Wild River's G-WORLD

Amazing mook i bought on my trip to Japan, in Akihabara (i want to go back so much!). These dioramas are awesome and are so detailed that you notice something new everytime you look, or i do at least and i like to browse through this one often.

Just like me, Wild River has a penchant for the One Year War, espeacially Gravity Front Zeon. Click on through to my Flickr for much bigger photos to explore the amazing details.



Acguy, my second favorite amphibious suit after Z'Gok.



Made the YMS-15 Gyan look cool, looks great on screen but never really a fan gunpla wise.



Winter soliders



This Zaku Cannon diorama is the best!



Imagine its inspired by a German 88.



The White Base in Belfast, talk about detail.



Z'Gok rescue, really looking forward to the RG.



Atmospheric.


Brilliant U.C. Hardgraph diorama with he Wappa.



Have'nt been modelling of late but still have WiPs on the bench, alot of them.
Ian

Real Grade - MS-05L Zaku I - Sniper Type - WiP 8 -

This is everything modelled and ready to be primed, mods from the top:

Head - Streamlined the nose, cut out the section of the head for the sight, added vulcans, added antenna and crest at the rear.
Torso - Fitted chest from HGUC kit (which is sitting a little too high in photo), added detail in plasticard.
Waist - Buckle added where Zaku II cable would have attached and part of the skirt extended.
Arms - Both shoulder modified, shoulder guard had spikes removed from and other side fitted shoulder from HGUC kit, wrists size increased.
Legs - All holes for Zaku II cables covered and verniers on the front and back of below knees covered, knee stand added from the HGUC kit.



From the back:
Backpack - Various little details added to the HGUC kit to bring it more inline with the RG, booster rockets added from the RG kit (thought the HGUC boosters where too big, plus when all zakus lined up all booster look the same)
Legs - Al sockets for cables covered and verniers covered.

Ian

Real Grade - MS-05L Zaku I - Sniper Type - WiP 7 -

Must have been about 3 months since i worked on my RG Zaku Sniper, recently completed the head. Quite a bit of work for such a small piece.

Bottom of the antenna from the HGUC sniper kit and custom fin added to the rear.




Few little bits to fiinish and this should be ready to paint in winter.
Ian

Real Grade - MS-05L Zaku I - Sniper Type - WiP 5 -

Been a couple of months since i updated this build, during summer my model building really takes a sideline.

Head/monitor and the chest completed, looking like the best modelling works ive done so far, all very crisp and clean but had taken me month to get to this stage.

Knee stand from the HGUC added to the RG, alot of the inner frame cut up to fit this the way i wanted up close sitting on the leg. No need to add Real Grade detail to this parts, for HGUC is is really already very detailed.



Backpack with the RG rocket booster instead of the big ugly HGUC ones, also did this so what when all my other RG Zakus are lined up from behind there is a sort of conformity.

Little bit of detail added to the backpack, panels lines and screw holes to break some of the plain surfaces.



Really not alot left to do, going to wait for the weather to cool before i paint this.
Ian

Real Grade - MS-06J Zaku II "White Orge" - WiP 4 - Painted

White and very clean.

But not very long, weather the hell out of this soon.

Took me some time to paint every single part a uniform white, don't know if it normal but used nearly an entire jar of the Tamiya paint to get this result.

Few issues to fix before starting on the weathering, maybe not so much in the photo but where i covered over the verniers on the front calves is really visible, going to have to strip the paint, putty again to make perfect. Also front part of the face (snout?) must have lost that somewhere along the way because once assembled no sign of that, have been searching but luckily if not found i have a spare if needed, looks kinda goofy without it.

Can see alot of the mods from the rear, back of the calves verniers have been covered and a panel line drawn down the centre like the MG J type, top of the backpack verniers filled in and the booster rockets replaced with the smaller ones from the calves because big old rockets ain't need on the gravity front. Also the standard sharpening of the spikes on the shoulder guard and thining the head antenna.



Kind of white finish i'd like to have on Shin's MS-06R-1A White Wolf, but a long way off yet.
Ian

Real Grade - MS-06J Zaku II "White Orge" - WiP 3 - Primed

Not terrible exciting but all the parts needed to be painted white primed white and the darker parts grey.
Used Halford's White Primer which is meant for cars but from all my tests using different white primes is the best and just happens to be the cheapest.

