Tamiya 78031 - 1:350 Musashi Japanese Battleship

Plastic model kit of the Japanese battleship Musashi in 1:350 scale

Musashi was the second battleship of the Yamato class and served for over a year as flagship of the Japanese Combined Fleet. Tamiya 78031 recreates her in 1:350 scale in her configuration from the Battle of the Philippine Sea, that is June 1944 – a few months before she was sunk.

The model is full hull, with a one-piece hull ending in the characteristic bulbous bow, displayed on a screw-mounted stand. The 2013 release is based on modified earlier Musashi moulds. The kit contains no photo-etched parts – the build relies on classic work with plastic, which makes it approachable also for modellers taking their first steps with large warships.

Among the distinctive features are the 460 mm guns with blast bags, the 15 m rangefinders and stern crane which remain movable once assembled, plus four reconnaissance floatplanes and four ship's boats. The finished model measures approx. 751.5 mm long and approx. 110 mm wide.

What's in the box:

• Plastic sprues (one-piece hull with bulbous bow, superstructure, armament)
• 460 mm guns with blast bags
• 15 m rangefinders and stern crane, movable once assembled
• 4 reconnaissance floatplanes
• 4 ship's boats
• Waterslide decal sheet for markings
• Stickers for the stern platform
• Screw-mounted display stand
• Illustrated assembly instructions

Model specifications:

• Scale: 1:350
• Catalogue number: 78031
• Manufacturer: Tamiya
• Model length: approx. 751.5 mm, width: approx. 110 mm
• Skill level: beginner (classic all-plastic construction, no photo-etched parts)

Please note: glue, paints and modelling tools are not included. This model is intended for self-assembly.

Building the model:

The one-piece hull gives the model a rigid, stable base from the very first stage, and the parts fit typical of Tamiya allows the build to progress calmly, with no filling or fettling. The stand screws to the hull, providing a secure mount for a ship over 75 cm long. It is worth planning the painting sequence so that the smaller deck details are painted before they are fitted.

For painting we suggest colours typical of mid-war Japanese warships: grey for the hull and superstructure (e.g. Tamiya XF-75 IJN Grey), dark linoleum brown for the decks (e.g. XF-79 Linoleum Deck Brown) and red for the underwater section of the hull (e.g. XF-9 Hull Red). Paint codes are given in the manufacturer's instructions. Decals are best applied over a gloss coat, which limits decal silvering, with a matt varnish as the final finish and a wash to bring out the detail.

Tools you will need:

• Modelling side cutters for removing parts from the sprues
• Hobby knife or scalpel
• Files and sanding paper to clean up sprue gate marks
• Plastic cement (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement)
• Precision modelling tweezers
• Screwdriver for mounting the display stand
• Brushes in various sizes
• Modelling paints (acrylic or enamel)
• Modelling wash to bring out the detail

About the ship – Musashi:

Musashi was the second battleship of the Yamato class. Her keel was laid in 1938, she was launched in November 1940 and commissioned on 5 August 1942. With a standard displacement of approx. 65,000 tons and a full load displacement of approx. 72,800 tons, a length of 263 m and a beam of 38.9 m, she was – alongside her sister Yamato – the largest gun-armed warship of her era.

Her main armament consisted of nine 460 mm guns with a range of approx. 41 km. Twelve boilers and four turbines producing a combined 150,000 hp gave her a speed of 27 knots, and her hull was protected by armour with a total weight of some 21,000 tons. From February 1943 to March 1944 Musashi served as flagship of the Combined Fleet.

On 24 October 1944, during the Philippines campaign, Musashi was attacked in the Sibuyan Sea by US aircraft. After hours of air strikes and numerous torpedo and bomb hits, she sank the same day.

Original specifications (Musashi, Yamato class):

• Type: Yamato-class battleship, second ship of the class
• Keel laid: 1938; launched: November 1940; commissioned: 5 August 1942
• Standard displacement: approx. 65,000 t; full load: approx. 72,800 t
• Dimensions: 263 x 38.9 m
• Main armament: 9 x 460 mm guns (range approx. 41 km)
• Propulsion: 12 boilers, 4 turbines producing approx. 150,000 hp
• Maximum speed: 27 knots
• Armour: total weight approx. 21,000 t
• Service: flagship of the Combined Fleet from February 1943 to March 1944
• Fate: sunk on 24 October 1944 in the Sibuyan Sea by torpedoes and bombs from US aircraft

About the manufacturer – Tamiya:

Tamiya Corporation is a Japanese model company founded in 1946 by Yoshio Tamiya in Shizuoka, a city regarded as the heart of the Japanese model industry. The business started out in the timber trade and released its first plastic model kit in 1960. The brand is known for extremely precise injection moulds, well thought-out kit engineering and excellent parts fit, which is why its models are chosen by beginners and experienced modellers alike. In the field of ship modelling Tamiya earned its reputation with the 1:700 Water Line series, and since the turn of the 1970s and 1980s it has also developed large 1:350 warship kits. Tamiya instructions are clear and illustrated step by step, which makes even large kits much easier to build. Beyond the models themselves the company supplies a complete modelling range: paints, glues, tools and brushes. Today Tamiya is present in dozens of countries and remains one of the most recognisable brands in the hobby.