MGSD XXX-016

Gundam Aerial

Kit Review

Straight build + Panel lining + Seals

MGSD Gundam Aerial - Size comparison with a cigarette pack.

Size comparison with a cigarette pack.

MGSD Gundam Aerial - Various angles (1/6) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Various angles (2/6) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Various angles (3/6) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Various angles (4/6) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Various angles (5/6) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Various angles (6/6)


Various angles

MGSD Gundam Aerial - Detail shots (1/4) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Detail shots (2/4) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Detail shots (3/4) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Detail shots (4/4)

Detail shots

MGSD Gundam Aerial - Outer armor removal shots (1/2) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Outer armor removal shots (2/2)

Outer armor removal shot

MGSD Gundam Aerial - Inner frame (1/2) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Inner frame (2/2)

Internal frame

MGSD Gundam Aerial - Frame detail shots (1/4) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Frame detail shots (2/4) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Frame detail shots (3/4) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Frame detail shots (4/4)

Frame detail shots

MGSD Gundam Aerial - Weapons lineup.

Weapons lineup.

MGSD Gundam Aerial - There are mounting pins stored on both sides of the beam rifle that can be folded out to rack it on the MGSD Gundam Aerial - There are mounting pins stored on both sides of the beam rifle that can be folded out to rack it on the

There are mounting pins stored on both sides of the beam rifle that can be folded out to rack it on the back.

MGSD Gundam Aerial - Some of the shield's bit staves can be attached to the beam rifle.

Some of the shield's bit staves can be attached to the beam rifle.

MGSD Gundam Aerial - The beam saber and beam rifle have holes that you fit the palm peg into. It doesn't feel like a super ti

The beam saber and beam rifle have holes that you fit the palm peg into.
It doesn't feel like a super tight fit, but it's enough to keep things roughly in place.

MGSD Gundam Aerial - A look at the inside of the shield. Maybe it's the MG-grade nature of it, but the interior looks pretty

A look at the inside of the shield.
Maybe it's the MG-grade nature of it, but the interior looks pretty complex —
and the assembly actually is complex too.

MGSD Gundam Aerial - The shield can be broken down into individual bit staves.

The shield can be broken down into individual bit staves.

MGSD Gundam Aerial - To mount each bit stave on a stand, some of them need to have their connector tabs pushed in and hidden,

To mount each bit stave on a stand, some of them need to have their connector tabs pushed in and hidden, as shown above.

MGSD Gundam Aerial - Assembling the bit staves into the shield was easy on the HG and Full Mechanics, but the MGSD has a more MGSD Gundam Aerial - Assembling the bit staves into the shield was easy on the HG and Full Mechanics, but the MGSD has a more

Assembling the bit staves into the shield was easy on the HG and Full Mechanics,
but the MGSD has a more complex connection structure, so you'll want to follow the manual carefully.

MGSD Gundam Aerial - Bit staves deployed all over the body (1/2) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Bit staves deployed all over the body (2/2)

Bit staves deployed all over the body

MGSD Gundam Aerial - The cell units can be swapped out for the blue ones used for Permet Score Six.

The cell units can be swapped out for the blue ones used for Permet Score Six.

MGSD Gundam Aerial - For the head and chest, you remove the smoky clear cover and swap out the interior parts. (1/2) MGSD Gundam Aerial - For the head and chest, you remove the smoky clear cover and swap out the interior parts. (2/2)

For the head and chest, you remove the smoky clear cover and swap out the interior parts.

MGSD Gundam Aerial - For the shoulders, you pull the top cover outward and rotate it, and the inner parts naturally pop out,

For the shoulders, you pull the top cover outward and rotate it,
and the inner parts naturally pop out, making the swap nice and easy.

MGSD Gundam Aerial - The backpack and thighs can be swapped out easily by opening the smoky clear covers. (1/2) MGSD Gundam Aerial - The backpack and thighs can be swapped out easily by opening the smoky clear covers. (2/2)

The backpack and thighs can be swapped out easily by opening the smoky clear covers.

MGSD Gundam Aerial - Swapped to the blue cells for Permet Score Six (1/2) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Swapped to the blue cells for Permet Score Six (2/2)

Swapped to the blue cells for Permet Score Six

MGSD Gundam Aerial - Blue cell detail shots (1/3) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Blue cell detail shots (2/3) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Blue cell detail shots (3/3)

Blue cell detail shots

MGSD Gundam Aerial - Cockpit hatch open

Cockpit hatch open

MGSD Gundam Aerial - The crotch cover can be opened to expose the hole for stand attachment.

The crotch cover can be opened to expose the hole for stand attachment.

MGSD Gundam Aerial - The shoulder mounting pin has a tab on it — you insert it rotated 90 degrees backward to lock it in plac

The shoulder mounting pin has a tab on it — you insert it rotated 90 degrees backward to lock it in place,
so the shoulders don't come off easily.

MGSD Gundam Aerial - Limb articulation

Limb articulation

MGSD Gundam Aerial - Hip joint slide gimmick

Hip joint slide gimmick

MGSD Gundam Aerial - Thanks to the two-stage extending joint, the shoulder can swing forward quite dramatically.

