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

Real Grade 1/144 - RX-78-2 GUNDAM - Completed - Detail

Wanted to post all the little details i added to the RG Gundam so took quite a few close-up, enjoy...

Panel next to the vulcan cannons was painted white and small part between the antenna and the red polygon painted grey

Luckily i found a nice little pilot Amuro Ray decal but had to cut it down to fit.



Took 6 decals to get the shoulder correct copying the 1/1 Real-G.



Lot of tiny decals that i had to cut up to get the leg marking correct.



Cut up decals added to the "collar" copying the 6 dashes on the Real-G and 2 new panel lines added above the cockpit missing on the RG.



Hardest part to decal was getting those pink lines matching up all the way round the wrist, hands are painted metalic black with the gaunlet 50/50 metalic black/black.



Backpack or Randel was the first think completed. Rocket boosters are painted Gun Metal with the end Chrome and detail added with a black wash and finally those Brass marking painted, going to do this with all my RG from now on.



These beam sabers are really sweet, had to add the vertical panel line as was missing.



Really dig those radioactive signs, look like they are the same on all Real Grade model, even the Zakus.



Feet are one of the parts i under decaled as was really starting to look busy here.



The more you zoom in the less you can read? Like how the green and red navigational lights copy modern day aircraft.



The small panesl have to be masked off above and below the elbow brass markings, bottom panel is white and the one above is a stange sand grey which took some time to mix correctly.



Really like the back of the knee, lots of detail but will largly not really seen as i will always have the Gundam facing forward.



The red warning decal just above the knee on the photo above and just above the heel on the photo below is on the 1/1 Real-G but lacking with the decal sheet from bandai but the very same decal as the 1/1 is on the weapon so if you have a spare decal sheet or transfer you can add this nice little detail.



Almost looks like a face o=.
The tiny tabs just above the warning marking i noticed needed to be painted grey just like Real-G.



All i got to do with the Real Grade RX-78-2 is take some action photos using the cool weaponary and build a small diorama to display it one, plan on making a little White Base hanger dio.
Ian

Real Grade 1/144 - RX-78-2 GUNDAM - Completed

Five months after buying this in Yodobashi Camera in Akihabara, ive completed this little beauty of a kit which im really very happy with, one of the most satisfying builds ive ever made and think because of how perfect the kit is caused me no hassle.

Took me quite a alot of searching through lots of photos on flickr to get all the detail and decals correct, what few decals i did leave off was because of my fear of over busying up the Gundam, but to decal took me almost 2 sheets of Bandai RG Gundam decals.

At the moment ive only posed it just like the 1/1 Real-G is but will do some action shots with it fully armed up in the future, need to take time easing the joints so that i don't ruin the paint work before i go and take any photos.











After building this my third Real Grade ive now decided to model every RG kit from the Universal Century that's released, especially One Year War gunpla but would really look forward to a RG Turn-A.
Ian

Real Grade 1/144 - RX-78-2 GUNDAM - WiP 8 - Final assemble

Just got the completed Gundam together for the first time, was going to give it a little weathering but a tad anxious about ruining it.
Ian

Real Grade 1/144 - RX-78-2 GUNDAM - WiP 7 - Final satin finish

This is everything after a spray of satin for the final finish. Give the last protective coat a few days to dry before assembling everything together.

Got all the extra shield, bazooka, beam sabers and manipulators from the other RG Gundam kit i have for the GM conversion which has been on hold for a few months. The Kick-A$$ Gundam Hammer is form the 30th HG kit.
Ian

Real Grade 1/144 - RX-78-2 GUNDAM - WiP 6 - Decaled

All decaled! and the longest decaling session ive ever done. Over the last week or so ive been researching the 1/1 Gundam erected at Shizuoka and trying to apply every decal on the 1/1 to my 1/144 and it took me almost 2 of the Bandai decal sheets to complete (more or less).

Once i give the entire model a very gentle clean with cotton wool i will seal all these down with a nice satin coat finish as soon as i can, i know from experience that if i leave this unprotected that i will either scratch off a decal or one will come off will im handling it and will be lost forever.

