Calling all Yamato (大和) and Musashi (武蔵) fans

[ya-mato]

looks great, but is there some kind of reliable, or any reference at all for those type of wooden scaffoding?
what colour would it be? natural wood or painted grey?

[imlaam]

Hey guys i have taken some new photos for my 1/700 Yamato. Hope it helps regarding the colors of her during 1944 in the battle of Leyte cheers.

[Atma]

Awesome work !
More pictures please...

[Timmy C]

In what is possibly the most move in recent modelling history, Tamiya is re-releasing their old Yamato and Musashi kits with a few new parts for the mainmast and something with the way the turrets go in the hull:
http://www.tamiya.com/japan/products/78 ... /index.htm
http://www.tamiya.com/japan/products/78 ... /index.htm

Anyone who cares enough to have a better mainmast is going to spring for the new-mold Yamato anyway, so I don't know why they even bothered.

[Christian M.]

In what is possibly the most move in recent modelling history, Tamiya is re-releasing their old Yamato and Musashi kits with a few new parts for the mainmast and something with the way the turrets go in the hull:
http://www.tamiya.com/japan/products/78 ... /index.htm
http://www.tamiya.com/japan/products/78 ... /index.htm

Anyone who cares enough to have a better mainmast is going to spring for the new-mold Yamato anyway, so I don't know why they even bothered.

Indeed really strange ... this behavior here is like Apple announce as new Smartphone the Smartphone 1 with improvements taken over from Smartphone 5!
I mean, they make a total new Yamato kit which is (as far as I read) really good and also expensive with around 250.00 EUR ... and then they make a re-working of their old Yamato kit with some improvements here and there? Why? Someone can for sure start now silly rumors in matter "is something wrong with injection molds of new Yamato or why do they upgrade old kit suddenly?" ...
About Musashi it could maybe understandable ... but to be honest, I must ask why they don't make a Musashi on base of their new Yamato?

Strange Japanese ...

[Senkan]

Maybe they have a lot of old stock they are trying to get rid of and make a profit.

OH...BTW...if anyone is interested in the old tool Tamiya Yamato and the Lion Roar upgrade set I might be interested in selling. Might even sell the HD scaledecks deck (unique black deck) if it won't fit the new Yamato. I bought the model from a seller on here and was told it was missing a float plane...

[Atma]

Copying that from the main forum:

The new reworked IJN Yamato and IJN Musashi is a cheap alternative to the more expensive new tooled IJN Yamato.
The molds for the new IJN Yamato is fine and already an early war version of IJN Yamato is on the works. Plus an IJN Musashi.

[Christian M.]

Copying that from the main forum:

The new reworked IJN Yamato and IJN Musashi is a cheap alternative to the more expensive new tooled IJN Yamato.
The molds for the new IJN Yamato is fine and already an early war version of IJN Yamato is on the works. Plus an IJN Musashi.

For sure a cheaper alternative (difference is about 150.00 EUR), but if it makes sense or not to reactivate an old overaged kit when still having a new one ...well ... I know 9 people building new tooled Yamato or having still built and all are rating this release / announcement of Tamiya here as rediculous.
I for myself must say that I wait for a new tooled Musashi and it is more likely that I re-build out of new tooled Yamato a Musashi, as that I buy the re-worked old Musashi kit.

However, a personal view and rating at least.

[Jonathan]

I don't see this as a bad move at all.

Tamiya, when all is said and done are a company wishing to make a profit. Yes they have one of if not the best depiction of the Yamato available with a price tag to match. They also have a tried and tested representation of the ship that has sold well over the past 3 to 4 decades and obviously they feel it will continue to do so. Unlike those who strive for the best representation possible, not every modeller out there is too bothered about whether the fire control directors are all correctly represented or whether the open AA mounts are round or hexagonal. The price tag of the new mold (if not the complexity) is likely to scare these modellers off but the old mold is much more affordable and still builds into a fair representation of the ship. For what the average modeller wants, witness the shelves of re-released Airfix 1/600 kits in your LMS at least in the uk anyway, they are there because they sell and we already know that representations of the Yamato sell by the bucket load in Japan. Sure, a shrewd business move that ultimately is also likely to bring new people into the hobby who would see this re-release as an affordable (and buildable) proposition. Surely that can't be a bad thing?

