Introduction by Metal Slime

Launched from the Kilimanjaro base (whose other project includes the Byarlant) on 10 January 0088, as a proposal prototype to replace Gundam Mk.II. Expanding on the movable frame concept and designed with space combat in mind. So its main features includes high speed and high maneuverability. The typical Titaniam Ceramic Composite is replaced with the more durable Gundariam Gamma, but the downside is the weight that is considerably heavier than Mk.II. Further more when equip with the thruster unit, the weight different becomes even more significant which is its major disadvantage.

Gundam Mk.III was designed by Kazumi Fujita and made its first appearance on OUT #9 85 as a concept design for advance Gundam. The number 16 in 166 indicates the Kilimanjaro origin. That makes this one the unit number 6 and has been nick named Egley.

The kit

The original Gundam Mk.III kit was one of B-Club's earliest resin kit offerings. Several years later, they reissued it in a full-action kit, that is this kit. Apart from the structural changes, there are some detail changes here and there, but overall look remains mostly identical.

A few of the binder parts come bended in the box, but I didn't notice it until it was painted and put together! As a result, it got a very unhealthy looking wing binders attached for a many years. Until one day I couldn't take it no longer, so I stripped them off and unbended it in hot water. Lucky for me, I managed to remedied it without having to repaint a single bit.

The joint system suffers from the looseness just like most other full-action resin kits due to the weight of the parts. A drop of CA glue into the ball joint helps cured this considerably.

Painting

Painting is rather straight forward. With aircraft gray base and character blue. Shading is add later by darken the color with navy blue. Red part is, as usual, a Gunze's shine red.

Washing is done with flat black and german gray. Both Tamiya's. As I want some look of depth in the supposedly deep area like the chest vent. For other panel lines, the german gray is used.