Kit Review

Straight build

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

Upper body front shot.

HG Graham's Union Flag Custom - Head close-up. The effect of putting a silver foil sticker behind the clear parts looks

Head close-up.
The effect of putting a silver foil sticker behind the clear parts looks really great.

Rear view

A pretty cool-looking custom rifle

Articulation is... only the arms are good.
Well, it is a transforming unit after all..

HG Graham's Union Flag Custom - The wings move about 30 degrees forward and back, and can also be folded all the way bac

The wings move about 30 degrees forward and back, and can also be folded all the way back as shown in the right photo.
Compared to the mass production type, the wing shape has changed, and the folding angle has become narrower.

Action poses. The legs are stiff so the poses are just so-so.

Beam saber + rifle action

Mounted on a stand

HG Graham's Union Flag Custom - Transformation into flight mode. The transformation process is identical to the mass pro

Transformation into flight mode.
The transformation process is identical to the mass production type.

Bottom view. It's pitch black so there's not much to see.

The center section is pretty neatly packed with detail..

Flight mode mounted on a stand

HG Graham's Union Flag Custom - Extend the arms back and arrange the wings in an X shape to get the high-speed flight mo

Extend the arms back and arrange the wings in an X shape to get the high-speed flight mode.

High-speed flight mode

HG Graham's Union Flag Custom - Comparison with the mass production type. At first glance you might think only the color

Comparison with the mass production type.
At first glance you might think only the color changed, but over 50% of the exterior has been redesigned.

HG Graham's Union Flag Custom - Body and head comparison. Every part of the head has been changed — both side sections,

Body and head comparison.
Every part of the head has been changed — both side sections, the forehead, everything —
and the shoulder armor and lower body armor have also been revised.

Look closely at the wings and you'll see the design has been completely changed.

All the wings and backpack parts on the back are brand new designs.
The verniers have gotten noticeably bigger, as befitting a custom unit.

The calf design has also been changed.

The rifle has gotten bigger and looks cooler too.

Flight mode comparison.

HG Graham's Union Flag Custom - Look closely at the center section in flight mode and it feels like almost everything ha

Look closely at the center section in flight mode and it feels like almost everything has changed.

HG Graham's Union Flag Custom - A whole runner was swapped out, customizing a lot of parts, but it's a shame it's so har

A whole runner was swapped out, customizing a lot of parts, but..
it's a shame it's so hard to notice..;

As the first variation from Gundam 00, a custom version of the mass-production Union Flag has been released. Among them, Graham's custom unit has made it out, with the overall color scheme changed to black.

At first glance I thought it was just a recolor, but looking at the runners, about half of them are brand new. Once built, the entire head, half the body, shoulders, the whole backpack, all the wings, the calves, the rifle, and more — over 60% of the exterior has been replaced with new designs, making this a pretty substantial variation. That said, maybe because the color is black, the differences are oddly hard to spot, which is a bit of a shame..;;

Just like how Gundam 00 HGs have generally seen an across-the-board improvement in quality, this kit is a solid, well-made build. Being a transforming unit, the joints feel a little on the weak side, but since the kit is so light it's not really a problem. As with the original Union Flag itself, the transformation gimmicks do make it a bit tricky to get the legs into a good pose.

The transformation process is super simple yet surprisingly effective, and the finished flight mode does look noticeably more menacing thanks to the black color scheme. The custom unit can also be set to a high-speed flight mode by adjusting the wing angles, but again, the difference isn't all that dramatic.

Overall it's a solid kit for the price, and the Union Flag's unique design gives it a feel that's somehow a little less "Gunpla-like" than usual. ^^; It's an easy recommendation for anyone who enjoys a fun build and transforming kits.

HG Graham's Union Flag Custom | 2007. 12 | ¥1,200

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.