This is the IJN Destroyer Ayanami (Special Type Mark II) produced by Tamiya in 1:700 scale. This is one of the aging Tamiya IJN destroyer kits and although they are not up to the highly detailed modern kit standard, they are still useful if you want to represent IJN destroyer development between the wars as I do. This model shows the Ayanami as launched in 1929, when she used speaking tubes for communication and no shields on the torpedo tubes. The kit was detailed using Skywave accessories and Gold Medal Models and White Ensign Models photo-etch sets. The masts were built from brass rod. She was painted using WEM Colourcoats and weathered with watercolour washes and pastel chalks.

Stephen Shrimpton

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