TAMXF77 - Tamiya - Flat IJN Sasebo Gray Acrylic - 10mL Bott le

TAMXF77 - Tamiya - Flat IJN Sasebo Gray Acrylic - 10mL Bottle

Tamiya XF-77 Flat IJN Gray (Sasebo Arsenal) is described by Tamiya itself as "a depiction of the gray seen on craft built at the Sasebo Arsenal, such as the Musashi." It is the Sasebo Naval Arsenal's particular shade of IJN warship grey — one of four subtly different grey formulations used by Japan's main naval shipyards (Kure, Yokosuka, Sasebo, and Maizuru). XF-77 Sasebo grey is a medium-dark battleship grey with a very slight cool undertone, sitting close to but distinctly different from XF-75 Kure Arsenal Grey. The most significant modelling implication of this distinction is that Musashi — commonly paired with the Kure-built Yamato in modelling discussions — was in fact built at Sasebo and should be painted XF-77, not XF-75. This is one of the most commonly overlooked accuracy points in IJN warship modelling. XF-77 sits within Tamiya's dedicated IJN warship colour family alongside XF-75 (Kure), XF-78 (Wooden Deck Tan), and XF-80 (British Navy Gray), providing the correct hull grey for all Sasebo-originated vessels.

Tamiya Acrylic paints are a hybrid acrylic formula built on water-soluble resin — they can be thinned with water, isopropyl alcohol, or lacquer thinner, and clean up easily with water before curing. When thinned with Tamiya Lacquer Thinner, the paint lays down faster, dries harder, and bonds more aggressively to the substrate. The hybrid resin chemistry means the paint film remains slightly soluble after initial drying — subsequent brush strokes can reactivate and lift the layer below if applied without restraint. For this reason, airbrushing is strongly recommended for large surface coverage. Brush painting is workable for detail and touch-up work, but requires a gentle, deliberate stroke and a fully cured base layer. See our Tamiya Acrylic vs. Enamel vs. Lacquer guide for a full breakdown of paint type differences.

• IJN Musashi — Tamiya specifically names Musashi in the XF-77 description; the second Yamato-class superbattleship was laid down at the Sasebo Naval Arsenal in 1938 and commissioned in August 1942; Musashi served with the Combined Fleet's 1st Battleship Division at the Battle of the Philippine Sea (June 1944) before being sunk by US carrier aircraft at the Battle of Leyte Gulf (October 24, 1944); the distinction between Kure-built Yamato (XF-75) and Sasebo-built Musashi (XF-77) is the most important single accuracy point for modellers of either vessel
• Sasebo-built cruisers — heavy cruisers and light cruisers constructed at the Sasebo Naval Arsenal, including vessels of the Myōkō, Takao, and Agano classes where individual ship construction records confirm Sasebo origin; XF-77 covers all Sasebo-built and Sasebo-refitted warship hull surfaces
• Sasebo-built destroyers and smaller vessels — IJN destroyers, torpedo boats, and submarine tenders constructed at Sasebo across the Fubuki, Ayanami, Akatsuki, and Shiratsuyu classes; many of the most modelled IJN destroyer subjects in 1/700 Waterline Series kits have Sasebo Arsenal origins
• IJN submarines — the Sasebo Naval Arsenal was a major constructor of IJN submarines throughout the war; I-class and RO-class submarines built at Sasebo in the standard IJN warship grey are represented by XF-77 in 1/350 and 1/700 Tamiya and Fujimi submarine kit work
• Sasebo refitted vessels — many IJN warships built at other arsenals underwent major refits at Sasebo, which may have resulted in repainting in Sasebo Arsenal grey; for subjects with known Sasebo refit histories, XF-77 provides the more historically precise hull colour choice
• Arsenal grey comparison — XF-77 Sasebo grey is slightly different from XF-75 Kure grey; at 1/700 and 1/350 scale the difference is subtle but visible when kits of both arsenals' vessels are displayed together; using the correct arsenal grey for each vessel produces a more historically accurate fleet display than using a single grey across all IJN warship subjects

For full Tamiya paint colour references and modelling compatibility charts, visit our Tamiya Paint Colour Chart — Complete Guide for Scale Modellers.

Thin and airbrush with Tamiya Lacquer Thinner, Mr. Color Thinner, or Mr. Color Leveling Thinner.

• 10ml glass jar
• Part of the Tamiya Acrylic paint range