Global Scale Modeller

Hi Guys. I'm planning on building a few smaller scale Giant Robo's rather than one big one. All fom the 1980's, I dont really care for the modern mecha designs.
First up a bit of background. I've chosen a kit from 1987's Metal Armor Dragonar/Kikō Senki Doragunā.

Kaine Wakaba, Tapp Oceano and Light Newman face up to Giganos ace pilot, Meio Plato. The Blue Hawk. Dragonar was intended to be both a "starter" series to get new fans into mecha anime, and a potential successor to the Gundam franchise. It was a fairly big hit in South America and Italy.
Though the series enjoyed good ratings and earned a loyal fan following, it failed to surpass Gundam and ended up as a single series, probably due to it's lighthearted take on the giant robot genre. Bandai brought out a small line of 1/144 kits to go with the series. A 1/100 kit of the main Dragonar 01 suit was also produced.


Story.
Dragonar takes place in the year 2087, when a military force called the Lunar Empire of Giganos has risen and captured the Moon. Their stated goal is the rebirth of mankind, but their primary intention by some of its members is the destruction of all those who dwell on Earth. To this end, the Empire uses humanoid battle machines called Metal Armors, as well as a gigantic mass driver cannon. Originally intended to send lunar material to Earth orbit for later retrieval, the Mass driver is reconfigured to launch small meteorites towards the home world. By the time the story takes place many bombardments have already taken place. The Earth Alliance, unable to compete with the Giganos military might, manages to steal three prototype Metal Armors with plans to reverse-engineer them with the help of exiled Giganos scientists. However, the ship carrying the Dragonars (posing as a refugee ship) is chased to a neutral colony by Giganos, and an attack is staged to retrieve them. Kaine, Tapp and Light, three friends and EA trainees, are on the colony during the attack, and find a dying Giganos spy who gives them three disks. Chased by Giganos' weapons, the trio enters the colony's dock and finds the Dragonars. Using the disks, they activate the machines and use them to protect the colony. However, since the Dragonars are keyed to only be operable by their initial user, the three friends find themselves forced to become the Earth Alliance's first Metal Armor pilots, faced against the advanced technology and veterans of the Giganos forces...

The Lunar Empire of Giganos Metal Amor Suit, AMA-03B GEWEI (pronounced jeeway).
Is a general purpose Space and Atmospheric grunt mech. Suit Stats:
Unit type: mass production metal armor
Head height: 16.19 meters
Weight: empty 147.4 metric tons; max gross 197.3 metric tons
Output: 310,000 pounds (dry); 420,000 pounds (CMP); 4 x main nozzle, 4 x attitude control nozzle
Mass ratio: 0.786 (dry); 1.064 (CMP)
Combat maximum power operation time: 42 seconds (maximum)
CMP cool-down period: 5 seconds (CMP for 4 seconds or less); 32 seconds (CMP for 42 seconds)
Armor: Multi-hybrid type with anti-sensor coating; maximum thickness 375mm
Equipment and design features: Type AS7 image sensors, range unknown; type GVS5 gravitational sensors, range unknown
Fixed armaments: 30mm machine gun, mounted in face (1500 rounds per second, 600 rounds
Optional hand armaments: Type SSX55 50mm hand railgun (1800 rounds per second, 425 rounds, uses standard and HE ammunition)
Mechanical designer: Kunio Okawara

Very similar to the Zaku II in Gundam, as in it gets blown up a lot.
was lucky enough to find this kit online in a dusty old Hong Kong model shop. These kits are now quite rare as they have never been re released unlike many older Gundam kits.

I've always been a massive fan of grunt mech suits. Their designs just seem to me more interesting.
Plus the old eighties artwork just blows me away.

Really wish i could read Japanese. missing out on so much story and tech stuff.
These eighties manuels were always full of tech specs and mechanical drawings.
full of lovely Japlish mixups like roket and cookpit.
Small runners showing the typical oldschool 1980s painting guide. With all the parts painted in all the different colours while still on the sprue.
Horrible stickers that i shall not be using.

Although a tiny kit, it only cost 400yen when brand new (£2.70 in new money)
i think its pretty damn awesome with the camera festooned head. And the spiky shoulder pad. i love it.

Although the kit has polycaps it was created before snap-fit became standard so all parts need to be glued and sanded.

Not designed for the international market there are no English captions. Because of their simplicity, the instructions are very easy to understand and follow. Think im going to add clear plastic lenses too.

Starting basic construction. Lots of gluing and sanding. construction of lower torso. Where im at so far. Eaten and drank too much over the past few days so no more for a while.
Merry Christmas everyone.

Awesome selection! Haven't seen one of these in a long, long time!

I'll just be over here

Thanks these old suits are so interesting and different to modern suit design.
The head, torso and groin are done.
1st dry fit. looking pretty cool.
Legs dry fit. I love this suit. Classic 80s beauty.

Rear view dry fit.
Going for a more realistic at ease pose. Still dry fit.
Awesome shape and profile.

Arms dry fit.
Looking at replacement hands. But all these are too large. Going to go for Gundam hands.

Yep looks like Gundam hands are the way to go. Hobby base 1/144 mechanical hands. tiny and fully posable. Size comparison with 1/144 old HG Gundam.

Hungry for more, how's it coming?