Calling all IJN Takao-class (高雄型) fans

[mike powell]

Any suggestions for PE or other after market items for this kit (1/350 Chokai retake)?

Thanks,

Mike Powell

[Dan K]

Both GMM & WEM make full PE sets for the Takao class that can be used on Chokai. GMM almost makes speaerate railings; just about every PE mfg. makes 1/350 IJN component sets like ladders, hatches, reels, cataplutls, etc.

[sirpaul]

Any suggestions for PE or other after market items for this kit (1/350 Chokai retake)?

Thanks,

Mike Powell

Hey Mike was wondering if the retake comes with better turrets,boats,aa guns? I already built the Maya and Takao. And was thinking about getting some of these retakes. The old kits had aweful parts mentioned above. Thanks
Paul

[mike powell]

Paul,

The 1942 Retake is the only edition I have, so I'm at a loss to answer. Ill try to post some pictures of turrets, boats, etc., so you may evaluate. Do you have thoughts/recommendations on PE? I've been looking at Eduard's offerings.

Mike

[Dan K]

AFAIK, the retake versions focused on separating the molded on deck equipment of the original issue onto separate spruces. Somewhere, I'd heard that some of the AA on the Maya was also improved. Nothing about the main turrets.

[sirpaul]

Thanks guys. I used the myoko's pe and it was pretty close. I also had some stuff from my parts box. I'm not concerned with the deck vents. I thought the retakes had new turrets,boats,AA guns and planes. After seeing the Tamiya model E turrets, the Aoshime ones are to small and have a funny shape to them. I use the vents,AA guns,planes,boats from the Hasegawa equipment sets. I might aswell buy one of the older kits and buy the hasegawa/Tamiya sprues if these are not in the new kits.

[Timmy C]

Take a look at these scans to see if the retake Chokai includes sprues that are not in yours: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10160974

Looks like all of the sprues that start with "09-" and "08-" are new in the Retake kit, and are on this page of the instructions: http://www.1999.co.jp/itbig16/10160974z17.jpg
Basically, new boats, degaussing cable, planes, misc.
I suspect the "09" and "07" refer to the year that the parts were introduced.

[sirpaul]

Thanks Timmy, I was looking at the link the other day. The problem is after they are built i throw away the runners. So i don't recall the parts sprues. I will probably just get the old kit. Then update it with the parts i mentioned in the other post.

[Dan K]

I unoiaded the original Chokai kit in anticipation of getting the retake version. Anything that eased painting of the deck was worthwile, in my opinion.

[chuck]

I cut most of the molded-in deck protrusions off the original Takao kit and replaced them with parts from Hasagawa's supplemental sprue for the Nagato.

The main point of interest remaining for me is whether they improved the main turrets at all. The original main turrets were somewhat sparse in detail.

[Dan K]

The original main turrets were somewhat sparse in detail.

How so, specifically?

[chuck]

In Aoshima's model, the central access door in the middle of turret back is completely missing. The holes along the edge of the heat cladding around the turret are totally unrepresented. The flaps which covers the sighting ports on the front are also missing. All these are well represented in Tamiya's rendition of the same turrets.

[Dan K]

Ah, very good points. For a moment, I thought you were going to slip and go on about the heat lagging sheet seams

[sirpaul]

I unoiaded the original Chokai kit in anticipation of getting the retake version. Anything that eased painting of the deck was worthwile, in my opinion.

Not in mine. I already have tons of hasegawa equip sets. It's cheaper and better detailed stuff for me. Plus i just cut the stubs they called vents off. We all use pe cable rolls anyways. So it's not worth paying double for a kit just to save an hour on painting the deck.
If they came with proper turrets,Planes,boats,aa guns,decals,a waterline option and real pe i could actually use then maybe. But until they correct the real problems with the kit. They will not get my money. I will buy the old ones for less than 100$ including shipping.
Thats just my thoughts.
Paul

[sirpaul]

In Aoshima's model, the central access door in the middle of turret back is completely missing. The holes along the edge of the heat cladding around the turret are totally unrepresented. The flaps which covers the sighting ports on the front are also missing. All these are well represented in Tamiya's rendition of the same turrets.

True. Plus if you compare the turrets, you will see the Tamiya turrets are larger,better shaped, and have all the correct details. Plus waterline option. all for the same price. Not to mention the planes and boats. The aoshima plane wings scale out to like 3 feet thick. And the boats have no surface detail at all. It's really a shame what companies try to pull on people that know the difference. Or they are just listening to the wrong people.

[chuck]

Several other points in the older Aoshima kit that needs improvement:

1. Those hull plating detail. Come one, the hull plates are not 8" thick.

2. The shape of the bow is wrong, although the error is somewhat subtle. The entire stem should be sharp all the way to the forefoot, not just at the water line. The cliper portion of the bow is too rounded.

3. Can we get better AA/Search light lattice towers and walkways?

4. The bulges added after the 1940 refit is not quite right. The upper edge should be thinner and feather more smoothly into the hull. There should be a 2 foot wide step where the bulge ends and hull begins. There are actually holes cut into the bulge to accommodate hull side scuttles which would other wise be blocked by the bulge.

5. Errr, anchor recess, like go find an actual picture of it with the anchors out before you try to create of representation of it?

[sirpaul]

All very good points Chuck. Apart from the problems with these kits, I do like them alot.
I think the lines of the ships are very close to right and with a little sanding they can be perfect. It's always the case if you add enough highly detailed pieces, it can be a very nice model. I just wanted to address the retake issue.

[sirpaul]

I am working on the Takao from Aoshima right now and was wondering if it had the same freeboard as the tone or mogami or the number of feet? I am waterlining the kit which is a full hull only and want it to sit just right and the kit does not have a mark for the actual waterline. Any help would be great. As it sits now i have it just over 3 feet above the the other two earlier mentioned. (did not want to go to low as you cannot add.)

[Dan K]

Probably not the same. I wonder if that is listed in L&W or the AOTS Takao book?

I can certainly measure my waterline version for you tonite.

[sirpaul]

Thanks Dan. Do you have a 350 scale drawing? I also have these ships in 700 scale aswell. They all apear to be very close. The tone seems to have the lowest out of the group. The Mogami,Takao,and Myoko classes are almost perfect. It just certain parts are different. Like the bows, The Kink height and Stearn. I was hoping to get numbers. As the kits i have are also from different manufactures and may also have slight inaccuracies when compared with the others.