Calling all IJN Tosa-class (土佐) and Amagi-class (天城) BC fans

[Atma]

IJN Amagi in 1/700 by Fujimi is the top selling 1/700 item at the moment in Japan, a IJN Tosa is almost certainly coming out by the end of 2011.

[Atma]

Lets see if I will be able to pull a Battleship "H" or "D" from Fujimi's IJN Amagi.
Pictures:

[Caravellarella]

The University of Tokyo has made a generous present to all of us, placing the archive of late admiral Hiraga online. There are general arrangement plans for Amagi and Kaga, as well as cross-sections, decks and lots of details for both projects, as well as for some other Japanese capital ships.
Here is a link to the archive:
_http://rarebook.dl.itc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/hiraga/login.do?userid=guestaccount&passwd=guestaccount&pagingPage=1&loginCode=login&
And here is a link to images:
_http://rarebook.dl.itc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/hiraga/images/large/
All you need to do is to find the images you need by digging into the archive by clicking the first link. By clicking the second link you will find files with the images which can be downloaded.
The site could be translated by Google Chrome, but Amagi is the 10th from the top in a dropdown menu to the left (the first link), Kaga - the 9th, and Kii/Owari - the 11th (midship sections and differencies from Amagi as a serie texts and data).

The model by Fijimi fits the plans almost flawlessly.

Cheers,
Dmitry

Awesome !
Thank you Mitrich and UoT.
Lots of information for almost all IJN Battleships(there is plans for IJN Katori class pre dreadnoughts, the most obscure Japanese battleships !) and never made designs.

How is one supposed to search through this archive?

Terry (Caravellarella)

[Atma]

I used Yahoo babel fish.
This site is really amazing, tons of info about almost any battleship from Imperial Japanese Navy, plus plans for never built ships(so many possibilities based on Fujimi's IJN Amagai in 1/700 !).
Link for the Yahoo Babel fish:http://babelfish.yahoo.com/

[Atma]

By the way, anyone knows a way how to save those pictures from the Tokio University archive ?

[Timmy C]

There is that Print button at the bottom left of the interface - if you have something like CutePDF, you can get it to "print" to a PDF format on your computer.

[Atma]

Quick question, the searchlights on IJN Amagi's pagoda and mainmast are 120 cm or 90 cm ones ?
Thanks in advance.

[Dan K]

Std. BB searchlight equipment was 110cm, not 120cm.

[Atma]

Thanks Dan for the clarification, I guess the 120cm was for IJN Yamato class ? Does the type of the searchlight used on the IJN Nagato class early 1920 and mid 1920 (that means IJN Amagi and IJN Tosa class if she ever got completed) was the same as the one used during WWII ?
I intend to replace Fujimi's searchlights with those of Fine Molds, on my IJN Amagi(s).
Thanks in advance !

[Dan K]

Yamato class used eight 150cm searchlights. All other BBs used Type 92 110cm searchlight. FineMolds is a smart choice.

[Atma]

FineMolds is the best choise (not that I work for them )!
So.. there is no 120 cm ones ? I must be misled then.

[Atma]

One more quick question, the 4 single AA guns in the IJN Amagi battlecruiser/fast battleship is the 8 cm/40 (3") 3rd Year Type ?
That particular weapon was used as the standard heavy AA weapon in the Imperial Japanese Battleships during early 1920's and mid 1930's ?

[Zemmix]

New issue of Navy Yard magazine is out in Japan. It has a nice 1944 version of the Amagi in it. I have 2 Amagi's sitting in my stash and a WWII version was something I wanted to try. I took a couple of quick pics with the camera if you want to see it. Sorry the quality isn't so great!





Here's a link to the book on Amazon Japan. I do believe they ship books internationally if you really want. This issue also has a great comparison article for 1/700 aftermarket bits comparing stock kit parts to Pit Road accessories and Fine Mold. It's amazing how much better Fine Mold parts look compared to the others when they are all lined up in a row.

http://www.amazon.co.jp/gp/switch-langu ... uage=en_JP

[Atma]

My WWII version of IJN Amagi is also something like that, cannibalising Fujimi's IJN Nagato/IJN Mutsu and IJN Ise parts.
Bridge from IJN Nagato and IJN Mutsu and turrets.
Funnel and AA cradles from IJN Ise.

[USS California BB44]

Thought I'd repost Atma's link here from the main forum
IJN Amagi with brass barrels

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10155425

[Atma]

The new IJN Amagi with brass barrels will be limited release.

[Caravellarella]

Its 13 or 14 years ago since I built the pagoda heptapod mast (and the rest of the model). In the absence of proper plans I had to deduce and "guess" using the drawings from Siegfried Breyer; Jentschura, Jung & Mickel and Model Boats magazine......

I made my own drawing, originally to 1/450 to match the Hasegawa Akagi aircraft carrier kit, and then I scaled up to 1/350 before I started construction. Jim Baumann has much better photographs of this model than I have......

Jim?

Terry (Caravellarella)

Dear Boys and Girls, here are scans of the drawings that I had used a dozen years ago. Obviously new and accurate drawings have come to light since (hence the new and accurate 1/700 kit from Fujimi) and my 1/350 scratchbuild now looks very inaccurate (especially around the 5.5" casemates). Time to start again and do it better I guess......

Terry (Caravellarella)

[Atma]

Thanks for the drawings Caravellarella !

[Caravellarella]

Thanks for the drawings Caravellarella !

But Atma, the drawings (and hence my model) are inaccurate......

[Atma]

It doesn't matter, ships "appearance" vary from that on drawning when are finnaly launched !