She came in a day earlier than expected. I put off opening the box for an hour then couldn't stand it and tore off the shipping box. I liked the cover art and looked at all the really great pictures of the built model along the sides. Opening it up and dug down to the bottom to do my usual inventory. The sprues seem to be well thought out. Goodies in the box...clear parts for airplanes and ships boats and of course the bridge windows and metal chain for the anchor chain. The 3 deck pieces look like they have been hit with birdshot. The wood is nicely detailed and there is very little molded on detail, hence all the tiny little holes to glue in the small pieces. Looking at the directions this is going to be one major undertaking with these, there is a wealth of small detailed parts to cover the decks with. Hull building is similar to the Nagato. Full hull split down the center with a multitude of bulkhead style pieces to keep it rigid. So if you want water line, you'll hve to chop it. Initial kit came with 8 main gun brass barrels and a box of the Fujimi little people. 350 to be exact (5 sprues of 70 each) so plenty to go out and spread to other kits. Supplement with he Tamiya stuff and you should be in great shape for whatever. I am sure when the Akagi is released they will add a flight deck series. The only complaint about the Nagato was the computer genertaed scribing on the hull which is absent here. Kit has a huge instruction manual that is also chock full of old photos of the eral thing and there is a color page of drawings to scale of the ship from the sides, top frot and rear. There is suppossed to be two PE sets made by fujimi for this kit that has railings and the like. Both are priced in the low $30's so if you can get a good price on this kit (I paid $140) getting the PE as well won't break the bank.

It will be a somewhat challenging kit to build, but definitely a showpiece when finished. A true pagoada mast era ship, it will look great with my Nagato and Yamato whenever I get around to building it. With the Richelieu and Repulse scheduled for release this year. Battleships are ruling the waves again at my house.

Ah the joy of box opening!!!
I know the drill, Steve! You almost made a review of Kongo with this post - could you add some photos of the "little beast"?

Cheers,
Rui

Nicely done Steve, first on the block with the new toy! what we all need now is to find local woodworkers/cabinet makers to start building us display bases. Nothing worse that a beautiful model ruined by dust. Please post some photos!

Frank

You won't want to use Tamiya's figures, they're flat.

Gator

You can say that again! I've been very impressed with Fujimi's pricing on their PE. They're very comprehensive and the price is perfect/ realistic. The excellent pricing is actually putting Fujimi into Dragon's realm of bang for the buck.

Please excuse me for wandering off topic a bit here, mates, but I have to give our resident MSW wood-worker a plug here....

Jacob Walker (redneck) made me a beautiful wood base that I will be using for my upcoming "Pre-Dred" campaign entry, and I bet he would glady make any custom base that you may be looking for....he's only a pm away........

Good to know!.... thanks Mark

I know that feeling of "needing" to open a box as soon as you get it. When Sara came in I was at work and she sat here beggin for me to open her and take a look. I made it until afternoon break.

My mom has some nice glass display cases at her house. BUT, they are way up in Illinois. I'd drive up and get them but not with gas prices so high.

PICTURES !!!!!

Lord guys you ain't asking for much. So far this year I have picked up the Alabama, San Francisco, Nagato and now the Kongo. I don't even have all the items I need for any of them. Still need to get the masks from Kenny for the Alabama (let me know if you got the info to make them) and PE sets for the other 3. I am still in the throes of working on the 350 New Jersey, though I am into the painting phase of it. I still have the Hornet and Enterprise from 3 years ago in the stash and the Hood and 3rd Yamato from last year. My friend Keith is unfortuneately closing his shop down and told me he'll sell me some 350 scalers for real cheap and throw in the PE a well.

Renee got me the Bama for my birthday, so I have the pattern, just not the time to do anything with them yet.

Kenny when you make one for you, make one for me. As you can see from my stash and projects I have a pretty long while before I'll be getting around to the kit. If you got the San Francisco kit, you may as well look at it too. The pattern is similar.

I won't be getting the San Francisco. The Bama is a rare trip into the world of 1/350.

Gator

Alabama:


San Francisco (1942):


San Francisco (1944):


Where you thinking of Tuscaloosa instead?

hello Martin,
thanks for posting the photo's of the San Fran.this will help me do my build of her.
thanks again,
Bruce

YUP !!!!!!!!!!! I shore wuzz. I'ld been trying to figure if I could convert the San Francisco to the Tuscaloosa real easy that I had stared at so many pix that I got it mixed not that it matters so much anyway, I'll probably go with box art on both ('Bama and San Francisco).