The Ship Model Forum

Thank you, Mike. I truly appreciate that.

About the actual wooden deck, most "experts" now accept that Taiho was fitted with a wooden flight deck. It really shouldn't be a surprise, as the Japanese practice (US, too) was to lay wooden deck planking over thin metal plating. The only difference in this case is that Taiho's metal plating was armored and vastly thicker between the elevators. Plans of Taiho always showed wood planking.

Three factors erroneously influenced the idea that she did not carry a wooden flight deck:

1) wood material shortages in Japan led to the development of a latex based surfacing/anti-skid material to be used instead. While this material was clearly in use on very late war constructed CVs like Amagi and Katsuragi, it's not at all clear when it came into use. (Btw, the Unryus were also designed with wood planked decks in mind.) The use of this material aboard Taiho has largely been presumed because of the indeterminate timing of its use in 1944, also

2) according to eyewitnesses, Taiho apparently had her flight deck darkened with funnel soot and/or black paint shortly before sortieing for the Phillipine Sea, thereby eliminating the lighter appearance that wooden decks usually take on, and finally

3) Kawasaki Shipbuilding had a large display model of her built post-war that did not show a wooden deck. Since Kawasaki built Taiho, and since Shizuo Fukui was alleged it have supervised the building of the model, it was just accepted by contemporaries and model manufacturers that used that model as a reference for their own kits that Taiho did not have a wooden flight deck. However, the actual rationale for this oversight is not known; the actual model builder(s) may not have realized it or relied on the same erroneous assumptions listed as 1 & 2.

A few years ago, this photo surfaced of two officers know to have been stationed together aboard Taiho standing atop her wooden flight deck with one of her aircraft in the background ( http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=60&t=171880&start=200#p885171 ) and was documented as authentic.

That's odd about your AH set. My AH set came with a wooden flight deck. I might even have an extra, but I would actually recommend the Shipyard set.

I actually have a lot of extra parts, even an extra kit. Feel free to contact me for/about anything for your build.

Was picking up some 1/700 supplies on eBay this weekend and on a whim, bought the Fujimi Taiho and Artist Hobby super detailed set. Happened to come across this build log and wow, Dan you really knocked this one out of the park! Your craftsmanship, research, and artistry really set the bar high for us mere mortals. Very nice job!

Interesting about the wooden deck on top of the armored deck. I was a little confused in reading various sources on whether there was a wooden deck on top, and it wasn't clear to me if the AH super set included one (I emailed them today and they replied that it didn't). I'll probably pick up the Shipyard wooden deck to have on hand.

[b]Work list and references:[/b]
Fujimi 1/700 Taiho Kit with corrections and scratch-building, Lionroar Late War IJN aircraft sets

[b]Aftermarket Injected Accessory Parts [/b]
Finemolds signal and searchlights, 25mm AA directors, navigation directors and bridge equipment, triple 25mm AA

[b]Photo Etch[/b]
Fujimi�s dedicated photo etch set for Taiho GUP-36, the Artist Hobby Super Set for Taiho, and the Joe World IJN CV radio antenna set V03. Some miscellaneous items were pulled from a variety of sources including KA, Flyhawk, Rainbow and Tom�s.

[b]Partial list of corrections[/b]
� Bow anchor deck apertures
� Shape of stern, stern boat deck and boat hangar
� Replaced aft flight deck trestle supports replacement with AH set
� Wind barrier replacement with AH set
� Flight deck air intake grills from brass mesh
� Flight deck edge catwalk solid siding replaced by railings
� Anchor chains scraped off and replaced with brass PE
� Portholes filled as needed to match proper configuration.
� Hawseholes at bow and stern improved with styrene
� Stern 25mmAA /director platform
� Hawser reels added
� Lower hull catwalks reduced in length
� Ship�s boats and added life rings
� Light sponsons added
� Landing light arrays
� Bridge island platforms reconfigured
� Deck edge radio antenna
� Aircraft fit and addition of PE canopies