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 - 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

[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

Real Grade - MS-05L Zaku I - Sniper Type - WiP 2 The rifle -

Opening the holes on the sides and also top is the only major mod needed to the MG42 style Zeon sniper rifle. Made the holes alot bigger than what the original recesses where so that the barrel which i'll add will be more visible.

Good thing i started this before i went to Istanbul, now that im back and take a fresh look at it i can see some improvement's needed to tidy the holes up a little.

The amazing Alps on my way to Istanbul on Saturday, never been but after seeing this from a dirty plane window really want to go.




Ian

Real Grade - MS-05L Zaku I - Sniper Type - WiP 1

Starting the Zaku I Sniper using parts i already had to hand before i bought a new MS-06F for the conversion.

This is to fill the holes where the cables on the legs attach and fill in the open panels where the space verniers would be but not need on the ground type. Tried using some Grey Stuff to fill some of holes but not to happy with the stuff, too soft i fell. Got some Tamiya epoxy on the way to me to try if this doesn't work out ,once primed and i can see what the result is.

Start to work on the sniper rifle and backpack this weekend while i wait for the RG Zaku to turn up i can really get started.
Ian

Next Real Grade - MS-05L Zaku I Sniper Type -

My next RG Zaku conversion is going to be the MS-05L Zaku I Sniper Type, one kick ass looking Zaku with that massive sniper rifle which caught my attention in Unicorn. Not going to be the Yonem Kirks suit but instead going for a One Year War version (not a fan of the antenna on this which is off centre and just doesn't agree with me)

Already know how most of what i want to modelled will be done after making the normal MS-05 then adding the unique parts from the HG kit to the RG. Good thing about the unique parts to this Sniper type are the really goo detail for HG, so it should look great when modelled together with the Real Grade detail.

Got 2 Real Grade kits finished and waiting for some good sunlight to get some good snaps.

Real Grade - MS-06FS Zaku II "Garma Zabi Custom" - WiP 6 - Decaled

The almost completed Garma's Zaku, all recently decaled over the last week. You can just see the Zabi famliy logo on the shield which i got form the minelayer kit and ive numbered up the suit using the numbers that appear on Garma's Dopp 401 and you can just about see the gold heat hawk on the side.

Last to be seen of the HGUC kit i got the heat hawk from, really prefer my painted dark orange which is alot more like the art on the box front and the MSV art.

That HGUC look a little weighty.
Ian

Real Grade - MS-06FS Zaku II "Garma Zabi Custom" - WiP 5 - Assembled

Taken after applying one decal (radioactive one on the chest) just to show the painted parts put together before decaling, which is now almost done.

The green applied to the shield is my own idea to break up the colour there and so that the Zabi logo shows up more cleary, its half red and would be swamped by the orange.

Really very happy with the way the orange has turned out, form the start getting a darker orange correct worried me but alas, vallejo air work out great for me.

Ian

Gundam MSV - 1/144 - MS-06F Zaku Minelayer -

Bought this way old gunpla purely for a single decal supplied with the kit, a Zabi family symbol which i will be using on Garma's RG MS-06FS Zaku II i'm in the middle of decaling.

Decal number 9 is he decal i require, looks like the Zabi's palace in Zum City. Bit concerned about the white looking yellow, must be over 20 year old decals.

Can find no information as to what decals 11 and 13 are meant to be but these sort of little logos seem to show up on all Zeon MSV kits?



When i come to model a RG MS-06F Zaku Minelayer i wont to copying the paint scheme for the mine laying backpack shown here, will most likely copy the MG kit.



Will also a model an RG MS-06F Zaku Minelayer in the not too distant future, looking at the mine laying backpack it looks like it would only need a little updating to bring in up to spec for a Real Grade Zaku and to look more like the MG version.

Ian

Real Grade - MS-06FS Zaku II "Garma Zabi Custom" - WiP 4 - Painted

Painted in what is a record time for me, mostly due to total rain here meaning i have nothing better to do during the weekend except watch the 6 nations Rugby.

Really happy with the orange, looks about perfect for Garmas zaku. No need to mix any up, this is straight Valleyo Air Orange from the bottle, which when received i was surprised to see was so dark and not your orange fruit bright.

Next is to decal, still waiting for the Zabi symbol to decal for the shield logo.
Ian