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Black Cat Models |
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| Reviewed May 2026 by Dan Kaplan |
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| BACKGROUND | ||||||
| The standard heavy
anti-aircraft weapon for the Imperial Japanese Navy
leading up to and during the Second World War was the
Type 89 12.7cm/40 caliber gun. Introduced in 1932, it
was typically mounted on a partially open mount
utilizing twin barrels. As such, it could be found on
almost all aircraft carriers, battleships, heavy and
some light cruisers. A single mount version, along with
the double mount, was used to equip the late war Matsu
and Tachibana class destroyers. Other versions were
mounted in enclosed blast/smoke shields aboard the
Yamato class battleships and aircraft carriers. This was a high angle weapon used most effectively against aircraft, though it doubled as a dual purpose, low angle mount against surface targets. It is not to be confused with the true low angle 12.7cm/50 cal. Third Year Type gun mounted as the main battery aboard most IJN destroyers. |
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| THE PARTS | ||||||
| These are Black Cat Model’s 1/700
counterpart to their exquisite 1/350 version of the IJN
12.7cm 40cal twin mount. This semi-shielded version was
most typically mounted as the secondary battery in many
ships as mentioned above. Black Cat offers these mounts as a package of six twin units in a light grey printed resin. That’s enough units in one package to handle most of the secondary battery for most ship types. They come printed on one wafer with raised side barriers for extra protection. The wafer itself comes within a clear clamshell blister pack that allows for plenty of room against accidental crushing. Care is required when removing the wafer from the outer packing. It is very securely held on by two faced tape and a gentle, gradual steady pull on the raft seems best for removal from the clamshell. The detailing is extremely good, including open viewports for the gunlayer, internal equipment within the mounts, stiffening bars and access ladders on the sides, lightening holes, and small access hatches. The barrels are nicely tapered and, along with the recoil tubes, are scaled extremely well. Sadly, half the barrels do have a slight warp to them, leaning towards each other in the twin mount. It is uncertain as to whether subtle pressure may be enough to straighten them without breakage. The barrels are set at a raised elevation. CA glue or PVA is recommended, as is airbrushing with acrylic paint, so as not to obscure details |
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| INSTRUCTIONS | ||||||
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Instead of an instruction sheet, one is directed to the Black Cat Models website where there is a specific page devoted to this item. There, one finds a generic guide on handling 3D printed parts. There’s also a spec sheet for this SKU. Unfortunately, at present, the link brings you to the 1/350 version, not the 1/700 version. |
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| FINAL THOUGHTS | ||||||
| These are nicely done pieces.
Unfortunately, the barrel warp takes away from what is
otherwise a fine and cost-effective accessory set. It’s
a bit of a surprise, given the typically high quality of
Black Cats accessories, particularly their 1/350 version
of this same mount. I cannot say if the slight barrel warp that I observed is limited to my sample. Though more expensive on a cost per unit basis and requiring assembly, I still consider the FineMolds styrene injected version as the benchmark in this scale. Recommended, with reservations. This is set # AC700042, which retails for approximately $8.95 US purchased direct from Black Cat Models. This does not include Shipping. As of this writing, the item is not in stock at Freetime Hobbies, their US distributor. Review sample courtesy of Black Cat Models. |
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