72 scale Lindberg IJN I53 with Kaiten Torpedoes

[modelnut]

Bought the Osprey book on IJN Submarines 1941-45. Funny. None of the subs pictured in it were painted black though I had read online that they were launched in black paint. http://warandgame.com/2009/12/12/jap...color-schemes/

Like Oztruck and at least one other here I am going to alter the bow to fit the blueprint profile. Stand by.

- Leelan

[modelnut]

I thought of that. May eventually do that.

- Leelan

[He Who Shall Not Be Named]

Punch holes into the Kaiten.

[modelnut]

LOL! Thanks, Chris. I will remember that.

I think I will look into the guns. Having those kaiten on the deck might be awkward if this boat ever goes RC. They would either be air-filled floats or resin filled weights on the deck if permanently attached. I thought of attaching them with strong magnets but it is early days yet.

As far as accuracy goes I will be content with "close enough."

- Leelan

[oztruck]

Don't get too caught up with accuracy on this one, if you do it will never hit the water. The new weld lines on the bow of mine line up but the rest don't. Not a problem, you can only see one side of the boat at a time anyway. The two biggest things to sort out is the bow and the conning tower. Oh and the deck gun and the twin AA guns and the whatever else.


Cheers Chris

[modelnut]

I have seen comments here that were less than complimentary. But only after I placed my order.He's on his favorite

Trying to find images and blueprints for the beast. Found this http://www.combinedfleet.com/I-53.htm :

1 April 1945:
Returns to Kure. Drydocked for repairs. Fittings for carrying two more kaitens are also added and she is equipped with a snorkel. 14 July 1945: The Ninth Kaiten Mission:
The I-53 is in the "Tamon" kaiten group with the I-47, -58, -363, -366 and the I-367. The I-53 sorties for her assigned area 300 miles SE of the southern tip of Taiwan. She carries only five Kaitens.

That seems to be what Lindberg was going for.

I will look for that article though the only review that I have discovered in many days of searching is one by Finescale Modeler. But I have to pay to see it. :-8

- Leelan

[Kazzer]

I thought HWSNBN had written a scathing article on this model some time ago. You'd do well to read that before you start. I can't recall exactly where it is.

[modelnut]

This has to be the best luck with shipping that I have ever had.

I ordered the kit from Amazon.com on Thursday 23 February. They sent me an email telling me that it should arrive any time from Wednesday 29 February to Monday 5 March.

It arrived TODAY 25 February.

I ordered the 1/72 Eduard Photo Etch BIG ED Set for Lindberg I-53 Submarine on 24 February --- yesterday. It arrived an hour before the Lindberg kit.

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First impressions.

This thing is BIG. Everything about it is big. I have a few 72 scale figures lying around. If this kit was life sized I could easily slip through a flood vent on the side of the sub. Can this be right? Were they that big?

The flood vents and weld lines do not line up from port to starboard. But that also shows up in the art in the instruction book. So the right hand obviously knew what the left hand was doing in this case. But is that right? Do I need to pick one side and make the other match? Oztruck didn't.


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Anyway. I don't have the man cave cleared for action just yet. I didn't think I would need the room for five days at least. So stay tuned.

- Leelan