¹⁄700

Build Up of the Tamiya 1:700 IJN Yamato

options...

The following pages cover optional components. If you are going for accuracy, the Yamato carried no planes or boats in the “Ten-Go” mission. I decided to add a few planes and boats to the model just to add interest. The kit only comes with two of each type of the planes the Yamato carried. Since the W fret with the kit is included with about every WW2 Japanese model made, I had a few extra planes I could use on the kit. Tamiya’s Heavy Vessel ordinance set is also the same fret as the one included in the kit.

Planes

There are two types of planes the Yamato carried. A floating biplane or “Pete” as it was called, and a single wing float plane called “Jake”. The plane components were first cut from the W fret and spray painted flat white on the undersides and all sides of the floats. After drying a few days the nose tips were cut off and saved, and the engine slightly drilled out for some detail. The molded on canopies were sanded off with a Dremel and sanding drum bit.



At this stage stretched sprue was used to make the four posts that would hold the upper wing of the biplane. The upper portions of the planes were then brush painted with Modelmaster Imp. Japanese Army Navy Green and the interiors a very light blue. I used thick clear stretched sprue for the “Jake” canopies. Since I did not have clear sprue to begin with, I used clear plastic utensils instead to make the clear stretched sprue.



The following photo shows the finished planes. Tom’s Modelworks photoetch propellers were added and all parts and paint have been added. About every situation the planes could be in was made. A clear circle punched styrene sheet was used instead of a propeller to give the illusion that the plane is getting ready for takeoff. Some stretched sprue was used for cables to make one “Jake” able to sit on the crane’s hook.

Gold Medal Models trolleys and shuttles were folded, painted then glued to the base as needed. The tail wire was made with stretched sprue for the base and smoke colored nylon thread for the wire, then painted black. I had a better decal set leftover from my Hasegawa Ise battlecarrier model and decided to use this for the plane decals. Some fine wing details on the Jakes was made from Tom’s Modelworks ladder that was cut in half.



With the planes done I carefully glued them to the tracks and crane of the ship. The plane with the working motor just had the shuttle underneath and will be glued onto the starboard catapult to look like it is getting ready for launch!