With both Yamato and Andromeda, the most nightmarish segments to build were the bridge towers. Loaded with fiber optics all packed into deceptively small spaces, they started at the top and got increasingly demanding on the way down until you couldn’t imagine them getting harder. And then they would.
That’s where we start with Hyuga Volume 1. Top of the bridge tower. Thanks, Hachette!
Since, as stated up front, the geometry of Hyuga is all new to me, I can’t instantly identify what any of the individual pieces actually are. But it becomes clearer as they go together. Of course, there are optical fibers right away.
And already, they have to bend and twist into configurations that they inherently don’t want to be in, so that’s fun. Oh, yes, that IS a wedding ring on my finger. I didn’t have that the last time. Thanks for noticing.
At right, the conclusion of volume 1. Two assemblies and three “rando” parts to be attached later. There’s a reason we’re not attaching them now, and it’s actually pretty smart. Stay tuned.
Volume 2 gives us parts to continue moving down from the top. This includes a battery pack and a circuit board to plug it into for lighting tests.
Left: subassemblies done. I had to glue parts together for the long antenna, hence the tape. I resented having to glue anything on previous models, but that is now part of this operation from the beginning.
Right: Volume 1’s parts are now combined. You can already see how many fibers and wires supply lighting to the top.
Subassemblies are combined and the Volume 1 parts are attached. We now have our bridge. Incidentally, a learned a couple years ago why the command center of a ship is called a “bridge.” It’s based on riverboats that had two big paddlewheels on either side and a “plank” running between them where the crew would operate. That plank was called, of course, a “bridge.” The design changed over time, but the name did not.
In Volume 3, the parts get bigger and more numerous. This set includes components for interior LED lighting, plus more wires, fibers, and “rando” parts.
Left: subassemblies done, and you can see how the interior lighting will function. Those are colored “gel” domes that snap onto the circuit board over a white LED.
Right: the fiber optic nightmare begins. As fibers are strung downward through more parts, more fibers join them. With increased handling, the sticker flags begin to pop off. The adhesive is pretty weak this time for some reason. At one point, I took a break and left the room to notice one of them had stuck to my shirt when I wasn’t looking.
To avoid disaster, I decided to encase all of the flags in scotch tape to keep them on. Otherwise, there would be no hope of properly identifying them later.
Left: all major parts from Volumes 1-3 assembled, and the LED lighting test is success. If there had been more of these in the Andromeda build, I might have been able to identify the failure point. Maybe this is a result of that.
Right: all the leftover “rando” parts, not yet being attached. The reason is simple: they’re small and fragile, and could be easily broken off while handling larger pieces. This too was likely a decision that resulted from previous problems. If so, I salute the designers.
Volume 4 takes us to the base of the bridge tower (already) with the biggest parts seen so far, along with electronics to finish off the lighting.
Left: subassemblies done. Right: all major bridge parts put together.
And now the tough part. All the wires and fibers had to be pulled through another layer of parts. If I hadn’t taken the extra measure to secure the flags, this is where they would ALL have popped off. At that point, there would be no way to track them back to their source points without taking everything apart again. I’m soooo glad I took precautions.
At right, this is how we “finish off” the lighting. All the fibers go into plugs and all the plugs go into sockets. The wires then go into different sockets. All the identifying marks (using English letters) match up to the flags. W = white, R = red, G = green. This ensures that each light gets the proper color. The large white socket at the far right is where the power source will plug in later.
With that done, all the “rando” parts get glued on. Yes, GLUED ON. As I’m gluing them on, I hear the countdown clock start. One day, some of these will break off. It’s inevitable. It’s been a built-in bug on Yamato models since day one. There are ways to make them more secure, but I guess Bandai has a monopoly on that knowledge.
Volumes 1-4 were a dive right into the deep end. With Volume 5, we come up for air with fewer parts. They’re all for the bow.
Assembly is super easy, but it still involves gluing. It includes two magnets, and the only way to bond them with plastic is with superglue. Every time I had to use superglue on the Andromeda model, it ruined my whole day. But I took a deep breath, opened the bottle, and got those magnets into place. They’re nowhere close to the outer surface, so there’s no danger of “glue burn.” I really hope it stays that way.
As you can see at left, there’s a big cavity on the nose. You’d think there would be a light in there, but there isn’t. Seems like a missed opportunity.
Volume 6: time for a Wave-Motion Gun! Few parts, simple assembly.
Left: assembly finished. That’s all there is to it. Right: the interior isn’t meant to be inserted yet, but a test fitting is irresistible.
Volume 7 gives us the rest of the WMG and the first hull segment. Almost all the parts so far have been plastic. The hull is all metal. It gives me a feeling of security, since no gluing is required. At least, that’s how it’s SUPPOSED to go. Stay tuned.
Not much to do with the hull, just attach two fibers for running lights.
The internal parts for the WMG include a large LED and a housing to contain it that prevents light leakage. It attaches to the parts from Volume 6 and this one is done.
Volume 8 contains another hull segment (flipside of the last one) and more parts. It’s another simple one.
Left: the hull piece has two lights to match its twin. Right: the stabilizer fin that will fit under the bow. Done. One good reason to make us build the bridge tower first is that everything after it feels like a walk in the park.
Volume 9 gives us our next hull segment, the second piece on the port side.
Left: lights added. Right: a large “blister” piece that’s made of plastic but snaps delightfully into place. But don’t get cocky, kid…
There’s another plastic piece that must be GLUED on. Again, superglue is the only solution. And it’s an exterior hull piece. Fortunately, I can get it on with no seepage and no glue burn. Whew.
Finally, this segment gets bolted onto the previous one. The screws look secure, but the two pieces are wobbly as heck. This will be cleared up in the next round, though.
Volume 10 brings us our fourth hull segment, some other whopper part, and some BIG MOVES.
Left: this hull part is the twin of the last one, so I just suck it up and do the gluey parts right away. At all goes fine.
Right: next, segment 4 gets bolted onto segment 2 so we now have matching port/starboard pieces. Still wobbly, but that’s about to change.
Now both sides are connected by a “floor” that holds them together. Once it’s in place, all the wobbling goes away and things are quite secure. Notice that white dot on the “floor” part? That was an accident. I put in a screw from the other side without adding a part meant to stop this from happening. It’s partly my fault, partly because this “floor” is made of plastic instead of metal. It SHOULD be metal.
Left: behind the “floor” we attach the “whopper part,” which is where the underhull intake will go.
Right: next, the cowling of the WMG attaches to the front. One screw, no problem.
Now a “roof” goes on top of the whole thing with more screws for the WMG. Once this is on, the bow fairing snaps right into place with the two magnets holding it on. I’m not sure yet why this isn’t permanently attached, but we’ll probably find out later.
And there we have it! Volumes 1-10 are complete. It seemed weird to me that we haven’t yet put the interior piece of the WMG in place. I went back to make sure I didn’t miss a step, and nope. It goes in later. That’s gonna be a good trick.
Overall, despite my complaining about fibers and glue, this wasn’t as difficult as the previous models. There are subtleties to the engineering that make me think lessons were learned. That’s encouraging for the future.