AEU-05/92 AEU Hellion Initium

Model number: AEU-05/92
Code name: AEU Hellion Initium
Unit type: mass production transformable general purpose mobile suit
Manufacturer: AEU (Advanced European Union)
Operator: AEU
Rollout: unknown
First deployment: AD 2292
Accommodation: pilot only, in standard cockpit in torso
Dimensions: head height 15.2 meters
Weight: max gross 59.0 metric tons
Armor materials: E-Carbon
Powerplant: unknown
Propulsion: GN verniers, total output unknown
Equipment and design features: sensors, range unknown
Fixed armaments: defense rod, mounted on left arm
Optional hand armaments: 180mm smoothbore gun, mounts as nose in flight mode

The AEU-05/92 AEU Hellion Initium was a mass production mobile suit rolled out by the Advanced European Union in 2292. The AEU’s first mass production suit, the AEU-03, was restricted to ground combat, while the short-lived AEU-04 was a flight specialized design. Using the development experience of the AEU-04 and the Union’s VMS-15 Union Realdo, the AEU created the Hellion. Like the Realdo, the Hellion was capable of functioning in both mobile suit and flight modes, but the transformation involved parts swapping in a specialized facility. The suit’s light weight combined with the use of three plasma jet engines allowed it to fly in both mobile suit and flight modes. Armor thickness was reduced to make the suit lighter. During the change from mobile suit mode to flight mode, the front skirt armor in the former became the front wings in the latter. The angle of the front wings could be adjusted to control the air intake for the main jet engine.

Although the Hellion was not as advanced as Celestial Being’s Gundams, it did cause some trouble for the GNY-001 Gundam Astraea as its flight mode granted it higher mobility than the Gundam in aerial combat. The Hellion flight mode’s mobility was said to be on par with aircraft/fighter jets. Future Celestial Being engineer Ian Vashti was involved in the Hellion’s development. The suit was equipped with a smoothbore gun as the main weapon because the linear rifle was still undergoing development. Other armaments included a defense rod and sonic blade. A fin/blade antenna distinguished commander units from the rest. The Hellion received major upgrades in 2300 and 2305: the AEU-05/00 AEU Hellion Medium and AEU-05/05 Hellion Perpetuum. Prior to 2305, the names Initium and Medium were not used – the models were distinguished simply as “new” and “old.” In 2305, the AEU also began development on the next generation successor to the Hellion series, the AEU-09 AEU Enact.

Pilot: Emilio Ribisi
First appearance: Mobile Suit Gundam 00P
Original mechanical designer: Hitoshi Fukuchi

180mm smoothbore gun

Defense rod

Head

Rear view (Mobile suit mode)