Fujimi 1/350 Hiryu ( ?? )

[momcil]

Very interesting, well done and accurate work with the intricate metal structures of the deck
I am not very familiar with the subject and cannot give any suggestions, anyway I apprechiate a lot the modelling effort!

[Dan K]

Watch your railing height on the top platform from the aft bulkhead just under the flight deck. I think fujimi had something is off with the height of the platform. The railing was right up against the deck support PE when I test fit mine.

Yes, I remember you mentioning that before. Of course, I forgot about that until after I attached the railing. It does crimp a little, but it's effectively hidden by the flight deck, so I'm not going to stress about it. I agree that Fujimi set the platform a little too high. I'm actually not sure if that's an observation platform for, say, the boat crane operator(s), or if it's more of a stowage platform.

Very interesting, well done and accurate work with the intricate metal structures of the deck

Thank you, momcil!

[Dan K]

I guess I might as well post a small update.

I finished painting all the boat decks and the stern area. I forgot to add a partial louvered, roll down door to the entranceway of the engine test area, so I added that after the fact.

About that louvered door: Hiryu had an area dedicated to aircraft engine repair and testing abaft the last elevator well on the port side. Engines were tested by rolling them out on a test stand sitting on aircraft trolley rails. The kit gets the door wrong by bisecting it vertically. I have no idea why, as there is a clear photo of the entrance way. I added the trolley rails, but kept the interior compartment in basic form. So, lowering the door obscures any real attempt to discern details in there.

Some plans indicate that the trolley rails may have turned 90* once outboard of the hull, on a short track parallel to the ship's axis. But, doing so would have made it impossible to use a propeller on the test engine, as was the custom. I don't even think there's room for a cut down prop. So, I've left my rails perpendicular to the ship's axis. This was certainly how it was done on the Shokakus.

[Dan K]

I used the kit's boats and PE. For the most part, I was pleased with both. I chose to remove only the deckhouse of the 11m motor boats and modified the PE accordingly. It was far easier than trying to remove everything in that area and replacing it with the full deckhouse.

Even though the kit's boat decks are planked, and I prefer to use a wash over painted decks, I chose to use the boat deck veneers provided by the Shipyard Works set. It�s just much easier to apply the veneer than a wash over that small area. I was very pleasantly surprised by the fit, adhesive and appearance of the wood veneer. Know that it�s important to gently slice the clear vinyl backing from the adhesive underside with a blade and to pull the edge up in order to expose the adhesive backing. If you just jam a blade in from the side, you�ll end up only separating the wood veneer from the adhesive.

While the 11m motor boats tuned out very well, I�m less than pleased with the 12m motor launches. Their covered awnings are too high. These awnings are supposed to be much lower, and probably not rigged at all for stowage. The reason for that is that the accommodation ladders at the stern are stowed flat on outriggers sticking out of either side of the upper boat deck. No such provision for ladder stowage is made by the kit, but I�m thinking of adding mine there. I�ll either sand the canopies down, or use boats from Hasegawa or Tamiya.

Here, I�ve glued the daihatsus in place, and am test fitting other boats.

[Dan K]

Oops, forgot to show the boat deckhouse work.

[marijn van gils]

Great progress Dan!

Awnings look good on those boats (different texture and colour), but maybe it would be more logical indeed if they are not rigged when stowed?
Then again, under the flight deck, the boats are not too visible, so maybe not worth the time to redo them...

Well, that's technically true, but not entirely accurate. The Unryus had the same boat layout, which included stowage for 13m daihatsus stowed inboard on the lower level. They were moved by the same overhead rail system as Hiryu, which meant there could not be immovable posts/columns/barriers in the way. Unryu's plans show narrow posts, but they would have to be removable. Not sure why these were needed. Maybe less material used as opposed to adding additional girders underneath the upper boat deck.

That does make sense! Interesting...

[Dan K]

Thx, marijn.

Interesting...

Apparently, these "support posts" were used more broadly by the carriers than I realized. Here they are aboard Shokaku. Go figure....

[Dan K]

In the meantime, excepting the 12m launches, the rest of the boats were completed and installed, along with boat straps. Also installed were the hawser reels, 12.7cm practice loader and remaining ladders. Tape was also removed from the linoleum decking.

[Dan K]

The aft flight deck section was also glued in place. Drainpipes for the rain gutters were added as well. While there is plenty more detail to be added later, this milestone has been reached, and I can turn back to the planked portion of the flight deck.

[marijn van gils]

edit: accidental double post...

[marijn van gils]

Beautiful work Dan!

