Calling all IJN Carrier fans (class comparisons)

[Atma]

The full hull IJN Shokaku in 1/700 by Fujimi is out, link:
http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10160882




And the new IJN Taiho in full hull mode from Fujimi in 1/700 is also out:
http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10160887



Enjoy !

[Atma]

The new IJN Hiryu from Fujimi in 1/350 is out !
http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10160871
Enjoy !

[Atma]

The new IJN Hosho 1942 version is out by Fujimi in 1/700:
http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10160881
Enjoy !

[DennisJP]

The Pit Road's IJN Unryu is been re-released as it seems by this link:
http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10162087

Those kits was rare nowdays, IJN Unryu and IJN Katsuragi(Did Pit Road also released the IJN Amagi as well), and all I knew about those kits is that where far better than the old Aoshima kits.
So any reviews/comments ? Anyone build one of those ?
Thanks in advance.

I have seen a review of this kit. It actually includes detail to the hanger deck! LOL It looks like an awesome kit. Highly recommend it and will being getting me up to three for all three carriers of the class as soon as possible after it comes out.

[DennisJP]

So far from what I have seen. FUJIMI is the company to beat. Disappointed with Tamiya even though the Aoshima Soryu was quite good. Also the new Unryu release from Pitroad is very good as well, on a level with Fujimi.

[Atma]

The Pit Road's IJN Unryu is been re-released as it seems by this link:
http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10162087

Those kits was rare nowdays, IJN Unryu and IJN Katsuragi(Did Pit Road also released the IJN Amagi as well), and all I knew about those kits is that where far better than the old Aoshima kits.
So any reviews/comments ? Anyone build one of those ?
Thanks in advance.

I have seen a review of this kit. It actually includes detail to the hanger deck! LOL It looks like an awesome kit. Highly recommend it and will being getting me up to three for all three carriers of the class as soon as possible after it comes out.

The IJN Katsuragi had some significant differences from the IJN Unryu and IJN Amagi, Pit-Road had some extra/different parts for IJN Katsurag model.
Also there is a chance IJN Amagi had some extra parts different from the IJN Unryu, a IJN Amagi or IJN Katsuragi model from Pit-Road's IJN Unryu kit is a risk.

[Atma]

Dan maybe can shed some light on the differences on the three ships.

[DennisJP]

Dan maybe can shed some light on the differences on the three ships.

The difference in the ships was in the radar antenna's and the AA rocket launchers. The Katsuragi being the different one with a 180 rocket, rocket launcher instead of 168 rocket, rocket launcher. The radars differ as well in 1945, but as built all three are the same.

RADARS
Type 21: Top of Island and Flight Deck (2) (Katsuragi and Amagi in 1945 the island Type 21 was replaced by a Type 22.)
Type 13: 1 in the mast (Katsuragi: 2 in the mast, as built, reduced to 1 in 1945)(Amagi as well, Type 13's reduced to one in 45)



Here is a picture of Amagi to hopefully help out with camo as well. Picture is brighter so camo would be darker.

Theory
Japan was running low of materials to make paint at this time that is why a pink cruiser was reported by the British near Singapore. It was not pink but rather red. The ship was painted in just primer because they did not have paint to paint it dark grey with blue tinge. Ship was Ashigara.
Paint used in Unryu class camo here looks like IJN Dark Green, the same dark Green they used for their aircraft.
The second color was diffrent. This picture is of Amagi which shows, what looks to be a IJA Green which is the same paint the Army painted their aircraft.
The other color for this that was on Zuikaku and Unryu was a IJN Lt Grey. The same Lt Grey almost white looking paint that was on the Pearl Harbor attack aircraft. (Zero's and Val's)

[Dan K]

Aside from the various changes in radar fit, Katsuragi differed visually from Unryu and Amagi in two ways:

1) she had hexagonal edged funnels, instead of the oval curved edges
2) her sponson supports were rectangular in cross-section, not round. See below.

I would not agree the the PitRoad Unryus are comparable to the latest Fujimi or Aoshima releases. Some fit issues, also a lot of raised detail on the flight decks. Martin Quinn has weighed in on this before, as he has built the PitRoad Amagi. All of mine are still in box.

