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INSANITY! 1/144 Real Grade RX-78-2 Kit.

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  • Member since
    July 2010
INSANITY! 1/144 Real Grade RX-78-2 Kit.
Posted by Mad-Modeler on Friday, August 6, 2010 1:58 AM

NOTICE:

 The Images for this thread have a new home now: Check the link below for the full Album:

http://s996.photobucket.com/albums/af84/Mad-Modeler/RG%20RX78-2/

NOTICE: 

 

Today I gave in and bought the new RG Gundam kit(had store-points to spare so was cheap).

 

This is the 1st kit of the new range of Real Grade kits and the engineering and detail level is INSANE.

It is supposed to display the 1/1 Gundam that was put on display in Odaiba, Tokyo. I will model mine as such on a base with N-gauge people.

For the Gundam fans you know PG and MG kits and their level, be prepared to be shocked by RG.

Will upload pics in a bit, did the core-fighter and it consists of 20 parts and is transformable and has an opening canopy.

 

The kit features an internal skeleton that is done using Bandai's micro-injection technology(ie moveable and pre-assembled/sections). We first saw the technology on the fingers of PG kits, the fingers on the 1/144 are like MG hands in articulation and cast as one part.

 

In short this kit looks like 1/144(mini) Master Grade kit both in articulation and detail.

Usually not fond of Gundam kits but this kit is at an all new level. Supplied decals are also supposedly different(haven't used them yet) eye decals feature lit and unlit eyes.

 Being in 1/144 it means that the parts are small and many of them.

 

Personally, I like it as I get a small kit(for storage) but with the detail level of the bigger scale.

 

Pics to come soon. (need to edit and upload)

  • Member since
    July 2010
Posted by Mad-Modeler on Friday, August 6, 2010 2:44 AM

 Ok, 1st pics(poor only got my cel/handheld)

 

 

 

 

More to come later.

 Imagine what other kit-makers could do with this technology on Miltiary, Plane, etc kits.

  • Member since
    July 2010
Posted by Mad-Modeler on Friday, August 6, 2010 5:38 AM

Ok, legs and feet. This is just a quick-snap build to get an idea for the kit and some pics.

 Will got back over the kit in full later on and add licks of paint, decals, etc.

Leg naked internal structure(parts are there to beef it up

With Armor added(missing some pieces) and yes some of those pieces slide when positioning the legs.

 

 Next onto waist and chest. Here I will use the "Dummy Core-block/Fighter" as the fighter from above will be on base. You can merge the fighter with the robot if you so desire like on the MG 2.0 kit..

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Philadelphia PA
Posted by smeagol the vile on Friday, August 6, 2010 1:48 PM

How much did you pay for that girl?  I have been wanting to get my hands on one

 

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: North Carolina
Posted by Gunpla Master on Friday, August 6, 2010 6:35 PM

Nice kit, I read about this little jewel awhile back and from what you are saying, the kit was produced just as it was said too.  Look forward to more of this little fella.  I am glad you can work in the 1/144th scale. way toooooo small f/me, but they do make for some wonderful Gunpla.  Thanks for shairing with us.YesCoolBig Smile

/ ]

  • Member since
    July 2010
Posted by Mad-Modeler on Friday, August 6, 2010 8:07 PM

Smeag.

I got mine at half-price due to store-points. Get a copy worth it.

 

Gunpla-Master.

Yeah, 1/144 is small and this kit has many smallish parts and at our ages ....

Lets say I reccall SF3D, Robotech, Jaques Costeau Ship, Little Nellie, etc hitting the shelfs.

All:

Done snapping the kit will take it apart for some pics later on(busy getting son ready for Summer-camp).

One gripe minor though is with the articulated hands, like MG hands Thumb, 1-finger and 3-finger split. Those do pop off easy from the hand when trying to let it hold things.

Those finger also do have another joint in them, so very flexible.

Ok, maybe 2 minor gripes, while the shield can hold the beam-rifle and the 2 beam-sabers there is no way it can be attached to the backpack.

There are only 2 clear parts in the kit(Eyes and Canopy).

 

Gimme a few hours and I will have the rest of the pics up.

