the RX-77 Guncannon series and a mass-production version of the SNRI's F90S Gundam F90 Support Type. The G-Cannon's primary armament was the pair of large 4-barrel 130 mm machine cannon
Autocannon
An autocannon or automatic cannon is a rapid-fire projectile weapon firing a shell as opposed to the bullet fired by a machine gun. Autocannons often have a larger caliber than a machine gun . Usually, autocannons are smaller than a field gun or other artillery, and are mechanically loaded for a...
s mounted on its shoulders. While intended to be used as a fire support unit, the machine cannons could be removed, leaving the G-Cannon still well-armed enough with Vulcan guns, two forearm-mounted twin-barrel beam guns and a pair of beam sabers, and thus able to maneuver and operate as a good general-purpose/close combat unit. This miniaturized mobile suit largely outperforms the contemporary RGM-109 Heavygun, thanks to its lighter weight, higher reactor and thruster output, and better armaments.
The F71 G-cannon has two other variants. One, the VSBR Type sports two shoulder-mounted variable-speed beam rifles instead of machine cannons. The other variant, the Full Equipment Type, packs even more firepower in the form of missiles, cannons and other weapons.
Designed by Kunio Okawara
Kunio Okawara
is a mechanical designer in the Japanese anime industry. A mechanical designer is similar to a character designer, but the design is for robots, ships, and other mechanical items found in a particular show. Okawara was the first in the industry to be specifically credited as a mechanical designer...
, it first appeared in the movie Mobile Suit Gundam F91
Mobile Suit Gundam F91
is a 1991 anime film, which was Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino's attempt to launch a new Gundam saga, set thirty years after Char's Counterattack and twenty seven years after Gundam Unicorn. He re-teamed with character designer Yoshikazu Yasuhiko and mecha designer Kunio Okawara for the occasion....
.