Atelier-Sai 1/60 Vic Viper from "Sky Girls" series (Painted Review)

If only someone else produce a Vic Viper model as well....

 

General View

4 x Options are included. There is no storage space for them on the Fighter, or stands to display them.

 

 Bottom View. I have assembled the kit with landnig gear and all hatches opened. Option for landing gear up and closed hatches are available.

Detail View

Missile Hatches.

 

Options Hatches.

Cockpit.

Mechanical Detail and Service Hatches.

Basic Shots and Laser Emitters.

Main Engine.

 Conclusion

 

Purchased a long time ago when it was on sale on HLJ, this is one of the few model kits ever produced by Atelier-Sai, a company more known for trading figures and the trading construction toy BJPM Gunshell (which is incorporated into the short lived Model Lock construction model kit when they collaborated with Kotobukiya) And it really shows.

 

The plastic quality is visible inferior to any model kits you can find on the market, with the white plastic almost transluscent with poor mold detail and a fragile feel all over. The fittings are not very good either. Parts that are supposed to be snap fit are either too loose or too tight. spruce gates are huge and on glaringly visible places. fitmet of parts aren't great either.

 

What saves this kit though is the subject of matter. Vic Viper is the Player 1 star fighter in Konami's classic game series "Gradius". Ther are many version of Vic Vipers, but they do not stray far from this classic shape of forward swept wings and twin forward hull. This version in perticular is a cameo appearance in the anime series "Sky Girls", also produced by Konami. As such it is sligtly different again to all the other Vic Vipers in games, but at the same time still hold on to the essense of the Vic Viper.

 

So do I recommend this kit? NO. not unless you are experienced with older, poor quality Airfix or less well known military plane models. I do not know of any alternatives, but perhaps, one day, Kotobukiya will venture to the Gradius series as they expand their SHRUMP model line up.