Ahoy Chuck,
I'm interested in conversion kit for B type.

Jiri

I will likely perform 'plastic surgery' to produce other classes/types.

--Karl

Was informed yesterday on another forum that Lindberg has again delayed release of the I boats until 4th quarter of the year.

One can only hope it is to fix some of the glaring inaccuracies pointed out above.

Well, at least the delay will give us more of a chance to save up our pennies!

--Karl

Itssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss HERE!!!!!!

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=983692&page=5

And it ain't pretty!

Its amazing that anybody can mess things up like that in theses days of computer design programs .....

looks like a waste of money - they aint going to get mine anyway...

Cheers/jan

If anyone needs 1:72 IJN Naval Ensigns for it, just added to our Fabric Flag range:

http://amp.rokket.biz furst news item with link to full story

2 sizes in other scales too: 1:32, 35, 48, 72, 96

There is hope on the horizon for those who don't mind some kit bashing. Dave Merriman is working on a fix for the bow.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1109801

Not sure what else will be coming from Caswell / D&E Miniatures besides their previously announced RC conversion kit.

I see that Squadron has this boat on the back page of their September flier for $134.99. My first thought was, I guess that's not too bad, considering it's size and all. Also when you throw in the Kaitens I would say it compares fairly well with the 1/72 Gata, and certainly no worse than the $200 plus that some 1/350 BBs are getting. Then I saw the size, 60.9" long. FIVE FEET LONG! I just put up shelves in my modeling room for display but the longest is 4 feet. So add to the price of the thing the cost of another, longer shelf. Not to mention the amount of paint and glue this thing would take to construct.

I'm getting cynical in my old age. I have two other random thoughts. First off I wonder how many of these kits that are sold are actually ever going to be built? Second I wonder of those that do get built how many will win local model contests simply because of the boat's size.

I examined an example at my LHS armed with drawings and the feature in National Geographic on the wreck of the I-52 on the bottom of the Atlantic.

Yes, the bow is all wrong, the stern has a stepped deck instead of a gentle taper as on the actual boats, and the limber holes are set in a shallow vee instead of being mostly horizontal. There are plenty of overscale bolts and rivets as well.

However, the hull is very sturdy since it's thickly molded and has plenty of reinforcing ribs molded inside. Although the hull comes in four pieces, the fore and aft joints feature a cup-and-peg arrangement that is secured with screws. I didn't take the lines off to compare with the drawings, but the model's proportions do not appear to be seriously off.

Since I am as likely to scratchbuild as to assemble a well designed kit, the drawbacks on Lindberg's offering do not scare me. Thanks to the sturdy hull design, I see it as an armature for a unique fixer-upper. It is definitely an uncut diamond, sort of like their Blue Devil destroyer kit.

--Karl

Plus it appears the hatches are way out of scale ......an easy fix though

But in todays hi-tech modelling world....and post Blue Devil era, where Lindberg is trying to make a "comeback"......there really is no excuse for a kit of this price point to be so far off and more "toy" than scale model........this is not a kit that is directed at the kid who goes into a hobby shop to buy a model with his birthday money......just my 4 cents worth

Excellent points, Joe!

I'm afraid the camel-breaking straw for Lindberg will be the atrocious looking Graf Zeppelin aircraft carrier in a weird 1:200 scale. It's actually featured on the back cover of the I-53 instruction booklet instead of the companion I-20!

--Karl

Hi This Lindberg I-53, Does anyone have any ideas how to fix the huge hatch covers.

How practiced are your scratchbuilding skills? You'll probably have to extend the surrounding deck planking and fashion a correctly-sized hatch.

--Karl