Volume 31 puts us on a path to construct the stern end of Hyuga and get us to a point where the entire hull can be assembled. So here we go, starting with an array of engine ports.

There are three on each side, and they go into sockets. This gives us two subassemblies that fit into either side of the large piece.

Each port will be lit, so a fiber optic goes into all of them. These are unlike any I’ve encountered before, at least twice as thick and much stiffer.

Next, a small distributor box comes together. These fibers are going to plug right into it, so there’s no need to flag them.

They cap off differently too, just being inserted into their plug instead of a “root” part that the plug covers up. Then they go right into the box. I wish they were all this easy.

Volume 32 is loaded with parts that will complete the engine port block.

First, the three largest cones go into their sheaths and get more of those thick fibers. They slide into the largest piece and you can see how their fibers will convey light.

Then there are six smaller ports that get fibered up and glued to an array. Another piece goes over them…

…and this array slides into its own housing, which is then bolted to the larger piece.

When I flip it over, you can see all the ports on the back end. Now this entire chunk gets mated with Volume 31.

After the two are combined, all the new fibers get capped and plugged to fill up the distributor box, and we’ve got one heckuva a stern staring us in the face.

Vol. 33 takes us up to the upper half of the hull, but we’re still at the stern section. This will become a “side wall” segment.

It’s pretty simple. Two fibers and a few brackets get attached to the interior and this part is done.

Next we assemble a new distributor box by gluing the colored domes over certain LEDs and then enclosing the circuit board. Ready to move on.

Vol. 34 has a very weirdly-shaped metal piece in it that will become a rear corner.

A bracket goes on the back and a small anti-aircraft pulse laser turret goes on the front. The instructions say to put the barrels on now, but later I will wish that I’d waited because they don’t hold up well to handling.

Now this piece gets attached to the “side wall” from Vol. 33. On the interior, we add a “flap” and then bolt a frame around the opening to hold it in.

This “flap” becomes an elevator platform. You can fold it up or down, and then slide it vertically. It’s pretty stiff. I’m thinking some oil would help, but then it may not stay up at all. Food for thought.

Vol. 35 has the opposite corner piece. Assembly is the same.

Vol. 36 gives us all the parts for the opposite side wall. We construct that and then attach the corner piece. This means there are matching elevator platforms on both port and starboard.

Vol. 37 has additional corner pieces that will go directly above the ones we’ve just built.

We get them both in one package and assembly is simple. One launcher array on the outside, one fiber and one bracket on the inside.

Then they get bolted to the “side walls” we’ve been building.

The last step is to put a covering over the exposed portion. These have to be superglued, since it’s plastic on metal, but there’s a LOT of error margin here. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that.

Vol. 38 is here with the upper stern section, which signals that we’re heading for some BIG MOVES.

First, the rear hatch gets sandwiched together. The brackets holding the fibers in place have to be glued down, and it’s another case where the fiber tension is pretty strong, so this needs some drying time. Even then, the brackets aren’t quite doing the job on their own so I have to superglue the cover panel over them. I’m leaving this taped shut for a while to make sure it understands the assignment.

Now the hatch pops into the hull panel and another piece gets attached to the backside.

Left: when it’s on, we can see that the rear hatch opens up to reveal its own mini-hangar.

Right: now the “side walls” are ready to go on.

When they’re in place, it takes a minute to come to grips with what I’m seeing. The shapes don’t really flow into each other for the smooth, continuous contours we usually see in a Yamato vessel. But this is what we have.

Next, two braces go onto the corners to hold everything down, and then we bolt on the engine block.

With that, the stern is complete. Now the BIG MOVE…we’ll attach the stern to the “underchunk” that came together earlier. Now we can see that the “underchunk” is approximately the middle of the hull.

Here’s where I run into the same problem that came up with the conclusion of the “underchunk.” My preferred screwdriver is too long to work in this space. My smaller one fits, but it’s too thin. So I suck it up and go out to Lowe’s and get a new screwdriver. It’s the correct length and it’s thicker, which will offer the torque I need to get those screws in.

It turns out to be just the right tool for the job. Now we have a HUGE piece of ship put together. From front to back, it’s over 18 inches. But there’s more to come.

Vol. 39 has another large hull plate, the last one we need to close up the chunk of ship we just assembled.

First, the distributor box that came in Vol. 33 gets attached. Now we can see that this panel is a perfect fit for the gap in the larger assembly.

We place it underneath and then attach it with screws in multiple locations. It goes on easily and when we flip the hull over we can see how far we’ve come.

There are two exterior panels that were supposed to go on before the major assembly, but It’s no problem to add them now.

The last step is to add these two hatches that will open and close. Just two more of the many ways to get aircraft into and out of this section.

Vol. 40 doesn’t look like much from the parts, but it’s the one I’ve been waiting for.

BIG MOVES!! At long last, the entire hull gets bolted together into a single piece! It’s seriously big; 33″ long and just under 8″ wide in the rear portion. Not as long as Yamato or Andromeda, but still a serious contender for shelf space.

Left: flip it over and you can see an almost-complete side of the ship. You also see why none of the dangly bits have been attached yet. If they were, I couldn’t put the thing on a flat surface. And there’s too much work still to be done.

Right: after I calm down, it’s time to get on with the new parts. The first one is an “archway” to go over the secondary runway, where it will enter the ship.

Left: the instructions tell me to glue part of it down, but the screws hold it just fine. So you know where you can stick that glue, Hachette.

Right: next I have to attack a bracket to the interior. The new screwdriver proves its mettle against that metal.

Now there’s a new hull segment to deal with. It’s got a fiber and some brackets on the inside.

It also comes with an access hatch. I like the fact that it already has working hinges attached to it. I don’t like the fact that I have to glue it into its sockets. It’s another metal-on-metal situation, so superglue is my only option. Fortunately, it holds well and won’t be visible.

Next, this new hull segment gets attached on the port side “bend.” It takes some effort to get the screws into the main bracket in the enclosed space. If I hadn’t had to go buy that new screwdriver earlier, I would definitely have gone to get it now.

And finished! The new segment is in place and Vol. 40 is complete.

Half of this project is now done, 40 volumes out of 80. This represents more than half of the Hyuga, though, since some of the remaining volumes will contain the display stand, the remote control, and several aircraft. Come on back and see it through to the end next time!

Keep going

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