Calling all Akagi (赤城) and Kaga (加賀) fans

[ijnfleetadmiral]

Just announced this morning: RV Petrel has located the main wreck of Kaga. She sits upright in over 17,000 feet of water, with most of her flight deck missing.

[marinR00]

And now Akagi

Link to post regarding the discovery of wrecks here: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=208488

Please confine discussion of the wrecks to the linked post.

[callen]

Hello Gents!

I hope everyone is well.



I got the IJN Carrier bug this fall and tonight I broke out the Kaga Triple Deck. I'm seriously considering scratch-building the flight deck, and I have some questions in that regard.

Does anyone have any info on the girder-structure of the flight deck aft as originally constructed? Unlike other IJN CA's there isn't a PE flight deck option for this. The Fujimi Kaga 3 Deck Kit has a rather blank underside to the back end of the Flight Deck. I've found that looking at various kits and models of the Kaga in her final form is both illuminating and confusing. The various aftermarket and kit manufacturers seem to be interpreting this area differently. Any help from the wonderful experts here would be very greatly appreciated.

Also, it appears from the famous Starboard quarter view of the Kaga fitting out that there is quite a bit of girder extending along the edges of the flight deck forward, extending behind the horizontal funnels. Does anyone have any information on the structure of the ship in this area?

Many thanks gents, and happy modeling!

[Dan K]

So, there are no readily available plans or drawings. However, do not let the photos of the Kaga construction deter you, as much of what you see is just additional scaffolding.

My best advice is to follow the Tetra set for the modernized 1/350 fit. Her stern was lengthened, and the flight deck lengthened with an additional set of column supports aft, but the portion of the ship under the flight deck from the third elevator back to the original aftmost girders was mostly unchanged. The most obvious change has to do with the original support columns to either side of the aft end of the elevator. They were original built as open latticeworks, and enclosed after the refit.

I think if you follow the pics below, you'll get my drift.

[callen]

Dank K, this is precisely the information I was looking for. Thank you so much for this information! You're a mensch!




Your comments chimed exactly with my conclusions after researching the refit, and lengthening of the stern. I thought: 'Why would they change the undergirders of the flight deck? They would simply extend the structure, wouldn't they?' But I couldn't be sure. Thanks again.

[Dan K]

I have my moments.

You are most welcome. Good project; I hope we can see your work on it.

[callen]

I'm going to get started. Pondering how to scratch all that girder... I think it's doable, I'm just wondering about the sanity factor.


I'm gonna get started on it tonight. I've got the Fujimi Triple Deck. (700th) They didn't even attempt to reproduce the understructure of the flight-deck aft. It's quite glaring. But the basic kit is quite nice. Good hull. I have the aftermarket as well, so the struts are no problem.

I've been looking at my scribed styrene sheets and I think I can scratch the decks. If I succeed in this, I can cut out the elevators from the kit-supplied top deck, pose them low, and do some interior work for the hangars as well, which should be fun. If all goes well, I will blog it on the WIPs forum here and I can share some photos here as well. If it doesn't go well, you'll never see it!


One more quick question, I assume the bow fly-off deck under-structure was made from perforated bar, rather than girder? Would you say that is correct?

[Dan K]

Which girder?

Lots of aftermarket PE that can be used in a variety of ways. Rainbow makes great wall supports for the hangar deck bulkheads. I've also worked out a good way to build those elevator wells. If interested, see pp 1-2 of my Taiho WIP: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=171880

[callen]

Which girder?

My assumption, based on what I've seen by way of PE and other sources is that the bow flyoff deck would have been supported by what we call 'perforated bar' in the hobby (don't know the Japanese term for this.)

Lots of aftermarket PE that can be used in a variety of ways. Rainbow makes great wall supports for the hangar deck bulkheads. I've also worked out a good way to build those elevator wells. If interested, see pp 1-2 of my Taiho WIP: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=171880

Well, Dan, your link to your Taiho build, which I was totally unaware of, has been nothing short of a treasure-find. I spent a whole evening going over that thread. I too am a great Taiho fan. I have that precise kit in my stash and am planning on building it soon. I may have to use your model as, well...a model. So much insight in your thread. The ELEVATOR WELLS! I'm not in the dark anymore! I know what to do! Thank you so much for these links! Very much appreciated!

[Dan K]

You are most welcome. And, a thank you as well. When the time comes to build your Taiho, you should touch base with me.

There are several suppliers that offer 1/700 IJN perforated bar, but the structures under the lowest deck look more like trestles to me.

[calimero9]

Hi all,
i'm planning to build 1:700 Akagi in the near future and would like to know if someone has made a comparision between the Fujimi and the Hasegawa kit concerning details or could give his impression/opinion on one of them.
I saw that Lion Roar makes a PE Flight Deck (Item #LE700055 ) but couldn't find any hint if it's for Fujimi or Hasegawa, does someone know for which kit it is?
Since i intend to use extensive Pe sets i also wonder if one of the two has a better buildability & compatibility with their respective PE Sets.
And last, for which of the two kits exists the better & most extensive PE Aftermarket sets?

Cheers
Hans

[Dan K]

I'm not sure if anyone has made an actual comparisno of the two kits.

There are a ton of PE sets, both comprehensive and just flight deck related. Fujimi and Hasegawa both make fairly comprehensive sets, though plenty alternative sets are available from Lionroar, Flyhawk, Rainbow, Tetra, Shipyard Works, etc. I can't list all of them, so I suggest scrolling through both these links and review the line items.

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/search?typ1_ ... le=1%2f700

https://www.hobbyeasy.com/en/page/advan ... esult.html

[garyrunnalls]

Check out Jeff Lin's Kaga and other IJN builds, OMG and he is on this site. Very good.

[thebunkerparodie]

founded this link on amagi/akagi preliminary : https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/thread ... ies.33201/

[Dan K]

Any suggestions on a good set of references for Kaga?

Aside from what you've ordered, not a whole lot more. Maru Special #127 has a few other pics. All the other Japanese pictorial volumes really just have various selections from the Maru Special/Nihon no Gunkan volumes. The photo quality might be better, but not the selection.

[QMG_Waz]

Hi about to commence Fujimi Akagi build and Im confused about the 4.7" AA guns I can purchase replacement parts for these from snowman but I cant tell if I need A1-2 turret or A1-3 I cant tell from photo's Ive seen and the descriptions dont mention the turret. https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10693675 or https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10693676

thanks for any advice

Cheers

Waz

[Dan K]

Unfortunately, neither option is going to work. These links depict various 12.7cm enclosed turrets while Akagi carried three twin 12cm enclosed mounts. Smaller gun, different type turret.

Even worse, there is no aftermarket version that I'm aware of.

[QMG_Waz]

Thanks for the reply Dan - I totally missed they were a smaller size on Akagi. That was almost an embarrassing blunder, Ill be double checking everything closer now I'm also attempting a elevator on this build (not to the level of detail of yours) but only to the first level using the rainbow kit -now Ill check I have the correct set!

Cheers Waz

[Dan K]

set RB7121 for Akagi's forward or middle elevator. I have one, but I think the postal cost to you would be outrageous.

[SeanF]

Thanks for the reply Dan - I totally missed they were a smaller size on Akagi. That was almost an embarrassing blunder, Ill be double checking everything closer now I'm also attempting a elevator on this build (not to the level of detail of yours) but only to the first level using the rainbow kit -now Ill check I have the correct set!

Cheers Waz

Though you did get the 4.7" figure correct for Akagi! (A reasonable rounding of 12.0cm - or did the IJN use a true 4.7" and rounded the cm figure? On the other hand, 12.7cm is a true 5")

- Sean F.