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Topic review - Calling all IJN 5500ton (Kuma-Nagara-Sendai) class CL fans
Author Message
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all IJN 5500ton (Kuma-Nagara-Sendai) class CL fa  Reply with quote
Mike W wrote:
I've been eyeing up the Fujimi 1/700 kits of Kuma and Tama (new ones) on both HLJ and Hobby Search. Has anyone got any experience of them in the flesh? They look nice in pics but what about up close? Any accuracy issues? If you model them waterline is the split of the lower and upper hulls in the right place? Is it better to get the Tamiya kit and the expensive and extensive Five Star etch set or are the new Fujimi kits good enough to just enhance with things like etch catapults + railings etc? You can't get the kits in the UK, so I'm just after more info before I decide whether or not to order them

thanks
Mike



This is much belated.

I think that you are thinking of the Rainbow PE kits for either the Kuma or Tama.

I have both, but need to get another copy of the Tama set, as I am going to cannibalize the current one to create the appropriate aft deck at the #7 Gun position for a 1942 Nagara (in 1/700).

Five Star does only a Detailing/Upgrade set for the Sendai, Naka, and Tenryū as far as the IJN’s smaller Light Cruisers go (They also do excellent Oyodo, Yahagi, and Yūbari upgrade sets — the set for Yahagi can be used for the other Agano-class CLs with the addition of a few other PE Detailing parts. Five Star also does the Training Cruisers)


I was working on the Nagara when I last was able to build anything, and thanks to advanced in Medical Science, I have had the use of a paralyzed arm restored (still going through Physical Therapy, but I can at least now hold things with it, even if precise motion is difficult).

And I intended to build all of the IJN’s 5,500dt CLs in a 1942 Outfit, which took a bit of doing. I discovered that Tamiya does produce some kits for a “Not Military” line (Anime, for an Anime Titled Arpeggio of Blue Steel), where they have actual Early-War outfits for many kits that have not previously been available (such as a supposed 1942 Chōkai and Maya, which I have seen the kits existing, but cannot find any for sale, given it was a very limited run of the models).

But getting PE for the 1942 Nagara was a challenge.

But for the other kits, like the Kuma and Tama in the 1942 outfit for the deployment of the ships to the Aleutians Campaign, the existing Tamiya and “Fujimi NEXT” kits are pretty good, especially if going with the PE Detailing Kits.

And the Rainbow PE Kits are for the Tamiya Kits, with the Tama in 1942 outfit, and the Kuma in 1939 outfit (which is an easy conversion to 1942 outfit).

They are worth every penny.

MB
Post Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2022 12:16 pm
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all IJN 5500ton (Kuma-Nagara-Sendai) class CL fa  Reply with quote
OMG! OMG!

I got a copy of LaCroix’ & Wells’ Japanese Cruisers of the Pacific War for less than a Kidney.

It will arrive in about two weeks, but it came with a PDF! I don’t know if the PDF is “Authorized” or not.

But the images in it are amazing.

The resolution allows me to blow the images up much larger than those I have seen posted to this forum from the book.

In reading the Forward/Introduction, I learned that it was one of the first publications to use Digital Image Processing to recover more data from existing negatives.

That caused me to wonder if anyone has subjected the same negatives to even more Powerful Digital Processing Tools of either Photoshop (which is only a Billion Times more Powerful than ANY 1980s Digital Image Processing Tools — That includes those of any Intelligence Agency on Earth at the time) or applications that make Photoshop look like a tricycle in comparison, such as Mathematica, MATLab, or similar computational tools that don’t have the Graphic Interface of Photoshop, but whose tools are many orders of magnitude beyond Photoshop.

And the use of Mathematica on ANY kind of larger Mainframe Computer provides even more power (Mathematica comes with built-in tools that rival those of Intelligence Professionals or Governments, but require more than a Desktop to utilize in a time-frame that would make their use worthwhile. Waiting months for a single Render Pass is not something most would care to do).

BUT….

To get to the actual point here.

In LaCroix’ & Wells’ IJN Cruiser Book, I noticed that on Page 192 is an image of the aft Deck Alterations of the Isuzu, Kinu, and Nagara (and possibly Yura), where it shows that not only was the Boat Deck Extension over the after Superstructure extended to Starboard forward of the #7 Gun, but that to Port the area around the #6 gun was extended rearward, tapering toward the Center, rather than the Circular shape of the deck previously.

The 1/700 Models show this to be simply a larger Semi-Circle for the Tamiya 1941 Nagara (which is released for the Anime Arpeggio of Blue Steel and for the 1943/44 Nagara, where the forward Torpedo Tubes were landed, the aft replaced with Quad Launchers, and a Type 21 Radar attached to the prior Location of the 4m Rangefinder and Director.

