Post by Tyrann on Aug 15, 2005 18:07:09 GMT -5
Mad Thunder - RZ-055
Kit Overview:
Coming out of the box, Mad Thunder has some of the largest single pieces ever cast for a Zoid, as well as some of the largest motor sections to date. There are also three pre-assembled pieces in the box:
-The motor and battery compartment as well as the light-up eye piece;
-The main back section with the spinning drum;
-And the gearing section and speed controls for the horns.
As well as the pre-assembled parts, the kit contains 7 very large sprues and two piece that form the sides of the body. The light grey on top and the dark grey below makes him look very much like the battleship of Zoids. And the very dark colour of the body interior isn't black like I thought, it's actually a very deep green colour.
Assembly:
Assembly of Mad Thunder took 3 1/2 hours including adding the decals. The only two points of frustration came when attaching the horn gearbox (basically had to force the pieces together carefully) and putting the cockpit together while assembling the two large head halfs (a few small pieces that had to be put together in the right order).
Another minor issue would be how loose the CP-01 cannons are. They fall down easily and sometimes are hard to get to stay in an upward firing position.
Once built, Mad Thunder is a true sight to behold. Measuring 23.5" from tip to tail, his horns alone are 6.5" long.
Design:
Movement-wise, Mad Thunder is loaded:
-The horns spin and have a low and high speed setting thanks to a lever
-The mouth opens and closes
-It has working knees
-A large topside turret that can rotate 360 degrees and 45 degrees upwards as well as pivot 90 degrees to the side.
-The Command Center roof folds back to allow a view inside and the Command Chair to be raised up to allow the Commander a view just above the roof-line.
-The radar dish on the Command Center can rotate around
-Two disks on either side of the body rotate when the motor is on
-The CP-01 guns can pivot up and down as well as roughly 45 degrees to either side of center
-The large dark grey drum at the base of the tail armor rotates when the motor is on
-And the tail moves from side-to-side as he walks forward.
I was also greatly surprised to find the eye piece of Mad Thunder lights up when he walks. I don't recall finding mention of that anywhere else. So it was a greatly welcomed bonus to this Zoid.
Conclusion:
The Good:
Very large Zoid. Extremely well designed with a vast amount of movement. Great colours and lots of fine detail.
The Bad:
Some smaller parts offer minor frustration during assembly, and the overall size of the Zoid can make finding shelf space somewhat challenging. Plus the loose CP-01 cannons.
Bottomline:
Very Highly Recommended
==================
Pictures:
Side view of Mad Thunder.
From the other side.
Here you can see the armor on the top and underside of the tail, as well as the spinning drum in the upper right corder, just above the exhaust vents.
The cockpit that sits between the horns. An interesting feature would be the chair actually lifts up higher when the canopy is opened.
The Command Center with it's roof pulled back and the large turret rotated to the side.
The Command Chair raised up to viewing position.
The horns, back-mounted drum, legs and jaw are all slighted blurred to show movement. You can also see the eyes lit up bright red.
Mad Thunder and Shield Liger side by side for scale.
Mad Thunder sporting the true CP-01. The colours don't exactly match, but it doesn't look too bad.
Shield Liger armed with Mad Thunder's CP-01. Again, the dark green of the guns don't entirely work with the black of the Liger, but it looks pretty interesting.
A nice profile shot. You can tell he means business.
This is a fantastic Zoid. Pick it up if you can get it for a good shipping price.
Murasame Liger review coming soon.
Kit Overview:
Coming out of the box, Mad Thunder has some of the largest single pieces ever cast for a Zoid, as well as some of the largest motor sections to date. There are also three pre-assembled pieces in the box:
-The motor and battery compartment as well as the light-up eye piece;
-The main back section with the spinning drum;
-And the gearing section and speed controls for the horns.
As well as the pre-assembled parts, the kit contains 7 very large sprues and two piece that form the sides of the body. The light grey on top and the dark grey below makes him look very much like the battleship of Zoids. And the very dark colour of the body interior isn't black like I thought, it's actually a very deep green colour.
Assembly:
Assembly of Mad Thunder took 3 1/2 hours including adding the decals. The only two points of frustration came when attaching the horn gearbox (basically had to force the pieces together carefully) and putting the cockpit together while assembling the two large head halfs (a few small pieces that had to be put together in the right order).
Another minor issue would be how loose the CP-01 cannons are. They fall down easily and sometimes are hard to get to stay in an upward firing position.
Once built, Mad Thunder is a true sight to behold. Measuring 23.5" from tip to tail, his horns alone are 6.5" long.
Design:
Movement-wise, Mad Thunder is loaded:
-The horns spin and have a low and high speed setting thanks to a lever
-The mouth opens and closes
-It has working knees
-A large topside turret that can rotate 360 degrees and 45 degrees upwards as well as pivot 90 degrees to the side.
-The Command Center roof folds back to allow a view inside and the Command Chair to be raised up to allow the Commander a view just above the roof-line.
-The radar dish on the Command Center can rotate around
-Two disks on either side of the body rotate when the motor is on
-The CP-01 guns can pivot up and down as well as roughly 45 degrees to either side of center
-The large dark grey drum at the base of the tail armor rotates when the motor is on
-And the tail moves from side-to-side as he walks forward.
I was also greatly surprised to find the eye piece of Mad Thunder lights up when he walks. I don't recall finding mention of that anywhere else. So it was a greatly welcomed bonus to this Zoid.
Conclusion:
The Good:
Very large Zoid. Extremely well designed with a vast amount of movement. Great colours and lots of fine detail.
The Bad:
Some smaller parts offer minor frustration during assembly, and the overall size of the Zoid can make finding shelf space somewhat challenging. Plus the loose CP-01 cannons.
Bottomline:
Very Highly Recommended
==================
Pictures:
Side view of Mad Thunder.
From the other side.
Here you can see the armor on the top and underside of the tail, as well as the spinning drum in the upper right corder, just above the exhaust vents.
The cockpit that sits between the horns. An interesting feature would be the chair actually lifts up higher when the canopy is opened.
The Command Center with it's roof pulled back and the large turret rotated to the side.
The Command Chair raised up to viewing position.
The horns, back-mounted drum, legs and jaw are all slighted blurred to show movement. You can also see the eyes lit up bright red.
Mad Thunder and Shield Liger side by side for scale.
Mad Thunder sporting the true CP-01. The colours don't exactly match, but it doesn't look too bad.
Shield Liger armed with Mad Thunder's CP-01. Again, the dark green of the guns don't entirely work with the black of the Liger, but it looks pretty interesting.
A nice profile shot. You can tell he means business.
This is a fantastic Zoid. Pick it up if you can get it for a good shipping price.
Murasame Liger review coming soon.
Plus Im surprised too when the eyes are shown to be lighting up on the box 
