I-25 B-1 class
by Paul Helfrich

1/100 IJN I-25 B-1 class (Halinski)

The I-25 was a B-1 class submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Sister boats included the I-15 and the I-19. The I-25 was the launching point for the only aerial bombing raid on the mainland of the United States in history - an attempt in September 1942 to set forest fires along the Oregon coast using incendiary bombs dropped from the sub's Yokosuka E14Y "Glen" float plane.

The Glen, equipped with collapsable wings, was stored in a "hangar" just forward of the fairwater.

This model was built from the 1/100 paper model by Halinski. It's the largest model I've ever built - that's a four-foot board it's mounted on. At 42" in length, it's right up there in size with the recent 1/72 subs released by Revell. I enhanced the kit's paper parts with additional fittings made from plastic sprue, plastic rod, metal wire, and thread.

I enjoyed building this paper model sub so much I've now started another one - the Type IXC U-Boat in 1/100 by Fly Model. I also own paper kits for a 1/100 Gato and a 1/100 Type VIIC/44. Getting to be a case of so many subs, so little time!