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Discover the legendary Border Model 1/350 scale IJN Yamato battleship, the most ambitious and detailed representation of history's largest and most powerful battleship ever constructed. This museum-quality kit showcases Border Model's revolutionary engineering with slide-molded hull sections for seamless assembly, over 1,000 precision parts including photo-etched brass railings and ladders, turned brass main gun barrels for the massive 18.1-inch triple turrets, wooden deck planking with authentic teak grain patterns, and comprehensive decal sheets featuring Imperial Japanese Navy markings and hull numbers. Visit Border Model to explore their complete range of premium scale modeling kits.
The Border Model 1/350 scale IJN Yamato represents the pinnacle of naval modeling achievement, capturing every detail of the Imperial Japanese Navy's legendary super-battleship that served as the flagship of the Combined Fleet during World War II. This extraordinary kit combines cutting-edge manufacturing technology with meticulous historical research to deliver an unparalleled building experience for serious ship modelers and naval history enthusiasts.
Commissioned in December 1941, the Yamato was the lead ship of her class and the heaviest battleship ever constructed, displacing over 72,000 tons at full load. Armed with nine 18.1-inch Type 94 naval guns in three triple turrets, these were the largest caliber guns ever mounted on a warship, capable of firing 3,200-pound armor-piercing shells over 26 miles. The ship's massive pagoda-style bridge tower rose seven stories above the deck, housing fire control systems, command centers, and observation posts that directed the ship's formidable armament including twelve 6.1-inch secondary guns and numerous anti-aircraft batteries that were continuously upgraded throughout her service life.
Border Model's 1/350 Yamato showcases innovative slide-molding technology that produces the hull in multiple sections with perfectly aligned panel lines and rivet details that eliminate the traditional centerline seam found in conventional ship kits. The engineering team designed interlocking hull sections that ensure precise alignment and create a rigid foundation for the superstructure assembly. This advanced manufacturing approach allows for unprecedented surface detail including subtle hull plating variations, welded seams, anchor recesses, and drainage channels that accurately replicate the actual battleship's construction.
Every aspect of this kit reflects Border Model's commitment to accuracy and quality through extensive use of premium materials and specialized parts. The comprehensive photo-etched brass fret includes over 500 individual pieces covering deck railings with accurate stanchion spacing, ladder assemblies for all deck levels, radar antenna arrays, searchlight platforms, aircraft catapult details, and intricate bridge window frames. The turned brass gun barrels feature hollow muzzles and rifling details for the main 18.1-inch guns, secondary 6.1-inch batteries, and anti-aircraft weapons. Pre-cut wooden deck sections in authentic teak color provide realistic grain patterns and plank spacing that match the original ship's construction, with laser-etched caulking lines and deck fittings precisely positioned.
The massive pagoda bridge structure assembles from multiple precisely molded sections that capture the complex geometry of fire control directors, range-finding equipment, signal platforms, and command spaces that characterized Japanese battleship design. Each of the three main gun turrets features separately molded gun barrels with elevation capability, detailed turret faces with range-finder ports and armor plate textures, and interior barbette details visible through optional open hatches. The secondary armament casemates include individual gun shields, ammunition handling rooms, and fire control positions. Anti-aircraft positions feature the distinctive Type 96 25mm triple-mount guns with photo-etched gun shields, ammunition drums, and crew platforms that were added during the ship's 1944 refit.
The kit includes detailed representations of the Yamato's reconnaissance aircraft complement with multiple Aichi E13A "Jake" floatplanes featuring delicate photo-etched control surfaces, clear canopy parts, and optional folded wing positions for storage. The ship's boats and launches are molded with interior rib details, davit assemblies with photo-etched falls and blocks, and deck stowage cradles. The two massive aircraft catapults feature complete structural frameworks, hydraulic cylinders, launching rails, and recovery crane assemblies that were essential for launching and retrieving the ship's scout planes.
Border Model provides comprehensive waterslide decal sheets covering multiple time periods of the Yamato's service including her original dark gray scheme from commissioning, the two-tone camouflage pattern applied in 1944, and the final configuration during Operation Ten-Go in April 1945. The decals include hull numbers, Imperial Japanese Navy ensigns and battle flags, aircraft identification markings, deck safety stripes, equipment stencils, and ship's name characters in authentic fonts and sizes. The instruction manual features full-color painting guides with Gunze, Tamiya, and Model Master paint cross-references, weathering suggestions for realistic salt spray effects and rust streaking, and historical photographs showing the ship at various stages of her career.
The Yamato's final mission during Operation Ten-Go on April 7, 1945, represents one of the most dramatic naval engagements of World War II, when the battleship led a one-way suicide mission toward Okinawa with only enough fuel for a single voyage. Attacked by nearly 400 American carrier aircraft, the Yamato endured multiple torpedo and bomb hits before a catastrophic magazine explosion sent her to the bottom with over 2,000 crew members. This kit allows modelers to preserve the memory of this historic vessel and the sailors who served aboard her through a detailed scale replica that honors both the engineering achievement and the human cost of naval warfare.
Expand your naval modeling collection with other 1/350 scale warships from manufacturers like Tamiya, Trumpeter, and Fujimi, or explore Border Model's armor kits for land-based subjects. For additional information about Border Model's complete product line, advanced building techniques, and historical research resources, visit Border Model official website.
