Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on July 2010

Mobile Suit Gundam takes to the air again! Well, sort of. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of the first Gundam plastic kit, toymaker Bandai has teamed with All Nippon Airways to outfit one of its planes with images of the giant robot. The tricked-out Boeing 777-300 will enter service on July 16, and passengers on the maiden run (from Haneda to Osaka) will receive a certificate that confirms their place in history. Through August 31, travelers on all domestic flights can purchase a 1/144 scale model of the mecha bearing the ANA colors (¥3,000); a whopping 1/48 scale version is available through February 2011 (¥8,500).