Fat Uncle
Transport aircraft mass produced by the Principality of Zeon.
The Fat Uncle was a transport aircraft mass produced by the Principality of Zeon during the One Year War.
History
The Principality of Zeon developed the Fat Uncle as a transport aircraft after the signing of the Antarctic Treaty. The treaty banned weapons of mass destruction and colony drops, forcing both sides into conventional warfare. Zeon High Command anticipated that the Earth Federation would leverage its superior industrial capacity and raw materials to gain numerical advantage.
To counter this, Zeon forces launched drop operations to capture key mining and manufacturing facilities, including California Base and Odessa. The Fat Uncle played a crucial role in these operations by transporting supplies and mobile suits to front line forces.
Fat Uncles typically operated within Zeon-controlled territory due to their vulnerability to attack and the Federation’s air superiority. However, they occasionally ventured to the front lines for emergency supply runs or evacuations. They served as mobile bases for mobile suit teams and rescue/evacuation craft.
In UC 0096, Zeon Remnants used several modified Fat Uncles during their attack on Torrington Base in Australia, including one piloted by Yonem Kirks.
Design
The Fat Uncle had a substantial cargo capacity of 140 tonnes, allowing it to carry multiple mobile suits standing upright in its large cargo bay. Like the Gaw, it featured front-opening cargo doors that enabled airdrops during flight.
The transport used two large vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) rotors for lift and two thermonuclear jet engines for propulsion. Despite its size, the rotors could fold against the fuselage to reduce its storage footprint. The aircraft could achieve speeds up to 864 km/h.
Armaments
The Fat Uncle’s standard weapons were twin machine guns for defence.
Twin machine guns
Three twin machine gun turrets provided defensive coverage. Two were mounted on the sides of the aircraft, while the third was positioned in a turret on top. Each turret could rotate 360 degrees with adjustable barrel elevation.
Variants
The Fat Uncle Custom used by Zeon Remnants in UC 0096 featured several modifications:
- Jet engines repositioned above the rotors
- Sliding door added to the left side of the cargo bay
- Twin machine guns replaced with single-barrel machine guns
- Only two gun turrets mounted on top, flanking the cockpit
Behind the scenes
Okawara Kunio was the original mechanical designer.
Appearances
- Mobile Suit Gundam
- Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn