These are three pictures of the Japanese preliminary design to the Yamato. Designated Design A140, it was developed in 1935. The model is by Superior (Model No. J111) and is a new release in 1:1200 scale. It is not exactly as the original plans indicate as she has a flush deck along the entire hull aft to the aircraft deck, she has the later Yamato superstructure, funnel and mainmast. However, she is lengthened and has her main batteries forward and all four secondary triple turrets aft.

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A 69,500 ton design, she was to have had mixed diesel/turbine propulsion for a speed of 31 knots and a radius of action of more than 9,000 miles. As this design was too large for Japanese tastes, they scaled back the design to 64,170 tons, placed the main and secondary batteries conventionally and adopted steam turbine propulsion for the subsequent Yamato design.

Bob Weymouth

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