Build Log: MODEROID 1/12 Power Loader (Good Smile Company)

On 18 July 2026, the 40th anniversary of James Cameron’s Aliens (1986), I completed Good Smile Company’s MODEROID 1/12 Power Loader. It felt like the perfect occasion to finish and share a build of one of science fiction’s most iconic industrial machines.

There are model kits that test your painting skills, and there are model kits that test your patience. The MODEROID 1/12 Power Loader managed to do both.

Rather than building it straight out of the box, I decided to repaint the entire model. Every solid yellow moulded part was first airbrushed with Mr. Hobby Mr. Color No. 13 (Neutral Grey) as a base coat. The black moulded parts also received the same treatment before painting continued. The yellow armour was then weathered using Mr. Hobby Mr. Color No. 109 (Character Yellow), gradually building up a worn industrial appearance through multiple light applications.

One thing I quickly learned was the sheer scale of the project. The kit contains a large number of parts, and simply preparing and painting them required considerable time before assembly could even begin.

Assembly itself proved to be an enjoyable engineering exercise. Although several steps in the instruction manual recommended the use of glue, I found that the snap-fit design held together securely enough for my build.

The most demanding stage came with the hydraulic tubing. The supplied black rubber tube had to be cut into multiple lengths before being routed throughout the Power Loader. Installing each section required patience, as previously connected tubes would occasionally detach while the next ones were being fitted.

Another lesson came from the piston cylinders. Their orientation matters more than it first appears. If assembled incorrectly, routing the hydraulic tubes becomes significantly more difficult, with tighter bends and less room to manoeuvre. Correct alignment made the installation process much smoother.

To complete the exterior, approximately thirty decals were applied. They add the finishing industrial touches without overwhelming the clean mechanical design.

Looking back, this wasn’t simply a painting project. It was an exercise in mechanical assembly, problem-solving and patience. Every painted component, correctly aligned piston, carefully routed hydraulic tube and precisely placed decal contributed to transforming a box of plastic runners into one of science fiction’s most iconic industrial machines.

Happy 40th Anniversary to Aliens. Here’s to four decades of one of cinema’s greatest science fiction classics, and to the remarkable machine that continues to inspire model builders around the world.