(The boat) shows some Russian 'Kilo' influence but is an indigenous design rumored to utilize Air Independent Propulsion. Don't know how many they have so far, but Wal-Mart receipts are way up (LMAO! -Ed.) so I guess they plan a few more!
...About the (correctness of the) prop...who knows:
...I doubt very many (westerners) have ever seen the real deal so the issue is speculative...(however) the (same) kit designers put a scimitar-like 'j-prop' on the Song class kit so its not like it was not an option (for this model, too)...perhaps (the folks at Bronco) know more than we (do)...Some hard-core intel pix would be nice, huh?
I have the 1/35 scale Bronco 'Seehund' and the 1/350 scale Bronco 'HMS Victorious' in line but received the 1/48 scale 'Global Hawk' UAV yesterday, so may have to take a little detour. So many models, so little time!"
First, let me say: gorgeous model, Gus! I made sure to include that second pic from abeam, as the glare on the hull really picked up the surface finish of your weathering - again, just great.
And then I went briefly surfing for any on-line pic(s) of the Yuan's prop:
Click on Image to Enlarge
What I found - in addition to most sub pics, like all these, don't even show the prop - that any pics of a Yuan are hard to come by: the one at top being the only one found. The others, of course, are of Song-class boats - note the one at right is very overtly cropped, just before it gets to the prop!
Plus, the Chinese were also apparently adoptive enough of western methods to mimick the practice of draping of a cover over the prop, when in dry-dock:
Again, not a Yuan boat - however this pic does reveal some things about the Song-class class prop, at least. The blade at about 11:00, in particular, divulges a highly curved leading edge, ending in a rather pointy tip - as likewise apparent on the blades (ending) at about 1:00 and 3:00. This is clearly a "scimitar"-bladed type prop - significantly pointier than the early USN "J"-props, more like what appeared on the later Sturgeon and Los Angeles or (even pointier on) German coastal-type subs.
All of which are far narrower and pointier than the "fan"-type blade which Bronco put in your Yuan kit. I suppose wider, rounder blades could be consistent with a slower/quieter-operating boat - but it could equally be the case that Bronco had no hard info, either, and just defaulted to a more "generic" looking "advanced" prop - just as DML/Dragon did in the '80s, I believe, for many a Soviet boat about which they had little to no hard info.
Then finally I also had to download this other pic I found, showing some Mings (Chinese Romeos):
Click on Image to Enlarge
Just because it contains such a cool bunch of them. Note the camo pattern - darker above, and lighter blue on the hull - is exactly the opposite of most USN fleet boats, over the decades. And that railings, nav lights and other features on the sail are slightly different between the two foreground boats.
Those Commies sure like to fly their colored flags - as the capitalist economies all go into the toilet, their vaunted imperialist currencies locked in a furious race to the bottom - those Commies sure like to celebrate, don't they?!!