RX-78-2 Gundam profile

The third mobile suit developed under the Earth Federation Forces' top-secret "Project V," the RX-78 Gundam series sees final assembly and rollout at the Side 7 research colony under the supervision of engineer Tem Ray. The Gundam is designed as a fast, close-combat mobile suit and is the first to feature several new technologies, including the energy cap-based beam rifle (making the Gundam the first mobile suit to pack the firepower of a battleship) and beam saber. Three prototypes are constructed, although only one unit, the RX-78-2, survives a Zeon attack on Side 7 when Project V is discovered by Zeon ace pilot Char Aznable. The RX-78-2, having been commandeered by Ray's young son Amuro, fends off the attack and is transferred to the assault carrier White Base. Amuro Ray continues to serve as the Gundam's pilot for the remainder of the One Year War, being White Base's mobile front line of defense.

Although designed with "high performance" in mind, the Gundam is simply outmatched by its own pilot: Amuro's emerging Newtype abilities increasingly allow him to push the Gundam beyond its design limits. This has the often-annoying result of the Gundam's motors and joints getting burned out or overloaded simply because it can't keep up with Amuro's reflexes. A later field upgrade (first utilized on the RX-78-3 Gundam "G-3") involves coating the joints with an electromagnetic solution, thus reducing the motors' and joints' friction, and increasing the Gundam's performance to a point where it can keep up with Amuro's reaction time. Another factor that contributes to the Gundam's success is its "learning computer" system, which allows the mobile suit to "learn" from - and adapt to - the pilot's input. The data from the learning computer system is later incorporated into the Federation's first mass-production model mobile suit, the RGM-79 GM.

The Gundam's service record - and that of Amuro Ray - continually draw the attention of the Zeon forces - and particularly Char - until the end of the war, thus providing the distraction the Federation Forces need to complete construction of its GM units. The Gundam is finally destroyed at the Battle of A Baoa Qu in a fight against Char, piloting the MSN-02 Zeong mobile suit, although Amuro survives. The Gundam itself becomes the most famous mobile suit of the One Year War - even more famous than its young pilot, whose own abilities are the keys to the Gundam's performance, perhaps more so than the abilities of the Gundam itself.

Info from mecha domain

(an update on one of my first gundam drawings way back when)