Kit Information :
Scale : 1/100
Grade : Master Grade
Made by : Bandai
Completed : March 2011
Box Art :
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Gundam GP01 - The 'Hillside Hangar'
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Like most Gunpla modellers, I have always wanted to build a hangar diorama but until recently, I felt that my skills just weren't up to it. After BAKUC finished last year, I began to plan something large scale for the next one. I had begun to snap fit the old Master Grade GP01 kit just before I left for BAKUC and decided that this would be the basis of my build.
My initial plan didn't involve any fancy base at the beginning, but I did plan on making an EFSF equivalent of my Zeonic Knight Zaku II which would involve modifying most of the kit and adding extra plating and panel lines. This Gundam would be classed as a ground based prototype based on the Gundam Project designs of 0083 but the setting of the diorama would be in 0079 (which was later decided when a certain Zeon commander made an appearance in the scene!).
After snap fitting the kit, I made several modifications to the armour plating including adding extra pla-plates, scribing new panel lines, adding grab handles and vents, and also adding some 'embossed' writing to the fronts of the ankle armours but carefully shaving off the lettering from the kits sprue trees. I also added a second V-Fin to the head and replaced one section of the eye with a 'cyborg' looking eye.
Painting and weathering of the kit was done in a military fashion. Greens, browns and greys made up the main colours and the kit was chipped with silver and grey paints and finally dirtied up with some brown pastels.
Finally it came time for the base and I thought that I should finally take the plunge and make a hangar dio for the GP01 to stand in. I had a lot of motivation and ideas from many different hangar scenes, but my main inspiration came from DC23's Gilgamesh Project and the snowy hillside that was used for the hangar in that scene. I decided against snow and settled on a forest scene as forest seemed to suit the GP01s paint scheme better than desert or evne red desert sa was suggested by Sonar at the Gundam Australia Forums.
I began by cutting some MDF wood to a size that would fit into my display cabinet (so there would be no heartache when I finished it!) and then, using some clear perspex. made two walls that would be the inner part of the hangar. I then used styrene sheets, rod and tubing to decorate the walls. I also used pieces of old sprue for piping along the walls. I then used styrene again to build the towers, stairs, ladders and walkways so the Feddie staff could get access to the GP01. The handrails were again made from sprue and a metal mesh was used to fill in underneath the hand rails. It was at this point that I order some HO Scale people off of eBay to use throughout the diorama. HO Scale is good for 1/100 scale even though it is 1/72 as unless you put them next to a true 1/100 scale, you would never notice the difference.
While I was waiting for the figures to arrive, The hillside was built using styrofoam to make the internal supports and the outside lined with cardboard. Inside was then stuffed with newspaper and then topped using a flour and water mix to papier mache on a thin layer of newpaper to seal it together and make it one whole piece. Once that dried, I used air drying clay to sculpt the surface of the hill.
Painting was done at this point with the base done in greys and blacks and topped off with some brown pastel weathering and silver dry brushing. Eash of the barrels and such were handpainted except for the shipping contained that was painted and weathered before it was attached to the base. The hillside was painted brown, then topped with green flock and finally finished off with the addition of trees.
The figures arrives and I added many to the scene including the hangar bay staff, a small political group touring the facility and finally a couple of Zeeks trying to gain access to the base through one of the bases escape hatches on the hillside. Each figure was difficult to paint accurately due to the small size of them, but I feel I managed to make them look pretty nice considering.
Something else new I am trialling out as well, is a video slideshow series I am calling the Model Showcase. Below is the very first edition of this series and focuses on the completed GP01 Hillside Hangar :
All up it took around 9 months on and off to finish this build, my longest to date, but I am happy with what the end product looks like. Next problem is trying to get this to Sydney and this years BMKWC in July without damaging anything!