Yamato Model Views
Fans who were fascinated by the intricate cutaway views of the Yamato could now build it for themselves from the inside out and snap on the port side of the ship to cover it up. About twice the length of the Matsumoto Yamato, detail and accuracy were greatly improved. See a Bandai magazine ad for this kit and the Image Model here.
I embarked upon this 2 year love/hate ordeal when my local model club held a clearance sale of models belonging to the collection of an Air Force officer. There, among big old Pyro and Heller sailing ship models sat the 1:350 scale Lifelike Yamato, in a box nearly a yard long. I marveled at the sheer size of the thing. Being a strictly 1/700 scale modeler, I was awed at the girth and length of the hull molding. And what seemed like dozens upon dozens of parts sprues. What a kit! I had to have it, and, eventually I did get it - and for a song. What a deal! Not necessarily...
By the one year mark I had poured many hours into this model. In retrospect, maybe I should have deep-sixed this beast and gone on to something more satisfying. But I hated wasting all that effort, and she wasn't looking all that bad. It would be overstating things to say that I was growing fond of my Yamato. My feelings were more akin to acceptance, sort of like being trapped in a bad marriage one hopes will eventually become tolerable.
As I entered the final stretch I could not help but be very proud of what was sitting on my workbench. Many hours of nose to the grindstone drudgery had resulted in an impressive, acceptably accurate, and convincingly detailed model of the world's greatest battleship. This project gave me a renewed patience and perseverance, and strengthened my belief that given sufficient time and effort, almost any kit can be made into a beautiful display piece. Anybody have a 1/200 Nichimo Yamato for sale at a reasonable price???
Yamato Model Images
.JPG "yamato model")
