White
Ensign Models has released a brass photoetch set to outfit the Tamiya 1/350
scale Yamato and Musashi kits. To say that this new set is up to WEMs usual
standard of excellence would be nice, but I just can't do it. White Ensign's
previous 1/350 scale König/Großer Kurfurst, King George V class, and USS Enterprise
photoetch sets were all well researched, astutely designed and superbly etched
efforts. Each was a little better than the last, in fact. To be honest this
set, which White Ensign rather immodestly calls "The Ultimate Set", is not really
of that order of quality. This set goes way beyond! 
Apparently
White Ensign's Peter Hall really took this one to heart, imparting this effort
with what truly must be the ultimate in photoetch scale fidelity. This set consists
of two sheets of relief etched brass, in two different thicknesses for extra
realism. It contains the expected photoetch components such as railing, catapults,
cranes, and radars, which are all uniformly excellent. It is in the smaller details, though, where this set really shines. I especially like the inclined ladders with their relief etched sides and individually perforated steps; remarkable attention for such humble fittings. The upgrades to the 25mm triples are also notable, with seats, hand cranks, footplates, and mounting bases for each gun to upgrade one of the weaker components of the Tamiya kit. I could go on and on, but suffice to say that this truly is the Ultimate Yamato/Musashi upgrade set!
The set contains: aircraft catapult assembly, aircraft catapult turntable, aircraft handling trolleys, handling trolley dolly, catapult launch cradle ("Jake"), catapult launch cradle ("Pete"), 25mm triple gun tub footplates, funnel searchlight porm walkway, funnel cap grills, 'Ten Ichigo' funnel emblems, main 46cm gun turret doors, 15.5cm gun barbette riveted seams, main crane hook, main crane kingpost assembly, spar antenna 15.5cm turret 15.5cm turret sliding door, flight deck aircraft track turntables, main crane jib assembly, flight deck sponson grills, spar antenna tripods, flight deck track sections, flight deck overhang supports (large), flight deck overhang supports (small), hawse pipe covers, medium watertight deck hatches, standard watertight doors, small hatches, sylight hatches, cable reels 'A', foretop director arm strengthening bars, cable reels 'B', small access doors, yardarm antennas, sounding platforms, ammunition box covers, large deck access hatches, watertight doors closed (with escape hatch), watertight doors open ( with escape hatch), 15.5cm turret heat protection strips, 2 bar chain link safety rails, 2 bar solid safety rails, single bar walkway handrails, single bar low handrails, 2 bar chain rails for deck undulation, main crane rigging (right), vent grills for aft 15.5cm barbette, vent grills for 12.7cm aft barbettes, vent grills for aft director tower, vent grill for aft funnel trunking, foc's'le vent box grills & flaps, vent cowl grills for forward superstructure, superstructure side small vent grills, main 46cm turret top handrails, 46cm gun barrel platform rails, funnel searchlight platform walkway railing, cable reels 'D', vertical ladders, large deck access hatches (open), bridge windows, 7mm inclined ladder with handrail, 8mm inclined ladder with handrail, 9mm inclined ladder with handrail, main 46cm turret sight lens, main 46cm turret rear door step & canopy, 46cm gun barrel lattices, large superstructure side vent grills, forward 15.5cm barbette deck vent grills, forward 15.5cm barbette vent grills, aircraft catapult mechanism, Type 21 Go Dentan Kai radar antennas, type 13 Go radar antennas, type 21 Go Dentan Kai radar supports, forward superstructure vent grills, forward 15.5cm barbette deck vent grills, single 25mm AA gun base plates, aft deck vent grills, life ring and stowage rack, triple 25mm AA enclosed turret door & rails, cable reel 'E', leadsmans platforms & rail, cable reel 'F', large deck access hatch (closed), aircraft parts ("Jake"), cable reels 'C', searchlight platform footplates, aft director walkway rails, aft director walkways, twin 13mm machine gun mountings, searchlight lens crosses, single 25mm AA gun sights & braces, 46cm outer gun barrel footplates, 12.7cm triple open mounting fittings, aircraft parts ("Pete"), anemometer fittings, triple 25mm open mounting fittings, forward director tower direction finder antenna, 15.5cm turret top handrails, 15.5cm gun blast bag restrainer rails, 12.7cm triple enclosed turret railings, 12.7cm gun barrel shutters, foretop director walkway, foretop director walkway handrail, main crane rigging (left).