In a marketing campaign familiar to Japanese aircraft modelers, Armour Modelling magazine is releasing a Fine Molds Type 89 Imperial Japanese tank within three issues. Armour Modelling offers sets of sprues with each of the issues from November, December of 2010, with the last sprues bundled with the January 2011 issue. Instructions, articles, and reference are included in each issue.
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This set was purchased from Hobby Link Japan since the bundle also included a set of Masterbox Japanese Imperial Marines figures form their Bloody Atoll series. Each of the issues has a well done box which contains the sprues used within the part of the instructions in the magazine. All three boxes, when stacked, create the cover box art (see previous photograph). I smiled, placed the sprues in a sturdy plastic storage box and tossed the cardboard ones away after taking the photos.
There are seven sprues, a loose turret, a pair of vinyl tracks, and a decal sheet. No instructions are in the boxes but in the mooks (a Japanese term for magazine-book). I did not like that they are in a manner which can't be pulled out and stored with the sprues.
Sprue Tree B
Sprue Tree C
Sprue Tree D
Sprue Tree E
Sprue Tree G
Sprue Tree H
Sprue Tree L
Turret, Tracks, and Decals
The parts look wonderfully detailed and the company has a reputation for quality kits. Later on, when I begin a build and gather more references for a review, I can comment on it.