[b]Partial list of scratch-built additions or corrections[/b]
� Kit flight deck planking removed and replaced with Evergreen 2020 V-groove styrene
� Deck edge treading replaced with AH photoetch
� Deck edge lighting/platforms from styrene strip
� Crash barrier channels etched out and crash barriers replaced with photo etch
� Deck edge rain gutter made from styrene strip
� Elevator aprons cut from kit elevator wells.
� Elevator lifts, wells and partial hangar decks made from styrene sheet and Rainbow PE supports for IJN CVs
� Hull plating created with paint layers
� Paravane booms cut from styrene rod
� Boat booms from styrene strip and relocated.
� Starboard side 9m cutter davits and station from misc. PE
� Maneuvering light array from PE
� Sponson braces from deck girder PE
� Added brass PE windows to the navigation sponsons
� Arrestor wires replaced by stainless steel versions
� All hull and starboard side bridge island air intakes drilled out and filled with brass mesh
� Brass rod foremast, yardarms and conduits on island
� Rotation stops for main battery from styrene strips
� Flight deck striping
� Canvas coverings (paint)
� Boat straps (paper) and rigging
� Rigging (per references) � Dia Riki .002�

Painted in Kure Grey, hull red & IJN linoleum using Tamiya Paints. Flight deck color is a custom mix of Tamiya paints, washed with burnt umber oils. Flight deck white and warning striping is spray painted on.

[b]References [/b]
� 1/200 plan set for Taiho from Miyukikai
� Gakken Pacific War Series vol. #22 aircraft carriers Taiho & Shinano
� IJN Taiho Volumes 1 & 2, Hans Lengerer and Lars Ahlberg, AJ Press
� Drawings of Taiho from the US Naval Technical Mission to Japan, multiple sources
� Gran Prix Shuppan Anatomy of IJN Aircraft Carriers
� Kojinsha Mechanisms of IJN Aircraft Carriers
� Kure Maritime Museum � IJN Aircraft Carrier volume
� Maru Special #s 23, 104
� Model Art Ship Modeling Special # 51, Spring, 2014
� Model Art Ship Modeling Special # 68, Summer, 2018
� Dai Nihon Kaigun Navy Yard #4

Selected photos from:
� Fukui vol. 3 IJN Aircraft Carriers, Seaplane Tenders
� Fukui 2 vol set
� Fukui Fighting Ships of the Imperial Japanese Navy

Thank you. Yes, that configuration has occurred to me as well, in some sort of post-war, alternate history scenario.

Most excellent work, Dan!

Funny thing, as I was finishing reading this thread, an interesting vision popped into my noggin...a kitbashed Taiho with a hypothetical angled deck! Wouldn't that be a treat?

Thank you, all. I really appreciate those words.

Surprisingly, she turned out just about as well as I hoped. Some aspects were truly fun. Others, not so much. And, I learned a few more things along the way.

Outstanding build, Dan. I'm really impressed with the scratch-built flight deck and hangar elevator details. :worship_1:
Another award-winner for sure.

Congratulations on an awesome build of a beautiful ship. A standard setting effort for sure!

Brilliant!

Awesome build of a lovely ship, congrats!

She turned out fantastic Dan!
The planes look great, and turn an already beautiful model in a spectacular one. :thumbs_up_1: :thumbs_up_1: :thumbs_up_1:

The PE wing fold detail is a great improvement; good choice to still add it at the end.
I wish it was available for Devastators when I was doing my Lex. I had to simulate that detail by painting it on, but raised PE detail would have been much better...

Very nice airgroup.

Thank you, my friends. Much appreciated.

Outstanding work!

Well well well you done it again but even better this time. Don't even bother to bring it to Mosquito Con. We'll just mail you the Best Of Show Award. :worship_1: As always top notch work. 1:700 doesn't get any better then this.

KTB

Beautiful work. Well done!

Thank you.

Yes to the Vals, though actually three, for ASW work. They were actually D3Y2s, which were improved models with a full spinner cone, longer canopy, and a longer dorsal fin leading up to the vertical stabilizer. No one makes those in 1/700, though.

Spectacular work. Did she carry the 2 Vals at Philippine Sea?

OK, 6 Tenzans with folded wings, and the aircraft spotted on deck for show. Yes, the masts should be down for actual launch operations. Funny how the flight deck still looks crowded. Removing the two Vals helps a little. Aircraft posed with and without Vals.

I tried placing one Tenzan on a hangar deck, but it gets lost in the shadows. So, it's posed on the aft elevator, down in the well.

Gallery photos to come, but this one can be put to bed.

Thx, folks.

Reworked folding wings with Rainbow PE. Shoulda done this in the first place.