1:24 PAM-74 "Tinkle Bell" powered armor suit (Dorvack)

Dizzyfugu · June 25, 2018, 12:08:14 AM

After a long hiatus I dusted off my pile of Dorvack PA kits and stumbled upon this lonely PAM-74, a re-released kit, though, from one of the Aoshima double packs (from 2008).
Even though the Dorvack PAs are rather simple kits, they need some skill because the parts do not fit THAT well. However, you have to keep in mind that the molds were created in the early 80ies as a quick merchandising shot for a new "Real Robot" TV series (which eventually flopped). The designs are older than Yokoyama Kow's Ma.K./ZbV3000/Maschinenkrieger stuff, which they actually inspired!

I was missing an original PAM-74 in my collection, and so the kit was built straight out of the box with no conversions. Even the armament, the rocket launcher boxes on top of the hull and the slightly weird, handheld dual launcher with more rockets, are original. The PAM-74 furthermore received its authentic livery in a uniform olive drab tone, with light grey upper arms and legs and a yellow hatch.

The build itself was pretty straightforward - I've done more than a dozen of these, so I know what to expect and where the fights lurk. The somewhat annoying fact ist that these early mecha kits have to be built and painted step by step, because their construction was not so well thought through. At least, arms and legs can be completed separately and finally put together for the whole (action) figure.

Dorvack +++ 1:24 PAM-74 "Tinkle Bell" powered armor suit (Aoshima kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Dorvack +++ 1:24 PAM-74 "Tinkle Bell" powered armor suit (Aoshima kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The green tone is Tamiya's "Khaki Drab" (XF 51), which might be a tad too light, but I wanted some contrast to the black elements all around the hull. The helmet was painted with Humbrol 69 (Gloss Yellow) while the grey parts were painted with FS 36414 (Flint Grey, Modelmaster 2037).

After basic painting of the major, semi-finished components everything received a wash with a mix of black and dark brown for weathering and highlighting edges and panel line engravings.
The the whole kit received a dry-brushing treatment, adding visual plasticity. The shiny visor is a piece of thin, chromatic PET foil.

The decals come from the OOB sheet, and, once applied, a final, additional dry-brushing session was done. After a coat of matt acrylic varnish, dust and dirt were created with an artist pigment mix -partly mixed with matt varnish in order to simulate mud crusts, esp. around the feet.

Dorvack +++ 1:24 PAM-74 "Tinkle Bell" powered armor suit (Aoshima kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Dorvack +++ 1:24 PAM-74 "Tinkle Bell" powered armor suit (Aoshima kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

A quick build, and the PAM-74 kit goes together with relatively little problems. Even though the Dorvack PAs in general appear to have only little detail and look rather toylike, their detail level is O.K. because of their large scale. Beyond their merchandising origin and weird mecha appeal, these kits carry lots of modelling potential, since they are a good basis for more: with some effort, you can do very creative things with them! Even if it is just weathering - the "realistic" look suits the PAM-74 well, despite the bright colors.

zenrat · June 25, 2018, 03:29:49 AM

NARSES2 · June 25, 2018, 06:40:43 AM

I may not even begin to understand the genre, but the model is

TheChronicOne · June 25, 2018, 06:51:19 AM

That's so cool! Armed to the teeth.

Lock it away so your settlers don't steal it!!!

Dizzyfugu · June 25, 2018, 07:48:37 AM

Quote from: NARSES2 on June 25, 2018, 06:40:43 AM
I may not even begin to understand the genre, but the model is

Well, Dorvack was one of the many "real robot" TV series that hit Japanese TV in the early Eighties. But unlike Macross and Gundam, it flopped. AFAIK, the basic story circles around an alien invasion on Earth, and the PAs are just a minor mecha in the whole show - but they came in many forms and liveries, and they still look very good today. Very archetypical for what one might consider a "Powered Armor" suit?

There's a very superficial article about the TV series on wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Armored_Battalion_Dorvack

philp · June 25, 2018, 08:22:16 PM

I turned mine into a Moo-rine.

Dizzyfugu · June 25, 2018, 11:58:22 PM

Nice. Has this been a "Dunc" kit, a Hyper Dorvack kit with add-ons?

zenrat · June 26, 2018, 04:42:20 AM

It's exactly the sort of powered armour the mobile infantry in the Starship Troopers movie should have been wearing if they had done justice to the book.

NARSES2 · June 26, 2018, 06:17:21 AM

Quote from: Dizzyfugu on June 25, 2018, 07:48:37 AM

Well, Dorvack was one of the many "real robot" TV series that hit Japanese TV in the early Eighties. But unlike Macross and Gundam, it flopped. AFAIK, the basic story circles around an alien invasion on Earth, and the PAs are just a minor mecha in the whole show - but they came in many forms and liveries, and they still look very good today. Very archetypical for what one might consider a "Powered Armor" suit?

There's a very superficial article about the TV series on wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Armored_Battalion_Dorvack

Thanks Dizzy.

Back in the late 60's there was a model shop in St George's Walk Croydon who imported a lot of his stock directly from Europe and the Far East. I remember a range of German WWII infantry "power armour" he had in stock. I assume they were Japanese kits but I never really looked. The box art and the made up examples he had did look good however. I think they were around 1/35th ? Never saw them elsewhere.

Dizzyfugu · June 26, 2018, 07:03:51 AM

Hmm, that does not ring a bell. But I know that there were one or two weird diorama packs with 1:100 Macross Destroids and Hasegawa military vehicles in 1:72 (incl. an SdKfZ 251!), plus a piece of vacu landscape. REALLY odd!

NARSES2 · June 27, 2018, 03:11:40 AM

I am probably going back 50 years or so. I was probably 16 or so ? Just before "other things" took the place of modelling and wargaming.

Dr. Griffin · July 02, 2018, 06:10:13 AM

Quote from: Dizzyfugu on June 25, 2018, 12:08:14 AM

Dorvack +++ 1:24 PAM-74 "Tinkle Bell" powered armor suit (Aoshima kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

I like seeing the model with the backgrounds. Can you please show me a photo of how you did that?