Part 1: First Look

Kit and detail set options: FJM61000S - Yamato Super Detail Edition          MSRP: $333.99 FJM61000   - Yamato Kit Only                          MSRP: $189.99 FJM11237   - Yamato Photo-etched Set             MSRP: $102.99 FJM11238   - Yamato Laser Etched Wood Deck   MSRP: $ 91.99 Website: www.fujimimokei.com Review sample provided by Dragon Models USA: www.dragonmodelsusa.com April 7th, 1945…dawn breaks over the waves as a massive, steel behemoth starts what would become her final day afloat. Only a few short hours and the world's largest battleship would join her sister ship at the bottom of the ocean. I'm speaking, of course, of the Imperial Japanese Navy Super Battleship…Yamato. First begun on Nov 4th, 1937, the Yamato and her sister Musashi claimed their spots in history as the largest, most heavily armed battleships ever to set sail. Displacing a staggering 69,988 tons, a good 20-30,000 more than most battleships, the Yamato class was nearly 700 feet long, 121 feet wide and towered over the water. The ship was designed to give the Japanese Navy an equalizer against the US Fleet. While down on numbers, the Yamato and Musashi gave the Japanese a definitive firepower advantage in head to head combat. However what the Japanese could not have envisioned was that the era of battleships, duking it out with big guns, had ended. Armed with nine 18.1in main guns, twelve 6.1in and twelve 5in secondary guns, and twenty-eight Anti-Aircraft guns, the massive firepower of the Yamato class proved to be no match for the US Navy's most effective combat weapon…carrier aircraft. Both the Yamato and Musashi met their ends by wave after wave of aerial attacks. One of the most popular ship subjects for scale modelers, the Yamato class has been produced in virtually every possible scale from 1/2400 up to 1/96. Up until now, only one release of the grand battleships was available in 1/500 scale from Nichimo. Now almost 30 years old, the kit simply cannot stand up to current modeling demands for maximum detail. So to answer that call, one of the world's oldest model manufacturers has stepped up to the plate with a new 1/500 scale IJN Yamato. The kit depicts the battleship as she appeared at the time of her sinking. Fujimi's new Yamato kit can be summed up in one word…astounding. One look at the sprues and you can tell this was a well designed and carefully engineered model. The kit was released in two forms: the Limited Edition Yamato, and the Super Detailed Edition Yamato. The Super Detailed Edition includes numerous extra goodies; however they can be purchased separately and added to the Limited Edition kit. But that's not to say the standard kit is anything to scoff at. Even built "out-of -box" with no goodies, the Fujimi kit is packed with detail. Although my review is of the Super Detailed Edition, I'll start off with the standard kit. One of the first things I noticed was the wonderful artwork on the box lid. While I don't know if it was done intentionally, Fujimi laid out the graphics so that one could cut out and frame the "painting" on the lid. I know myself, and several others I've talked to, use box art such as this to decorate the modeling "cave". Once open, the first thing you notice in the box is the hull halves. These come on a single sprue, and are packaged in a cardboard "frame", which keeps them separate from the rest of the kit. One thing I noticed here when I started construction was the sprue attachment points. I have to give Fujimi major judos here in that they designed the sprue to hook around and attach on the inside of the hull, eliminating the need for sanding on the outer hull.

The next thing that stands out in the box is the instructions. A rather large 16-page booklet, the instructions are very clear and concise leaving little guess work. The end of the booklet also includes a full parts layout, with numbers, to assist in finding those little parts [and trust me, there are a lot of little parts]. Next up is the color painting guide. I was really pleased when I realized this was 1:1 to the model kit. The guide includes both side, top, front and rear views and is very detailed [and perfect for framing later on].

The model itself comes on twenty sprues, three of which are clear and one contains the poly sleeves. One thing that's instantly obvious is that the molded detail is second to none. I struggled to find any imperfections, mold lines, or ejector pin marks [at least on the visible sides]. Also of note it the apparent use of slide-molding. All of the kits 40 plus gun barrels are hollowed out. The super-structure, main gun turrets, and main gun blast bags are also slide-molded. The kit comes with a decent base, however more on that later. I'd also like to point out the amazing detail on the two float planes included. Lastly, the kit includes a very nice decal set including flags, banners, and airplane markings, a peel-n-stick foil base plate, and a length of correctly scaled anchor chain.

Now for the good stuff. The Super Detail Edition includes turned brass barrels, an extensive photo-etch brass detail set, and a laser cut wood deck. To start off, brass barrels are given for not only the 18.1in main guns, but also the 6.1in secondary guns. The barrels are very nicely done, perfectly matched to the kit barrel dimensions, and easily take the place of the kit barrels. Remember that slide-molding on the blast bags? Both the kit and brass barrels slide right into place in the holes molded into the blast bags. The same goes for the secondary barrels. Now, for those wanting the ultimate realism, Fujimi does offer the 5in gun barrels in brass as well. Though, for the size, I feel the kit barrels are more than adequate. Next up is the PE detail set. And let me tell you, this is one fine looking PE set. The set includes three large frets, one small fret, and the 6.1 in barrels. The first thing you notice is that the three large frets are different gauges of brass. The fret for the cranes and radar is a thicker brass sheet, while the railing and crew [yes, there are 77 crew figures included] comes on a medium gauge brass, and the brass details that go over kit pieces are done in super thin brass. Aside from the included crew, some of the nicer details to point out include the railing which has the sag between posts already added, the various ladders and stair cases with added railings, and the super fine detail of the radar pieces.

But quite possibly the nicest part of the PE set is actually the instructions. This is the first time I have ever seen full color instructions. The large sheet first shows line drawings of how to assemble the PE parts and then shows color photos of the part on the actual model. This helps the modeler not only see how the part should look when done, but also where exactly it goes on the model. Lastly, the Super Detailed Edition includes a laser etched / cut wood deck. The deck comes in two pieces, however the separation does not line up with the kit deck seam. Instead, the wood deck hides the kit seam, and the wood seam is actually where a molded in sea wall is located. The deck is made of super thin wood veneer and is self-adhesive. That's right, folks, no cutting, no sanding, and no gluing required. The wood deck goes on right over the kit deck. And you don't even have to sand, stain, paint, or wash it! Full color instructions are included, but the basic idea is that you paint the hull and deck details, add the wood deck, and then add finished assemblies on top.

Well, that concludes the preview of the kit, now for a little construction. I had planned early on that I was not going to use the kit base. Instead, I used a piece of red oak. After the wood was finished, I drilled the holes and added some brass knobs from the local hardware store. These had originally had a wood inset in the top that was removed, and then the knobs were drilled out. The kit base will be used during construction to keep the final base clean. The kit construction begins with the hull, which uses bulkhead construction. After adding all the bulkheads and gluing the hull halves, I was quite pleased to see virtually no seam to sand. Holes were drilled to line up with bolts on the base, and anchors were glued inside the hull. This way I can remove the Yamato from the base now, and add it back later with no problems. That's as far as I've got right now, so stay tuned for more to come.

I'd like to offer my sincerest thanks to Dragon USA for providing the review sample and to IPMS/USA for giving me the opportunity to review it.