*Inj. molded plastic* Upcoming Ship Kit Releases

[spejic]

Does anyone know how the magic boxes Pit-Road uses for its modern destroyers work? I got the Atago-class, Asahi-class, and just yesterday the Maya-class ships and in every case I take the parts out of the box to take a look, try to put them back, and find they don't fit. And it's not by some small amount - I put the Maya class sprues back in the box in exactly the same order and orientation that they came out as, and the pile is now 4cm taller than it was before. What Japanese witchcraft is this?

[MatthewB]

Does anyone know how the magic boxes Pit-Road uses for its modern destroyers work? I got the Atago-class, Asahi-class, and just yesterday the Maya-class ships and in every case I take the parts out of the box to take a look, try to put them back, and find they don't fit. And it's not by some small amount - I put the Maya class sprues back in the box in exactly the same order and orientation that they came out as, and the pile is now 4cm taller than it was before. What Japanese witchcraft is this?

I have not had that similar problem. Admitted, I am working with 1/700, which you do not specify scale. But I seem to have room to include the PE and Resin Detailing Kits or Parts I have bought for the models along with the sprues.

I will admit to having this problem with some other kits, such as older Tamiya, where rather than having a �Box-Top� that lifts off the lower box, they open from the ends, and the parts then slide-out.

I think it was a Sims-class DD, USS Hamann, with which this always occurred.

And�

I have this problem all the time with 1:285/1:300 Microarmor, or 15mm or 28mm/30mm/32mm miniatures that consist of more than one part. They never seem to want to go back in the packages the way they came out.

And I used to own one of the companies that made such miniatures.

MB

[carrierdeck]

''package'' problems?
just try to stack all the sprues first and then put the whole pile of sprues into
the box together. Problem with shoving the sprues separate into the box gives
the problem that the sprues will entangle on parts off first put in sprues.

Even with boxes which do have a lower and upper box halves its sometimes
a puzzle to get all parts in without upper box half sittin correct half in the air.
Solution then to cut some sprues smaller to better fit the box.

I had last year a 1/16 Classy Hobby S tuart M5A1 kit which was impossible
to get the sprues in the box back so upper boxhalf was sitting to the bottom.
And O boy so may sprues cramped into the box , really value for money.
( like the Airfix 1/72 kits in the Seventies ) I really tried for half an hour to get
the sprues correct in the box
Then I just decided to cut some sprues smaller to get it fixed.

greetings Chris

[Mike@IHP]

Does anyone know how the magic boxes Pit-Road uses for its modern destroyers work? I got the Atago-class, Asahi-class, and just yesterday the Maya-class ships and in every case I take the parts out of the box to take a look, try to put them back, and find they don't fit. And it's not by some small amount - I put the Maya class sprues back in the box in exactly the same order and orientation that they came out as, and the pile is now 4cm taller than it was before. What Japanese witchcraft is this?

I have not had that similar problem. Admitted, I am working with 1/700, which you do not specify scale. But I seem to have room to include the PE and Resin Detailing Kits or Parts I have bought for the models along with the sprues.

I will admit to having this problem with some other kits, such as older Tamiya, where rather than having a �Box-Top� that lifts off the lower box, they open from the ends, and the parts then slide-out.

I think it was a Sims-class DD, USS Hamann, with which this always occurred.

And�

I have this problem all the time with 1:285/1:300 Microarmor, or 15mm or 28mm/30mm/32mm miniatures that consist of more than one part. They never seem to want to go back in the packages the way they came out.

And I used to own one of the companies that made such miniatures.

MB

This is the country that invented origami. Learn the ways of the Japanese and you'll be able to repack one of their newer kits.

I have to do the same thing when I pack Colossus kits. And yes, I do them all myself, with my own hands.

Mike Bartel

[DaveW.]

Mike : - you're a 'multi-tasker' par excellence

However, I'd just like to ask if anyone has bought the Trumpeter 1/700 USS Alaska ?

Over the last few years I've been mainly buying Flyhawk models and the previous Trumpeter one I got was their 1/700 HMS Nelson, which I thought was pretty decent.
When I recently received the Alaska, I felt a bit underwhelmed as I had expected better detail and crisper moulding. It's not that it's hideous, it's just that I don't know why but, somehow, I expected more.

Am I being totally unfair, or is that I've now been building Flyhawk kits for too long ?

[taskforce48]

I too felt let down by the kit in the same way. Having the 1/350 Hobby Boss with a fairly comprehensive PE set included and nice details, figured the 1/700 would be a nice scale down. But it seems trumpeter�s B-team struck again. Minimal PE, strange lines on the hull, some very nice gun tubs but then some 10 foot thick in scale ones

Still a very good base kit and most anyone with a few AM parts and a nice paint job can produce a nice build of arguably one of the most beautiful ships ever afloat. Just some of Trumpeters other efforts of late have been a bit better and yes Flyhawk is making everyone else look bad by spoiling us with their efforts.

Matt

[DaveW.]

Thanks Matt, I think you've summed up my own feelings perfectly, particularly as the Alaska was one of my two favourite US warships of WWII (the other being the Saratoga) and it did feel a bit churlish not to be immediately excited by this kit, as she really was such a beautiful vessel.

On a different note, this morning my Flyhawk HMS Ajax arrived and, my goodness, this one is monumentally exciting.
What a model and, if anything, there's an even greater amount of insanely incredible detailing than what we've already come to expect from them.

