Japanese Heavy Cruisers by Backer Steve

Author:Backer, Steve
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781473805958
Publisher: Seaforth Publishing / Pen & Sword Publishing
Published: 2011-04-29T16:00:00+00:00

Sample: Courtesy Pacific Front Hobbies

Skywave: Atago 1941 Fit, 1:700 Scale

Skywave is another Japanese company, but was not part of the original consortium. They produce five of their own 1:700 scale models of the Takao class. Atago is in her 1941 fit, after modernisation but still with her original 120mm single gun HA mounts. Takao comes in two versions, as separate kits are made of her 1942 and 1944 fits. The Chokai and Maya kits are both of their 1944 versions, but of course the 1944 Maya is unique in having only four 8in gun turrets. The Skywave Atago is completely different in design from the New Tool Aoshima Atago. Skywave chose to mould the hull with separate starboard and port sides and four deck parts. Skywave does not use the 1994 Leviathan upgrade sprue used by the other consortium companies, but has produced its own version that provides a substantial improvement over the parts included in the New Tool Hasegawa Myoko class and New Tool Aoshima Takao class kits. Skywave includes the single 25mm AA guns with detailed base plates so conspicuously absent in the Hasegawa and Aoshima kits. There are two of these sprues in the kit so the modeller receives a total of 30 single 25mm mounts. These single 25mm guns are not used in the 1941 fit Atago but of course make a tremendous difference in kits for late-war fits. Also on this sprue are five seaplanes. The same four types of aircraft are provided as on the Leviathan sprue with the addition of a second ‘Dave’. With a total of ten floatplanes included in this one kit, you will certainly have plenty of spares left. The fineness and detail of the Skywave aircraft and ship’s boats has the edge over comparable Aoshima parts but the Aoshima double and triple 25mm AA guns edge their Skywave contemporaries.

The Skywave hull halves have very nice detail with the complex curve of the cutwater, two rows of portholes and horizontal panel lines of the hull captured. However, the Skywave torpedo bulges do not have the detail included in the Aoshima version. Separate decks are provided for the forecastle, quarterdeck, torpedo/quarterdeck, and aircraft deck. Since both Takao kits, Aoshima and Skywave, are of the early-war fit Atago, a direct comparison is possible. The front face of the forward superstructure in the Skywave Atago has substantially more detail than that found in the Aoshima kit. Almost all of the Skywave smaller parts are very well done. On the whole the edge in detail goes to Skywave over Aoshima but with certain parts, such as the torpedo bulge detail and 5in gun shields, the Aoshima parts are better. However, the modeller would be well served with either the Skywave or Aoshima New Tool kit, with the exception of late-war fits, where the inclusion of single 25mm AA guns makes the Skywave kit much more suitable.

The excellent hull and superstructure detail of the Skywave Atago 1941 fit kit is evident. Clean, deep scuttles, open

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.