ModelArt No. 838 monthly update features new kits of the iconic Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) battleship Yamato, as well as the usual new kit reviews and features. Pages 7-49 illustrate five new Yamatos ranging from 1/150 to 1/700 scale. Each model shows new aftermarket details, photoetch sets, and how to use them. Tamiya 1/350 1945 version, Fujimi 1/700 20in version, Tamiya 1/700 Leyte Gulf version, a scratchbuilt 1/150 full hull model, and Fujimi 1/500 1941 with wood deck are featured. Yes, that is right – Fujimi came out with a what-if version of Yamato with twin 20in gunned main turrets replacing the usual 18in turrets, and a new AA fit, including 100mm turrets, 40mm Bofors and quad 20mm mounts. Now you can get a model of Yamato in every modification, even one that never was. The text is in Japanese, but the numerous photographs help decipher what is being done.

The usual features follow:

1. Waterline No. 402 builds the new Aoshima IJN gunboats kits Seta/Hira and Katata/Hozu.
2. 10 pages of ads and new kit release notices.
3. Modeling JASDF 196 showing a green/gray aggressor camo scheme for F15s.

New kit reviews are:

1. Academy’s 1/350 HMS Warspite in 1944 fit
2. Hasegawa’s 1/24 Fairlady 240ZG Police Car
3. Meng’s 1/35 Terrorist pickup with ZPU-1 Machine Gun (in a diorama with US troops waiting to ambush it)
4. Trumpeter’s 1/35 Hetzer-Starr WW2 German Tank Destroyer
5. four new 1/72 kits of Royal Navy early jet carrier aircraft – CyberHobby’s Sea Vixen FAW.1, Xtrakit’s Supermarine Scimitar, HobbyBoss’s Hawker Sea Hawk FGA.6, and AZModel’s Supermarine Attacker F.1, followed by a few pages of photographs of these planes.

IJA/N Airplane Illustrated 81 shows tubular gun sights.

The Neo Historic Garage car feature shows off a Toyota 3000GT.

As usual, the rest of the magazine is chock full of ads, new releases and Japanese news items.

As always, the format is close to 7x10 inches in size, and the printing and reproduction quality are excellent. Model Art text is entirely in the Japanese language, and most feature photos are in color. This issue is recommended if you want to build any of the new IJN Yamato battleship kits, and want to keep up on new modeling releases from Japan. This issue is ship-heavy but still has enough other topics to satisfy general interests.

Thanks to DragonModelsUSA for the review copy and IPMS/USA for allowing me to review it.

Photos

• Photo 1: Back Cover of Model Art No. 838, February 2012.
• Photo 2: Tamiya’s 1/350 IJN Yamato with wood deck and super-detailing in 1945 fit.
• Photo 3: Overhead views of Fujimi’s what-if, upgraded 20in Yamato next to Tamiya’s Leyte Gulf fit (both 1/700).
• Photo 4: Scratchbuilt 1/150 Yamato in 1945 fit with the builder, apparently a crewmember.
• Photo 5: JASDF Aggressor camo scheme in green/gray.
• Photo 6: Diorama of Meng’s 1/35 terrorist pickup with ZPU-1 14.5mm machine gun. Additional figures are not part of the kit.
• Photo 7: Four 1/72 kits from various manufacturers of 1950s British carrier aircraft – an overlooked subject.