I think that no one bought one so no one can really post anything about 'em.......they were so terrible I believe Lindy has been trying to sweep the nightmare of the sub out of the collective consciousness of the modelling community.......Maybe Randy Stone has something to add?

One of the guys in our club bought one and built it up. Unless you're a fan of the 'size matters!' viewpoint I'd skip this one.

Yeah the thing from it's sheer size is impressive as heck but the detailing is well... lacking. And some items like the nine foot/three meter diameter hatches are well.... let's just say I won't be picking one up anytime soon.

I bought one........pre-ordered it and received it before the reviews came out......just sold it on ebay.....

I've thought about getting one..is it really that bad?  Seems that nobody anywhere on the net has anything good at all to say about it.

This kit was discussed here at great length, unfortunately the topic became heated and the threads were all pulled by the administration.   

The one thing people can agree on, it is not a scale model of a Japanese submarine, it is a generic plastic toy submarine.   Lindberg's business model was "skip R&D, make it BIG and they will buy".      

If you want a big toy plastic generic submarine, go for it.  If you want a scale model, better off starting from scratch.

Dave 

http://www.finescale.com/en/Products%20and%20Reviews/Kit%20Reviews/2009/10/Lindberg%201-72%20scale%20IJN%20I-53%20submarine%20and%20Kaitens.aspx

PS Mr. Boyer reviewed this kit in FSM mag.  As a non-subscriber I can't read it but  I'm curious to know if the zero-accuracy issue was fairly addressed.  

Dave

The review looks fairly evenhanded.  He makes no bones about the inaccuracies. He comes right out and says they are way off, and would be difficult to correct.  He also mentions "toy-like" in his list of Cons.  But he does like the ease of consrtuction, the quality of the railings on the sail and a couple other features. 

I looked on Lindberg's website and they show the 1/72 I-20 and the 1/200 Graf Zepelin as in the catalog.  No mention is made that they are still pending.  Has anyone bought one of these?

This kit was subject at a couple local IPMS chapter meetings. One of the club officers was the reviewer who was asigned to review it for IPMS USA. He pulled no punches and although he did the best job he could witht he basic kit using his own considerable skills, the end rsults spoke for themselves. I dont think many modlers are willing to spend that amount of money on a kit of that caliber. All the LHS that do have that kit in stock have it on clearance and they are not going anywhere. I believe that Lindberg bet big on this one without doing a proper job and lost. Its a real shame considering how much anticipation there was for this kit and coming on the heels of Revell's two beautiful 1/72 sub kits. I doubt anyone else will attempt this magnificent subject in 1/72.

tucchase

The review looks fairly evenhanded.  He makes no bones about the inaccuracies. He comes right out and says they are way off, and would be difficult to correct.  He also mentions "toy-like" in his list of Cons.  But he does like the ease of consrtuction, the quality of the railings on the sail and a couple other features. 

I looked on Lindberg's website and they show the 1/72 I-20 and the 1/200 Graf Zepelin as in the catalog.  No mention is made that they are still pending.  Has anyone bought one of these?

Check firecaptain's post above. He stated that he purchased one and was fortunately able to unload it on some poor sap on E-Bay.

subfixer

tucchase:

The review looks fairly evenhanded.  He makes no bones about the inaccuracies. He comes right out and says they are way off, and would be difficult to correct.  He also mentions "toy-like" in his list of Cons.  But he does like the ease of consrtuction, the quality of the railings on the sail and a couple other features. 

I looked on Lindberg's website and they show the 1/72 I-20 and the 1/200 Graf Zepelin as in the catalog.  No mention is made that they are still pending.  Has anyone bought one of these?

 

Check firecaptain's post above. He stated that he purchased one and was fortunately able to unload it on some poor sap on E-Bay.

I believe Firecaptain was refering to the original post's subject of the I-53.  My question specifically is about the I-20 and the Graf Zepelin.  Firecaptain has referred to his I-53 in the other older threads as having been pre-ordered and received, and he was disappointed when he got it and wasn't sure what he would do with it.  I believe he responded earlier in this thread that he had sold it to someone on ebay, and that post preceded my question.  Lindberg's website makes these two look as though they are ready and available.  I have seen nothing in this forum to substantiate this, so I was questioning if anyone else has seen anything anywhere else that will confirm their website.  A lot of people were also looking forward to the I-20 until the I-53 bombed out, so if it was really available I would have thought there would have been some mention somewhere as to whether it was a bomb also or if Lindberg maybe did a better job with it than the I-53.

Or is this another Lindberg screwup that they are listing models as available when they are not even, as yet, in production!  Or maybe just a pipe dream on their part?

I believe the 1/200 GZ kit by Lindberg is, or was,  in production.   I have seen photos of the kit parts and it is another grotesque stinker by the same culprit who designed the "Japanese submarine".     Everything on the GZ is out of proportion, just dreadful.      Save your money.

Dave

I just got one recently. An American friend who likes to live in Thailand kindly carried it in his luggage all the way from Virginia to Bangkok. The parts barely fit his luggage and one part got broken but nevermind. At the back of the I-53's instruction sheets, it shows Graf Zeppelin as Future Release. I thought they would do it 1:72 too but someone above said its website says 1:200. That's still big!

I noted from an old thread that the I-53 needs:

1. A new wood deck, with laser-etched details & exactly placed planking

2. Accurate flood vent/limber hole templates

3. Properly scaled hatches

I'll pass on these information to my builder and see if he can correct some.

I was wondering who the poor sap was.

The term "lipstick on a pig" comes to mind...

If only Revell would try for a "hat trick" in 1/72 subs...

i am building the 1/72 KAITEN from finemolds. and to think i stpped building 1/700 because the parts are too small. anyway i was looking at the box art and thinking of building a cradle on a section of sub deck for display. (going to do that with the midget sub too). could you scan the instruction page showing the cradles so i can use it as a reference (yes i know about the accuracy issue) along with the box cover art.

thanks.

I hate this sub and want to divorce it...

why did you marry it in the first place? i know, it was sexy before you got a close look.

this thread has much double entendre potential with torpedoes etal.

i think the box art will probably be more accurate than the sub kit.