Got back into 1/350 WWII surface ships plus select ships fr earlier periods. Impulsive/compulsive: bought 54 styrene kits since March this year (2oh25). Loved these ship types since a preteen. LONG TIME.
Anyway, I understand there is a stillborn post-Pearl USS Pennsylvania and an almost canceled HMS Nelson, both by Dragon? Nelson “only” a year late (13 years for Pennsylvania). Anyone know if either will ever go on sale?
Hope the Trumpeter Royal Oak is for real.
There are only two previously released models (at least which I am aware) that I seek, the Fujimi Ise (or Hyuga) and Aoshima Kuma. Any domestic (USA/Canada) sources?
I am far from a proficient modeler and have engaged an excellent builder. So far Yamato is complete and Fuso almost done. It will probably take until 2030-2031 before all are built. Fine by me, slows time down.
Having bored the hell out of most, anybody have any suggestions on the five ships I mentioned?
Welcome to FSM forum. I bet you will soon get the answers you’re looking for.
(the only thing I know about WWII Surface Ships is they had a pointy end in front and a not so pointy end at the back)
Wow! Fifty-four 1/350 ship kits since March is an amazing spending spree! I also heard “rumors” about Trumpeter’s Royal Oak but who knows if it will come to fruition and if it does what the cost will be with the tariffs. Good luck on this “lofty” goal of your surface fleet.
Me too, hopefully some day. I see that HMS Nelson is listed by Dragon and Trumpeter
Royal Oak would be nice as well, maybe Nov. and i keep seeing a TBD’S in distributor’s inventory. But it might just be a thought; we only hope
DRAGON MODELS DML-1042 1/350 HMS Nelson Battleship (New Tool)
TRUMPETER SCALE MODELS TSM-5378 1/350 HMS Royal Oak British Battleship (New Tool) (NOV)
TRUMPETER SCALE MODELS TSM-5314 1/350 USS Baltimore CA68 Heavy Cruiser 1944
TRUMPETER SCALE MODELS TSM-5625 1/350 HMS Nelson British Battleship 1944
TRUMPETER SCALE MODELS TSM-5626 1/350 HMS Rodney British Battleship
Thank you. All or nothing!
I saw picture of Royal Oak on Squadron site. Fingers crossed.
I guess HMS Nelson is no longer to be released as with Pennsylvania.
However, I seek Ise (or Hyuga), and Kuma specifically, none of the sister ships. At least they were released. I don’t want to buy from overseas.
Here’s hoping that they’ll surface!
It’s always inspiring to hear from fellow enthusiasts so deeply passionate about naval history and ship modeling—especially with such a dedicated and extensive collection!
Regarding your question on the Dragon kits—you’re right. The post-Pearl USS Pennsylvania has been something of a ghost kit for years now. It was cataloged in some distributor listings over a decade ago, but there’s been no real movement, making it effectively “stillborn.” As for the HMS Nelson, it was indeed delayed significantly, but there have been recent murmurs (mostly from Asian distributor channels) suggesting Dragon may still be planning a release. Whether it ever reaches shelves remains to be seen—Dragon’s release schedule can be unpredictable.
The Trumpeter Royal Oak does appear to be real, though still pending final confirmation. There was a CAD preview floating around from 2024, but no official release window announced. That said, Trumpeter tends to follow through once those renders go public.
For the Fujimi Ise/Hyuga and Aoshima Kuma, they do pop up occasionally on secondary markets. I’d recommend keeping an eye on:
- HobbyLink Japan and 1999.co.jp for restocks or reissues.
- Modelwarships.com forums or SteelNavy.com for domestic private sales.
- Sprue Brothers or FreeTime Hobbies for any lingering warehouse finds within the US.
It’s also great to hear you’ve got a professional builder helping bring these kits to life. Yamato and Fuso are both major undertakings, so kudos to you both. The timeline you mentioned seems like a perfect pace for savoring each project. Quality over speed always pays off in this hobby.
If you’re open to suggestions: the HMS Agincourt by HobbyBoss and IJN Tone by Hasegawa are both excellent kits if you’re ever looking to expand beyond the five mentioned. They fill unique historical niches and build up beautifully.
Looking forward to hearing more about your fleet’s progress—please keep us updated!
Great to receive your input.
I have Tone sister ship, Chikuma (Tamiya).
BUT the Agincourt! Is that a new Hobby Boss release? I know they just released Lord Clive.