Vessel Model Special. Band 89: Small Ship, Big Model. Exploring the World of 1/350 Ship Models

The mainstream in ship modelling is undoubtedly the 1/700 scale. Originally marketed as collector's items, 1/700 scale kits have seen a trend towards greater precision in recent years as additional detail parts such as photo-etched parts have become widely available. Attempting to improve detail with these parts requires a certain degree of skill, as it often involves working with parts that are only a few millimetres in size and fitting them into the model.

On the other hand, the 1:350 scale, which many people want to try their hand at, is often perceived as 'difficult' partly because of its size and cost. In addition, there are voices that have been frustrated because they have tried and failed with larger ships such as battleships or aircraft carriers. Why not start with smaller ships instead of going for the really big ones? The battleship "Yamato" in 1:700 scale has a length of 375 mm and a width of 55 mm. The 1:350 scale destroyer "Yukikaze" is even smaller than the 1:700 scale "Yamato" with a length of 338 mm and a width of 31 mm. Although the parts are twice as big as in the 1:700, the finished model does not take up as much space. Here the reader will find a collection of such "small ship, big model" examples. Why not venture together into the world of 1:350 ship models? The models presented: Imperial Japanese Destroyer "Shimakaze"; Imperial Japanese Destroyer "Akizuki"; Imperial Japanese Escort Ship Type B; Imperial Japanese Escort Ship Type "Ura"; Imperial Japanese Submarine I-19; Imperial Japanese Submarine I-400; U.S. Navy Destroyer "Fletcher"; U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier "Gambier Bay"; U.S. Navy Frigate "Oliver Hazard Perry"; Modern Japanese Missile Boat "Hayabusa"; Modern Japanese Submarine "Soryu".