BUT… The Rainbow Models Photo-Etch kit for the 1943/44 Nagara has this shape of Deck provided.

I am trying to kitbash a Photo-Etch set for a 1942 Nagara, where the PE Deck has the appropriate brass tie-down strips for the Synthetic deck material used by the IJN, which the 1943/44 set from Rainbow had, save for the #7 gun position, where the earlier 14cm Gun was replaced with a Type 89 Twin 12.5cm DP Gun Mount. But the Rainbow set for the 1942 Tama has the correct #7 Gun Position, and the appropriate AA Gun Outfit for the Midship Deck Mounted AA guns (whether just the two Twin Type 93 P/S of the first Funnel, or the suggested second pair P/S of the Third Funnel, which can be used from the Nagara PE set), including the appropriate Midships Ventilation Hoods, Railings, and such, with the forward Torpedo Well-Decking, and the bridge over it, with the correct ladders and that cage thing always shown on it (I have yet to get to where LaCroix & Wells describe what that cage is, or why it totally blocks that bridge).

The only thing that really bugs me about the PE for the Bridge of the Nagara is that the railings CLEARLY show to be going OUTSIDE of the rear legs of the forward Tripod Mast, and NOT INSIDE as the PE Kits all show (The kits also do not show the chamfered corners of the Upper Aft Deck of the Compass Bridge Level in the proper dimensions, nor the Radio House on the Bridge Level previously occupied by the Hangar).

I had previously made a styrene replacement bridge that I intended to use, rather than the one provided by Tamiya or Fujimi (whose older kit is atrocious… I wonder why it hasn’t yet been re-made in 1/700 with the appropriate outfit for 1942, when it led one of the DesRons in the Solomons?), but given the time elapsed since I lost the use of my left arm for four+ years (now finally recovering) I cannot recall where I left it, and I’d like to finish the damned thing.

MB
Post Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2022 11:43 am
  Post subject:  Re: 1/350 Flyhawk Nagara set  Reply with quote
Roy wrote:
Thanks Dan. I'm sorry this ended up in it's own sub-forum, I intended it to be under the IJN 5500 tonner sub-heading. Perhaps admin would be willing to move it? Apologies again- rank newbie!

Roy


Thanks Timmy!
Post Posted: Sun Jan 30, 2022 6:06 pm
  Post subject:  Re: 1/350 Flyhawk Nagara set  Reply with quote
Thanks Dan. I'm sorry this ended up in it's own sub-forum, I intended it to be under the IJN 5500 tonner sub-heading. Perhaps admin would be willing to move it? Apologies again- rank newbie!

Roy
Post Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2022 10:22 pm
  Post subject:  Re: 1/350 Flyhawk Nagara set  Reply with quote
You might try contacting Angeliccypher (Gabriel) via PM

He used that set for his Nagara build: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=155871&hilit=1%2F350+Nagara
Post Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2022 7:20 pm
  Post subject:  1/350 Flyhawk Nagara set  Reply with quote
Forgive me if this is something which is answered elsewhere, but I just got the Flyhawk P.E. and brass set for the Aoshima Nagara kit (beautiful set by the way) and I'm wondering about the included instructions; they seem pretty truncated. I have two sheets which contain pages 1-4 but there's an awful lot not dealt with on these sheets including the numbered and obviously specific side rails - nada. If anyone else is familiar with the set am I missing sheets?

Thanks, Roy
Post Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2022 5:14 pm
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all IJN 5500ton (Kuma-Nagara-Sendai) class CL fa  Reply with quote
Dan K wrote:
I don't have the kits, but I can make some observations.

Tama & Kuma are NEXT kits, so it's more like comparing apples to oranges when comparing to the Tamiya kit. I don't have either of these Fujimi kits, but based on my experience with some of their DD NEXT kits, I'd say that while the hulls and major superstructures are extremely nice and accurate, smaller parts suffer because of the nature of the kit. The upper and lower hulls do separate at the waterline, but you don't have any hint of a red waterline or a flat surfaced bottom; the kit will sit on the hull sides. (I tend to cut some styrene sheet for a bottom to glue on, preferably hidden.) It's not a given that the hull will lie absolutely flat. I've seen some variation between hulls. But that would be true of a standard kit hull as well.

FWIW.


thanks Dan

Something to think about!
Post Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2021 6:48 pm
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all IJN 5500ton (Kuma-Nagara-Sendai) class CL fa  Reply with quote
I don't have the kits, but I can make some observations.