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: North Carolina
Posted by Gunpla Master on Saturday, August 7, 2010 9:30 AM

I know what you mean about the hands.  Add a small square strip of evergreen that goes just beyond the ball joint if the finger.  You do separate them right, oh wait a min, these are the new and improved, no not really, I liked the old better, with the above mod, sep the finger joints and run a piece of florist wire thru them, you could build a hand that the fingers would not pop out of the joints and you could bend the fingers in any position you wish to hold any item you needed it to grip.  In some ways Bandia has made assembly much easier, but they have also limited the ability to pose the figure.  But hey @ 1/144 you are limited, but from the way the leg bent back, seems they have worked on this too.  I build in 1/100 MG and I prefer PG above all, not that they are any better than the rest, just because they are bigger and easier to work with.  Look forward to more of this build.Yes

PS:  Keep hearing a PG RX-78 calling my name from the closet.  But got other fish to fry right now, but in the near future!!!!!!!!

/ ]

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Philadelphia PA
Posted by smeagol the vile on Saturday, August 7, 2010 10:49 AM

I need to get me a PG RX, I have and finished Char's Zaku II PG and I have a Wing Zero Custom PG in the stash,

 

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: North Carolina
Posted by Gunpla Master on Saturday, August 7, 2010 4:26 PM

smeagol the vile

I need to get me a PG RX, I have and finished Char's Zaku II PG and I have a Wing Zero Custom PG in the stash,

Talked a fella down on eBay, contrary to popular belief, you can barter with sellers on  eBay, and some times get em to drop the price abit!  That was the case with my purchase of the PG RX-78.  Ashamed to say how ridiculous a price I got this beauty for!Zip it!

/ ]

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Philadelphia PA
Posted by smeagol the vile on Saturday, August 7, 2010 5:11 PM

how much?

 

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: North Carolina
Posted by Gunpla Master on Saturday, August 7, 2010 8:21 PM

smeagol the vile

how much?

less than 1/2 the MSRP.

/ ]

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Louisville, KY.
Posted by Cosmic J on Saturday, August 7, 2010 10:06 PM

You're right, that's crazy detailed, but in a good way. Smile

Subscribed.

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Philadelphia PA
Posted by smeagol the vile on Saturday, August 7, 2010 10:10 PM

How much and where did you get THIS kit? gundamstoreandmore.com doesnt have it yet

 

  • Member since
    July 2010
Posted by Mad-Modeler on Sunday, August 8, 2010 1:53 AM

Pics delayed had to fly out of country to fix a problem at a client.

Hope to get back in a day or two.

 

Smeagol I got the Kit in Hong-kong as I had a few hours during flight transfers.

AFAIK, it has been out now some 2+weeks in Japan.

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: North Carolina
Posted by Gunpla Master on Sunday, August 8, 2010 10:22 AM

For those looking for this kit, check out HobbyLink Japan, they may have if not sold out.  I would not look for here for a few more months, you know the way it is, we are @ the bottom of the food chain and it will get here some time.  I know many Gunpla fans are looking for this little fella, myself included Propeller  Hope your trip went well and if you are going to places that allow you to pick these kits up outside of the US, you sir have my envy!!!!!!!!  Look forward to more of this build.  Do you intend to paint the Gundam or leave it in the plastic colors.  Also what about scribe lines, is it possible to bring these out.

/ ]

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Philadelphia PA
Posted by smeagol the vile on Sunday, August 8, 2010 10:46 AM

well gundam store and more get their stuff right quick, they try and have theirs before any other american store it seems.  Plus, if you wait a bit longer your not paying a massive amount for shippin

 

  • Member since
    May 2010
  • From: North Carolina
Posted by Gunpla Master on Sunday, August 8, 2010 10:51 AM

smeagol the vile

well gundam store and more get their stuff right quick, they try and have theirs before any other american store it seems.  Plus, if you wait a bit longer your not paying a massive amount for shippin

Ditto Gundam Store does seem to get before anybody else, but they do sell out fast and have seen them take awhile to get a kit back in.  I do agree, you do not have to pay the high ship price, but also if like me you do not want too wait and you just gotta have now, well HLJ is ones best source.  But I do agree, best to wait and order from Gundam Store, have had nothing but great service from her.Yes

/ ]

  • Member since
    July 2010
Posted by Mad-Modeler on Sunday, August 8, 2010 10:53 AM

Not going to paint the kit, except for a few details and I will do an Ink-wash to bring out some of the scribed details.

This has a very fine tolerance on moveability(so parts will need to be trimmed well) thick paint will interfere with the moveability too.

BTW, there are not poly-caps in the kit(Yippee).

 

I like the kit the way it is unpainted with the grey and white armor panels.

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Philadelphia PA
Posted by smeagol the vile on Sunday, August 8, 2010 10:58 AM

OH! I had gotten a tip from a friend on another forum about them.

They have a physical store that has ALL of their stock in it.  That is where alot of their profit is made apart from the internet store.

