1/700 Tamiya Ship Accessories

Detailing Your 1/700 Scale Naval Models

The 1/700 scale is the most popular choice for naval modelers worldwide, offering excellent detail in a compact size that allows impressive fleet displays. Tamiya's 1/700 accessories provide the essential details needed to transform basic kits into historically accurate replicas.

Heavy and Light Vessel Ordnance

The Heavy Vessel Ordnance Set 31517 includes comprehensive weapons for battleships and heavy cruisers. This set typically features main battery turrets with multiple gun configurations, secondary battery guns in twin and single mounts, anti-aircraft batteries including quad 40mm Bofors and 20mm Oerlikon guns, torpedo tube mounts for cruisers and destroyers, depth charge racks and projectors, searchlights and range finders, and boat cranes and handling equipment. These detailed parts replace simplified kit components with accurate weapons that show proper barrel length, elevation mechanisms, and mounting details.

The Light Vessel Ordnance Set 31518 provides weapons scaled for destroyers, destroyer escorts, and light cruisers. This set includes destroyer main battery guns in single and twin mounts, dual-purpose guns for anti-aircraft and surface engagement, light anti-aircraft weapons, torpedo tube quintuple and quadruple mounts, depth charge racks and K-gun projectors, and hedgehog anti-submarine mortars. These parts are essential for accurately detailing smaller warships where weapons represent a larger proportion of the visible detail.

Japanese Naval Aircraft

The Japanese Naval Planes 31516 and Japanese Naval Planes 31511 sets provide comprehensive air groups for IJN carriers and battleships. These sets typically include Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters in various configurations, Aichi D3A Val dive bombers with folding wings, Nakajima B5N Kate torpedo bombers, Aichi E13A Jake reconnaissance floatplanes, Mitsubishi F1M Pete observation floatplanes, and Kawanishi E7K Alf floatplanes for battleships and cruisers.

At 1/700 scale, these tiny aircraft measure only 10-15mm in length but feature surprising detail including separate propellers, landing gear, and optional position wings. Aircraft can be displayed on carrier flight decks in various operational configurations, on catapults aboard battleships and cruisers, or in flight on clear stands for dynamic dioramas. Painting these miniature aircraft requires steady hands and fine brushes, but the result dramatically enhances the authenticity of carrier and battleship models.

American Naval Aircraft

The North American B-25 Mitchell 31515 set recreates the famous Doolittle Raid bombers that launched from USS Hornet in April 1942 for the first strike on the Japanese home islands. This set includes multiple B-25B Mitchell bombers with detailed panel lines, separate propellers and landing gear, optional position bomb bay doors, and authentic markings for Doolittle Raid aircraft. These bombers can be displayed on Hornet's flight deck in the crowded configuration used for the historic mission, creating one of the most dramatic scenes in naval aviation history.

Premium Detail Upgrade Sets

The USS Saratoga CV-3 Aircraft Carrier with Pontos Detail Upgrade Set combines Tamiya's excellent base kit with Pontos Model's premium aftermarket details. Pontos sets typically include comprehensive photo-etched brass parts for railings, ladders, catwalks, radar arrays, aircraft elevators, flight deck safety nets, island details, and antenna arrays. Additional components may include turned metal gun barrels for accurate main and secondary batteries, resin detail parts for boats, aircraft, and deck equipment, wooden or photo-etched flight deck planking, and detailed instructions with historical references.

These premium upgrade sets transform good models into museum-quality replicas, adding hundreds of fine details that bring the ship to life. Installation requires patience and specialized tools including photo-etch bending tools, fine tweezers, CA glue, and magnification, but the results are spectacular.

Installation and Painting Techniques

Ordnance sets require careful cleanup and painting before installation. Remove parts from sprues with sharp sprue cutters and clean up any mold lines with fine files or sanding sticks. Prime metal and resin parts before painting to ensure proper adhesion. Paint gun barrels in appropriate colors including dark grey or black for gun tubes, brass or bronze for shell casings, and steel or gunmetal for mechanisms. Weather guns with subtle rust and wear effects, especially on frequently operated weapons.

Aircraft benefit from pre-shading and post-shading techniques to add depth at this tiny scale. Paint canopies with clear parts before masking and painting the frames. Use decals sized for 1/700 scale aircraft, applying them over gloss coat for best adhesion. Consider painting aircraft in sub-assemblies, completing fuselages and wings separately before final assembly. Display aircraft with subtle variations in positioning to avoid a static, parade-ground appearance.

Complementary Products

Enhance your 1/700 ship modeling with products from our 1/700 Tamiya Model Ships collection, featuring comprehensive kits of WWII warships from all major navies. Achieve authentic finishes with Tamiya Paints including naval greys, deck blues, and wood tones. Add realistic weathering with Tamiya Weathering products to replicate rust streaks, salt spray, and operational wear.

For larger scale projects with even more detail, explore our 1/350 Tamiya Ship Accessories collection. Visit Tamiya USA for complete product information, painting guides, and modeling techniques.