Hasegawa 1:1500 Space Pirate Battleship Arcadia

This is a kit, needing glue, time, patience, possibly paint, and maybe even some skill. Numerous small parts, and probably an attractive nuisance for the cat once completed. Clippers in addition to the usual xacto knife will save tears in removing several delicate parts from the sprues.I have not completed assembly and paint, but what I have done so far has yielded no unpleasantness. The kit is almost without flash, no sinkholes or defect in the parts, and the pieces have a very good surface finish. The model is well designed with excellent part fit, internal bracing, and has gone together very easily. The plastic is poured in three different solid colors and one sprue of yellow-tinged clear. The skull & crossbones and optional bayonet/ramming blade are white, the galleon-esq stern brown, and the remainder in a dark green. This not only makes painting easier, but also means that modifying the model to a somewhat less piratical look is much less complicated than might otherwise be the case. (A few small guide holes to fill in, and/or fabricate & detail a new deck aft of the bridge tower.) There is a surprising amount of detail, and there is room for more if you get creative. There is a nicely printed water slide decal sheet, and no photo etched parts. If you want lighting, its doable but you might have to get a little creative. (Theres that word again...)The instructions are in several languages, and the assembly process clearly illustrated. (They might seem cluttered if you have not previously put a plastic kit together, but its really not as bad as might appear at first glance.) A single sheet color printed painting guide is provided, with multiple views and ironically is the same size as the completed model. I wonder if the photos of the completed model from Hasegawa was not actually painted despite the paint guide, but just dark washed and drybrushed for a finish; the color of the mouldings seems very close.I think my least favorite aspect of this kit is the stand. There is also a representation of the Galaxy Express 999 and its passenger cars, consistent with the stated 1:1500 scale (well, yes, its a ratio actually, but moving on) it is really tiny. Overall, I'm liking this kit, I am having fun with it, and its not a fight to put it together. (Airfix, I'm looking at you.) Hasegawa has the habit of making models that *want* to go together, and this one does not disappoint.

This definitely one of the best model kit I've done so far.The quality of the product is really good.Every little part folds into another perfeclty and holds so well that almost used no glue for the whole thing.Description and plan are pretty good and especially thoughtfull regarding some small practical details that other manufaturers usually forget.On top of that the delivery was well planned, the package arrived on time and well protected.One of my best deals.

Arrived on time and undamaged. Awesome

The pieces went together perfectly. Just wish it didn't take so long to arrive. Must have been on a very slow boat from Japan.

I love it but there was one part in the instructions that kind of destroyed its beauty because it clearly was not stated at the moment when it really needed to be. Poking the hole or drilling it out or whatever in the top of the rear cabin so you can fit the iconic flag would have been a very nice to know thing before I'd already snapped it on and glued it, resulting in me using glue in a futile attempt to have the flag's bottom stick to the top of the cabin section.

nice build/paint project, looks great on my shelf, great comments by all who see it. takes a little time to build, but worth it in the end, don't rush it!

Great, great details and explanation of the instructions with diagrams.Excellent price and product quality.

Everything as order said. Great deal.