OK, this kit has been reviewed and rated and all that, but here are my impressions from opening the kit and looking and doing inventory. All the parts were there and those have been discussed in several previous reveiws and postings. Here are some additional things that also came with the kit. A huge poster on one side showing color drawings from starboard, port, above bow and stern and flip it over and they have it in line drawings. A really nice phamplet of the history of the Nagao with about a dozen photos in it. It's all in Japanese, but the pix are quite useful. I also liked the decal sheet and the sheet with all the Japanese flags that you can cut and glue. I like that Hasegawa gives you real chain rather than molds it onto the bow. I've always scaped it off and replaced it so this eliminates one step and even though I have plenty of chain eliminattes the cost of buying it. Can't wait for the GMM brass set. It will run $42 and give me probably all the same things that came in the 2 PE sets that Hasegawa produced for the kit. (I'll skip the barrels and boats set). So I guess I'll behave now at least until the Richelieu comes out. I got lucky with this as GM sold it to me for $142 so it came to the house just under $150.

I am sure you will enjoy building her.

With all of the big ships you must have one heck of a display.

Steve, the flag sheet has self adhesive, peel off flags, which is an item I would love to see as a stand alone purchase. They really dress up the final build.

Steve,

Are you going to give us an in box review of that great kit? Then a build blog would be great too.

That sounds awesome Steve. Can't wait to see it!

later...Gator

BUILD IT !!!??? In my 350 scale stash I have

Tamiya Fletcher
Tamiya Enterprise
Tamiya New Jersey
Trumpeter Hornet
Trumpeter Hood
Trumpeter San Francisco
Trumpeter Alabama
Mini Hobbies Pola
and now Hasegawa Nagato

I won't go into my German tank stash or my modern day tank stash. Or doing that big BR52 with 3 railcars set up with tanks on flatcars, tie downs, AA guns and figures galore. It boogles the mind.

Steve,

Now the railway build sounds interesting, but thats not for here.

Back to what Frank said, it would be very nice of you to do an in-box review on her.

I can see you are getting a heck of a plate full.

The kit I've had the longest in the stash is the Hornet. It also has been a long time since I've done a carrier, as to the battleships, the oldest there is the New Jersey kit. It will probably be 2 years before I get to the Nagato, and definitely not very soon as they have not even released a reasonably priced brass set for her. I'm a bit of a hoarder. I look for stuff on sale and pounce on it even if I know it will be a long time before I get to it. Oh and in the stash, I forgot to mention I also have a Modle Hobbies Yamato....of course I already have 2 of those built a regular and the backdated scratch one.

I can see I'm still a neewbie in the modeling dept. My stash only has5 or 6 kits in it and I've stopped buying in order to build..........maybe I should change that.

Frank,
Not having a big stash isn't all that bad. Those battleships take up a good deal of space.

I am currently looking to expand my stash, but I just cannot decide if I want o go with a couple flat tops or get a small fleet of 1/700 ships.

I'm always looking to expand the stash. It's easier for me because mine is mostly 1/700 ships and 1/72 aircraft. Steve, you have a very impressive stash.

Kenny