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[Andy-H]

Some many years ago I had a birthday, and at that birthday I received a gift...  a Tamiya Musashi, in 1/350 scale, complete with a motor and a gearbox and 4 tiny little props.  Time has erased my memory of what became of that model, probally met a bad end with some firecrackers and gas but I digress...



I thought briefly about doing a mod to as launched, but I saved that for a later project...


Fast foward to today, when I realized that I have some disposable income and need a project.  I wanted to do Musashi, not Yamato.  I managed to locate a complete Tamiya Musashi, the powered model, in Hong Kong.  Problem was the seller wanted to sell it as a lot, with 3 other ships that I really didn't want as much. Long story short when supply is short, it's a sellers market, funds were exchanged and shortly I had in my hands a model. 


Long story short, the build was pretty unremarkable, other than it turning out that the main deck section wasn't for the Musashi at all, but actually for the Yamato.  I didn't spend a lot of time detailing, I'm kind of clumsy and little detail tends to get knocked off while I transport or launch. 



















I did make an educated guess that the stock size rudder was going to be a little small, so I cut another one out of brass.  While I was at it, I put in another rudder post (I replaced both with brass tube) and made the secondary rudder work as well. 


I did make a serious mistake, that being I used the stock Tamiya stuffing boxes, which rely on silicone grease to keep water out.  Well, they don't do a good job, and I ballasted down to the water line, so she runs wet.  About 10 minutes and I need to suction all the accumulated water out of the hull.  I took quite a bit of ballast to get down to the waterline, that with a large 6 cell Nimh battery for power.  The stock Tamiya props do a decent job moving it along, and it's rather scale in handling.  I debated doing another (I got the Tirpitz, Bismark and Yamato in the deal) but in the end decided it was just a little too small.  I did repeat this proccess with a Nichmo 1/200 scale Yamato, turning it into Musashi, but that's for another post.  Oh, and ignore the first picture.. my bad!

[Andy-H]

I apologize.. no pictures, I'll review posting instructions and try again!

[Andy-H]

Forgot...  some fat old guy running it in a pond....

[Backerther]

Hi Andy-H,


I am also one of those who are interested in RC conversion of conventional pla-models, especially in these days.
And the subject you have chosen is IJN Musashi 1/350 by Tamiya in which I am too much interested as well.
I do look forward to your progress of the Musashi as to how she will be on the water.!!!

[Andy-H]

If I had it to to over again, I would use brass tube for stuffing boxes and run conventional sized shafts.  I might be tempted to not use the gearbox, it's very noisy and I'm sure robs power, but it's what came with the kit and is part of the charm. 


Ballasted to the waterlin, she's  not terribly nimble, even with 2 rudders.  There was no way to use the stock plastic rudder, and I wouldn't have as it's way to delicate for a model that will get moved often.  I had to 3d print control arms for the rudders, I could just have well made them from wheel collars and brass. 


She doesn't get run at the pond, even small chop is basically hurricane sized waves, plus the fact that it's always taking on water thru the prop shafts means that I have to bring it in very often to drain.  If the water gets deep enough the gearbox picks it up and flings it all round the inside of the hull, bad for the motor and worse for the receiver/ESC.