Is there still a lot to be added here? Landing aid lights, and maybe emergency rudder, stowed accommodation ladder, anchor, overhead crane tackle/hooks?

Thx, marijn.

Interesting...

Apparently, these "support posts" were used more broadly by the carriers than I realized. Here they are aboard Shokaku. Go figure....

Haha! While you find clear evidence for Shokaku, I checked all photo's I have of Unryu class carriers but this area is never sufficiently visible to make out if these posts were actually present or not...

[Dan K]

Is there still a lot to be added here? Landing aid lights, and maybe emergency rudder, stowed accommodation ladder, anchor, overhead crane tackle/hooks?

That's basically correct, though no emergency rudder. There's also a maneuvering light, speed indicator cones, life rings, the 12m launches and, yes, as part of the landing light aids, the large lattice girder "wings" that hold those lights. There's also some platforms that must be fitted to the edge/underside of the flight deck All these pieces would be prone to handling damage, so I'm adding them later in the build.


Now the for the initial report on replacing the flight deck planking, round 2:

I began working on the new flight deck using the wood sticker from Shipyard Works as a template. I sprayed gray all over it, to create a sharp outline on a styrene sheet of Evergreen V-Groove 2025 underneath. Just follow the photos below.

Perhaps the most important aspect is positioning the elevator well cutouts on the deck. The sticker template gives you the outline of the lift, but the cut has to be larger, to include the metal apron around the elevators, as these, you might recall, are set into the underlying flight deck structure.

And the cut has to be exact, to allow the planked deck and its tie-down holes line up with the other two flight deck deck sections, running fore to aft along the ENTIRE flight deck. Plus, I find cutting the corner radii to be very difficult. I chose to glue down the original kit elevator well on top of the planked deck and use that as a template for the Exacto blade. Had to guesstimate exactly where to position it over the elevator outline, because it�s larger in all directions.

It seems to have worked, though I won�t know until I strip off the current planking and fit this one over the rim of the well.

[marijn van gils]

Yes, corner radii are difficult indeed...

I have found no other (safe and precise) way than to cut close but not all the way, and work to the final dimensions by sanding (and constant test-fitting).

Outside (convex) corners are ok, because you can cut the straight sides to their exact dimension with a ruler and then cut and sand the corners.
Inside (concave) corners are harder and more work: I usually first sand (or file) the corners to their dimensions, and then cut and/or sand the straight sides to their final dimension to flow from the corners seamlessly.

[Dan K]

I have found no other (safe and precise) way than to cut close but not all the way, and work to the final dimensions by sanding (and constant test-fitting).

The same holds true for me.

Since the lengthwise alignment of the tie-down holes is the actual overall driver of the placement of the flight deck, widening the elevator opening has to be done slowly, with constant re-checking of the alignment, just as marijn states. To do that, I had to first strip off the remainder of the original planking. Fortunately, I was able to do so without stressing the scratch-built elevator wells underneath. Then, I temporarily taped the starboard side�s deck edge metal treading in place, to help guide the deck placement.

The initial cut is aligned reasonably well. Now, it just needs to be enlarged, ever so carefully, to fit over the elevator apron while maintaining alignment. Stay tuned.

[Joe Simon]

I wanted to say this is a fantastic project Dan. Great work as usual.

[Dan K]

Thanks, Joe.

A brief update: Since I/we've been through this process before, I'll just post the pics.

What is new is that the finalized deck/hangar section was glued to the hull. Big milestone for me.

[mister me]

very inspiring work !

[marijn van gils]

Now that is really starting to take shape!

Love the appropriate weights too...

[Dan K]

Love the appropriate weights too...

They were perfect for the job


Another brief update:

The deck was cut cross-wise in order to add the expansion joints. The deck edge metal trading was then primed and glued to a 0.15" thick backing of styrene, to bring the treading up to the same height as the flight deck. The treading was then glued to the deck edges.(Some scraping away of the planking edge was needed to ensure a proper fit.)

I then began adding rain gutters, but ran out of material. I should be able to resume that portion in a few days.

[Dan K]

Time for a long overdue update. A lot of work has occurred. I guess the key highlights are:

The rain gutters were completed, gaps around the elevator aprons were filled, the windbreak/palisade was glued in place without clogging up the grill work (that was big for me)

The large, starboard side sponson was added after removing all the molded grillwork and replacing those with basic mesh grills. (The kit PE only provides one grill, for the forward opening, and its recommended positioning is all wrong.) I also added air intakes that sit atop large duct mounted outboard of the hull. I only painted these because they will be hidden for the most part under other sponsons and netting.

The rest of the degaussing cable was added to both sides of the hull.