MSZ-006 Zeta Plus

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Notes: This article need be split up so it is not a general article about multiple suit types

MSZ-006A1 (MSK-006) Zeta Plus A1 (Amuro Ray colors)

The MSZ-006 Ζ Plus (Zeta Plus) mobile suit series is a series of mobile suits developed by the Earth Federation and Anaheim Electronics in the Universal Century calendar of the anime series Gundam. All of the Ζ Plus designs are by Katoki Hajime and Masahiki Asano based on the MSZ-006 Ζ Gundam, designed by Kazumi Fujita with transformation designed by Kunio Okawara and later redesigned to closer resemeble the Z Plus series by Katoki Hajime in various model kits and figures, which was a ground-breaking, revolutionary, and powerful mobile suit. However, the Ζ Gundam was also a painfully complicated and expensive mobile suit and the Earth Federation did not want to mass-produce it as it is.

After the Gryps Conflict ended the Earth Federation wanted the design of the Ζ Gundam to be reworked, so that it was more streamlined, less complex, and, most importantly, cheaper to manufacture, but so that it would still retain all of the major strengths of the original unit. The Ζ Plus line of mobile suits was the answer to the Federation's requests.

Real Life

The Z Plus, although designed at first only for a semi-official series Gundam Sentinel (which later became official), got its designs to retcon the supposedly earlier model, the MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam, due to its transformation system is more realistic and is easier to recreate in model kits. The Perfect Grade model of MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam actually contains information about a wave shooter shield which is not included in the original design but is borrowed from Z Plus series. Despite sharing no parts with the earlier models, the Master Grade V2.0 model of the Zeta Gundam also received several touches and improvements from the earlier Master Grade Z Plus kits (which in turn was better made then the even earlier Master Grade Zeta Gundam). The Z Plus series also influenced the work of Masafumi Matsuura for he when he created the side story manga Mobile Suit Gundam in UC 0099: Moon Crisis, he designed predecessors of the Z plus, MSZ-006> Z Prompt and MSZ-006PL1 Z Plutonius for the Z Plus team, a fast reaction reentry strike team against rebellion.

Variants

MSZ-006A1 (MSK-006) Ζ Plus A1

The MSZ-006A1 (MSK-006) Ζ Plus A1 was the first Ζ Plus unit created. The Ζ Plus A1 was designed to operate mainly in Earth's atmosphere. It was a high-performance unit and was capable of transformation from a mobile suit into a jet-like waverider mode. It started the trend of adding on two swiveling beam cannons on the mobile suits hips which would be included in almost all of the later Ζ Plus designs. The Ζ Plus A1 also included the standard armaments of a hand-held beam rifle, two beam sabers, and twin 60 mm vulcans in the head.

There were two color schemes of the Ζ Plus A1. The main color scheme was a neutral light gray and blue, however there was also a unit which featured a rusty orange and white color scheme and an "A" emblem on its left shoulder, the personal insignia of Amuro Ray. This orange Ζ Plus A1 was rumored to have been piloted by ace pilot Amuro Ray. It was never confirmed whether Amuro Ray actually test-piloted the Ζ Plus A1, and the rumor may have just been a marketing scheme concocted by Anaheim Elctronics to get the Federation more interested in the unit to drum up sales. While this period of the Universal Century is very vague and enthusiastically explored by fans, it is known for certain now that Amuro piloted a model of the Ζ Gundam during the Gryps and first Neo-Zeon war. This suit however, was the MSZ-006-3, a suit much closer related to the original Ζ than the Ζ Plus line (it was the rumoured 'Zeta Gundam Unit 3', with the only difference is its colour scheme). This suit and Amuro at its controls were featured in the short CGI film Green Divers, which all but confirms that Amuro may never have piloted the A1. However, it is possible that Amuro may have piloted the Z Plus A1 (or at least tested it), but received the MSZ-006-3 Zeta Gundam (which also featured in the recently released CGI film Gundam Evolve 9) shortly after.

MSZ-006A1B Ζ Plus A1B

The MSZ-006A1B Ζ Plus was designed to operate mainly in its waverider mode, unlike most other Ζ Plus units. The A1B Ζ Plus functioned as an atmospheric fightercraft, capable of high-speed dogfighting maneuvers. For better flight within Earth's atmosphere the A1B Ζ Plus had longer, more sweeping, wings to provide superior lift, as well providing more surface area to mount weaponry. A longer tailcone similar to more modern aircraft also helped with flight stability. The A1B Ζ Plus could carry an assortment of guided missiles on its wings and undercarriage, and it featured a heavy Gatling gun in its shield nosecone for use in dogfights.

MSZ-006A2 Ζ Plus A2

Although it was a slight improvement, the MSZ-006A2 Ζ Plus A2 was almost identical to the original Ζ Plus A1 in both performance and looks. The only major difference between the two units was that the Ζ Plus A2 featured a powerful high mega launcher mounted on its forehead similar to that of the MSZ-010 ΖΖ Gundam.