[Atma]

Dan you sell one ?
Thanks for the information by the way

[DennisJP]

Aside from the various changes in radar fit, Katsuragi differed visually from Unryu and Amagi in two ways:

1) she had hexagonal edged funnels, instead of the oval curved edges
2) her sponson supports were rectangular in cross-section, not round. See below.

I would not agree the the PitRoad Unryus are comparable to the latest Fujimi or Aoshima releases. Some fit issues, also a lot of raised detail on the flight decks. Martin Quinn has weighed in on this before, as he has built the PitRoad Amagi. All of mine are still in box.

Thanks for the info. The Unryu kit I'am talking about is the new one from Pitroad. Wont be released until this month or next. I have seen the review on it already and it looks pretty good. Includes big sections of the hangers inside.

[Dan K]

I know which ones you are referring to, Dennis. These are just a re-release of the initial kits. I agree that they come with a portion of the top hangar deck/evelvator shaft, which is a nice extra and better than most 1/700 IJN CV kits provide. Though, if you want a detailed elevator shaft with some decking in 1/700, the Tamiya Junyo kit is excellent. FineMolds happens to make a PE version of that setup, which can be adapted to others ships with a little work. I do stand by my other comments on the PitRoad kit.

Speaking of PE, PitRoad also released a very nice, dedicated, expensive PE set for its Unryu class with the intial releases. No idea if it is being included with the kit this time around.

Regarding the IJN camo greens, these were specially formulated as part of the camouflage experiments conducted in the spring of 1944. Not a pure match for the IJA green.

[DennisJP]

I know which ones you are referring to, Dennis. :smallsmile: These are just a re-release of the initial kits. I agree that they come with a portion of the top hangar deck/evelvator shaft, which is a nice extra and better than most 1/700 IJN CV kits provide. Though, if you want a detailed elevator shaft with some decking in 1/700, the Tamiya Junyo kit is excellent. FineMolds happens to make a PE version of that setup, which can be adapted to others ships with a little work. I do stand by my other comments on the PitRoad kit.

Speaking of PE, PitRoad also released a very nice, dedicated, expensive PE set for its Unryu class with the intial releases. No idea if it is being included with the kit this time around.

Regarding the IJN camo greens, these were specially formulated as part of the camouflage experiments conducted in the spring of 1944. Not a pure match for the IJA green.

Ok, thanks.

[Atma]

The re-release of IJN Unryu in 1/700 by Pit-Road is out:
http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10162087
It seems that you got options for the IJN Unryu, IJN Amagi and IJN Katsuragi this time. Just look at the different options that Pit-Road offers for the AA sponsons for the 3 ships and the small Island.
Also a small PE set is included and new tooled late war Imperial Navy aircrafts.
I think I will buy it cause of the option to make any of the three ships and not only the IJN Unryu, always wanted a IJN Katsuragi.

[Atma]

The best 1/700 IJN Hiryu is out by Fujimi. enjoy:
http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10160875

[Dan K]

Thx for posting, though I think the correct link is: http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10160875

Hard to tell but, it looks like it does have deck edge rain gutter and lights. OTOH, I'm, 99.9% certain it has the same incorrect planking pattern as do all the other Fujimi carriers.

[Ledinot]

I would not agree the the PitRoad Unryus are comparable to the latest Fujimi or Aoshima releases. Some fit issues, also a lot of raised detail on the flight decks.

Excuse me, Dan, but what do you mean saying �the latest Aoshima releases�? I know only Aoshima Unryu 1994 and Amagi 1993, and both are definitely worse than the Pit-Road versions. There are not only raised deck details (even deck markings), but also deck shape discrepancies + caricature hull features + overall poor detailing: family resemblance to Aoshima Soryu 1971.

[Dan K]

I was referring to Aoshima generally, with their new Hiryu & Soryu releases, rather than their older Unryu kits. I agree that the PitRoad versions are superior. Sorry if I was unclear.

[Atma]

1944 IJN Hosho by Fujimi in 1/700, out in April:
http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10179683

[Vladi]

Hi all,
does anyone have any recommendation for a color mix for the bei-matsu pine used on IJN carrier decks - preferably based on Tamiya or GSI acrylics? I spent a whole day trying to find a match but I am not happy with any of the results...
Thanks a lot!