this was recommended to me by my LHS. a tad pricey but looks like a real nice kit. has a separate torpedo too. after watching the NOVA program on the 5th minisub, and being really into pearl harbor, i couldn’t resist. most of the instruction and the history is in japanese but the instructions are excellent in showing the 3 schemes (build and decals); pearl harbor, kiska 1943, and hiroshima 1944. will get to this after i finish my LVT-2 (tarawa) and LVT-(A)4 (iwo jima camo).
the cover art shows it sitting on the aftdeck of a japanese submarine. it looks like enough detail to build a cradle for a display base. does anyone have any pics on this cradle? i have just started a search.
Doesn’t the kit provide the cradles for both the sub and the torpedo? Is it the same kit with this?:
For a better display base than provided by the kit, I’d recommend Lindberg’s IJN I-53 1:72. It comes with similar midget submarines, but I believe Finemold’s one has better details. In that case you’ll need three more midget subs.
the kit provides bases. i am looking for photos of the actual cradle they put on the I-boats to carry the midget subs. the lindberg model has kaitens not midget subs. according to Burl Burlingame in ADVANCED FORCE PEARL HARBOR, pg 10, no photos of the cradles for the pearl harbor subs exists. he has a photo from later in the war which, along with the box art, should be enough to build a relatively accurate one.
The subtle green shade in the hull’s black color matches well with the color as described to me by the aforementioned Burl Burlingame. Burl & I were teamed as judges at last year’s IPMS Nats. According to Burl, when loaded before departing for Pearl they were this sort of black green. As deployed, they were more of a charcoal or MM Engine Gray - the green had worn/oxidized enroute.
