Lion Roar

1/350 WWII IJN Destroyer Kagero Detail Set For the Tamiya IJN Yukikazi

Stock Number: LS3500011

Reviewed By  Charles Landrum, IPMS# 26328

MSRP: $48.000 Website: Lion Roar Available from: Dragon USA Modelers of Imperial Japanese Navy ships have a choice of two kits of the Kagero Class Destroyer in 1/350 – Hasegawa and Tamiya. Between the two, the Tamiya kit gets the nod for dimensional accuracy, ease of construction, detail and accompanying multi-media detail. As good as the kit is, like any ship model kit, there is always room for more realistic and extra detail. This is where the aftermarket manufacturers step in, mostly with brass details. “Roaring” onto this scene has been Lion Roar with their latest offering a large and comprehensive detail set for Tamiya’s IJN Yukikazi. The packaging is a deceptively small 5 x 7 inch box, but inside is a wealth of detail. There are 9 frets of PE, 7 of brass and two of stainless steel. There are turned brass details and there is a length of styrene rod. Everything is sealed in plastic envelopes with cardboard protecting the PE from bending. The instructions are provided on two long and narrow doubled sided sheets that provide the assembly sequences and locating instructions in blue and gray. The details included in this set: A replacement after deck. Railings. Replacement splinter shields. Grab rails. Bridge splinter matting. Vertical and inclined ladders. Porthole frames. Poseable watertight doors and frames. Degaussing cabling for the hull. Turned brass replacement barrels for the 127 mm (5 inch) guns which included a bored muzzle. Replacement secondary guns and mounts. Replacement machine guns. Replacement ventilation housings and hatches for the machinery rooms including separate doors and hatches. New weapons platforms with support structure and diamond tread detail. Funnel detail including grab rails and grilles. Ventilation grilles. Turn brass depth charges with petite detail – amazing! Depth charge storage rack. Depth charge racks and reloading rails. Torpedo transport dolly. Torpedo cranes. Ammo box covers. Torpedo tube turret details including grab rails, hatches, door and window frames. DF antennas. Life raft racks. Life rings. Anchors. Pose-able boat davits. Boat rudders and oars. Hose reels (the plastic rod forms the shaft). Mast detail including platforms, yard arm, bracing, dipole antennas and trussing.

As you can see this set literally covers a lot of the ship and is quite comprehensive. There are a lot of complex assemblies that will require above average skills in bending, shaping and gluing PE – this is especially true of the replacement deck houses, weapons platforms and the secondary batteries. When done the gun and torpedo tube turrets will be hard to handle thanks to the grab irons. I can’t really identify any other required details. I have included pictures from Lion Roar that show the details in place on the model. I did not judge this set against the Hasegawa kit, but since the set is designed for the Tamiya kit, it will likely not fully cross over. I bet many details will, but the replacement deck and deck houses may not. The set makes a fine addition to Tamiya’s Yukikaze and is a great value for the price, which is in line with its competitors. When done, it will yield a superb replica of this important class of IJN ships. Strongly recommended. I would like to thank Dragon-USA for this review sample.