Fanfan
Light hovercraft produced by the Earth Federation.
The Fanfan was a light hovercraft produced by the Earth Federation Forces for base defence operations.
History
The Earth Federation Forces developed the Fanfan before the advent of mobile suits, deploying it as part of their base defence arsenal. Despite its limitations against mobile suits, it remained in service through the One Year War.
During the Zeon attack on Jaburo in November UC 0079, Captain Woody Malden sortied in a Fanfan to defend the base. He attempted to support the RX-78-2 Gundam against Char Aznable’s MSM-07S Z’Gok Commander Type, but the hovercraft proved inadequate against the mobile suit. Char’s Z’Gok crushed the Fanfan’s cockpit, killing Malden.
The Fanfan continued to see service after the war. In UC 0094, mechanic Robin Diez maintained a unit at Torrington Base which still bore markings from its time with the Titans.
Design
The Fanfan featured a distinctive twin-fan configuration with hover engines mounted on either side of the main fuselage. This system allowed for stable hovering even over rough terrain, including the limestone caves of Jaburo. The central fuselage housed a two-person cockpit and rear-mounted propulsion unit.
Its compact size and hover capabilities made it particularly effective for operating in confined spaces. The Fanfan could maintain a stationary hover position while engaging targets, and its vertical movement capabilities enhanced its versatility in base defence operations.
Armaments
The Fanfan’s standard weapons were guided missiles for engaging ground targets and machine guns for anti-aircraft defence.
Guided missile launchers
Two 5-tube guided missile launchers were mounted on the upper body, with one launcher on each side. The radio guidance system allowed the missiles to be controlled after launch, significantly improving accuracy. However, these missiles proved ineffective against mobile suit armor.
Machine guns
Four 7.7 mm machine guns were mounted in pairs on either side of the nose section. These guns provided anti-aircraft capability and could engage light ground targets, though they had limited effectiveness against armored threats.
Known pilots
- Woody Malden
- Robin Diez
- Nils Yajima
Behind the scenes
Okawara Kunio was the original mechanical designer.
Appearances
- Mobile Suit Gundam
- Gundam Build Fighters Try Island Wars