MSZ-006A3 Zeta Plus A3

A higher performance version of the MSZ-006A1 (MSK-006) Zeta Plus A1 with improved control fins. Due to the adoption of the superior MSZ-006D Zeta Plus D model, the A3 type is never placed in service, and only one prototype unit is constructed.

MSZ-006B Ζ Plus B

The MSZ-006B Ζ Plus B was another of the Ζ Plus units, but this one was modified for use in space. Like all of the other Ζ Plus designs the Ζ Plus B could transform into a waverider mode. The Ζ Plus B was much more streamlined than previous Ζ Plus units. The barrels of the hip beam cannons were shortened to make them more aerodynamic, and the shield that functioned as the nosecone in waverider mode was rounded significantly.

MSZ-006BN Zeta Plus BN

A higher performance version of the MSZ-006A1 (MSK-006) Zeta Plus A1 with improved control fins. Due to the adoption of the superior MSZ-006D Zeta Plus D model, the A3 type is never placed in service, and only one prototype unit is constructed.

MSZ-006C1 Ζ Plus C1

The MSZ-006C1 Ζ Plus C1 was created when the Ζ Plus A1 was modified for use in space. The two units were quite similar in many aspects, but the Z C1 had different front skirt armor, and it featured four locations to mount additional external fuel and propellant tanks on the underside of the wing binders. The shield of the Ζ Plus C1 was also extensively modified to allow it to carry a highly accurate beam smartgun.

Two Ζ Plus C1's would be built and sent to the Earth Federation's Taskforce Alpha, which was tasked with putting a stop to the New Desides. One of the Taskforce Alpha Ζ Plus C1's would be destroyed and the other was heavily damaged, rendering it inoperable.

MSZ-006C1[Bst] Ζ Plus "Humming Bird"

MSZ-006C1[Bst] Ζ Plus "Humming Bird" (blue colors)

The MSZ-006C1[Bst] Ζ Plus "Humming Bird" is a Gundam Sentinel mobile suit varitaion. The Ζ Plus Humming Bird was an incredibly high speed unit. It acchieved such high speed by removing the units legs and mounting two large twin booster engines in their place. Two more large engines were also mounted over the units shoulders, each with two beam cannons on them. The Ζ Plus Hummingbird also featured the two hip-mounted swiveling beam cannons and a large beam smartgun from the MSA-0011 S Gundam.

MSZ-006C4 Ζ Plus C4

The MSZ-006C4 Ζ Plus C4 was based off of the design of the Ζ Plus C1. Like the Ζ Plus C1, the Ζ Plus C4 was meant to operate mainly in space, however the Ζ Plus C4 was designed to operate better in a low Earth orbit, or in the upper atmosphere. The Ζ Plus C4 is meant to function more frequently in its waverider mode as opposed to mobile suit mode like most other Ζ Plus models. The two beam cannons that are featured on the hips of most Ζ Plus units have been removed from the Ζ Plus C4 to stabilize the waverider's flight capabilities in the atmosphere. To substitute for the loss a beam cannon was added to the Ζ Plus C4's shield, which served as the nosecone of the unit while in waverider mode. The underside of the chasis and the bottom of the wings were also built for maximum control, and to be able to better resist the shockwaves and strain on a unit undergoing atmospheric re-entry. This feature is based off (making it closer to) it's predecessor, the MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam.

MSZ-006D Ζ Plus D

The MSZ-006D Ζ Plus D was another Ζ Plus model designed to operate mainly in its waverider mode. The Ζ Plus D was designed as a high-altitude fighter/bomber. For better flight within the Earth's atmosphere the Ζ Plus D was given several canards on the shield nosecone to help alleviate aerodynamically induced stress on the airframe, longer more sweeping wings to provide superior lift and mount weapons, and a longer tailcone similar to more modern aircarafts also helped with flight stability. The Ζ Plus D could carry an assortment of guided missiles, or free-falling bombs on its wings, as well as a variety of ordnance. Anahiem Electronics had originally planned to sell this unit to the Karaba Air Force, which was put under Federation management after the Titan collapse. The unit would ultimatley not be sold, but several would serve as test units for Karaba in a non combat capacity.

MSZ-006E Zeta Plus E

The MSZ-006E Zeta Plus E is an Early Warning And Control (EWAC) machine based on the MSZ-006D Zeta Plus D. Given their relatively small operating radius within the atmosphere, mobile suits are of only limited use as EWAC machines. Conventional aircraft, on the other hand, are very fragile. This transformable mobile suit is developed as a compromise solution, but the installation of expensive electronics in the already costly Zeta Plus results in an extraordinarily expensive machine. Despite its high performance this E type never enters mass production, although it is rumored that a few units are introduced into combat.

MSZ-006R Z Plus R

Despite the high performance of the transformable mobile suits introduced during the Gryps Conflict, their complexity and high cost prove to be serious problems. As part of its research into lower-cost transformable mobile suits, Anaheim Electronics develops a new version of the Zeta Plus which docks with a sub flight system known as the Back Weapon System (BWS). This system provides the mobile suit with additional weapons storage as well as flight capabilities. This prototype machine is based on the MSZ-006C1 Zeta Plus C1, and the data obtained from it is later used to develop the RGZ-91 Re-GZ.