Model Art Co.

Model Art Modeling Magazine No. 788 January 2010

Reviewed By  Luke R. Bucci, PhD, IPMS #33459

MSRP: 1150 yen (approximately $12 USD) Website: www.modelart.jp Thanks to Model Art for the review sample. Model Art No. 788, January 2010 issue features 1/350, 1/500 and 1/700 scale Japanese warship models, which take up the first 49 pages of this issue. The first feature is the new Fujimi 1/500 scale IJN Yamato in early 1945 fit built out-of-box. This is an odd scale for plastic warships, with only some hard-to-find Nichimo Japanese ships and a few ancient Frog kits in this scale. Some box scale kits come near 1/500 too. Right now, this is a one-of-a-kind scale. Kit quality looks up to modern standards (very good). I think this is a test case for another scale that is larger and easier to build than 1/700 ships, but not as expensive as 1/350 kits. Next up is the cover story – Takara Tomy's 1/700 Yamato and an extensive dockyard set. Docks, cranes, buildings, railroad tracks, bridges, vehicles, harbor boats and people go way beyond the old Skywave dockyard buildings. The Yamato appears to have a remote control, presumably for lights and moving turrets (I am taking a guess here because the model is waterline only). Next are detailed builds for new 1/350 kits – Hasegawa's IJN Yahagi cruiser, Tamiya's Yukikaze destroyer, Aoshima's Myoko heavy cruiser in 1942, Pit-Road's 1/700 USS South Dakota battleship, followed by scratch-built 1/350 IJN carriers Akagi and Kaga. After a few pages of new ship kit ads, the Waterline Feature No. 377 shows how to build the modern Japanese Soryu submarine as a waterline model with unattached X fins trailing the hull. After a few pages of ads, there is a short feature on the Seoul Air Show 2009. New Kit Reviews focus on Airfix's 1/72 Messerschmitt Bf109G-6 and Supermarine Spitfire PRXIX; a 1/20 Ferrari Scuderia F2007 race car; K.K Asaka Seisaku-Sho 1/32 Turret Trucks (small pallet trucks); Fujimi'a 1/32 Toyota Geneo Forklift; AFV Model's 1/35 T62 Soviet Main Battle Tank Mod. 196; and AFV Model's 1/35 Ersatz M10 Panther (a Panther rigged to look like a US tank destroyer). The Turret Trucks and Ersatz M10 are oddities. After a short report on Hasegawa's 2009 Joyful Modeller's Convention, the 43+ Garage Feature , Vol. 64, shows off the 1/43 Alfa Romeo GTV 1973 race car. From this point on (page 100), the usual ads in B&W make up the rest of this issue. As always, the format is close to 7x10 inches in size, and the printing and reproduction quality are excellent. Model Art text is entirely Japanese, and most feature photos are in color. This issue is recommended if you build 1/700 and/or 1/350 ships, and are curious about the resurgent 1/500 scale, along with good reviews of new, odd kits. Fujimi's new 1/500 scale IJN Yamato in 1945, built out-of-box. Takara Tomy's new and extensive 1/700 dockyard facilities with a detailed IJN Yamato in 1944-1945 fit. KK Asaka Seisaku Sho 1/32 Turret Trucks kit. An odd subject, these trucks are depicted as in use hauling around bluefin tuna carcasses and boxes of fish. A WW2 German Panther tank converted to look like an American M10 Tank Destroyer, thus Ersatz M10. Another oddity from AFV Club. Airfix is back! 1/72 kits of late-war Bf109G-6 and Supermarine Spitfire PRXIX (photo recon) planes are reviewed.