Senkan, I might be interested in the Lion Roar upgrade if it's RS3501 and you're willing to split? I already have one set but want another for my Musashi too. Interestingly the two original Tamiya 1/350 kits, 2 No Artwox black decks and one LR etch set combined have cost me �100 less than the current retail price of the new mold kit.

[Christian M.]

Well, good arguments Jonathan, but 2 weak points (sorry).

As Atma still told, for sure a cheaper alternative to the new tooled kit and maybe they make money with it ... but maybe same way they make own internal competition to their new tooled kit too.
I don't think that Tamiya's goal is to delivery 1 x Yamato for casual / beginning modelers and 1 x for expert modelers, because price of these re-worked kits with about 100 - 120 EUR is even for Tamiya a little bit to expensive to get this as goal. It is more in direction of a recycling of old molds to get them alive to make money (what is of course totally ok).
In same directions goes the improved / re-worked Iowa class in modern outfit at least and it is simply in most cases cheaper to improve an exisiting old mold as to develop a new one ... and then to sell it as new released kit.
The Example with Airfix does not really fit here, bcause this a special background in other direction, because they had to re-start business with their old molds. Airfix as brand was long dead, but in meantime all the molds were not sold to other companies as it happened with Matchbox plastic kits or Esci, which you can find now in new box from Revell or Italeri. Airfix was resuscitated as brand and company and most of their kits as brand itself have particularly in the UK (maybe lesser in other countries) an advantage, because well known from peoples in our age with memory to their own childhood and this is maybe forwarded to their own kids now. This is a good policy they make, no doubts.

However, I simply hope that rumors about a real new tooled Musashi become true ... true in not 10 years. Only this is for me personally interesting

[Anthony P]

Christian,
In the new tool Yamato, the modeler has to open a number of holes with a drill from the inside. On the plastic, some of the hole locations are labelled "Y" and others -which are not to be opened in the Yamato kit- are labelled "M". A new tool Mushashi will come, but when? It took them years to release a Chikuma, which is practically only an early war Tone and has minimal tooling differences...

[Christian M.]

Thank you for that info

So it shows clearly that they plan a new tooled Musashi too, but as you told ... when it will come (and if really) is a good question. Beside your named example, this is not new at them. For example, about 15 years ago they brought in 1/35 a new Tiger I E tank in late type version. It costs then several years to bring step for step mid production type, early production type etc. and at least Stormtiger ... all with base of that first kit.

To play the rogue now ... maybe Tamiya needs to finance new tooled Musashi kit first with selling these re-worked old kits

Cheers,
Christian

[modelmanuk]

does anyone make 1/200 ijn figures need to man my yamato

[Senkan]

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=114998&hilit=1%2F200+figures

Not sure when they are coming out.

[Atma]

http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=114998&hilit=1%2F200+figures

Not sure when they are coming out.

I missed that thread. Thanks for the info Senkan.

[Atma]

By the way the Fujimi's 50 cm full hull IJN Yamato, the Design A-150 battleship is out:
http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10212850

[Senkan]

Don't like the centerline 100mm turrets. It makes for a nasty weakspot. Should have just added more along the sides and maybe added another main turret or just shrunk the hull.

[Atma]

The Fujimi's model is based on a real Design A-150 battleship. They where 2 option for the Japanese to choose, a 3 turret and a 4 turret version. Fujimi's is the more feasible or natural choice had the Japanese build those mammoths of battleship it will be the 3 turret design.
Never the less in all this designs there where no triple (or double 15.5 cm secondaries) only double DP 10 cm high angle new antiblast design turrets. The same(but different turret design), like the one used on IJN Akizuki destroyers, IJN Oyodo light cruisers and IJN Taiho air craft carrier.

[baseballbrat]

Looking for some Yamato info.......

Anyone have a complete list of reference books for the IJN Yamato? I have quite a collection, but would like to fill in my reference library with some of the older publications.

I am only looking for a list, not suggestions of book titles you might have in your personal collection.

Yes, I have searched all the sites online, but no list is complete and thought one of you guys would have something different.

Thank You!

[Marco_Trigo]

If you enjoyed that, you will probably enjoy Konpeki no Kantai (Deep Blue Fleet).

Marco