OLD First Gundam 1/144 Dodai YS

Release 1981.10

Price ¥500

BANDAI BANDAI Japan product info

Runners

Parts diagram

Manual

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

OLD 1/144 Dodai YS - Various angles (1/7)

OLD 1/144 Dodai YS - Various angles (2/7)

OLD 1/144 Dodai YS - Various angles (3/7)

OLD 1/144 Dodai YS - Various angles (4/7)

OLD 1/144 Dodai YS - Various angles (5/7)

Various angles

Underside

OLD 1/144 Dodai YS - Included are left/right split hip joint parts to let you modify the 1/144 Gouf's hip joints. Should help

Included are left/right split hip joint parts to let you modify the 1/144 Gouf's hip joints. Should help you get a more natural-looking pose on the Dodai YS.

1/144 Gouf placed on top — the pose looks a bit stiff, probably because I didn't swap out the hip joints.. ^^;

OLD 1/144 Dodai YS - Together with the Dodai II released as an EX Model in 2001. The designs are different, but the size, sty

Together with the Dodai II released as an EX Model in 2001. The designs are different, but the size, style, and purpose are pretty similar.

This kit is a 1/144 scale model of the Dodai YS, the Zeon forces' bomber and transport craft. It's best remembered as the vehicle that carried ground-use MS like the Gouf on its back, and it has indeed been kitted at the same scale as those MS. Given the nature of the craft, the part count is low and assembly goes quickly — though I was genuinely surprised by how large it turns out once finished.

There are no moving parts whatsoever, so you'll just want to enjoy the look of it through photos taken from various angles — that said, the multiple wings are nicely designed to lock in at different angles from one another. The dedicated stand lets you display it in a convincing way, and while gluing all the individual verniers on the rear section one by one is a bit of a chore, the finished result has a pretty solid sense of depth to it.

Included with this kit are hip joint parts for the 1/144 Gouf — these replace the original one-piece hip joint with a left/right independently movable version, allowing the legs to spread sideways as well. That said, as you probably know, all old-kit builds use only glue for assembly, so taking apart an already-built Gouf to install them is pretty much a non-starter — which is why I didn't incorporate it into the review. ^^;

Placing the Gouf on top to recreate a scene from the show looks pretty great, but if you want a proper pose out of it, you'd probably need to swap in the hip joint parts and glue one of the feet down. For reference, the Dodai did get another release back in 2001 as the Dodai II in the EX Model line. (See comparison photos)

Anyway, as the one and only Dodai YS kit ever released in all of Gunpla history, I'd say it's worth recommending to anyone who wants to recreate a diorama scene with the Gouf from the show, or just anyone who's into aircraft. :-) [ Updated at 2016.2.10 ]

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.