Model number: F91 Code name: Gundam F91 Unit type: prototype general purpose mobile suit Manufacturer: Strategic Naval Research Institute Operator: Earth Federation Forces Rollout: July UC 0116 First deployment: final version deployed March UC 0123 Accommodation: pilot only, in panoramic monitor/linear seat cockpit in torso Dimensions: head height 15.2 meters Weight: empty 7.2 metric tons; max gross 19.9 metric tons Armor materials: gundarium alloy/ceramic composite Powerplant: Minovsky type ultracompact fusion reactor, output rated at 4250 kW Propulsion: rocket thrusters: 4 x 15530 kg, 6 x 4380 kg; vernier thrusters/apogee motors: bare mobile suit 51, equipped with VSBRs 59 Performance: maximum thruster acceleration 4.44 G Equipment and design features: sensors, range unknown; bio-computer system; weapon mount, used to carry beam rifle or beam launcher, located on rear skirt armor plate; heat radiation fins, mounted in shoulders Fixed armaments: 2 x vulcan gun, fire-linked, mounted in head; 2 x mega machine cannon, fire-linked, mounted in torso; 2 x beam saber, stored in recharge racks in left hip armor, hand-carried in use; 2 x VSBR (Variable Speed Beam Rifle), selectable mega particle acceleration speed for damage or penetration application, mounted on backpack, hand-operated in use; beam shield, mounted on left forearm; spare beam shield, stored on right hip armor Optional hand armaments: beam rifle, powered by replaceable e-pac, can be stored on weapon mount; beam launcher, powered by replaceable e-pac, can be stored on weapon mount
Technical and Historical Notes
The culmination of development conducted by the Earth Federation Forces' Strategic Naval Research Institute under their "Formula Project" flag, the Gundam F91 was truly a revolutionary design for the next generation of mobile suits. The F91 represented the final goal of SNRI to develop a smaller, lightweight, high-performance mobile suit. Its compact size mounted enough weaponry to put it on par with other general purpose units at the time, and the F91 incorporated many advanced new technologies developed under the Formula Project. One of these technologies was the Variable Speed Beam Rifle, or "VSBR" for short, which was already successfully tested on the F90V Gundam F90 VSBR Type. Rather than being a hand-carried weapon powered by an energy cap or e-pac, the VSBR was mounted on the mobile suit itself and powered directly by its reactor. The pilot could adjust the speed at which the mega particles used in the beam fire were accelerated. Slower-speed particles produced a wider beam that delivered more raw damage, and higher-speed particles created a more tightly focused, penetrating beam. Thus, the F91's pilot could choose to deliver beam damage on a wider area or focused, high-speed shots to penetrate thick armor or even beam shields.
Another new technology incorporated in the Gundam F91 was the bio-computer system developed by Doctor Monica Arno. This system acted as a sort of "reversed" psycommu system, relaying information directly to the pilot's mind rather than vice versa. The bio-computer, however, could be used by normal pilots, and it gave the pilot many advantages by directly providing him with tactical and sensor data, piloting suggestions, and so on. Thus, the bio-computer allowed the pilot to react more quickly and decisively to any battle situation, and it also made a novice pilot's job easier in terms of adapting to the new mobile suit.
The F91 prototype, originally manufactured by SNRI in UC 0116, was slowly upgraded and modified over the next several years. Its final assembly, which incorporated the bio-computer system, was cut short when the Crossbone Vanguard force began conquering the Frontier Side area in March UC 0123. The F91's parts were stowed aboard the Federation Forces' training ship Space Ark, and during an escape to the Frontier I colony, the Space Ark crew rescued a group of civilian students who were also fleeing. Since the ship's complement was made up of trainees - and a skeleton crew, at that - a pilot was needed to pilot the F91 when it was completed. Seabook Arno, one of the rescued civilians, was selected for the job, based on his rather shaky credentials of being an engineering student and the son of bio-computer engineer Doctor Arno. Although reluctant to become a soldier, Seabook soon found himself performing his duties well, adapting to the F91 easily and scoring three enemy MS kills on his first sortie.
The Gundam F91 would perform superbly during the conflict, and its abilities would soon have another surprise in store for Seabook. Being a very high-performance unit, the F91's weapons and systems generated a tremendous amount of heat. This heat was normally dissipated through a seat of radiator fins built into the mobile suit's shoulders; however, excessive amounts of heat would sometimes still remain throughout the mobile suit's body. Another method of getting rid of this heat was by "shedding" the heated outermost layer of the Gundam's armor; this had the rather dramatic effect of creating "after-images" of the mobile suit while it was moving. While confronting Crossbone Vanguard leader Carozzo Ronah's deadly XMA-01 Rafflesia mobile armor, Seabook would find this ability useful in tricking his enemy into attacking targets that were not where they appeared to be.
Although initially developed as a prototype unit, the F91's performance during the Crossbone Vanguard conflict would later result in this Gundam being put into limited mass production. Some of these mass-produced F91s would be used by the Earth Federation Forces' in a war against the Jupiter Empire in UC 0133.
