REF Field Guide: Ground Mobile Unit (GMU)

[taalismn]

Looks kinda like the Garuda from the Zeta Gundam epiosdes. Flying brick with garage space.

Yea, it does. That was possibly the inspiration since I'm willing to bet that this vehicle was among those created for The Sentinels anime. Either that or Jason & John Waltrip were fans of Zeta Gundam and sprung upon the idea of basing the Robotech dropship on the Garuda.

I'm more inclined to believe the latter. Since every subsequent appearance of the GMU being airlifted would have been by the Farrago, the Waltrips likely decided that such a bit scene could be filled by a cameo appearance(any later shots needing a shuttle would be filled by the Star Trek-style mini-shuttles seen in the comic, the Horizont, or Garfish carriers).

[Rabid Southern Cross Fan]

I would like to see a slight redesign of the dropship to look a little more like the Phoenix from The Masters War. Maybe the jet engines in the wings and a slight revamp of the front end/flight deck to be a little more like the Garuda.

[Rabid Southern Cross Fan]

Think on the Mass Effect video game spaceship USS Normandy but in a lower scale;fast,maneuverable and armed. It's only an idea.

Eh, I think the Garuda is a better aesthetic choice. The USS Normandy doesn't look like it can re-enter the atmosphere, much less land.

Normandy spec sheet

[Lt Gargoyle]

If you don't want a transport exclusively for the GMU he can land in a planet by his own, remember that the GMU has flight capabilities and if I remember it properly can achieve a Mach 1 speed in space, also can fly in an atmosphere. So is said in the Sentinels RPG. You only need to recover it with and Horizont transport with no docked Alpha and Beta or build a TREAD or disposable rocket sled deployed in a Horizont shuttle for the TITAN GMU.

in the novels the GMU could not escape an atmosphere under its own power.

I know it, all I said was that the GMU could LAND in his own power NOT to take off and reach a mach 6 speed to breach an atmosphere. Of course if a planet or a cellestial body lacks of sufficient atmosphere(like our Moon) the GMU can enter and leave the body without problem.

Well if you want to sacrofice room for decending capablity your still gonna need a drop ship for the basic troops. so why not just send in the one detachment with the GMU instead of risking two or three shuttles and the GMU? But i guess in high risk areas that could be a solution to risking everything in one drop as well. but still I envision the same issues arising like those of D-day in normady. troops scattered across the battle field. I rather see one drop ship and the battalion deployed togeather.


I am not sure it could. I understand it has a limited flying capability of like 500 feet with its thrusters kicked on. but dropping from a high orbit I have some doubts as to its ability to slow its self down enough as not to create a large smoldering hole.
why have a drop ship for the vessel if it could drop itself?

Because they need to retrieve the GMU on board, but if the GMU could land in his own power you only have to risk once the recovery ship not twice, one for deploy and another one for retrieve. Maybe disinstalling the Main Laser Cannon we can build a trans-atmospheric GMU. We could use the extra room to install powerfull rocket engines and a retractile wing system or even a miniaturized anti gravity system like those found on the Masters' Motherships.

[Rabid Southern Cross Fan]

Speaking of which, I think the GMU would be better revamped as having modular weapons mounts. Especially that big cannon. Of course the Zillion iteration of the GMU, the Land Carrid, had this very option and it would seem to make alot more sense.

[taalismn]

Agreed. Modularity would make for a longer-lived vehicle, with upgrades being far easier, and even after the GMU's value as a mobile artillery platform or mobile surface-to-near-space weapons turret was bypassed, it could be converted quite satisfactorily to a heavy engineering vehicle, MASH unit, mobile power station, or mobile command center.

[taalismn]

In the Mass Effect video game(part 1) the deploy of the ground vehicle is done by the mile large Normandy entering atmospheres and when the mission is over enters again to pick up and leave. In the Mass Efect 2 video game,the SSV Normandy is twice as large as the first model was and that's why they use a shuttle to deploy ground troops.
Modular design allow us to have a basic mainframe with different accessories that is something good, but in the case of the GMU the main laser cannon is too massive for the damage that delivers. Maybe a half of the size cannon with the Monster destroid cannons on mind would be a better solution or we can substitute by a Zentran heavy laser turret as those found on the zentran armada ships(1D4x100 M.D. in the new books) which are shorter in size.
The Mako(ground vehicle used on Mass Effect 1) is equipped with rockets to stop speed from a fall and for short flying periods on low gravity planets. I agree that the Normandy cannot land physically in a planet(need special docking facilities) but can enter and leave atmospheres. I am not ordering you in any way to use that ship,it is only an idea. Enjoy.

May consider it for appearances in the Crossovers Thread

[Lt Gargoyle]

i have to agree, the modular idea is a great way to keep it in service for many years.

josephddm do you have a picture of the mass effect vehicle?

[taalismn]

I still gotta explore the idea of what if the UEEF converted a handful of old GMU frames into their own versions of BOLOs...add a Shadow Cloak device and oddles of firepower, deploy from a Garfish..Test it on a remote Invid outpost on some remote planetoid so if the AI goes rogue, you're not threatening Human settlements...