1:700 IJN Battleship Hiei

Hiei, a Japanese battleship in 1:700 scale

A rendering of the Japanese battleship Hiei in the 1:700 ship scale. With the real ship measuring about 222 meters, the finished model comes out at roughly 32 centimeters, so it fits an ordinary display case and can still carry fine detailing.

The real subject

Hiei was one of the four ships of the Kongo class. She was built before the First World War as a battlecruiser, that is, as a fast ship with the guns of a battleship and lighter armor. Interwar limitations pushed her into training duties for a time, but in the second half of the 1930s she was rebuilt as a fast battleship and returned to combat. Her main armament was eight 356 millimeter guns in four twin turrets.

The most conspicuous feature is the tall multi-story superstructure, called a pagoda for its broken outline. It is exactly what makes the silhouette of Japanese battleships unmistakable, and on a model it is the place everyone looks. Hiei was lost in November 1942 in the fighting off Guadalcanal, where a night action with American ships left her badly damaged.

• The subject is the Kongo class battleship Hiei
• The 1:700 ship scale, a model about thirty-two centimeters long
• The characteristic tall pagoda superstructure
• Suited to a display case and as the basis for a water base

Building and painting tips

In 1:700 scale a clean surface is what counts. Lay the paint on thinly so that it does not flood the fine relief of the superstructure, and separate the shades of the deck and the sides only slightly, not in contrast. The model shows to advantage on a dark base or on a sea surface cast from modeling resin.

Paints, glue and a base are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.