The Ship Model Forum

Thanks, Dan. I really appreciate your help!

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- Chris

The Ishibashi book indicates that both ships did have this director arrangement. And then I found this:

You’re a lifesaver, Dan. Thank you!

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- Chris

What i find really facinating about the Nagato class is the main Rangefinder ontop of the superstructure. Normal Rangefinders are some kind of "Turret" that turns around its axis but on Nagato its actually on a rail that moves around the superstructure. Does anyone have any info why the Nagato class had this rather unique RF configuration compared to the other IJN BB's?

Hello friends. I need advice from you
Does anybody build Nagato "The Battle of the Leyte Gulf" Hasegawa 1/350? Are there some big issues with using Pontos 35029F1 IJN NAGATO 1941 Detail Up Set? Mainly asking about the wooden deck, because other things are usually easier to modify. Thanks a lot!

Gday. I’m not an expert on this class however I have built, and am building a second 1/350 Nagato. First one was built using all of Hasegawas etch. The second is being built with the Pontos set. What I e noticed is that the Pontos set makes quite a few changes to the kits superstructure, especially aft of the main superstructure. You can see this on their site. I think that much of the Nagato kit is based on Mutsu and Pontos have mad changes to address this.

In any case, once the horrid lines are removed from the lower hull, the kit is excellent. The Pontos set is brilliant. One of their best.

In regards to your direct question. There won’t be any problems with using the Pontos set on the Leyte version. Just be aware of changes in regards to deck placement of guns etc.

Thanks David

Re. Hasegawa 1/350 Nagato, there are two kits:
40024 Z24 IJN Battleship Nagato 1941
40073 IJN Battleship Nagato "THE BATTLE OF THE LEYTE GULF"

Nagato "THE BATTLE OF THE LEYTE GULF" costs more, the price difference is about 20-25%.

What are the difference(s) between those two kit versions?

Leyte has a much more beautiful box art.

But seriously: as you can see on Hobby Search, the base kit 40024 is Nagato in 1941, while the 40073 Leyte version is, of course, 1944. That means more AA guns, radars, etc.

1941: https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10062628
1944: https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10088435

There are photos there of the completed model as well as some of the instructions and sprues so you can compare. The quickest way to see what differs is to compare the sprue diagram at the end of the instructions and see what's shaded (not used), and what sprues are new (e.g. sprue U for 1944).

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De quoi s'agit-il?

Thanks for very helpful links, that's all I needed.

Couldn't find a post (sorry if asked many times), but on 1/700 Nagato/Mutsu - who offers the most accurate kit to date without big stupid issues like wrong hull shapes or dimensions and so on, and has good level of detalisation without needing an enormous PE set?

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It's never too late for a great childhood!

For 1/700, I think the recent Nagato offerings from both Fujimi and Aoshima are both good choices. If building strictly OOB, I prefer the Fujimi kit slightly (Aoshima uses a two-piece main deck that leaves a seam across the planks, though it is small and could be hidden). Note that only Aoshima offers Nagato in her 1927 configuration with two funnels.

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- Greg

I meant full hull though - is Ayoshima full hull too? The two funnel Nagato is a funky ship. I cannot make up my mind if I love it or hate it. the bow looks awesome, the truncated funnel is beyond ugly.

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It's never too late for a great childhood!

Just verified that Aoshima does offer one Nagato as a full hull kit in 1/700 scale: it is the 1945 version. This model has no option to build as a waterline ship as the complete hull is separated into left and right halves. Interestingly, since the molding of the hull differs from their other Nagato offerings, the 1945 version has a one piece deck with no joint seams across planking.

Reference: https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10127417

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- Greg

Hello, I recently picked up an Otaki 1:400 Nagato and a Mutsu, same. The Nagato is missing the instructions, but Mutsu has hers. Are these kits identical, or are they different enough to warrant me searching for a set of instructions for the Nagato?

compare the Mutsu sprues against the Nagato sprues to see if same or not.

They are from the last century, of course they ARE identical(sadly).

All the Aoshima full hull releases are in this trend(two halves hull).

There IS no as far as I know a picture of IJN Nagato in this configuration. Only far afar picture with crude details. But Aoshima(surprisingly) is correct in the "solid" rangefinder base and searchlight platform for the IJN Nagato both 1927 and 1933 version.