Ahoy, ye maties!

The news desk is always hunting and gathering the breaking kitset and accessories news from all around the world.

Here is the latest and greatest details on the new release from Tamiya.

Check it out!


Link to Item

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!


Sean

Yet more Yamatos? What are they going to do that already hasn't been done? Now if Dragon had a go at it....... Stephen

Talk about overkill! Talk about beating a dead horse to death! Talk about tunnel vision! etc. etc. etc.

I thought the same thing. Their 1998 1:700 Yamato retool is magnificent as it is, and with Gold Medal, Lion Roar and several other already doing dedicated PE sets, what is the point of Tamiya doing this? Retool your IJN Taiho carrier instead.

As much as i love the Yamato, I hav to gree with everyone else. Unless they are doing something super for the 350 sacale version. Typical Tamiya though. They are faling behind all the others. I guess they are like GM. Just keep cranking out the same stuff and figure that their name alone will take care of it.

Did you guys hear that Niko Models are coming out with in 1/700 :

IJN Shioya-Ashizuri class av. gas tanker

IJN aux. gunboat Choun Maru

IJN Supply ship Suruga Maru

These are resin kits but, they are at least NOT the Yamato! Hurray.


Bob Pink.

Just to go on a different tack(naval pun intended) from the previous comments, Tamiya is first of all a Japanese company. I would imagine that the reason for this latest release(or is it re-release?) might be because of the local Japanese market. There is afterall a new Yamato movie to be released and most business people will jump at such an opportunity. Afterall it wouldn't make sense to sell Christmas trees in July would it?

Dear Mr. Lim Tee Heong: Your explanation is a reasonable one. Similarly, book publishers usually bring out a "new edition" when the book gets made into a movie - although the only change is on the cover. Most likely the only change Tamiya will make is new box art. Which might be great, and enough to entice a few extra sales. Incidentally, the pic of the Yamato as supplied on Sean's post and link to Tamiya is the best I've ever seen and may be the best part of the entire release. Its now the wallpaper on my home computer. Stephen

An Update: I was at the hobby shop today and saw the box for this with the Tamiya and Finemolds logo on it:

1/700 Japanese Battleship Yamato(Special Package) Limited Edition

It looks like just their 1998 retooled Yamato with all the Nano Dread Finemolds Type 96 AA(open and enclosed)search lights Etc Etc thrown in with the kit. Everything was in Japanese on the box but it had a few pictures. No photoetch was pictured so I doubt if any is included. The hobby shop said MSRP is $130 but they were selling it for $110.

I know I've seen a large set of the Finemolds AA and searchlights and a few other of their smaller nano dread sets combined into a large set and sold by one of the Japan Hobby shops.

I think all Tamiya has done is paired this large Finemolds set with their Yamato kit in this package.

I think this is the same re-tool Yamato but with the addition of extra sprues of the fine -molds replacement parts for the aa guns , boats, searchlights, signal lanterns, 25mm AA gun control tower etc.That explains the increase in price since it is the same kit but with essentially the addition of several fine-molds packs in one box.As i have seen on Ebay the box itseld and the art box subsequently remains the same but slightly bigger and with the added logo and designation of the fine-molds parts at the bottom side.
My personal opinion is that although the re-tool yamato is a beautiful kit, it has however room for improvement (simplified degaussing cable, etc)and there is a play for the addition of these parts as well as the addition of certain other dedicated etched sets that exist from some manufacturers.That been said for the 1/700 version, i have no idea what 'new' they are offering with their 1/350 model.But i hear that Fine-molds have start releasing similar parts for the 1/350 scale too now, so we may be see some of that in there too.

Here is the set I think they just threw it in with the kit.
http://www.hlj.com/product/FNM779032