IJN I-400
by Timothy Choi

1/350 IJN I-400 (Tamiya)

Tamiya's beautifully molded I-400 Sen-toku submarine.

Only problem was the lower hull, which was a millimetre or two too thin, so had to be pushed outwards using (in my case) shortened toothpicks. Fortunately, Tamiya molded in slots every few centimetres that helped to facilitate the toothpick placement...perhaps they forsaw this problem? Quite handy, for sure. Picture of this is included.

Additions/modifications:

• Drilled out main gun barrel
• Stretched sprue rigging
• Small triangular arm on tower for rigging placement
• Scratchbuilt railings next to superstructure using electrical wire (pretty messy, unfortunately...didn't have the nerve to continue with the rest of the railings)

Paints (all handpainted):

• Pollyscale Scale Black (RLM 66) for upperhull/superstructure/anything that's part of the ship and is above the waterline that's not wood.
• Gunze Sangyo Aqueous Hobby Colours Wood Brown for wooden decks and Seiran propeller & spinner
• Gunze Sangyo Aqueous Hobby Colours Red
• Gunze Sangyo Aqueous Hobby Colours IJN Aircraft Dark Green
• Gunze Sangyo Aqueous Hobby Colours White
• Gunze Sangyo Aqueous Hobby Colours Yellow
• Vallejo Brass for shafts and propellers

Thanks go out to Tony (HMAS) and "Peppe" on the forums for their wonderful closeups of the I-400 class (which I unfortunately was not able to take full advantage of...sorry!)