Zeta Gundam

February 2007

I was actually in progress with this model before I went to Japan in Febrary '06, but since I worked on the Hyaku Shiki while on vacation in Japan, I actually finished this kit after that one. This kit also uses the "System Injection" technique, so painting was very minimal. I didn't use the tacky-looking sticker sheeet at all that came with this model. Instead, I used paint and Gundam Markers andit turned out real nice. Besides, I don't remember ever seeing a "006" on the Zeta Gundam's breast in the show. It looks better without the sticker.

The wings had to be painted red along the front edges. I painted the rifle with Testors Model Master Gun Metal paint, I painted the tip of the barrel with steel-colored paint, and used a yellow Posca marker for the detailing. The yellow area on the chest was done with yellow gloss, and the shoulders were painted with white gloss. The small red trim was easily done with red paint, and even a spaz like me was able to do the finer detailing. As I said, none of the stickers were necessary.

Before completing this, I had been working on my ZZ Gundam model. At that time, I had learned a way cool alternative to using Gundam markers for the panel line detailing. I learned on a hobby forum, Hobby Fanatics, that mixing flat enamel black paint with Zippo lighter fluid makes filling in the panel lines very easy. Due to the low surface tension of the lighter fluid, the paint travels easily through the cracks. Once I got the right consistency, the panel lines basically painted themselves. All I had to do is wipe off the excess with a paper towel soaked with a few drops of lighter fluid. It was magically delicous. (I still haven't finished the ZZ Gundam model because my cheap POS Testors airbrush broke on me last October. I still haven't invested in a decent airbrush yet.)

This model actually transforms into the "Wave Rider configuration." While it's a cool idea, it's rather flimsy in jet mode. I keep it in robot mode for display.

Go back to the model gallery