Tama & Kuma are NEXT kits, so it's more like comparing apples to oranges when comparing to the Tamiya kit. I don't have either of these Fujimi kits, but based on my experience with some of their DD NEXT kits, I'd say that while the hulls and major superstructures are extremely nice and accurate, smaller parts suffer because of the nature of the kit. The upper and lower hulls do separate at the waterline, but you don't have any hint of a red waterline or a flat surfaced bottom; the kit will sit on the hull sides. (I tend to cut some styrene sheet for a bottom to glue on, preferably hidden.) It's not a given that the hull will lie absolutely flat. I've seen some variation between hulls. But that would be true of a standard kit hull as well.

FWIW.
Post Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2021 8:17 pm
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all IJN 5500ton (Kuma-Nagara-Sendai) class CL fa  Reply with quote
I've been eyeing up the Fujimi 1/700 kits of Kuma and Tama (new ones) on both HLJ and Hobby Search. Has anyone got any experience of them in the flesh? They look nice in pics but what about up close? Any accuracy issues? If you model them waterline is the split of the lower and upper hulls in the right place? Is it better to get the Tamiya kit and the expensive and extensive Five Star etch set or are the new Fujimi kits good enough to just enhance with things like etch catapults + railings etc? You can't get the kits in the UK, so I'm just after more info before I decide whether or not to order them

thanks
Mike
Post Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2021 4:23 pm
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all IJN 5500ton (Kuma-Nagara-Sendai) class CL fa  Reply with quote
Thanks Dan! :thumbs_up_1:



Bob Pink :wave_1:
Post Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 4:24 pm
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all IJN 5500ton (Kuma-Nagara-Sendai) class CL fa  Reply with quote
No clue. Their path on new releases is unclear. They seem more focused on endless variants of their current molds.
Post Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 7:55 am
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all IJN 5500ton (Kuma-Nagara-Sendai) class CL fa  Reply with quote
I see that Fujimi has released a kit of the 1/700 1942 Kuma. Does anyone have any idea if they will do others like: Kinu, Kiso, Yura??? Not that I don't have other kits to build! :heh:



Bob Pink :wave_1:
Post Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2021 5:09 pm
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all IJN 5500ton (Kuma-Nagara-Sendai) class CL fa  Reply with quote
Thanks for the quick reply guys! :thumbs_up_1:
I think these 2 update sets would be more than enough for this project, they will replace half of the kit parts.
But firtst I need to start Akagi as soon the kit arrives form japan.
Post Posted: Sat Jan 16, 2021 5:44 am
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all IJN 5500ton (Kuma-Nagara-Sendai) class CL fa  Reply with quote
It also depends on how extensive the detailing you intend to make.
Post Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2021 9:05 am
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all IJN 5500ton (Kuma-Nagara-Sendai) class CL fa  Reply with quote
The main difference is the armament, the catapult and the masts - in 1941 Abukuma had:
7 x 140 mm L/50 Type 3 (single)
4 x 25 mm L/60 Type 96 (two twins)
4 x 13 mm Type 93 (one quad)
8 x 610 mm Type 8 torpedo tubes (two quad)
1 Kawanishi E7K2 Type 94 Alf aircraft

I had used #727 IJN LIGHT CRUISER by Tom's Modelworks.

I assume that many parts for the Nagara set are not suitable, whereas several are missing in the Rainbow set (e.g. the catapult?).
Post Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2021 7:51 am
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all IJN 5500ton (Kuma-Nagara-Sendai) class CL fa  Reply with quote
Hi All ! :wave_1: :newbie:

This is my first post in this great forum ! :)
I was thinking to build IJN Abukuma for a small diorama in 1:700 with akagi at the start of Pearl Harbor.
Can I use tamiya Abukuma with IJN Light Cruiser Nagara 1944 Detail-up set for Tamiya 31322 kit (Rainbow 7081)? I have not found a dedicated PE set for this kit.
As i saw only the configuration around the funnels are different. Correct me if i wrong ! :)

Thanks !
Karoly
Post Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2021 5:53 am
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all IJN 5500ton (Kuma-Nagara-Sendai) class CL fa  Reply with quote
5500t kits and galleries added up front.
Post Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2020 2:36 pm
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all IJN 5500ton (Kuma-Nagara-Sendai) class CL fa  Reply with quote
Posts concerning Tenryu, Katori, Yubari and Oyodo class ships have have been split out to a new topic, here: viewtopic.php?f=48&t=306746
Post Posted: Thu Oct 08, 2020 12:12 pm
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all IJN 5500ton (Kuma-Nagara-Sendai) class CL fa  Reply with quote
Dan K wrote:
The aft deck was certainly covered by linoleum. The torpedo well most likely.



thanks for that, I'll get it repainted then.

thanks
Mike
Post Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2020 6:56 pm
  Post subject:  Re: Calling all IJN 5500ton (Kuma-Nagara-Sendai) class CL fa  Reply with quote
The aft deck was certainly covered by linoleum. The torpedo well most likely.
Post Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2020 3:38 pm

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