1/160 Hasegawa I-401 Motorized Wood and Metal Submarine
Wood and Metal Model Kit, Box Condition: Fair
Very, very rare. Few know that the first Hasegawa kits were primarily wood and there was quite a line of them. It appears that all were motorized, from the heavy cruisers, 1/300 IJN Battleships to a 1/400 NS Savannah and even a giant Iowa class battlewagon. This is the only submarine - I401 of the famous I-400 class airplane carriers. This giant kit measures 30 inches (762mm) long when built and is designed for static display or operation in water. Features a completely factory carved hardwood hull with no sanding required, fully cut and finished ribbed hardwood decks, factory assembled forward deck, numerous other hardwood parts all cut to shape, some small rough cut wood parts, a tiny scale aircraft model for the deck (plastic, 7 parts with decals, still factory sealed in the small box), numerous brass and metal hand-soldered parts including railings with stanchions, island gun decks and much more, metal props and drive shafts w/hull ports, a stunning all metal gear box with brass gears that is still mint in the box, a TKK Mabuchi DC motor still in the old-style box with instruction sheet, triple battery holders, reproduced photo of the built kit (and she is beautiful!), very large instruction sheet with numerous drawings for all steps and operation/motorizing notes (all in 'very good++' condition) and full-size blue prints in 'excellent' condition. The kit has never been started: NOTE: If the ship had decals or not is unknown from the instructions; there are none present. Beyond that, the kit has been inventoried with all other parts and paperwork. Even the original Hasegawa paper headers for the bags are present, and even the cardboard they were originally stapled to are present - although the bags were open, which is why I did the inventory. I have returned the contents to as close to factory condition as I could. You will notice yellowed cellophane in the photo - this kit originally had cello factory sealed over the inner box at the factory, so that the prospective owner could remove the box top and view the (factory sealed) contents. NOTE: the upper and lower boxes were complete but in very bad (poor) condition. I spent 4 hours fixing them correctly from the inside. Please be aware that I have rated them 'fair' and complete, but there were completely flat and in 5 parts when I received them. There is a great deal of wear, as you can imagine. NOTE: A shaft came off one diving plane but was present - I cleaned the parts and soldered it back into position.
This item has been sold.
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