1:350 IJN Light Cruiser Yahagi 'The Battle Of The Leyte Gulf'

The real subject

Yahagi was a Japanese light cruiser of the Agano class, completed in 1943. Ships of this class came about as a modern replacement for older cruisers and were to lead destroyer squadrons, so they combined decent speed with fairly modest armament. Yahagi took part in the fighting in Leyte Gulf in the fall of 1944 and her service ended in April 1945 during an operation heading for Okinawa.

What you are getting

This is a ship kit in 1:350 scale, that is, in the size in which a model of a vessel is long enough for the superstructures and the armament to show to advantage while still fitting into an ordinary display case. The kit is supplied unassembled and unpainted. The number of parts, the contents of the package and the recommended paints are given in the instructions enclosed by the manufacturer.

• 1:350 scale
• the Japanese light cruiser Yahagi of the Agano class
• the configuration refers to the fighting in Leyte Gulf, fall 1944
• a kit to be assembled and painted
• the contents of the package are given in the manufacturer's instructions

Building and painting tips

With ships it pays to work from the bottom up and to glue the superstructures on only after the hull and the deck have been painted, because later it is hard to get a brush between them. Paint the deck and the hull separately and cover the boundary between them with tape. Cut the small parts of the armament and the masts off a little way from the part and sand the remainder down; they are thin and break easily. Apply the weathering sparingly, because exaggerated soiling looks unnatural on a ship model.

Who it is for

The kit is for modelers interested in Japanese vessels of the Second World War and for those building a collection in a unified 1:350 scale. The finished model can be set simply on a base or completed with a water surface and become the basis of a scene. Paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.