OLD MSV 1/60 FA-78-1 Gundam Fullarmor Type

OLD 1/60 FA-78-1 Gundam Fullarmor Type Box

Release 1983.10

Price ¥2,200

BANDAI BANDAI Japan product info

OLD 1/60 FA-78-1 Gundam Fullarmor Type - Box side view (1/3)

Box side view

OLD 1/60 FA-78-1 Gundam Fullarmor Type - Runners (1/5)

OLD 1/60 FA-78-1 Gundam Fullarmor Type - Runners (2/5)

OLD 1/60 FA-78-1 Gundam Fullarmor Type - Runners (3/5)

Runners

Some runners are reused from the 1/60 First Gundam.

Waterslide decals

OLD 1/60 FA-78-1 Gundam Fullarmor Type - Parts diagram (1/4)

OLD 1/60 FA-78-1 Gundam Fullarmor Type - Parts diagram (2/4)

Parts diagram

OLD 1/60 FA-78-1 Gundam Fullarmor Type - Manual (1/8)

OLD 1/60 FA-78-1 Gundam Fullarmor Type - Manual (2/8)

OLD 1/60 FA-78-1 Gundam Fullarmor Type - Manual (3/8)

OLD 1/60 FA-78-1 Gundam Fullarmor Type - Manual (4/8)

OLD 1/60 FA-78-1 Gundam Fullarmor Type - Manual (5/8)

OLD 1/60 FA-78-1 Gundam Fullarmor Type - Manual (6/8)

Manual

Straight build + waterslide decals

Size comparison with a cigarette pack

OLD 1/60 FA-78-1 Gundam Fullarmor Type (1/2)

OLD 1/60 FA-78-1 Gundam Fullarmor Type (2/2)

The face looks a bit better than the 1/60 First Gundam's.

Decals on various parts of the body.

360mm rocket cannon articulation

OLD 1/60 FA-78-1 Gundam Fullarmor Type - The Full Armor plating isn't removable — you have to glue it on. Unlike the 1/100, t

The Full Armor plating isn't removable — you have to glue it on. Unlike the 1/100, the base body and Full Armor plating aren't completely separated from each other.

OLD 1/60 FA-78-1 Gundam Fullarmor Type - That said, the Full Armor plating for the upper torso, shoulders, and forearms does

That said, the Full Armor plating for the upper torso, shoulders, and forearms does come as separate parts.

OLD 1/60 FA-78-1 Gundam Fullarmor Type - The way the neck attaches is a bit unusual — it's probably designed so you can paint

The way the neck attaches is a bit unusual — it's probably designed so you can paint the head separately and attach it later.

1/60 pilot figure

One extra right hand is included.

Some parts from the original 1/60 First Gundam are left over as leftover parts.

Articulation feels slightly worse than the 1/60 First Gundam.

OLD 1/60 FA-78-1 Gundam Fullarmor Type - There's a cover part on the front of the elbow area of the forearm Full Armor platin

There's a cover part on the front of the elbow area of the forearm Full Armor plating — you're supposed to attach it for a cleaner look, but since it restricts elbow articulation, the manual actually guides you to leave it off if you want better movement.

Elbow articulation comparison before/after removing the elbow cover part

Since there's no Core Fighter, the waist can rotate.

The legs can spread apart and close together too.

OLD 1/60 FA-78-1 Gundam Fullarmor Type - Twin beam rifle firing pose (1/3)

Twin beam rifle firing pose

OLD 1/60 FA-78-1 Gundam Fullarmor Type - Rocket cannon firing pose (1/4)

OLD 1/60 FA-78-1 Gundam Fullarmor Type - Rocket cannon firing pose (2/4)

Rocket cannon firing pose

Together with the 1/144 and 1/100 Full Armor Gundam.

Together with the 1/60 First Gundam.

Together with the MSV 1/60 Gelgoog Cannon / Zaku II Black Tri-Stars.

This is the MSV 1/60 FA-78-1 Gundam Fullarmor Type (a.k.a. Full Armor Gundam), and while it reuses a handful of parts from the original 1/60 First Gundam, the majority of it is made up of new parts. Unlike the 1/100, though, you can't separate the Full Armor plating to get a standalone First Gundam base body — only the upper torso and arm armor come as separate parts. Probably because of the sheer size, they didn't bother making the Full Armor plating fully removable.

The base body itself isn't all that different from the 1/60 First Gundam, but the newly added Full Armor plating has surprisingly decent color separation, so the straight build looks better than you'd expect. The arm and leg joint strength is solid like the 1/60 First Gundam, but the hip joints feel comparatively loose, so the overall joint strength balance has taken a step back. On top of that, even with the new armor, the proportions still have that stiff, old-kit feel — so the finished look just doesn't have the same sharp impression as the 1/60 First Gundam.

There's one interesting quirk with the forearm Full Armor plating: the elbow front cover is optional. Attaching that little piece improves the armor's overall look, but it severely limits elbow articulation, so the manual actually tells you to leave it off if you prioritize poseability. Also, the way the head parts connect has been redesigned — seemingly for easier painting — and the neck joint has been improved so the head can now nod up and down. But what really stands out more is that the head sculpt itself is more three-dimensional and better-looking than the 1/60 First Gundam's.

This kit's main appeal is simply having the Full Armor Gundam realized at the large 1/60 scale, but overall the quality feels quite a bit lower compared to the 1/60 MSV High Mobility Zakus. Personally, unless you've got a real soft spot for the Full Armor Gundam, you'd probably have a lot more fun just building the 1/60 First Gundam instead. :-)
[ Updated at 2017.2.4 ]

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.