The Ship Model Forum

To IJN fans: 3D-WILD is proud to announce the release of a slim beauty who is "small and sharp" -- 1/350 IJN light cruiser Tenryu (天龍)!!! Same as our other 1/350 warship kits, it is the first and only Tenryu-class light cruiser model kit on the market! The product link is https://3d-wild.com/collections/warship ... -model-kit
PLEASE NOTE: The current lead time is approximately 2-3 months. Order Early, Ship Early!
Features:
--The FIRST & ONLY 1/350 WWII Tenryu-class model kit commercially available.
--The kit has the appearance of CL Tenryu after her 1942 AA refit. It can easily be built as her sister ship CL Tatsuta (龍田).
--Accurate appearance based on extensive research.
--The kit design is user-friendly with straightforward cleaning-up and assembling steps.
--Made of high-quality 3D-printing resin with rich details
--Kit includes PE/metal parts to further enhance the detail level.
--Full-color instruction booklet and box to improve user experience.
--Both full-hull and waterline version kits are available to fit the needs of different modelers.

Hi David, thanks for your ideas!

The grooves can be seen from some angles in the historical photos (attached). They should be the grooves between hull metal plates.

We will check the keel/bow part from more literature search.

We typically don't post renderings from side/top/head-on etc. angles as experienced 3D software guys can use tools to easily generate the 3D models based on ours. Sorry and hope you understand.

Hi David,

Our designer just confirmed that the bridge and smokestacks need to be slightly reduced in size, which could be the reason to make you feel the spacing between the 14cm guns is not right. The modification will be adopted in all the copies going to our buyers.

Thanks a lot, for your sharp eyes!

For Sure!

Nice effort, but I have some observations. Feel free to correct me.

The portholes appear to be way oversized and searchlights seem to be too small when compared with photos.

Did this ship have three propellers? Standard practice had the top of the rotation going outboard on opposite sides. I don't know about the middle one, but Titanic had three propellers and might serve as an example. It looks like all of yours turn CCW.

I seriously doubt that there were grooves in the hull. Welding would leave beads, unless they were ground off. Riveted plates would overlap.

I don't know if it's an illusion, but it would also be nice if the gun breaches lined up with the barrels.

Door hinges are usually on the forward side of the frame so they don't act as scoops if water comes over the side. I'm surprised that there doesn't seem to be any deck hatches, but I know reliable information is sketchy for this class.

Have you considered adding strips of etch with pulleys attached for the lower yardarms?

Are the funnel caps separate? It would be a whole lot easier to paint inside the funnels if they were.

Should the boats have oars? Aftermarket sets for other 1/350 Japanese ships usually include them.

Thank you for your patience regarding my comments. I like your choices.

Thanks Mike, all these are very nice and helpful suggestions for us to finalize the "mass-produced" copies before shipping them to the buyers. Our designer is taking a close look at your suggestions.

Another photo showing that they're not "grooves", but rather overlapping plates:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... a_1925.jpg

You can see how the top of the middle plate is lighter, indicating it's reflect sunlight so it's actually on top of the plate above it. Meanwhile, the bottom of the middle plate is darker, indicating shadowing caused by the fact that plate is above the one below.

Then in the image you posted, you can see that shadowing caused by overlapping on the bottom of the top-most plate that attaches to the main deck.

So viewing from the bow on the starboard side, and going from top to bottom, you have the side plating that overlaps like this:

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De quoi s'agit-il?

There are 3 screws in the renderings...but yes, just noticed starboard screw is turning in the wrong direction.

I found these in my files. If you intend to portray the ship at time of loss, many of the portholes apparently need to be filled. Searchlight size is more in line with your renderings. You can compare them to photos to verify rigging. After some thought, is it possible the the "grooves" you are seeing are the degaussing cables?

When do you expect the waterline version to be out? I am very excited for that one

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Just finished:
1/350 USS Santee 1944

Current projects:
1/700 USS Catamount 1960
1/350 USS Columbia 1945
1/350 USS San Francisco 1944