Stront75's 1980's Giant Robots. IMA Fireball SG

[Stront75]

Third in my 1980's giant robot series is the 1/20 Fireball SG from Kow Yokoyama's Maschinen Krieger ZBV 3000 model series.

The franchise originally began as the science fiction series SF3D which ran as monthly installments in the Japanese hobby magazine Hobby Japan from 1982 to 1985. To develop the storyline, Kow Yokoyama collaborated with Hiroshi Ichimura as story editor and Kunitaka Imai as graphic designer. The three creators drew visual inspiration from their combined interest in World War I and World War II armor and aircraft, the American space program and films such as Star Wars, Blade Runner and The Road Warrior. Inspired by the ILM model builders who worked on Star Wars, Yokoyama built the original models from numerous kits including armor, aircraft, and automobiles. He mostly concentrated on powered armor suits, but later included bipedal walking tanks and aircraft with anti-gravity systems.

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In 1986, there was a dispute with Hobby Japan over the copyright of the series. The magazine dropped SF3D from its line-up of articles and Nitto ceased production of various kits of the series. The matter was tied up in the courts for years until Yokoyama was awarded the full copyright to the series in the 1990s. Yokoyama and Hobby Japan eventually reconciled and restarted their working relationship, ditching the old SF3D name in favor of Maschinen Krieger ZbV3000, otherwise known as Ma.K.

HOBBY JAPAN TIMELINE

2807, World War IV broke out around the globe.

2810, World War IV ended.

2875, Around this time the global peace began to fail, disorder and public unrest breaking out.

2880, Earth declared independence and proclaimed war against the puppet regime set-up by troops of the Shutoral Government's armed forces.

2883, AFS's or Armoured Fighting Suits (invented by a brilliant Australian scientist as labouring exoskeletons and developed into war machines) are deployed on the battlefield by for the first time by Mercenary troops fighting for the Aussie settlers.

2884, June: Nutrocker heavy hovertanks appear on the battlefield for the first time, engaged in both the Shutoral offensive at New Canberra and later their defensive battle.

2884, August: Mercenary troops deploy their new heavy missile tanks, code-named 'Dollhouses', as a counter-weapon to the Nutrocker hovertanks.

2884, September: The first Shutoral mass production batch of powered armoured suits (the PKA ausf H0 or "Heinrich") delivered to ground troops on Earth. (Performance was inferior to the AFS Mk I as SDR technology was lagging at this point in the war.)

2884, September: SDR forces workshops began producing a modified version of their main fighter, the PK40 Fledermaus, capable of carrying a PKA ausf H in place of a cockpit. Without degrading the effectiveness of the aircraft substantially, this move gave a much-needed boost to the effectiveness and mobility of ground troops. This revolutionary weapon became the main equipment of the SDR's armoured mobile troops.

The war between the Mercenary forces and the SDR (initially regarded by the Shutorals as a mere colonial brushfire war) grew in violence and intensity until the advent of Mercenary Fireball armoured suits - a space type of the SAFS - escalated the conflict to wide-scale space war.

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Luckily the whole of this period of articles has been reprinted for modern enthusiasts to enjoy in SF3D Chronicles. full of articles on converting and painting. Also contains tons of detailed photos on every suit and vehicle available to the Ma.k modeller.

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Definitely worth picking up if you are interested in Ma.k.

[Lysus]

Another interesting build, man!

I've actually thought about grabbing those books myself, the texturing and weathering on Ma.K has a look that really appeals to me. Looking forward to this one, too!

[Stront75]

Cheers Lysus yeah you really should get it. well worth it.
So on to the suit itself.
This is a space type suit used mainly for fighting inbetween Earth and the moon. And on distant Mars.

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History of the suit in the Ma.k universe.

The Mercenary Forces decided to phase out the Fireball suit with the introduction of the Snake Eye space suit. Unfortunately, supply could not meet demand with the Snake Eye production, so the development of a Stop Gap was necessary. It is a hybrid of old Fireball components and new Snake Eye technology, which increased its viability. It does not have the added sensor suite of the bulging hatch the Snake Eye possesses, but does utilize the new Laser arm and covered/integrated rear deck that protects fuel tanks and engine bells.

Developer Peter S. Matsumoto managed to reduce the production costs by a considerable degree, for these merits he won the Frugal Award twice. Until the mass production of the Snake Eye really could be started, huge quantities of the SG type had been produced on the existing fireball-plants.

It still did not compare favourably with the Snake Eye - the power plant was too small. The Fireball SG did sport improved armour, which contributed a lot to higher survival rates of the pilots.

Thus the production of the Fireball continued, though it was evident that the old type of the Fireball was no match to the new weapons of its enemies. This led to the development of the Fireball SG (SG =stop-gap), partly based on the blueprints of the Snake-Eye, having an increased combat efficiency.
Until the mass production of the Snake-Eye really could be started, huge quantities of the SG type had been produced on the existing fireball-plants as a "Stop-Gap".

While travelling in space the SG and other suits are carried in the Banana Boat transport ships.

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Innovations that were seen in the Snake-Eye, e.g. the one-piece back armour hood were introduced, but a fundamental improvement of its efficiency could not be achieved, as other outdated equipment based upon the specifications of the Fireball (e.g. the generator and power supply unit ) were used for its fabrication.

Additionally, the SG type's (but only for some prototypes) were equipped with a laser gun as primary weapon, that originally had been conceived for the Snake-Eye.

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Manufacturer: Chrysler Vickers Defence Works.
Chassis Number: ES1200 -
Crew: 1
Weight: 0.74 tons
Length: 1.25 m
Width: 1.02 m
Height: 2.25 m
Engine: SHL482A2/D2
Land Speed: 62 kph
Range: 180 km
Radio: FuG34SP/D2
Sight: TZF(sd.) 45 Mk 4
Primary Armament: 5.2 cm Prg.56 Laser gun
Secondary Armament:
Armour: 5 mm tungsten
20 mm Hybrid Super Ceramics

[Stront75]

This is the 2002 WAVE update of the 1984 Nitto Fireball kit.
previously only available as a Modelkasten resin upgrade for the Fireball kit, this kit was released in a limited run for a short period of time.
Unlike the modern WAVE kits this re uses the old 80s Nitto kit parts with updated plastic sprues for the weapon, back armour, legs and body. It doesnt include big vinyl poly caps or joints, but does include springs of different sizes, assorted wire, small poly caps new Decals and camo options. Its a quite hard to find and expensive kit now but models are for building

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The camo card, which is a staple of SF3D and MA.k kits. Contains three variants on one side.

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And general decal placement diagram on the other. The numbers correspond to those on the decal sheet just like in armour and aircraft kits.

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[Stront75]

The updated decal sheet. Made up from 1/72 1/48 aircaft markings.
Contains enough for the four versions.

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Nicely detailed straight forward instructions.

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