MS-06RD4 Zaku Test Type

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Information: Model Number: MS-06RD-4 Name: Zaku Test Type* Unit type: Data gathering test MS Armaments: ZMP-50D 120mm rifle heat hawk Weight: 77.5 tons (maximum) Armor: High-tensile steel Thruster acceleration: .68 G's Pilot: Ayna Sanklain Head height: 17.5 meters Sensor range: 3200 meters Operator: Duchy of Zeon First deployment: U.C. 0079 Cockpit: Standard type in torso

Although initially the only producers of mobile suits, the Duchy of Zeon's supremacy was challenged when the battered Earth Federation began creating their own mobile suits, which were superior in some

This image was drawn with painstaking care by Mark Simmons of the Gundam Project. This image is in no way mine, as I did not draw it. All credit is due to Mr. Simmons for this wonderful illustration that would otherwise not exist.

ways to the Duchy's own, expecially in space combat. The ground-pounding MS-09 Dom was acceling in atmospheric combat as a superior mobile suit, but the older MS-06F Zaku space-type was a few notches under par than the Federal Force's GM's. One brilliant plan, spearheaded by Ghinius Sanklain before going mad with the Apsaras project was to convert the MS-09 Dom from a fast, deadly land combat mobile suit into a powerful, GM-bashing replacement to the aging Zaku. The MS-14 Gelgoog project was still a good time away from completeion, so the Granada Lunar Mobile Suit factory let  Ghinius have the project. To facilitate the new space-use Dom, a pair of Dom legs were stripped of their thermonuclear jets and replaced with high-power rocket thrusters. To test the abilities of the new powerplants (Zeon engineers had had some nasty failures in the past), the modified Dom legs were placed onto a heavily modified Zaku II for field testing. The Zaku itself was painted in Dom colors and had its shoulder shield and spikes removed to simulate the Dom's slightly lesser weight. In the advent of combat, this Zaku test type (sometimes joking referred to as the "Dom Zaku") was equipped with the standard Zaku 120mm rifle and a heat hawk. Ghinius, making sure to have the

Weapon Lineart: 120mm rifle heat hawk          Additional Pictures: Closeup of head and rifle Zaku preparing to attack Zaku firing its 120mm rifle Closeup of the Zaku's hawk Mechadomain RD4 Zaku

*NOTE: The name "Zaku Test Type" is a simple shortening of the name. This mobile suit has many titles, including "Zaku High Mobility Test Type" and "Dom Zaku". Naturally, the name with the best combination of description and short length was selected for this profile.

special Zaku piloted well, instilled his sister Ayna Sanklain to pilot the machine. During test flights, it and its three escort Zaku's were attacked by a small GM patrol unit, led by one of the Federation's first mobile suit aces, Sergeant Terry Sanders. After a brief but furious battle, one Zaku and two GM's were destroyed, leaving Ayna's test type and Sander's GM alone in space while the remaining two Zakus went for help. With the assistance of hot headed Shiro Amada and a early model RB-79K Ball, Sanders escaped death and the test type Zaku was destroyed. After a brief encounter with Shiro, Ayna was recovered by the two remaining Zakus and returned to Granada with the test data intact. Production of the Remake Doms, or Rick Doms for short, followed quickly, thanks to the data.