|
Black Cat Models
|
|||||||||||||
| Reviewed
February 2023
by Dan Kaplan |
|||||||||||||
| Black Cat continues to add to its various lines of 1/350 naval accessories with several ship’s boats and launches for the Imperial Japanese Navy. (NOTE: This is a combined review of two different SKUs that are each sold separately.) | |||||||||||||
| BACKGROUND | |||||||||||||
| The capital ships of the Imperial
Japanese Navy carried a variety of ship’s boats, as did other navies. Among
them were motorized craft of 11m and 12m lengths. The 11m boat typically
was used for transporting officers, while the longer, higher capacity boat,
termed a launch, handled enlisted men. Both had canvas covered frames for
extra protection from spray, heavy weather, or excessive sun. The canvas
could be removed and remounted as needed.
The 11m version also had a more elaborate variant with a permanent hard top, most typically carried aboard battleships or used at shore installations. |
|||||||||||||
| 11M MOTOR BOAT | |||||||||||||
| Their 11m motor boat is offered in three different,
separate configurations: open frame, covered canvas frame and hardtop,
which had a permanent wooden deckhouse over the aft end instead of the
canvas with frame.
This sample comes as a package of two boats printed in a light grey resin. A set of two covered canvas tops is also included. These tops are meant to be glued to the rear of the boat. Both the boats and the tops come on their own printing rafts; each is secured to the bottom of Black Cat’s usual clear plastic clamshell container with double-sided tape. The adhesive is strong, so care must be used when removing the raft. The printing is superb as always, and the detailing is extraordinary, including a small mast, planked decking, boat fenders, deep window frames, hatches, gooseneck vents, maneuvering lights atop the deck house, low railings, rudder, propeller and shaft. The canvas topped cover also has nicely recessed window frames. Several of these details are often available as accessories rendered in styrene, wood stickers or brass photo-etch. Having these details printed as part of the whole boat makes for a simpler, neater, easier assembly and painting. |
 |
||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| 12M MOTOR LAUNCH | |||||||||||||
| Like-wise, Black Cat’s 12m motor launch is offered
in an uncovered and covered version. This sample is of the canvas covered
version, and the quality of the printing and detailing mirrors that of
the 11m boats. Beyond the canvas covering and rib work, details include
boat fenders, propeller, rudder, railing around the coxswain’s position,
and helm.
There’s one portion of the rendering that I’d take issue with, and that’s the limitation of the canvas covering. Typically, when the canvas covering was used, it fully covered the ribbing framework down to the boat’s gunwhales. Often, there were several apertures along the sides for air circulation, but, by and large, the ends and several sections would be fully covered. Here, the printed portion of the covering leaves a shallow swath of the ribbing open all away around. Fortunately, I believe most of these open sections could be filled in with a film of thick paint or PVA glue. |
 |
||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| INSTRUCTIONS | |||||||||||||
|
Instead
of including an instruction sheet, one is directed to the Black Cat Models
website where there are specific pages devoted to each of these items.
There, one finds a guide on removing the printed piece from their print
rafts. Care should be taken to note the attachment points, particularly
for the 11m boat, as its mast is printed as part of the main raft and could
easily be mistaken as just another runner.
11m:
instruction_ac350117b.pdf
12m:
instruction_ac350117e-1.pdf
There are also recommendations about how to best prep the pieces for painting. For assembly, CA glue or PVA is recommended, as is airbrushing with acrylic paint, so as not to obscure details. |
|||||||||||||
| FINAL THOUGHTS | |||||||||||||
| These are most impressive pieces, truly well done,
and worth replacements for any kit part.
11m motor boat -Highly recommended.
These are set #AC350117b (11m motor boat), which retails for $11.95 US from Freetime Hobbies, and set #AC350117e (12m motor launch), which retails for $12.95 from Free Time Hobbies. Free Time is the US distributor for Black Cat Models. Review samples courtesy of Black Cat Models. |
 |
||||||||||||