Think my attempt to add the little notches with cut up decal worked out great.











Start the core fighter soon too, copying the 1/35 U.C. Hardgraph for that.
Ian

Real Grade 1/144 - RX-78-2 GUNDAM - WiP 5 - Started decaling...

Recently started to decal up the torso and head and realised that the little dashes on the Gundams yellow collar are missing.

Not sure if its even called a collar but each panel line that goes horizontal across on the yellow section below the head should have 2 small dashes on each line aligned with each other.  Don't really want to cut them in with a knife so i might try cutting up a decal and adding them that way.

Wonder if i explain what i wanted clearly, kind of hard with out a reference photo to compare against.
Ian

Real Grade 1/144 - RX-78-2 GUNDAM - WiP 4 - Repainted greys

Reassembled after repainting all the grey pieces an even light shade of grey, big time advice is to make sure you get the colours correct before assemble. These real grade kits feel like they only want to be put together once and a quite difficult to take apart, broke the vulcan cannons on the head which are of course the smallest parts on this model and amazingly i didn't loose them.

Decaled up the beam rifle today too, which was nice and simple.

Will start to decal the gundam next week i hope, off to Morroco for a short break tomorrow.
Bon Voyage.
Ian

Real Grade 1/144 - RX-78-2 GUNDAM - WiP 3 - Panel lined + assembled

Took this photo of the first assemble about 4:30ish and by 5 o'clock had decided to repaint all the light grey panels to a even lighter shade of grey, reckon it should be more of 80's Tomcat ghost grey. Turns out the blue which i was never happy about is to me at the moment perfect.

Taking the grey pieces apart turned out to be quite difficult, this is a kit that seems like once it assembled remains so, almost broke a few pieces and infact broke out one of the ultra small Gatling guns off the head which will be fun getting that back in its place.

Light grey in this photo is about 60% white and 40% grey, recently repaint with more of a 80/20 mix which i hope is more like the 1/1.

Ian

Real Grade 1/144 - RX-78-2 GUNDAM - WiP 2 - Painted

My little project this weekend (ts early Saturday morning right now and raining) is to get all these parts which have been airbrushed over the last fortnight, decaled, panel lined and ready to assemble. Got to get this Gundam built before the Mk.II is released.

Might have to repaint the blue chest parts, really can't tell is the blue is the correct shade and as i think its wrong will probable mean it wrong.

Ian

Real Grade 1/144 - RX-78-2 GUNDAM - WiP 1 -

Time to start building this bad boy i brought back from Japan, bought in Yodobashi Camera Akihabara, "awesome shop!"
You can see the box got damaged on the flight back to the UK, looks like the crew played rugby with my suitcase.

Took me quite some time to prepare all these pieces, so many sprue to sand! And then just like with the Zaku every piece has to be prepare, primed and painted speciality, had to buy 200 kebab stick to hold all the pieces.

This is the first time instead of fixing any sprue marks with putty i used super glue, instead of waiting 24 hours for the putty to set i left the glue 30 minutes, result. Still will wait to see what it looks like once primed.

Off out today and plan on buying some Tamiya rattle cans for the white, have found painting white from the airbrush quite difficult using Vallejo only so far.



Ian

U.C Hardgraph 1/144 - Type 74 Hover Truck "The 08th MS Team" - WiP

Working the Hover Truck a little bit here and there lately, the 08th MS Team modelled first of course.

Great little model, with some fantastic decals from Bandai. Really tried to weather up the truck using a black and dirt wash and adding alot of rust, especially rain effect rust, photos might be too bright to see the effect but im really happy with the way its looking.

Might adjust a view things, maybe open up the open a hatch or 2 and put the sonic sensor drill thing is active position.




Plan on making a little diorama with this, once i find a decent wooden diorama base at a good price.
Ian

U.C Hardgraph 1/144 - Type 74 Hover Truck / M353A4 Bloodhound - WiP

Time to get back to some modelling.

