F91 Gundam F91

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: March UC 0123
Accommodation: pilot only, in panoramic monitor/linear seat cockpit in torso
Dimensions: head height 15.2 meters
Weight: empty 7.8 metric tons; max gross 19.9 metric tons
Armor materials: Gundarium alloy ceramic composite
Powerplant: Minovsky type ultracompact fusion reactor, output rated at 4,250 kW
Propulsion: rocket thrusters: 88,450 kg total (4 x 15,530 kg, 6 x 4,380 kg); vernier thrusters/apogee motors: bare mobile suit 51, equipped with VSBRs 59
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, mounted in head; 2 x mega machine cannon, 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

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 had already been successfully tested on the F90V Gundam F90 V-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 Dr. 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 them 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 EFF 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 for 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 Dr. 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 performed superbly during the conflict, and its abilities soon had another surprise in store for Seabook. Being a 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 sometimes still remained 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 Korozo Ronah’s deadly XMA-01 Lafressia mobile armor, Seabook found 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 later resulted in this Gundam being put into limited mass production. Some of these mass produced F91s were used by the EFF in a war against the Jupiter Empire in UC 0133.

Pilot(s): Seabook Arno, Harrison Madin, Bergh Scred
First appearance: Mobile Suit Gundam F91
Original mechanical designer(s): Yoshikazu Yasuhiko (principal design), Kunio Okawara (cleanup)
Note: “Harrison Madin colors” custom color lineart by AmuroNT1

Beam rifle

Cockpit hatch

Cockpit seat

Head (mask open)

Heat radiation fins

Rear view

VSBR (Variable Speed Beam Rifle)