IJN Yamato Tamiya NEW tooling 1/350
Hello, I wanted this time to present a big project I've finished last December. The new tooling 1/350 Yamato Tamiya.
The IJN Yamato is the largest Battleship ever built in the history of naval warfare, and together with the DKM Bismarck and HMS Hood, are probably the most famous of all. She was commissioned 72 years ago, on Dec 16, 1941, just after the pacific war had commenced, and was sunk on April 7, 1945 by the Americans on her final voyage to Okinawa. It is amazing that her name was NEVER publicized during this period and so her brief combat career came to pass without the general Japanese public ever knowing of her existence at all.
Yamato's main battery consisted of nine 46 cm (18.1 in) 45 Caliber Type 94 naval guns—the largest caliber of naval artillery ever fitted to a warship. Each gun was 21.13 metres (69.3 ft) long, weighed 147.3 tonnes (162.4 short tons), and was capable of firing high explosive or armor piercing shells 42 kilometres (26 mi).
Her secondary battery comprised twelve 155-millimetre (6.1 in) guns mounted originally in four triple turrets (one forward, one aft, two midships), and twelve 127-millimetre (5.0 in) guns in six twin mounts (three on each side amidships). These turrets had been taken off the Mogami class cruisers when those vessels were converted to a main armament of 8 inch guns.
In addition, Yamato carried twenty-four 25-millimetre (0.98 in) anti-aircraft guns, primarily mounted amidships. When refitted in 1944 and 1945 for naval engagements in the South Pacific, the secondary battery configuration was changed to six 155 mm guns and twenty four 127 mm guns, and the number of 25 mm anti-aircraft guns was increased to 162.
This new tooling by Tamiya is in a simple word "astonishing". The fit, detail, engineer and overall shape is second to none among the ship model kits. (probably the Scharnhorst from Dragon and Revel's Bismarck belong to the same category) It seems Tamiya spend a long time investigating and studying everything about this famous ship and they did an amazing job. The Kit comes with a very nice photo etched detail set and I've added also the wooden deck from Pontos Model, the metal gun barrels set by Tamiya and the railing set also by Tamiya, which consisted in hundred of perforated metal post and thin cooper wire. (probably the most tedious thing I've ever done) I've put some extra scratch detail on the lifeboats and I've replaced the planes canopy for thin wire.
I hope you guys like it!.
jorge
Scary impressive. Is the decking plastic or wood? If it's wood did it come in the kit?
Thanks Al, Yamato herself was certainly a scary behemoth!...The deck is made of a thin layer of real wood and no, it doesn't come with the kit. It is an aftermarket from Pontos Model.
thanks for looking and commenting!
Jorge...That's one big impressive ship. Great for us that it was short lived. I know very little about building ship models but it sure looks like you do. How long did it take you?
Hi Jack, thanks for commenting. It took me approximately 200 hours give or take. And if I may I recommend you to build a ship one day, it is a lot of fun and a complete different approach.
cheers mate
Jorge... well I have built a S-100 German Schnellboat and I'm gearing up for the 35th scale PT Boat for my second attempt at ship building... hopefully I will not have 200 hours in it when it's done, but it might be as big, thus leaving me with the problem of what to do with it.
Hi Jack!, did you build the Revell one? I have a little 1/350th scale that comes with the Trumpeter Prinz Eugen...So I'll love to see photos or your model!...and yes it's always an issue where to put this big mammoths and how to protect them from dust!
keep building ships mate! maybe small 1/700th will be more suitable to work and they doesn't require much space...
cheers
I had some photos of it here on the site and it's listed as being under Ships... but can't seem to find that group any longer.
I don't like it. No, in fact, I LOVE it! Wow Jorge, what a masterpiece! Yamato was one impressive battleship and you built a very impressive replica. Thanks for showing us how it's properly done.
Gary
Glad you love it Gary! thank you for taking the time to look and comment my friend.
cheers
Holy C**p...how did you not go blind ? 200 hours...? That thing woulda taken me 200 WEEKS! And where the heck do you PUT it...? You must have an equally impressive display case. Excellent build, sir. Craftsmanship abounds.
I substituted the 4-letter "S" word for a mild 4-letter equivalent and STILL got 'bleeped' - I don't get it.
Thank you Craig! I have a big Tamiya display case to protect it from the dust, specially designed to fit this beast! and then I put it in a big Ikea bookshelf...together with my other ships...
cheers
WOW Jorge this is amazing you are truly a ship master i just did my first ship build the academy uss reuben james FFG-57 lots of PE parts wich was cool but a bit overwelming Your Yamamoto is brilliant
Thanks a lot Steven!...I would love to see that frigate! are you planing to make an article here at iModeler?...
cheers
Beautiful work indeed.
Thanks you Tom!
Jorge, it's a Beauty!-Inspiration for me to start working on my U-Boat kit that’s been sitting around for years...
Hi Erich!, I'm happy to served you as inspiration with this build. And please go ahead I love U-boats (I have a couple also waiting to come to life!) So I'll be waiting for it!..
cheers
Interlocking fields of fire
scary isn't it!
Jorge, this is simply stunning...
Thanks Drew!
Jorge .. an AMAZING BEAUTIFUL model .. I am in the process of building the US Tarawa CVS-40 .. AND I CAN use some of the your photos as a GREAT detail ideas ... yes, there are MANY small pieces, and sometimes ones does get discouraged ... BUT after seeing this model, I AM now more ready to complete mine ...THANKS for the fabulous photos .. CARRY ON ! Your ship is a masterpiece !
Hi Ray, thank you for taking the time to look and comment. I'm glad this build is helping to complete yours! And please post some photos when finish!...
cheers!
Jorge .. the models I have built are in NO way as good as what I have seen in here .. I have some "work" to bring them "up to par" .. adding more details, changing paint schemes to make them look proper, etc .. BUT WILL post some before long, promise !
I have the kit myself you did a fantastic job what color and brand of paint did you use
Hi Dario, I've used Tamiya's acrylics and I've combined IJN GRAY (SASEBO ARSENAL) XF-77 and IJN GRAY (KURE ARSENAL) XF-75. The first one is darker and the second one is lighter and blueish...I don't remember exactly the proportions though...
cheers mate!
Hi,
Firstly, fantastic job! Definately something to be proud of, especially like the aircraft deck.
I was wondering what colour you used on the superstructure, did you use a specific tamiya colour or did you make one up yourself?
Cheers,
Sam
Hi Sam,
Thanks for your comments! For the superstructure I've use a combination of two Tamiya colours in about equals proportions: IJN GRAY (SASEBO ARSENAL) XF-77 and IJN GRAY (KURE ARSENAL) XF-75.
Cheers,
Jorge
Hi,
Wow! What an amazing achievement! Definitely something all of us should aspire to build. How did you do the rigging?
Great work! How hard a time did you have with the vertical hull side join?
I have had a very hard time erasing it...
Gaston
I have just ordered this beautiful ship, and your pictures were just what I needed for inspiration 🙂 Very nice work 😉
I just signed up this afternoon and was WOWed by several builds. Yours is spectacular, if I ever get the chance I’ll build mine, so I have several questions for info; 1st, the characters, where did you come across them? They look far better than the flat PE that are available? And 2nd, the radio antenna’s - the insulators are fabulous, so realistic. And the cable dimension , pretty close to authentic. Anything smaller would be human hair or thereabouts.
I’m glad you took the challenge. It helps to push the hobby upwards and give manufacturers more incentive to shoot for.
Dave sr.