1:24 PA-58N "Halk" (Dorvack) with hand cannon

Dizzyfugu · January 05, 2020, 06:36:56 AM

Dorvack +++ 1:24 PA-58N "Halk" with hand cannon (Gunze Sangyo kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

This build was a simple one: an original PA-58N "Halk" from Gunze Sangyo from 1983 (not an Aoshima re-release from 2008), built out of the box and in its original livery from the TV series. In fact, this blue PA-58N is not a specific aromor, but rather the "bread and butter" infantry piece of Earth's Defence Forces, much like the Stormtrooper in Star Wars.

As such, it is the lightest and smallest Powered Armor model from the Dorvack series, and these compact PA models normally only carry light hand weapons, not the integrated and much heavier armament of the bigger models that are uses by artillery units and commanding staff.

Dorvack +++ 1:24 PA-58N "Halk" with hand cannon (Gunze Sangyo kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

I had this kit stashed away for this purpose for a long while, and I was just in the mood to eventually tackle it.
Nothing was changed, and the build is pretty simple and straightforward - I'd recommend the PA-58 for anyone who wants to try one of the PA models, because the fit is quite good and there are no real big surprises. The only thing to watch out for are the arms, because the halves that make up each upper and lower arm are specific to each side. They are easy to confuse!
Furthermore, the typical "Matryoshka" construction of the legs (finish the feet first, then you add the lower legs like a clamshell, and finally the upper legs in a similar manner) takes time, patience and care - at aleast when you want to paint the interior and hide the seams through PSR.

Dorvack +++ 1:24 PA-58N "Halk" with hand cannon (Gunze Sangyo kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Dorvack +++ 1:24 PA-58N "Halk" with hand cannon (Gunze Sangyo kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

This standard PA-58N comes with a hand weapon, apperently some kind of automatic weapon, that the model holds with both hands. If you want this configuration for your model, too, you HAVE to search for the original Gunze Sangyo kit. Even though the Aoshima re-release double combo contains this blue PA-58N variant, it comes with a clumsy, two-handed rocket launcher which I personally do not find very attractive. Thankfully, the kit contains beyond the sprue for the weapon with hands that hold it another pair of open/empty extra hands if you want to display it without the weapon.

Furthermore, the kit offers as an option the weird lens radome that commanders frequently carry on top of their PAs, also on bigger PA models like the PA-36.
As a side note, there's also another PA-58N kit in a desert camo (called "Halk Sovat") with a similar configuration, just carrying a kind of Bazooka (which also come in the Aoshima re-release, but again with a different, two-handed weapon, not the original one).

The paint scheme on this PA-58N is 100% authentic, I stayed close to the rather simple appearance of this mecha in the TV series. I have seen models of the "Halk" (I wonder if this name is a Japanese malaproprism of the English "Hulk"?) with more sophistication, e .hg. with fine yellow trim lines along the legs - but these do not appear in the TV series. There's also a lot room for interpretation concerning the color of the ball joints, which are silver or just grey like the upper arms and legs?

Dorvack +++ 1:24 PA-58N "Halk" with hand cannon (Gunze Sangyo kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Dorvack +++ 1:24 PA-58N "Halk" with hand cannon (Gunze Sangyo kit) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The helmet section was painted pure black (Humbrol 21), the light grey is Humbrol 127 (FS 36375). For the blue I originally wanted to use Humbrol 109, but the paint turned out to be a turd from the horrible Belgian production batch a couple of years ago - it did not dry at all!!! So I scraped any initial enamel paint off and replaced it with French Blue from Testors, which is much brighter and a bit darker, but I think that it was in the end even the better color.
A white box (Humbrol 22) was added to the front as well as some red (Humbrol 19) highlights around the visor and the helmet. The ball joints were peinted with Humbrol's Polished Aluminum Metallizer. The hand gun was painted in orange (Humbrol 82).

The only thing that is not original are the decals, though: the OOB sheet (from 1983!) has become blind over the years, so that I had to replace the set from a 2008 Aoshima re-release of this kit.

The whole kit received a black ink wash and some post-shading treatment, as well as light dry-brushing with medium grey. Some soot stains were added to the gun nozzle and under the exhaust of the jump booster on the back.

In a final step, the whole model received a matt acrylic varnish coat and the visor elements were laid out in silver and painted with clear paint in blue and pink.

Dorvack +++ 1:24 PA-58N "Halk" with hand cannon (Gunze Sangyo kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Dorvack +++ 1:24 PA-58N "Halk" with hand cannon (Gunze Sangyo kit) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

A colorful model, and another PA for the "authentic" department of my growing model collection.

zenrat · January 06, 2020, 01:28:22 AM

Colourful.

Dizzyfugu · January 06, 2020, 01:32:40 AM

Yes, indeed. The original Dorvack mecha universe is quite bright, despite the military tone of the TV series. However, due to production reasons there frequently appear all-green PAs (easier to produce) in animated scenes, but there are camouflaged specimen, too. I think that many modelers overlooked the bright models in th Eighties, because they look so toylike. But the designs themselves are IMHO very "down to earth", even the transformable vehicles. The enemy's vehicles look also very orginal and organic (and colorful, too).

NARSES2 · January 06, 2020, 06:30:43 AM

In that colour scheme it could be a police/law enforcement mecha

1:24 PA-58N "Halk" (Dorvack) with hand cannon

Dizzyfugu

zenrat

Dizzyfugu

NARSES2