MS-07H8 Gouf Flight Type

`

Information: Model Number: MS-07H-8 Name: Gouf Flight Type Unit type: Mass-production variant Armaments: 3-barrel 35mm machinegun pack heat saber shield Mission specific armaments: 75mm gatling gun Weight: 77.6 tons (maximum) Armor: luna titanium Thruster acceleration: 1.40 G's Head height: 18.2 meters Sensor range: 3600 meters Operator: Duchy of Zeon First deployment: U.C. 0079 Cockpit: Standard type in torso

Wooo, where to begin? The base of this Gouf Flight Type was drawn by Mark Simmons of the Gundam Project. As you can see, I have HEAVILY modified it from the original MSV MS-07H to the 08MST MS-07H-8, mainly in the addition of the 35mm machinegun pack and normal hands. The custom cockpit hatch was also installed by me. Also, take note of the...interesting "dazzle camoflage" paint scheme. This is also carried over from Mark's illustration of the MS-07H, and despite my best efforts, I could not manage to remove the colors without severe damage to the suit base. So, I did the next best thing and changed the coloring a little bit, and viola, there we have it. Okay, admitted, it sucks badly. If anyone can convert the awful paint job to the one of the actual Gouf Flight Type (see link below) I'd be happy to post it in place of this wretched picture.

Although the Zeon's Dopp jet fighter was a mostly successful venture in airborne superiority, it's small weapons were only able to nicely destroy Federation tanks, infantry and other aircraft, leaving their mobile suits mostly unscathed. Several Zeon engineers, spearheaded by the Zeonic Corporation's Gouf design staff, created a flight capable Gouf, replacing the regular Zaku-style legs with bulky, jet filled legs,

allowing this Gouf a good amount of flight. Although the flying Gouf consumed fuel quickly, it was highly manuverable, allowing it to quickly accomplish its mission before having to return to a base or Gaw to refuel. However, problems with the engines and manuvering thrusters made the flying Gouf highly unstable, and the project was soon dropped. Towards the end of the war, when the desperate Zeon military was quickly pushing foreward with the Apsaras project to destroy the Federation's Jaburo HQ, chief engineer Ghinius Sanklain, seeing the Apsaras III's vulnerability to Federation aircraft, brought up the old blueprints, and with some heavy redesigns and modifications, created the eigth and final type of flying mobile suit, simply dubbed Gouf Flight Type. Unlike previous

Weapon lineart: 3-barrel 35mm machinegun pack heat saber shield with 75mm gatling attached           Additional pictures: GFTs taking off from a mountain Closeup of the 75mm gatling gun GFT docking with the Kergeren Mechadomain's GFT picture

units, this Gouf Flight Type was only limited by fuel supply. The refined thermonuclear jets, closely resembling those of the Dom, allowed it superb manuverability and speed, and thanks to late-war technological advancements, were completely stable. Also, the Gouf Flight Type sported an impressive armament, similar to Norris Packard's Gouf Custom. Replacing the original flying Gouf's two 5-barrel 85mm machinegun hands with a pair of regular, manipulator hands, Ghinius' Gouf Flight Types was armed with a 3-barrel 35mm machinegun pack, a shield which could also mount a clip-on 75mm gatling gun when the mission called for heavy firepower, as well as the Gouf's signiture heat saber. The Gouf Custom's e-rope (heat rod) was omitted from the Gouf Flight Type for obvious reasons: the Gouf Flight Type was meant for destroying aircraft and bombarding mobile suits from below, so only the bare essentials (heat saber) were necessary for the minimal -if any- melee combat the Gouf Flight Type was supposed to have. Structurally, the Gouf Flight Type bore similarities to Gouf Custom, but also sported several redesigned portions for a more streamlined and aerodynamically sound look. The large Zaku-on-steroids looking shoulder armors were replaced with more sleek, aircraft-like armors, the Gouf's 35mm magazines being moved from a rear skirt armor position to being mounted on the right forearm, and four manuvering fins being installed on the backpack and skirt armor. Only the two units necessary to protect Apsaras III during its vulnerable take-off stage were produced, and after seeing Apsaras III safely landed, both units rendezvoused with the Zanzibar-class cruiser Kergeren for the trip back to the Zeon homeland of Side 3.