MS-06FZ Zaku II FZ, almost always called the Zaku II Kai, is the last Zaku II variant to reach production in the One Year War. It appears in Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket (U.C. 0079), where Bernard Wiseman repairs an abandoned unit and takes it into his last fight.
What it does in the story
Zeon drew the FZ up because the Zaku II had fallen behind Federation suits, feeding newer-model data back into the old frame. It was finished so late that the war ended a month after it rolled out, and the few built went to space units, many crewed by recruits. At Side 6's Ribo colony, Bernie's disabled unit is recovered, repaired and flown against the RX-78NT-1.
What makes it different
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Thrust rose 70 percent and endurance fell.
The apogee motors and backpack thrusters were enlarged, raising total thrust 70 percent over the F-Type. The propellant load did not grow, so time at maximum combat thrust dropped by half.
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There are two different heads.
The A-Type follows earlier Zaku heads. The B-Type, the Fritz Helm, was modelled on the German Stahlhelm, with a dome the pilot can lift off to work on the machine after a crash landing.
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The machine gun lost calibre and gained hits.
The MMP-80 fires 90 mm instead of 120 mm, with better muzzle velocity and better effect on armour. The drum gave way to a 32-round box magazine.
How big is it?
- Head height: 17.5 m at 74.5 t gross and 56.2 t dry, according to Bandai's official spec
- 1/144: roughly 12.2 cm
- 1/100: roughly 17.5 cm
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Frequently asked questions
1. Is the Zaku II Kai just a Zaku II under another name?
No. The FZ is a separate late-war design under the United Maintenance Plan, with a new cockpit, stronger armour, larger thrusters and new weapons.
2. What is the Fritz Helm?
The B-Type head, shaped after the German Stahlhelm. Its dome comes off so a pilot who has crash-landed can repair the machine without a hangar.
3. Why did operating time get worse when thrust went up?
The thrusters grew but the propellant tanks did not, so the suit empties its supply faster: 70 percent more thrust, half the time at maximum combat thrust.
4. Which Zaku II FZ kits does the collection cover?
The 1/144 HGUC kit, the 1/100 RE/100 kit and the Robot Spirits Ver. A.N.I.M.E. figure.
Background sources: MS-06FZ Zaku II FZ — Gundam Wiki · 宇宙世紀の登場機動兵器一覧（0080 ポケットの中の戦争）— 日本語版 Wikipedia
