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

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: 

I will either add here or start a new thread for when I get going on the Diorama, should have all the needed pieces within 2 weeks.  They are still on route from Kato.

see I HATED those.  Such a pain because since there on there like that it was extremly hard to get them sanded and cleaned up, and then if any paint got on the little tube they slide onto it makes it to big and they cant slide on.

Looking forward to a Real Grade Zaku II.

All I can think of for the power-conduits is that they will use the micro-injection technology again and do something similar as they did with the MG 2.0 Zaku kits.

Where the beads are cast on the conduit but are still slideable.

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

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:

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.

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?

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.

Its looking good .

And the Rest:

And last a few Beauty Shots:

Next is the Chest and Dummy Core-Fighter:

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

Onto Chest:

Next is the arm, Shoulder armor is not moveable.

Lets start with the Head:

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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   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.

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.

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

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

Subscribed.

smeagol the vile

how much?

how much?

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,

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,

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.

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!!!!!!!!

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.

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.