Tamiya 78030 1/350 Japanese Battleship Yamato Plastic Model Boat Kit

13 reviews for Tamiya 78030 1/350 Japanese Battleship Yamato Plastic Model Boat Kit

1. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   paulywog – November 8, 2022

   Tamiya’s 1/350 scale Yamato is a nice kit to build. This is the older version but it’s just fine. I got an upgrade photo etch kit to go with it which dresses it up some, and gives it a bit more realism. This is not a kit for a beginner or someone who lacks patience as there are many small parts, and many of which need the help of tweezers to attach. It builds up to a big model and looks fantastic when finished!
   There are a few fit issues here and there, but nothing real serious. I have yet to find a model kit that didn’t have some fit issues.

2. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Ryan – November 19, 2022

   nothing negative to really say here, stands up to tamiya’s history of quality. parts do not have any burr’s or spillage, contacts are small and part fitment is smooth without any sanding needed.

3. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Amazon Customer – November 26, 2022

   Exactly as expected. Still quit a good kit as its the 2013 release and with the Eduard Photo etch kit and Tamiya Wooden Deck plus a set of Brass Gun Barrels, you have a very interesting build on your hands. Nice winter project indeed.

4. 

   Rated 4 out of 5

   D. Jenne – November 29, 2022

   Very high quality, with MANY parts, some of which are quite small and fragile. Sometimes removing the smaller pieces from the parts frames was very difficult without damaging them. I really appreciate some of the little tricks the kit uses to make sure the parts get aligned properly, without being visible once assembled. Keep in mind, however, that this is a challenging kit, not for anyone under I think about 14, and older than that if modeling is not a big hobby already for them. I used considerable caution and patience to make sure everything was just right, and it took me about 25 hours, not counting paint drying time. It also requires a drill, which I had not really expected (plenty of parts came with holes right out of the box, so why didn’t they drill the other holes as well?).
   The manual is clearly translated directly from Japanese, but is still easy to understand. My one big gripe is that they assume you have Tamiya brand paints (I have Testors). This means it’s often unclear what exact shade they’re talking about. My big example is no fewer than 4 shades of gray (German gray, Imperial Japanese Navy gray, Japanese Navy gray [yes, those are apparently different], and gun metal gray, not even counting whatever gray the parts originally come in). This is the only real reason I didn’t give the model 5 stars.
   Bottom line, though, this looks great when finished, and Tamiya’s attention to detail means they even account for different configurations depending on whether you wish to depict Yamato’s final voyage (which I did) or prior to that but after her anti-aircraft upgrade. It does not account for any time prior to the AA upgrade.

5. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Michal Skrzypek – December 2, 2022

   This is my first model. After 4 months nearly finished. I’m very satisfied with it. Lot of small very well detailed parts. Needs a lot of patience, but the result is really worth of the work. Manual is very clear, easy to understand what, where and when to do.

6. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Duncan Haggart – December 8, 2022

   I really like Tamiya models, they are always very well made, the mouldings are always very clean and sharp, it all fits together beautifully without the excessive trimming and cajoling you get with other models. The instructions provided are very clear and easy to follow. you also get a better detailed history of your model than with some other makers. I would thoroughly recommend this model kit.

7. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   turtle – December 10, 2022

   Haven’t built it yet, but I’ve read the book and looked the pieces over. Seems like a good model. With me it’s all in the attitude: I like doomed battleships. It’s going to be great.

   Now I have built it. For those that like to paint in great detail, do your research better than I. I bought all spray paints and that is not practical for a lot of the decking areas. This is the first model I have built in over 40 yrs. Back then, all my battleships were eventually doomed by my 16 inch BB gun so painting wasn’t important to me then. The instructions are interesting with the history and configuration background that they give. I wonder if a little something didn’t get lost in translation with the aircraft. I built mine as per the last voyage; not above deck. I never did figure out how to get those aircraft storage rails to sit on the deck correctly. Everything else fit perfectly.

8. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Michael Rice – December 26, 2022

   Awesome model, Tamiya is tops in ships! Great quality and detail. Amazon was able to provide at same price when my local hobby show couldn’t find at all. Use patience, makes for a longer bid, but worth it!

9. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Jim – December 29, 2022

   You can never go wrong with Tamiya!!! I built this model about twenty years ago. It survived several moves, but it was time to build her anew. They’ve added a few things to this version of the kit and improved the display stand. It arrived in perfect shape and all part trees were in packages. This is a decently sized model and offers plenty of opportunities to do some creative detailing. Bear in mind, this is not a beginner kit and should be built by experienced builders. You’ll need a lot of red paint, tan, and grey. There are some decals, but you’ll rely on your painting skills to complete the kit. I’ve built their Missouri, New Jersey, Bismark, King George V., Arizona, Enterprise, Ticonderoga, and Arleigh Burke all at 1/350th scale. It makes for an impressive fleet.

10. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    AZ – January 1, 2023

    Product arrived earlier than expected, and was completely intact. Very pleased with the quality.

11. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    avery bartlett – January 3, 2023

    i have the model it came early it is a good kit and alot of fun to build

12. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    Pete – January 20, 2023

    This is typical of Tamiya, and excellent model nicely detailed and designed with virtually no extra flashing or nonsense to carve away. High quality, rigid plastic that fits together almost seamlessly leaving only a small amount of finishing work to clean joints.

    While the model is well detailed and contains the larger proportion of parts to make a fine display model of the Yamato, it does not include railings or other fine level detailing. As such, you will need to search for the excellent photo etch extras made by Eduard which add a whole new dimension to this model and really make it pop. Be aware though, that the photo etch parts add a complete new level of complexity to building this model.

    This is not a model for the faint hearted or somebody new to modelling. There are a lot of small and some very delicate parts that need care when removing from the sprue, care in fitting and a steady hand. Like many of the other 1/350th ships that Tamiya have released, patience is not a virtue, it’s a requirement. You cannot hash through this kit and expect good results. Time, care and effort is required to really make it look good. I would suggest, to be honest, that a good airbrush is a requirement as well. The size of the hull, decking and some superstructure parts means that a brush is likely to leave artefacts behind such as striping or uneven paint layers.

    When finished – whether you opt for the photo etch parts or not – you have a beautiful scale model of the Yamato, something that can be proudly displayed on a shelf, in a perspex box or cabinet to show off with.

    Not cheap, but definitely worth it.

13. 

    Rated 5 out of 5

    PJE – January 22, 2023

    My husband asked for this as a Christmas present, and he is very happy with it.