They get the orders and ship them out right away and all of that... BUT they dont update the stock nor do they fix the in/out of stock as often as they should.  If you want a new kit, call them, they may have them instock a week or so after the release date, same for out of stock items.  They supposedly have great customer service on the phone.

 

  • Member since
    July 2010
Posted by Mad-Modeler on Saturday, August 14, 2010 5:07 AM

Ok, haven't forgotten about you guys.

Only managed to touch home-ground last night but off for 2-weeks now(pending no serious crisis).

When I got in last night I took some pics. They are not very well done, not ideal lighting, handheld cel-phone(I shake unless I hold a Beer). Didn't take all the armor off just enough to show some stuff.

Will be splitting them up into multiple posts Quiet a few pics.

 

There are 2 things I didn't take pics off. Front of shield & Fists(Set of fixed hands).

 

Onto the uploads will take a bit.

 

 

  • Member since
    July 2010
Posted by Mad-Modeler on Saturday, August 14, 2010 5:13 AM

Lets start with the Head:

 

Head assembled(tough to take a pic as it is small)

 

 

 

  • Member since
    July 2010
Posted by Mad-Modeler on Saturday, August 14, 2010 5:19 AM

Next is the arm, Shoulder armor is not moveable.

 

 

 

 

  • Member since
    July 2010
Posted by Mad-Modeler on Saturday, August 14, 2010 5:38 AM

Next is the Chest and Dummy Core-Fighter:

Dummy Core-figher(front and rear/you can see the moveable joint there):

 

 

 

Onto Chest:

 

 

 

 

 

  • Member since
    July 2010
Posted by Mad-Modeler on Saturday, August 14, 2010 6:01 AM

And the Rest:

 

 

 

 

And last a few Beauty Shots:

 

 

  • Member since
    August 2009
  • From: Central IL
Posted by SLW 45 on Saturday, August 14, 2010 2:18 PM

Its looking good .

                 

  • Member since
    July 2010
Posted by Mad-Modeler on Saturday, August 14, 2010 6:49 PM

Kit is now back in its Box, waiting to be disassembled. Still got another 3 kits and 1 Comission before I can do the Diorama. Need to order some N-Gauge stuff from Kato too

At that time all the teenie decals, etc will also be applied.

 

 As for the new Real Grade, I like it.

Yes, 1/144 is small but the kit went together smooth and for the price you get a detail and poseability level that easily rivals a MG or PG. Plus the smaller size makes it nice for us people with limited display space. And my personal Fav = NO Polycaps.

 

Of course the pics I took don't show all the details and all the moving parts in the Kit.

HTH.

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Philadelphia PA
Posted by smeagol the vile on Saturday, August 14, 2010 10:21 PM

No polycaps?  That sounds interesting

How are the weapons, I always hated them because the seams were so hard to fix for them all, how did they fall together?

 

  • Member since
    July 2010
Posted by Mad-Modeler on Saturday, August 14, 2010 10:35 PM

Weapons are well done using slide molding technology. So the parts just clip into or onto each other, no halves, etc. Granted still minimal mold-lines though

Let me take the rifle and  bazooka apart and take some pics.

FYI, there are 4 beam-saber handles provided, 2 with tabs to be clipped into the hands for holding.

2 for storage on backpack or on shield.

 

Gimme a bit of time, need to run an errant than will take the pics and post.

  • Member since
    July 2010
Posted by Mad-Modeler on Saturday, August 14, 2010 11:12 PM

The reason for no polycaps is due to scale mostly and the way the Internal skeleton is done.

 Bandai uses their micro-injection technology for the internal frame, this means that (for example the whole leg(minus foot) assembly is cast as one piece but the parts are still interlocked and moveable.

The plastic for those parts is more rubbery/flexible too.

If you look at the pic of the internal frame of the leg/foot, I snapped the foot into place but did  not repostion a part at the heel. This is how the parts come of the tree and are ready to go(no assembly needed). They have come a long way with that technology since the fingers for the PG RX-78.

 

Onto the Wapons. Lets start with the Bearm Rilfe.

 

 

And the Bazooka(Part only):

Didn't take the white part(missiles) out of the Magazine part.

 

And the Shield loaded up:

 

 

 

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Philadelphia PA
Posted by smeagol the vile on Sunday, August 15, 2010 12:02 AM

OH! very nice.  I could never stand when they cast the bazooka barrel in two halves.  They look really nice, I am going to get it. 

I just hope they find a better way to make the Zaku little cable ringlets I hate those things so much

 

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