FF-X7 Core Fighter (Thunderbolt Ver.)

See all appearances

Appearances*

Movie

• Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt: Bandit Flower

OVA

• Gundam-TB

Manga

• Thunderbolt
• MSGTSS:

The FF-X7 Core Fighter (コア・ブースター, FF-X7 Core Fighter^?) is a support fighter craft appearing in the manga Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt, the second season of its OVA adaptation and subsequent compilation movie.

Technology & Combat Characteristics

Core Fighters are a multi-purpose fighter aircraft, but they primarily function as a cockpit block for Mobile Suits of the Earth Federation's ground forces, such as the RX-75 Guntank. Mobile Suits that utilized the Core Block System were composed of two modules, with the Core Block fitting between the two halves, joining them together while housed inside the Mobile Suit's torso.

In an emergency the Core Block can separate the Mobile Suit's upper and lower modules, ejecting and transforming to the Core Fighter to serve as a combat capable escape craft. Because the transformation mechanism limits their capacity for carrying fuel, to more effectively function as escort fighters Core Fighters could also be stored, in their transformed state, in containers housed in the wings of a modified Medea transport to quickly intercept enemies. In space, a significantly different model of Core Block is used.

Armaments

• 25mm Vulcan Gun

Two pairs of vulcan guns are mounted in the nose of the Core Fighter.

• Anti-Ship Missile Launcher

An anti-ship missile launcher was mounted on each side of the Core Fighter's main body. They had an open-hatched design and rise out of the recess when in use.

Special Equipment & Features

• Minovsky Craft System

Core Fighters use Minovsky Craft technology to supplement their lift, which allows it to maintain stable flight despite their two-stage folding wings. This is especially important during the transformation process.^[1]

History

Core Fighters were developed by the Earth Federation Forces during the One Year War as a mobile suit cockpit and emergency escape craft to increase pilot survivability.

After the war, a team of Core Fighters, led by Lt. Barclay, were deployed from their Medea air transports to engage pursuing Zeon remnant Dopps over the ruins of Sydney, Australia.

Gallery

Notes & Trivia

• Although Ohtagaki gave Core Fighters a unique color scheme, in the anime adaptation, they retain the red white and blue color scheme.

References

External Links