Real Grade - MS-06J Zaku II "White Orge" - WiP 1 -

Got to get a rival for my Type 61 Tank and what a bad ass Zaku at that to add to the RG collection. The day i saw the first release of the Real Grade Zaku II ive wanted to model the White Orge.

All the mods needed to change the space F type to the ground J type, which is really removing any verniers needed for movement in zero G.

- Small verniers from the top of the backpack filled and the main rockets at the rear will be the smaller ones  left from the back of the calf.
- On the leg all the verniers covered over and a couple new panel lines added to detail up the blank surface.
- On the top of the head the antenna thinned and sharpened to what i hope will look knife edge.



All the RG Zakus ive done before ive just painted these cable parts on the sprues but as there going to be white thought i better prepare each parts properly, damn dull job putting these together and sanding them all.



Going to be quite fun adding all the weathering.
Ian

Real Grade - MS-05L Zaku I - Sniper Type - WiP 4 -

Not a massive amount of work done on this lately but have got the shoulder guard finished, cut off the spikes, filled with epoxy and then lots of sanding and adding putty and sanding again.

Started the backpack first filling any seam lines, only going to need to add a little detail to this, for a HGUC item it really got alot going on already. Also going to replace the booster with the smaller RG ones, think the originals are too darn big and having the RG booster will add a sense of conformity to all the RG Zakus if look at from behind.



Ian

Real Grade - MS-06FS Zaku II "Garma Zabi Custom" - Completed -

The completed MS-06FS Zaku II custom for Garma Zabi, the FS type might have been the commander Zaku before the S type. Every things the same as the F type except for the more powerful backpack which eventually was used on the S type and 4 kickass Vulcans cannons on the head for close combat. All painted in Garma Zabi personal colours just like his Dopp.

Got myself a 1/144 scale Garma Zabi in his flight suit, Heat-Hawk came from the HGUC kit along which the holster, spike on the shoulder guards extended and sharpened.

Really like the orange paint i used, was worried it would look too bright but the Vallejo Air Orange straight from the bottle was perfect, used the same dark green as i would on the F Zaku body so when displayed together the look like companions in arms.



Love a Zaku II shield, all my RG Zaku shield will follow the same pattern:
Zeon symbol at the top this one is actually the Earth Ocupatiuon Force Zeon logo, then a personal logo or nose art below this one being the Zabi Seal (from the MSV Zaku II  Minelayer, to be modelled soon), then the personal number, 401 same as Garma's Dopp, followed below by the rank insignia (both Char and Garma are lieutenants but Garma being also a commander i added the 2 dashes pointing upwards to add superior rank to Aznable. Always have the warning markings at the top and bottom to "frame" the shield.

Green added to the centre of the shield even thought it not on the original MSV art so that the red on the Zabi Seal would be visible and not washed out, was not sure when i originally painted it but now quite like it.



From behind you can see easily see what the FS is, an ungraded F type but not quite a S type. Has the more powerful backpack from the S type but still the vernier on the legs from the F type.

Kickass custom Heat-Hawk, like all dictators and their family member, got to have some weaponry cast in Gold or chrome. Egomaniacs.



Added very little weathering, thinking that in the TV series Garma never used a Mobile Suit and preferred his Dopp and being the Earth Occupation Forces commanders personal Zaku would be kept clean and ready for what i reckon would be formal occasion's, also get the felling that Garma was never really a good MS pilot.



My first MSV, and first Zaku outside of the original series but not the last.
Ian

Real Grade - MS-06FS Zaku II "Garma Zabi Custom" - On Parade

As is now my custom, first completed shot of Real Grade kit is an "On Parade" and this time with a little pilot Garma to accompany his Mobile Suit with all it assorted weaponry, including custom Heat-Hawk.

Another RG Zaku im really happy with to add to the collection, thats 4 so far with alot more to come.

Ian

U.C. HARDGRAPH 1/144 - Type 61 A5 Main Battle Tank - WiP painted -

All painted, weathered and ready to go hunt some Zakus, enjoyed getting the wee tank up to this stage. Record time for me getting something almost finished.

