| RGM-79(G) GM Ground Type |
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| Information: Model number: RGM-79(G) Name: GM Ground Type Unit type: Mass production Armaments: 100mm machinegun beam saber x2 arm shield Mission specific armanents: bazooka, caliber unknown beam rifle 6-tube missile launcher Weight: 66.0 tons (maximum) Armor: Luna titanium Thruster acceleration: .74 G's Head height: 18.0 meters Sensor range: 6000 meters Operator: Earth Federal Forces First deployment: U.C. 0079 Cockpit: Standard type in upper torso |
| Yet another fine illustration by Gundam Project's Mark Simmons. As always, these pictures are not mine as I did not draw them. This is completely the work of Mark and all credit for it is due to him. |
| Even though the original RX-78 Gundam and its land-bound RX-79(G) bretheren were excellent mobile suits, they were very expensive and impossible to mass produce in great numbers in the case of the RX-79, and completely impossible in the RX-78. |
| To solve this issue, the Earth Federal Forces went about creating a new type of mobile suit for mass production. Using the Gundam and Gundam Ground Type's frames, a somewhat scaled down version was created, dubbed "GM" for Gundam Mass-production. Two initial types of GM were created, the space-use RGM-79(E) and the land use RGM-79(G). The latter, the GM Ground Type, is very similar to the Gundam Ground Type, and yet has been downscaled enough for affordable mass production. Like the RX-79(G), the GM Ground was not equipped with the 60mm head mounted vulcan guns like its space-use brothers, only this time for pure cost reduction as the GM Ground mounts an internal antenna rather than the Gundam V-fin. A pair of beam sabers were stored in racks in the knee armor in the same style as the Gundam Ground Type, and the same 100mm machinegun, bazooka, beam rifle, six-tube missile launcher and arm shield were carried over as well. Again for cost reduction, the chest mounted vulcan gun and multi-launcher were omitted in favor of a second cooling vent. One of the most noteable differences between the GMs and Gundams is the head. While the Gundams have a more humamoid design, with a pronounced face, two camera eyes and V-fin, the GMs have a simple goggle-style visor for the main camera. Although nearly the same frame is used for |
| Weapon Lineart: 100mm machinegun beam rifle bazooka 6-tube missile launcher Additional pictures: A GM entering a cave Two GMs observing Apsaras' firing zone A pair of GMs coming under fire |
| the GM as the Gundam, GMs never seem to get the same respect from Zeon pilots as the Gundams do, even though the individual GM is a stronger mobile suit than a Zaku II. As the war carried on, the space-bound GM E-type and the ground-use GM G-type were combined into one unit, simply called the RGM-79. This combination was for a pure cost-efficent design, and the new GM model quickly lost whatever vestigil respect and glamor its previous models had. Often referred to as "The Eternal Cannon Fodder", GM mobile suits and their numerous descendants remained the main E.F. mobile suits for decades to come, and never was their a time later where the hapless GMs were not present to be shot by whatever marauding space villans challenged the Federation. |