The machine the Gundams were built to beat
When Celestial Being announced itself to the world in Mobile Suit Gundam 00, the Union of Solar Energy and Free Nations sent up the Flag. Not a hero unit. The standard-issue variable mobile suit that every Union pilot flew, Graham Aker included, before he ever got a machine with his name on it.
That is what makes it worth building. The Flag is the yardstick the Gundams were measured against, and it looks nothing like a Gundam: long-legged, thin, all wing and sensor, more aircraft than robot. If you have a shelf full of Exias and Dynames, this is the other side of the fight.
Build difficulty
Bandai print 8 and over on the box, and it earns that. It is snap-fit, it needs no glue, the part count is low for a High Grade, and independent builder reviews in three languages all say the same thing: it goes together quickly and easily. Most builders will have it finished in an evening. Two things stop it being a completely soft landing. The hip joints are ball joints and the kit does not stand rock solid, and the linear rifle sits loose in the hand. Both are covered in What to watch for below, and neither is difficult to work around.
Technical highlights
The headline is the transformation. MS Mode changes to Flight Position with no part swapping: the shoulder ball joints pull out, the abdomen slides, the head pushes down into the chest, the legs fold back, the elbows peg to the knees and the linear rifle clips to the nose. The upper wings move independently, the lower wing swings as one unit, and both fold roughly 90 degrees. Elbows bend to about 120 degrees, knees to about 80, and the waist turns a full 360 with nothing in the way. Colour is largely moulded in, light blue-grey over dark grey with a white chest, and foil stickers finish the hand backs and the defence rod tips. The head visor is a clear orange part with a silver sticker behind it, which is why it catches the light the way it does on screen.
What makes this kit special
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A real transformation, not a pose swap: MS Mode to Flight Position and back with nothing removed and nothing left over.
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Clear orange sensor visor: a translucent part over a silver foil sticker, so the single eye reads properly instead of looking painted on.
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Folding wing units: reproduced from the setting, and they fold whether the kit is in MS Mode or in flight.
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3mm display mount in both modes: pop the panel under the hips off and it takes a standard 1/144 stand, upright or flying.
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The first Flag in the HG line: one Japanese reviewer describes this kit as the one the later Graham Custom and Over Flag were built from.
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Strong colour separation for its era: reviewers agree most of the setting colours are handled by moulded plastic and stickers straight off the runner, before any paint.
What's in the box
- SVMS-01 Union Flag, snap-fit, with folding upper and lower wing units
- Linear rifle
- Sonic blade (plasma sword)
- Defence rod, clips to either forearm
- Foil sticker sheet
- Instruction manual
No display base is included.
Compatible accessories
No display base is included with the kit. For dynamic poses of the Flag's Flight Position, pair the Union Flag with the Bandai Action Base 2, the standard 1/144 display stand.
The mount is a 3mm hole under the removable panel beneath the hips, and it works in both MS Mode and Flight Position. One reviewer notes the hole's grip is a little slack, so the kit can rotate on the peg if you knock it.
Build your Gundam 00 collection
The Flag is the machine on the other side of the fight. These are the ones it was up against, and all of them are in stock now:
Build specifications
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Series: Mobile Suit Gundam 00
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Timeline: Anno Domini
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Grade: High Grade (HG00 kit number 02)
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Scale: 1/144
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Mobile suit: SVMS-01 Union Flag (mass production type), 17.9 m head height in the setting
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Faction: Union of Solar Energy and Free Nations
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Pilots: Graham Aker, Howard Mason, Daryl Dodge and other Union pilots
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Manufacturer: Bandai, Japan
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First released: October 2007
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Retail box size: approximately 29.7 x 19 x 5.3 cm
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Barcode: 4573102606389
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Skill level: Skill Level 2, rated 8 and over on the box
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Assembly method: snap-fit, nippers needed to remove parts from the runners
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Paint required: no, optional on small details
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Special features: MS Mode to Flight Position transformation, folding wing units, 3mm display mount in both modes
Perfect for
- Gundam 00 fans who want the opposing side on the shelf, not another Gundam
- Builders after a transforming kit without committing to a Master Grade
- Newer builders who want a quick, low-pressure snap-fit evening
- Anyone who likes aircraft silhouettes more than humanoid ones
- Builders who buy grunt units in twos and threes to build a formation
- Marker and panel-line practitioners looking for a cheap canvas that rewards an hour of detail work
Fast Australian shipping
Dispatched same day from Brisbane if ordered before 2pm AEST on weekdays. Free shipping Australia-wide on orders over $199. Packed securely in a sturdy outer box with water-soluble cornstarch void fill that dissolves cleanly in the sink.
What to watch for
This is a 2007 kit and it shows in a few places. These are the points that came up repeatedly across independent builder reviews in English, Japanese and Korean.
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It stands, but not solidly. Four separate reviewers flag the same thing. The hip connection is a ball joint with modest grip, the feet have a small contact patch, and the kit can wobble or tip from a knock or a bit of vibration. It does self-stand out of the box. It just is not one you set and forget.
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The linear rifle sits loose in the hand. The grip is undersized for the hand hole, so the rifle flops and can pull out depending on the arm angle. Three reviewers raise it independently.
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The sonic blade is worse. It is moulded in plain white as a single thin part, the grip is slim, and reviewers report it slipping straight back out of the hand.
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Seam lines you will see. Two builder reviews map them to the same places: forearms, torso sides, the backpack centre, thigh sides and the back of the lower legs. The forearm seam cannot be cleaned without a post-fit modification.
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Not everything is colour separated. Intakes, the rifle muzzle and the shoulder armour ducts want a grey marker, and the sonic blade wants blue on the blade.
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Two reviewers report the joints are ABS rather than polycap and both suggest going gently the first few times you transform it. Treat that as a caution rather than a settled fact: it sits below our evidence threshold and Bandai's own listing does not state it either way.
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Two reviewers note limited ankle tilt and shoulder ball joints that loosen a little with repeated posing.
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One reviewer notes the defence rod's white stickers lift easily. Press them down firmly and give them time before handling.
Builder tips. A 1/144 display stand fixes the stability point outright and suits the design anyway, since half the appeal is the Flight Position. For the rifle, the reported fix is a wrap of masking tape around the grip rather than glue, because thickening it permanently gets in the way of the transformation, where the rifle has to slot into the body. For the sonic blade, angle it into the hand rather than pushing it straight in. And if you only do one bit of painting, do the intakes and the blade. Reviewers who did it say the jump in quality is out of all proportion to the effort.
Build notes
No glue and no paint needed. Bring nippers, a hobby knife and a sanding stick for nub clean-up. Most builders finish this one in a single sitting, and the transformation takes a minute or two once you have run through it once. Pull the head up first to release the waist lock before converting back to MS Mode, or you will fight it. Rated 8 and over by Bandai.
Last updated: 29 July 2026 (AEST)
