Model Art Co, Ltd

Model Art Modeling Magazine #21 Autumn 2006 Battle of Midway Part 2

Reviewed By  Charles Landrum, IPMS# 26328

MSRP: 1700 yen (Approx $15) Review copy provided by Squadron This is a second in a series of special editions of Model Art Modeling Magazine on the Battle of Midway. The focus of this edition is the US Navy Order of Battle in the Battle of Midway and it compliments No.20, which focused on the Imperial Japanese Navy Order of Battle. This is a larger-than-normal-sized edition in terms of the page dimensions and is 140 pages. The magazine is a combination of color and black and white and is printed on high quality paper. Model Art magazines read like western magazines from left to right rather than the typical right to left Japanese format. The entire magazine is in Japanese excepting a few captions. Like No.20, this is a model magazine not a history and so while aspects of the battle are discussed in a center section article, the focus of the issue is on models of the US order of battle. However, only one half of the magazine is devoted to the US Navy, the rest of the magazine expands on the Japanese order of battle covered in No.20. The US section includes detailed build-ups of the major participants in the battle; the modeling articles complemented by many period pictures and a few line drawings. The Japanese section is similar to that of No. 20 - there are finished and in progress pictures of nicely rendered models; complemented by very nice multi-view drawings. There are no period photos of the Japanese ships. The ship names at the front of the articles have English transliterations so you know what ship is being discussed. The ships profiled include: Aircraft Carrier HORNET - a detailed build of the Trumpeter 1/700 kit Aircraft Carrier YORKTOWN - the 1/700 Tamiya kit conversion Aircraft Carrier ENTERPRISE - the 1/700 Tamiya kit Heavy Cruiser NEW ORLEANS Class - (kit undetermined) Heavy Cruiser NORTHAMPTON - the 1/700 Matchbox INDIANAPOLIS conversion Heavy Cruiser PORTLAND - the 1/700 Tamiya INDIANAPOLIS kit conversion Heavy Cruiser PENSACOLA - 1/700 semi-scratchbuilt Light Cruiser ATLANTA - the 1/700 DML kit Destroyers: FARRAGUT Class, PORTER Class, MAHAN Class, MCCALL Class, SIMS CLASS, BENSON/LIVERMORE Class- Midships models' kits Aircraft Carrier ZUIHO - the 1/700 Hasegawa kit Battleships KONGO and HIEI - the 1/700 Hasegawa kit Heavy Cruisers CHOKAI AND ATAGO - the 1/700 Aoshima kit Heavy Cruisers HAGURO and MYOKO - the 1/700 Fujimi kit Heavy Cruisers MOGAMI, MIKUMA, SUZUYA, and KUMANO - the 1/700 Tamiya kit Light Cruiser YURA - converted from the 1/700 Tamiya kit Light Cruiser JINTSU - the 1/700 Joe World kit Light Cruiser KATORI - the Aoshima kit Submarines of the Japanese 6th Fleet I-168 Class - the 1/700 Hasegawa kit Torpedo Cruiser OI & KITAKAMI - the 1/700 Pitroad kit Seaplane Carriers CHIYODA & NISSHIN - the 1/700 Aoshima and Pitroad kits respectively Destroyer HAMAKAZE (KAGERO Class) - the 1/700 Aoshima kit Destroyer YUKIKAZE (KAGERO Class) - the brand new 1/350 Hasegawa kit. This last article is a very nice build-up of the brand new Hasegawa kit. It is a beautiful kit and the build presented does it justice. The build includes resin and PE details and a build-up of the EMILY flying boat included as a bonus in the kit. There is also an article with color profiles about the markings of the aircraft of the USN Navy during the battle. The drawings of the US ships are nice providing a side and overhead view. The drawings of the Japanese ships are more extensive and in many articles include superstructure deck plans by levels for specific ships in the class. The center section article is a history of the battle. There is a bonus color poster with the cover art on one side and the events of the battle on the other side. Like the first volume, this is a magazine dense with information. The models of the Japanese ships are superb and better than many in the first volume. The models of the US ships are a mixed bag. The US carriers are nice models, as are some of the cruisers. But the destroyers and the cruisers NORTHAMPTON and PENSACOLA are amateurish at best and look like they were half-heartedly, hurriedly assembled for the issue. Like No.20 this is a great resource for modelers of the Japanese Navy of the period. It is unfortunate that the section on the US Navy really doesn't offer any thing noteworthy. I applaud the attempt by Model Art to be even-handed with respect to the Battle of Midway, but their market is Japanese and so it is to be expected that this has been the emphasis of both volumes. Highly recommended for fans of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Oh yes and I have included an image of an ad for a model show with an entertaining Anime. Makes you wander why someone in a security uniform is in sandals.

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