Thank you Flyhawk; I am one happy person

[FrancisMcN]

Latest from Trumpeter is a 1/700th HMS Kent (WW2 cruiser)

http://www.trumpeter-china.com/index.ph ... d=228&l=en

Also sprue shots etc for 1/350th KM Weser and USS Sangamon

http://www.trumpeter-china.com/index.ph ... =3762&l=en

http://www.trumpeter-china.com/index.ph ... =3738&l=en

[Henk]

Would hms kent be full hull or waterline like hms cornwall?
Still awaiting uss Sangamon however to hit the shelves

[DaveW.]

On the Trumpeter website, there are photos of 1/700 HMS Cornwall, which can be seen as a waterline only version.
Presumably HMS Kent will be the same.

It'll be interesting to see how these compare in quality and detail, with the Aoshima County class range (Kent, Dorsetshire, Norfolk and Cornwall), that's been around for a little while now (or maybe longer??).

[PaulC]

It'll be interesting to see how these compare in quality and detail, with the Aoshima County class range (Kent, Dorsetshire, Norfolk and Cornwall), that's been around for a little while now (or maybe longer??).

Aoshima seems to still be in the dark ages with their molding technology, particularly for small parts - e.g. their Vickers quad AA are worse than pathetic in this day and age and their pom poms fare little better. (Thankfully Flyhawk kits usually have extras that you can turn to to improve things!)

I'm sure the Trumpeter offering will be superior in molding quality, although with Trumpy, in some cases the level of accuracy may be less than tolerable for some! And I've noticed the Trumpeter Cornwall is priced significantly higher than the Aoshima kit (out of stock) at Hobby Easy.

[DaveW.]

You're right Paul; the Trumpeter version should (??) be far, far superior, but I don't think I'll be buying either their HMS Kent, or HMS Cornwall.
I'm such a painfully slow builder and I have a large stash collecting cobwebs, so I'll patiently wait for Flyhawk to bring these out, especially if their HMS London does ever come about.

Speaking of Flyhawk, I wonder what will be happening with their Kajika Subsidiary (if that's the right term to use ??).
I bought both the Kongo and Hiei and was interested in what they might then produce as a follow on, however, that's now a few years ago and nothing seems to have happened in the interim.

I hope they bring something else out as, for me, it'll be a bit sad if they don't.

[paultosney]

Yes, the lack of new products from Kajika is not what I was expecting either.
The 4 Kongo class and then just a few 1/700 aircraft. Seems like someone had an idea and then it stalled.

Btw, I was in email contact with someone at Flyhawk when Kajika first appeared and they described it as a sister company rather than a subsidiary.

[DaveW.]

Thanks Paul, for clarification re the status of Kajika and FlyHawk.

Having brought out the four Kongos and with FlyHawk producing the Lutzow and Derfflinger, I was vaguely hoping they might continue in that vein with the Westfalen and/or Helgoland classes.

I'm glad I was only vaguely hoping.

Dave.

[taskforce48]

Out of nowhere, took them a while to get some of their other projects off the ground so not sure about turnaround.

Matt

[pascalemod]

Out of nowhere, took them a while to get some of their other projects off the ground so not sure about turnaround.

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Matt

Full hull 1/700 stuff. Pretty awesome.

[Rick E Davis]

USS FLETCHER (DD-445) in her "as completed" configuration, which lasted two months before the fantail twin 40-mm mount was added. A configuration that applied for the first four Federal-built units and with a swap-out of the twin 40-mm mount for a quad 1.1-in mount, the first three BIW-built units, limits "out-of-the box" builds unless they throw in parts for other options. POOR RESEARCH in having instead of Mk 4 radar on the Mk 37 director, they copied Tamiya and have a Mk 12/22 combo that didn't appear until late 1944??? I can't see in this artwork, hopefully they have the correct "Square-back" Mk 37 directors.

They do seem to have a Square-Bridge unit planned as well, USS JOHNSTON (DD-557). It will be interesting if they capture the SeaTac uniqueness configuration?

It would be REAL nice if they would do a new tooled 1/350 FLETCHER that fixes all the numerous errors of the quite old Tamiya kit and Trumpeter kit.

The "Leader" PORTER and SOMER class kits as well as the other "Gold-Platers" will be REALLY welcome.

Are the kits only full-hull or have waterline-options??

[Devin]

Anyone have any intel on these new Academy kits, Yorktown and Enterprise in 1/700th scale? They still list their kit number 14224 CV-6 that was released a few years ago, along with these new listings that state "New Design" and "New Parts". I'm assuming these are they are re-boxings of the Trumpeter kits.

[Timmy C]

So both the "New" listings indicate they depict the Battle of Midway configuration. I'd assume they're modifications of the existing (Santa Cruz?) CV-6 kit first before assuming they're reboxes of the Trumpy. On the other hand, it looks like they're repopping the Trumpy DDG-51 based on the boxart, so...

[Devin]

I'd assume they're modifications of the existing (Santa Cruz?) CV-6 kit first before assuming they're reboxes of the Trumpy. On the other hand, it looks like they're repopping the Trumpy DDG-51 based on the boxart, so...

I'm currently building the Academy CV-6 offering, and it's already of Doolittle Raid/Midway configuration. I'm prepping to build the Trumpy CV-5 kit, so I'll be most interested to see what these new kits actually do entail.