Only real challenge was decaling the number on the side of the turret, quite possibly the smallest decals ive had to deal with and all seperate number., eye acheing.
Ian

U.C. HARDGRAPH 1/144 - Type 61 A5 Main Battle Tank - WiP -

After watching the final of Girls and Panzer's (and lovin it!) i really wanted to model a tank and this MS Igloo Type 61 was my first choice for modelling, second a Tiger I.

Main remodelling was to the railing at the rear of the turret which took quite some work to accomplish, replacing a few details and drilling out the turrets, going to paint this one as the White Orges rival Lt. Harman Yandell custom M61A5.

Mesh is what reptiles owners use, is super fine and perfect for 1/144. Replaced the blob smoke canisters on the side, added the machines gun next to the hatch from a Sherman i think and used the supplied gun for the rear.



Took so much work to get all the railing looking good, bending these tiny bits of brass to the correct size sure took some trail and error.



Drilled holes for the future antenna.



Expect to see this painted soon, quite excited to get this painted and weathered, then maybe a RG Zaku "White Orge"
Ian

U.C. HARDGRAPH 1/144 - Zeon mobile suit pilots - WiP painted

All my Zeon MS pilots and even a Garma Zabi (wonder if his pose is camp enough) all ready to sortie. Amazing little figures these are, looks like i should give them a little dark wash to bring out all the fine detail, really hoping Bandai continue to bring out more figure, especially character's from the OYW.

All ready to fight for there independence by killing off half the human race.
Ian

Real Grade - MS-05L Zaku I - Sniper Type - WiP 3 - Progress

All going quite smoothly so far with the Sniper. From the top:

Head - Filled in the gap where the cables go in the mouth pieces and started to cut out the top for the enhanced mono-eye.

Chest - Filled the small panels on either side of the chest, got the HGUC chest pieces fitted and removed the "nipples" to make my own. Buckle added but not sure if i'll use that yet.

Arms - Thought the left shoulder from the HGUC set look better than scratch building a new onto the existing set and increased the size of the wrist. Reckon the bulkier wrists means a steadier hand when sniping?

Legs - Was the first parts i started on but since then have bought proper Tamiya yellow epoxy which is superior to the grey-stuf i used and manged to save the parts i originally ruined.

Started but waiting to be worked on are the backpack, shoulder guard, collaps ible strut for the knee which im having a little trouble with and the sniper rifle.

Ian

U.C. HARDGRAPH 1/144 - Zeon and EFSF mobile suit pilots - WiP

Sometimes i receive something new and all my models on the bench get left behind as i concentrate wholly on my new project and this is one of them. I love little figures.

Liked this MS crew so much that i had to start modelling them straight off the bat, because you get 2 sprues of the same figures i used the second one with existing Presier and Kotobukiya figures to created some more naturally posed pilots for all the Zakus i have using the fantastically detailed helmets on new bodies. All the guys with helmets on are going to be Zeon pilots, if bandai release a RG GM i will buy another set for all the EFSF pilots.

Also modelled Amuro Ray and Sayla Mass to go with the 2 Core Fighters that are practically complete, modelled them as much as i could to look like the figures you get with the 1/35 kit. Amuro is the one male with his helmet off and Sayla is my favourite here, used the female pilot body with the Sayla Mass head stroking her hair, worked out great.

Pilot with the crossed arms im calling The Stig.
Ian

[Kit Review] Gunpla Builder Parts - 1/144 MS Figures 01 -

This arrived while i was in Istanbul what i think has been the the most welcome release from the builders part some 1/144 mobile suit figures consisting of pilot, crew and even a Sayla Mass. You get 2 of the sprues above which adds up to quite a nice selection on figures for your dioramas.

Look at the detail! Less than 2cm in height with the squares behind a centimetre each.

The 2 standing still and what i feel somewhat most awkward looking posed figures from the set, the male on the left to me along with the rest of the pilots look very generic for the Gundam universe, if painted the way you want could be Zeon or Federation. But the female pilot looks just like it should be Christina MacKenzie from War in the Pocket.



Directing a MS crew, left looks perfect for a 08th MS Team diorama while right could be any one year war spacecraft.



Will be modeling and painting these soon.
Ian