White Ensign Models

1/350 Photo Etch

I.J.N. Yamato/Musashi

"The Ultimate Set"

Reviewed By Tim Reynaga, #26391

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White Ensign Models has released a brass photo etch set to outfit the  Tamiya 1/350 scale Yamato and Musashi kits. To say that this new set is  up to WEMs usual standard of excellence would be nice, but I just can't do  it. White Ensign's previous 1/350 scale König/Großer Kurfurst, King  George V class, and USS Enterprise photo etch sets were all well  researched, astutely designed and superbly etched efforts. Each was a  little better than the last, in fact. To be honest this set, which White  Ensign rather immodestly calls "The Ultimate Set", is not really of that  order of quality.  This set goes way beyond! Apparently White Ensign's Peter Hall really  took this one to heart, imparting this effort with what truly must be the  ultimate in photo etch scale fidelity. This set consists of two sheets of  relief etched brass, in two different thicknesses for extra realism. It  contains the expected photo etch components such as railing, catapults,  cranes, and radars, which are all uniformly excellent. It is in the  smaller details, though, where this set really shines. I especially like  the inclined ladders with their relief etched sides and individually  perforated steps; remarkable attention for such humble fittings. The  upgrades to the 25mm triples are also notable, with seats, hand cranks,  footplates, and mounting bases for each gun to upgrade one of the weaker  components of the Tamiya kit. I could go on and on, but suffice to say  that this truly is the Ultimate Yamato/Musashi upgrade set!

The set  contains:  aircraft catapult assembly, aircraft catapult turntable, aircraft handling  trolleys, handling trolley dolly, catapult launch cradle ("Jake"),  catapult launch cradle ("Pete"), 25mm triple gun tub footplates, funnel  searchlight porm walkway, funnel cap grills, 'Ten Ichigo' funnel emblems,  main 46cm gun turret doors, 15.5cm gun barbette riveted seams, main crane  hook, main crane kingpost assembly, spar antenna 15.5cm turret 15.5cm  turret sliding door, flight deck aircraft track turntables, main crane jib  assembly, flight deck sponson grills, spar antenna tripods, flight deck  track sections, flight deck overhang supports (large), flight deck  overhang supports (small), hawse pipe covers, medium watertight deck  hatches, standard watertight doors, small hatches, skylight hatches, cable  reels 'A', foretop director arm strengthening bars, cable reels 'B', small  access doors, yardarm antennas, sounding platforms, ammunition box covers,  large deck access hatches, watertight doors closed (with escape hatch),  watertight doors open ( with escape hatch), 15.5cm turret heat protection  strips, 2 bar chain link safety rails, 2 bar solid safety rails, single  bar walkway handrails, single bar low handrails, 2 bar chain rails for  deck undulation, main crane rigging (right), vent grills for aft 15.5cm  barbette, vent grills for 12.7cm aft barbettes, vent grills for aft  director tower, vent grill for aft funnel trunking, foc's'le vent box  grills & flaps, vent cowl grills for forward superstructure,  superstructure side small vent grills, main 46cm turret top handrails,  46cm gun barrel platform rails, funnel searchlight platform walkway  railing, cable reels 'D', vertical ladders, large deck access hatches  (open), bridge windows, 7mm inclined ladder with handrail, 8mm inclined  ladder with handrail, 9mm inclined ladder with handrail, main 46cm turret  sight lens, main 46cm turret rear door step & canopy, 46cm gun barrel  lattices, large superstructure side vent grills, forward 15.5cm barbette  deck vent grills, forward 15.5cm barbette vent grills, aircraft catapult  mechanism, Type 21 Go Dentan Kai radar antennas, type 13 Go radar  antennas, type 21 Go Dentan Kai radar supports, forward superstructure  vent grills, forward 15.5cm barbette deck vent grills, single 25mm AA gun  base plates, aft deck vent grills, life ring and stowage rack, triple 25mm  AA enclosed turret door & rails, cable reel 'E', leadsmans platforms &  rail, cable reel 'F', large deck access hatch (closed), aircraft parts  ("Jake"), cable reels 'C', searchlight platform footplates, aft director  walkway rails, aft director walkways, twin 13mm machine gun mountings,  searchlight lens crosses, single 25mm AA gun sights & braces, 46cm outer  gun barrel footplates, 12.7cm triple open mounting fittings, aircraft  parts ("Pete"), anemometer fittings, triple 25mm open mounting fittings,  forward director tower direction finder antenna, 15.5cm turret top  handrails, 15.5cm gun blast bag restrainer rails, 12.7cm triple enclosed  turret railings, 12.7cm gun barrel shutters, foretop director walkway,  foretop director walkway handrail, main crane rigging (left).  Thanks to White Ensign Models for the review sample.

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