Thanks to the two-stage extending joint, the shoulder can swing forward quite dramatically.

MGSD Gundam Aerial - Waist articulation. The neck is pretty flexible front-to-back too. (1/2) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Waist articulation. The neck is pretty flexible front-to-back too. (2/2)

Waist articulation.
The neck is pretty flexible front-to-back too.

MGSD Gundam Aerial - The fingers are articulated in three sections — thumb, index finger, and the remaining three. The wrist

The fingers are articulated in three sections — thumb, index finger, and the remaining three.
The wrist also bends quite far forward and back.

MGSD Gundam Aerial - The beam saber mount moves flexibly on a ball joint.

The beam saber mount moves flexibly on a ball joint.

MGSD Gundam Aerial - Beam saber action poses (1/3) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Beam saber action poses (2/3) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Beam saber action poses (3/3)

Beam saber action poses

MGSD Gundam Aerial - Poses with bit staves added to the beam saber. The legs are short, so it looks better posed on a stand r MGSD Gundam Aerial - Poses with bit staves added to the beam saber. The legs are short, so it looks better posed on a stand r

Poses with bit staves added to the beam saber.
The legs are short, so it looks better posed on a stand rather than on the ground.

MGSD Gundam Aerial - Beam rifle with beam effect parts attached — action poses (1/3) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Beam rifle with beam effect parts attached — action poses (2/3) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Beam rifle with beam effect parts attached — action poses (3/3)

Pose with beam parts attached to the beam rifle

MGSD Gundam Aerial - Beam saber pose (1/3) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Beam saber pose (2/3) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Beam saber pose (3/3)

Beam saber pose

MGSD Gundam Aerial - Bit stave launch poses using the separately sold Weapon Display Base (1/2) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Bit stave launch poses using the separately sold Weapon Display Base (2/2)

Bit stave launch poses using the separately sold Weapon Display Base

MGSD Gundam Aerial - Kneeling pose with bit staves deployed all over the body (1/3) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Kneeling pose with bit staves deployed all over the body (2/3) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Kneeling pose with bit staves deployed all over the body (3/3)

Kneeling pose with Bit Staves all over the body

MGSD Gundam Aerial - Beam saber pose (1/3) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Beam saber pose (2/3) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Beam saber pose (3/3)

Beam saber pose

MGSD Gundam Aerial - Flight pose (1/2) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Flight pose (2/2)

Flight pose

MGSD Gundam Aerial - With the Full Mechanics & HG Gundam Aerial.

With the Full Mechanics & HG Gundam Aerial.

MGSD Gundam Aerial - With the SD EX-Standard Gundam Aerial.

With the SD EX-Standard Gundam Aerial.

MGSD Gundam Aerial - With the MGSD Gundam Barbatos.

With the MGSD Gundam Barbatos.

MGSD Gundam Aerial - Straight build shots (1/2) MGSD Gundam Aerial - Straight build shots (2/2)

Straight build

The Gundam Aerial is the 4th release in the MGSD lineup. Just like its predecessors, it does a great job blending SD proportions with MG-level quality. Since there's no MG of the Aerial yet, this kit actually steps things up a notch above the existing HG and Full Mechanics in terms of gimmicks and detail.

For starters, it comes with full-body inner frame and perfect color separation as a baseline, plus excellent articulation and premium gimmicks on top of that. The cockpit hatch open gimmick is reproduced here for the first time, and the Bit Stave separation/attachment gimmick on the shield has become much more refined. That said, because the Bit Stave attachment mechanism got more complex, it's a bit trickier to connect and disconnect compared to before. Each Bit Stave attaches differently, and you need to connect two points simultaneously, so it's worth going through the manual carefully step by step.

You can also borrow the separately sold Weapon Display Base to display all 11 Bit Staves in their deployed state. This too requires reworking some of the Bit Stave locking mechanisms to a slide-type setup, so while it's more refined, it does feel slightly more fiddly compared to the HG or Full Mechanics. On top of that, a special blue cell unit for Permet Score Six is included as a special gimmick. Swapping it in is a bit of a hassle, but being able to recreate Permet Score Six this way is definitely a plus.

In terms of articulation, it feels like they really did their best given the SD proportions. Since the legs are short by design, posing it on a stand looks better than posing it flat on a surface. Joint strength is solid overall, though the waist joint feels slightly looser by comparison. It's not wobbly by any means, but since everything else is nice and tight, the waist does feel a little lacking in that regard.

So there are a few minor gripes here — the fiddly attachment/swap gimmicks and the slightly loose waist — but overall the quality is more than satisfying outside of those points. The excellent build feel, detail, visuals, and articulation gimmicks that stay true to the MGSD concept make this kit well worth the price. If you're a fan of the MGSD lineup or the Witch from Mercury series, this is definitely a kit worth opening your wallet for. :-)

MGSD Gundam Aerial | 2025.8 | ¥3,900

AIThis page was translated by Claude Sonnet.