These neat little hover trucks came with the U.C Hardgraph 1/144 Ground War Set, not sure if this is called the Type 74 Hover Truck from 08th MS Team or M353A4 Bloodhound from MS Igloo?

 Lately ive really been into modelling the One Year War U.C Hardgraph style and been wanting to add a bit more detail to some of the 1/144 vehicle ive got and brought back from Japan. RG Zaku II and Wappa where the first i started and this weekend i added some more detail the the Hover Truck.

Ive added new railing, antenna, opened up one of the hatches, some wiring and covered up the back ramp, is a very detail little model and almost perfect against the line art, ive been copy the detailing on the 1/35 scale model.

Just now primed it and cause it so small should take now time to paint.
Ian

Real Grade - RGM-79 GM conversion - Head / Monitor WIP - 3

Except for a little tidying up of scratches and then adding panel line i think this GM head is complete.

Cut off the mohawk of the RX-78 and has taken quite some time to get it fitted correctly, not glued yet, think it will be easier to add that at the last moment when im completely satisfied with what ive got.

The vulcan cannon also which was super delicate, those little blighter are small and of course i dropped them a few times, the horror trying to find those again.

Took me quite some time trying to get the holes aligned correctly, also drilled out the barrel, which suddenly made them look better.



Except for the shin guards, i think that's nearly all the conversion is complete.
Ian

Gundam 0083- HGUC 1/144 - RGM-79C GM Type C - Completed

Completed this very nice HGUC kit last week and im very happy with it. Wil probable be a long time before a build a MS from Gundam outside of the One Year War, unless i get tempted by the Jesta.

What i went for with this is a Type C at the end of 0079, remember reading about the Type C being fielded right at the end of the OYW and that it lacked the antenna (Sentinel 0079?) which i really didn't like anyway and why i added a shield with the Earth Federation star. Not really a fan of antenna's on amazing pieces of future technology, you can make a giant mobile suit that moves faster than a human yet go can't make a decent radio?

Livery is meant to be some sort of real type low-viz scheme, did try out all grey at first but did not look right, in Gundam a coloured chest seams to be a visual rule.



Found a nice decal for the right shoulder, seams to be a swan in front of a planet as some sort of nose art.
And check out the fisted manipulators, a new standard from Bandai, nice one!



Beam saber came from the 30th anniversary HG Gundam, which of course when i completed this i found the lost one, think this one look better myself though.



Always like this parade ground / airshow type display, even added the little pilot i recently made.



This was about the most action pose i went with, kinda worried about ruining the paint at the joints.



Was mean to enter this into the Europe Gunpla Cup over at MAC forum but just couldn't figure out how to add the label which had to be added without a photo shop, next time, really enjoyed this build anyhow.

Ian

HGUC - Mobile Suit Gundam - RB-79 BALL - WiP 2 Painted -

Airbrushed up last night, detailed this morning and now just gloss coated for the decal tomorrow which i think will be minimal.

Ian

HGUC - Mobile Suit Gundam - RB-79 BALL - WiP 1 -

Started one of the Balls up during the weekend with the hope of adding to the European Gunpla Cup over at MAC forum.

This one im planing om completed by the weekend if the decals ive ordered from Samuel Decal arrive by then. Going to paint this in pure anime colours in that light blue grey with only a little improvement detail wise with decals and the verniers and engines painted metal instead of the red.

Really simple kit to glue and putty, only major seam line are on the weapon, going to give them a wash now and prime later on this evening.

Ian

Gundam 0083- HGUC 1/144 - RGM-79C GM Type C - Weapons WiP -

Got all the weapons and shield done in time for the Euro Gunpla Cup over at MAC forums, only a handful of days until the finish at the end of this month,

Never realised until i painted the bazooka that its the same one the Gundam Mk.2 has and i had to replace the Beam Saber with one from the 30th Gundam, lost the original and cannot find it at all.

Going to start taking picture later on today with hopefully some decent light.
Ian