Maya 1933 wip

I have bought this kit from a second hand kit sale and the previous owner of the kit has started it already. Considering the price and the availability of a large scale Takao class model made me purchase it against all odds. It came with Tom's Model Works 1/500 IJN Heavy Cruiser and Railing sets, which is pretty cool considering there is no available sets at the stores nowadays.

I'm gonna build it as Maya as she appeared in 1941, before PH Attack. She is the namesake of my cat so this project is special for me. I have grouped pieces that were already separated from sprues by previous owner and started building progress.

The Nichimo's Takao class kits are disaster. Look at this deck. The pre-owner removed the moulded railings, I'm glad for that actually. I'm gonna erase everything on that deck and rebuild it. For the linoleum deck I will use brass rods.

Stern

Also thanks for saving my putty, lol

As you can see, this kit is designed as a RC model and it has just one propeller and shaft. Their Myoko class kit is better and have 4 in scale propellers and shafts which is a great time and effort saver. I have to scratch built them.

While I was searching for details in "Anatomy of ship - Takao" I figured out that this kit's hull shape is also wrong. Look at these pre modernization (1932-1943 for Maya) torpedo bulges.

Sanding done. I'm gonna putty it and re-sand it again.

Turret stacks are also removed. You can see how out of scale is the 2nd battery.

Catapult stands were removed too, but unlike batteries I can use them later as they are in scale.

I have sanded portholes too.

I'm filling mid-deck or my torpedo mounts would be flying in air lmao

Better now

Damn those sink marks

Pre owner made a pretty messy job on bridge. Lots of filling and sanding required.

These torpedo operation section has fictional walls and have a pin for torpedo mounts. In the real one torpedo mounts were fixed from ground and the operation section was a place like a hall room, so all of them removed. You can see the original ones and the modified one.

I also filled the ex-turret bases.

Black markings are to be epoxy puttyied and red ones are to be removed. It may look stupid to use red marker on a red hull but it's pretty visible with bare eyes