1:350 scale is a widely popular scale used by model ship kit manufacturers such as Tamiya

Tamiya Corporation

is a Japanese manufacturer of plastic model kits, radio controlled cars, battery- and solar-powered educational models, sailboat models, acrylic and enamel model paints, and various modeling tools and supplies...

, Hasegawa, Aoshima, Fujimi, Trumpeter

Trumpeter (company)

Trumpeter is a Chinese company that manufacturers plastic injection moulding military model kits. Their product line consists of model ships, aircraft, cars and military ground vehicles. Trumpeter kits initially had a reputation of being somewhat less detailed than those of competitors such as...

 and Revell

Revell

Revell is the brand name today of two manufacturers of scale plastic models. The original US company merged with another, Monogram, but now trades only under the Revell name. European Revell Germany separated from the US company in 2006.-Early history:...

.

History

1:350 scale ship series was started by Imai Kagaku with the release of tall ships

Tall ship

A tall ship is a large, traditionally-rigged sailing vessel. Popular modern tall ship rigs include topsail schooners, brigantines, brigs and barques. "Tall Ship" can also be defined more specifically by an organization, such as for a race or festival....

 from Operation Sail

Operation Sail

Operation Sail refers to a series of sailing events held to celebrate special occasions and features sailing vessels from around the world. Each event is coordinated by Operation Sail, Inc., a non-profit organization established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy and must be approved by the...

 (1976) in 1977. Tamiya followed with German battleship Bismarck

German battleship Bismarck

Bismarck was the first of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the primary force behind the German unification in 1871, the ship was laid down at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg in July 1936 and launched nearly three years later...

 in 1978 . However, Tamiya only released a limited number of ship kits in the series.

In 1990s, Hong Kong company Dragon Models

Dragon Models Limited

Dragon Models Limited is a Hong Kong based manufacturer of plastic model kits, diecast models and military action figures...

 released several modern US naval ships and submarines in 1:350 scale, such as Spruance class destroyer

Spruance class destroyer

The Spruance-class destroyer was developed by the United States to replace a large number of World War II-built Allen M. Sumner- and Gearing-class destroyers, and was the primary destroyer built for the U.S. Navy during the 1970s....

 which was released in 1990. Chinese company Trumpeter

Trumpeter (company)

Trumpeter is a Chinese company that manufacturers plastic injection moulding military model kits. Their product line consists of model ships, aircraft, cars and military ground vehicles. Trumpeter kits initially had a reputation of being somewhat less detailed than those of competitors such as...

 released several ships of the modern Chinese navy

People's Liberation Army Navy

The People's Liberation Army Navy is the naval branch of the People's Liberation Army , the military of the People's Republic of China. Until the early 1990s, the navy performed a subordinate role to the PLA Land Forces. Since then, it has undergone rapid modernisation...

 in early 2000s.

The market of 1:350 scale ship model kits further expanded after Hasegawa released a newly tooled kit Japanese battleship Mikasa

Japanese battleship Mikasa

is a pre-Dreadnought battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy, launched in Britain in 1900. She served as the flagship of Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō during the Battle of the Yellow Sea on 10 August 1904, and the Battle of Tsushima on 27 May 1905 during the Russo-Japanese War. The ship is preserved as...

 in 2005, which features latest molding and details. Other Japanese companies including Aoshima, Fujimi, Pit-Road and Fine Molds follow suit to produce a number of Japanese WWII ships. Tamiya also revived their 1:350 ship series, began with the all new tooling of Japanese battleship Yamato

Japanese battleship Yamato

, named after the ancient Japanese Yamato Province, was the lead ship of the Yamato class of battleships that served with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She and her sister ship, Musashi, were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed, displacing...

 in November 2011. The kit can be built as a full-hull or waterline model.

Companies outside Japan such as Revell and Airfix

Airfix

Airfix is a UK manufacturer of plastic scale model kits of aircraft and other subjects. In Britain, the name Airfix is synonymous with the hobby, a plastic model of this type is often simply referred to as "an airfix kit" even if made by another manufacturer....

, began to produce various 1:350 scale ships as well. Trumpeter also released dozens of models which are mostly based on US WWII ships.

Reception

The scale becomes popular and is now widely considered as a 'standardize scale' in ship modelling. This is due to the scale of model ships that is large enough to take advantage of detailing, but still small enough to be displayed sensibly.