Kit comparison: 1/100 RE Nightingale and 1/100 SMS Nightingale

Ever since the announcement of Bandai's 1/100 RE Nightingale kit, I wanted to compare it with my 1/100 SMS Nightingale fulle resin kit. The Nightingale is one of the most popular mobile suits that Gunpla modellers wanted to see realized as a 1/100 Gunpla kit. For years the unit only came in full resin and resin conversion kits until the release of a plastic model kit by Regulation Center a few years ago. Unfortunately, not a lot of modellers work with resin kits and the plastic kit was full of quality issues. This year saw the release of the first official 1/100 Nightingale from Bandai through their new 1/100 kit line called Reborn. This will be a simple comparison between the 1/100 Reborn Nightingale and the 1/100 SMS Nightingale full resin kit, one of the most popular and well known of the Nightingale's resin kits.

The most noticeable difference between the two is larger and bulkier features of the SMS kit.

Nearly all aspects of the resin kit is larger when compared to the plastic kit.

 Feet

Legs - The resin kits legs add height to kit versus the plastic kit.

Skirt

Rear Skirt and Hip - The rear skirt is one of Nightingales largest part and in the resin kits is extremely large and can easily fit the plastic kit's in it. Even the propellant tanks for the resin kit is over-sized.

Torso - The torso design and details for both kits vary size and shape with the resin kit being wider and taller. While the plastic kit is more streamline.

Arms - The arms are nearly the same size. The most visible difference between the arms are way the joints are designed, as well as the size and design of the fingers.

Head

Wings/Thrusters - Another part of the Nightingale that's over-sized are its wing/thrusters. Just like the rear skirt, the resin kits wings can easily fit the plastic kit's. It also designed sharper and more menacing.

Torso Propellant Tanks - Just like in the rear skirt, the backpack's propellant tanks are a lot more over-sized compared to the plastic ones.

Rifle - The rifle design of both kits are quite different but the size are practically the same.

Shield - The shield, on the other hand, are practically the same in design and size.

To show how large two kits are compared to other units, here's a size comparison with another Gundam kit of the same scale.