MechaBay
MechaBay
Discord Mastodon Bluesky Twitter/X
Discord About us Support us Gunpla portal Release tracker
Catalogue
Gunpla

HGUC RX-104FF Penelope

High Grade Universal Century release of Lane Aim's massive Fixed Flight Unit Gundam.
Jenxi Seow Published 2 Jan 2025 Updated 2 Jan 2025
HGUC RX-104FF Penelope

HGUC RX-104FF Penelope launched in October 2019 as Bandai Spirits’ first modern 1/144 interpretation of Lane Aim’s Fixed Flight unit, retailing at ¥6,800 and packaging the complete Odysseus Gundam core.1

Overview

The release headlined the Hathaway product rollout, balancing presence and practicality: the Odysseus Gundam inner frame nests inside the FF armour, whilst the kit provides effect parts to replicate the film’s propulsion gimmicks.1 Morishita Naochika’s box art underscores the flagship status and the engineering focuses on modularity so the FF armour can display independently.

Features

  • Separate Odysseus Gundam mobile suit with alternate hip joints to support both stand-alone and combined display modes.1
  • Complete Fixed Flight armour with interchangeable chest vents, articulated tail units, and deployable landing gear for grounded flight poses.
  • Inclusive BA-2 flight stand with cradle adapters to support either the combined Penelope or the detached FF unit.
  • Beam sabre effects designed to mount on shields and the FF mega-particle cannons for dynamic dioramas.

Build experience

Expect a lengthy build: the kit spans multiple large PS runners and introduces weight-bearing connectors that reward careful nub cleanup. The instructions suggest reinforcing the hip ball joints if the armour is frequently removed, and the layered FF armour panels respond well to sub-assembly painting before final assembly.2 The BA-2 stand is essential because of the kit’s mass, so keep the included polycaps for longevity.

Kit content

  • Odysseus Gundam core unit with interchangeable hip joints
  • FF (Fixed Flight) armour suite with optional chest vents and arm binders
  • Beam rifle
  • Two shield units with beam sabre hilts and effect blades
  • Manipulator set: general holding pair, trigger-finger right hand, open palms
  • BA-2 display base with adapters for Penelope and the detached FF unit
  • Frame parts for standing the armour separately

Colour guide

Awaiting official manual breakdown. Extract the colour ratios from the instruction PDF—Bandai specifies distinct mixes for the white armour, metallic thrusters, and orange highlight strips.2

Comparisons

When displayed with the HGUC Xi Gundam the sheer volume of the Penelope dominates the shelf, demanding additional depth. Compared with the older conversion kits, this release dramatically improves part separation and introduces modern polycap joints, making it the definitive mass-market version.

Official assets

Coming soon. Optimised stock photography from Bandai Hobby will be added to illustrate the transformation sequence.

Build showcase

Community showcase slots are open—share curated Penelope builds in the Discord #gunpla-showcase channel for consideration.

Release notes

Penelope arrived on 26 October 2019 and remains in active circulation thanks to repeated Bandai Spirits reissues. Production resurfaced around the Hathaway cinema window in 2021, so expect additional runs around future streaming campaigns. Link to /gunpla-releases/2019-10 when the archive entry is published.

Retailer availability

Footnotes

  1. Bandai Spirits. “HGUC 1/144 ペーネロペー.” Bandai Hobby, October 2019, https://bandai-hobby.net/item/3372/. ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  2. Bandai Spirits. “HGUC 1/144 ペーネロペー Instruction Manual.” Bandai Hobby Instruction Manual Portal, 2019, https://manual.bandai-hobby.net/menus/detail/491. ↩ ↩2

Don't miss our next article

Get mobile suits, characters, battles and technology analysis delivered to your inbox.

Join 5,000+ readers