RMS-116H Hobby Hi-Zack

The RMS-116H Hobby Hi-Zack was a hobby mobile suit developed for civilian use by converting surplus RMS-106 Hi-Zack units.

The “R” in the model code meant it was a Federation model¹ and the “MS” indicated it was a mobile suit. The “116” denoted it was the 116th design in this particular development line, whilst the “H” suffix stood for “Hobby”, indicating its civilian designation.

History

With the introduction of newer and more advanced mobile suit designs being used by frontline troops of the Earth Federation Forces, some older models were refurbished for civilian use and sold as surplus items on the open market. One such model was the Gryps Conflict-era RMS-106 Hi-Zack, which was stripped of its armaments and weapon capabilities, had its armour slightly modified, and redesignated as the RMS-116H Hobby Hi-Zack.

As more advanced mobile suits became available for the Earth Federation Forces over time, older suits like the Hi-Zack weren’t needed any longer. As a result, several Hi-Zacks were modified for civilian use and sold on the open market. These Hobby Hi-Zacks were stripped of their weaponry and had fire-control and targeting systems removed, making it virtually impossible to mount military-grade weapons.

Less than eight years after the Hi-Zack was first fielded, it was far outclassed by newer, more advanced mobile suits. The Earth Federation saw only one way to get rid of their stock of these machines: refurbish them and sell them as surplus on the open market.

Neo Zeon pilot Gyunei Guss operated one such Hobby Hi-Zack and used it to infiltrate the Londenion colony at Side 1 to retrieve Char Aznable and Quess Paraya. He later used it to help train Quess on how to pilot mobile suits, taking advantage of its non-threatening civilian designation to avoid suspicion.

Design

Based upon the RMS-106 Hi-Zack, the Hobby Hi-Zack was designed specifically for civilians. The mobile suit retained the basic frame and appearance of the original Hi-Zack but had been extensively modified to remove its military capabilities.

The Hobby Hi-Zack was powered by a Minovsky type ultracompact fusion reactor, though the exact output rating was not specified for the civilian variant. It maintained the standard 360-degree panoramic monitor with linear seat cockpit configuration that had made the original Hi-Zack popular with pilots.

The shape of the Hobby Hi-Zack’s shoulder armour, leg thruster units, and the lack of power cables around the biceps were similar to those of the RMS-106CS Hi-Zack Custom, suggesting some design elements were borrowed from various Hi-Zack variants during the conversion process.

Naturally, the Hobby Hi-Zack carried no weapons, and had been stripped of fire-control and targeting systems. The removal of these military systems made it very difficult, though not completely impossible, to modify the suit back to military configuration.

Armaments

The Hobby Hi-Zack was completely unarmed as delivered to civilian operators. All weapons systems, targeting computers, and fire-control mechanisms were removed during the conversion process to comply with civilian regulations.

However, the basic manipulator systems remained functional, allowing the mobile suit to perform various civilian tasks such as construction work, cargo handling, and other industrial applications.

Known pilots

• Gyunei Guss (infiltration use)

Variants

Custom Hobby Hi-Zack (Gunpla)

A custom Hobby Hi-Zack Gunpla, based on the HG 1/144 scale Hi-Zack, was operated by Eri Shinoda during a team-based Gunpla Battle in Seiho Academy. It was equipped with a beam launcher from the RMS-106CS Hi-Zack Custom, giving it high-output and long effective range, making it effective for sniper attacks. The unit was quickly shot down by the opponent team’s Powered GM Cardigan.

Behind the scenes

The Hobby Hi-Zack represents an interesting example of military technology being converted for civilian use, reflecting real-world practices of converting surplus military equipment for civilian markets.

The concept of civilian mobile suits operating in the Universal Century timeline provides insight into how mobile suit technology had become integrated into everyday life by UC 0093.

Appearances

• Mobile Suit Gundam: Char’s Counterattack
• Gundam Build Fighters Try (Gunpla version)

See also

• RMS-106 Hi-Zack
• RMS-106CS Hi-Zack Custom

External links

• RMS-116H Hobby Hi-Zack on the Gundam Wiki
• RMS-116H Hobby Hi-Zack on MAHQ

Footnotes

1. Federation in Japanese is renpou, hence the use of “R”. ↩