Calling all Taiho (大鳳) fans

[Mike C]

Thank you, Timmy. I had missed them. This looks like probably the best rendition of a Japanese aircraft carrier in 1/350. As Dan noted, they hit all the high points. It will most likely be quite expensive, but from what they've shown, well worth the price.

[Dan K]

I saw this posted over on SteelNavy. 1st in the box look at the VeryFire 1-350 Taiho kit. Not sure if the presenter is from VeryFire, or just closely linked to them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMsfMFlAchs

[Vlad]

For a 1/700 Taiho, I know Tamiya's old kit won't hold a candle to Fujimi's current offering in terms of detail, but is the Tamiya kit fundamentally sound in overall shape/size accuracy?

[Dan K]

They are far from identical, but I do think the Tamiya kit has held up reasonably well. In many ways, the kit is more sharply molded than the Fujimi version. I don't have measurements readily available, but there are subtle differences in length and width. Obviously, the older deck is not planked, and the island follows the traditional stacked deck configuration, with no (possibly internal) sloping deck.

The biggest omission that comes to mind is the lack of the aft, starboard boat storage tunnel that lay between the upper hangar deck and the outer hull. Not a deal breaker.

[Vlad]

Tamiya kits, even old ones, are sharply moulded and do stand up well even today, hence I asked to see if this is one of the better ones that fit that description

You say the older deck is not planked, is it conclusive now that this was the case for Taiho? I'm also curious about this sloping island deck.

[Dan K]

Well, some folks will not be satisfied until Taiho is found and dived on for conclusive evidence of her flight deck, but, as I posted on p1 of this thread, a photograph surfaced some years ago which has been verified as taken on board Taiho, showing a planked flight deck: viewtopic.php?f=46&t=22885#p377409

The postwar USN Technical Mission to Japan conducted extensive interviews and analysis, drawing up a set of plans for Taiho. Her bridge shows a sloped deck, possibly internal, abutting the funnel uptake. This is the reference upon Fujimi based its version. It remains a subject of debate.

[Vlad]

...the deck was subsequently painted black at Tawi Tawi

I know there's probably no definitive answer to this, but would that be just the planked section painted black? Or the entire flight deck including elevators, edges/gutters, and the steel areas at bow and stern painted uniform black? And presumably the flight deck markings would be preserved and/or reapplied?

[Dan K]

There's just no way to know how extensive the black paintover would be. You guess will be as good as anyone's. I doubt that the flight deck markings would be painted over. Just seems unlikely. Those were already minimized, and the air crews inexperienced.

[Mike C]

I just put in a pre-order for the Very Fire 1/350 Taiho DX kit from HLJ. With all the resin and etch included, $227 seems like too good of a deal to pass up. I just hope the exchange rate doesn't spike when they become available.

[Dan K]

Ditto that.

[Timmy C]

Very Fire's 1/350 Taiho's released, and Hobby Search has the instructions scanned for your reviewing pleasure: https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10789054

8 planes included, 2 of each type. No complete hangar deck, but a pretty detailed elevator well with one end open.

[Bayuro]

Very Fire's 1/350 Taiho's released, and Hobby Search has the instructions scanned for your reviewing pleasure: https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10789054

8 planes included, 2 of each type. No complete hangar deck, but a pretty detailed elevator well with one end open.

If this Taiho kit is the latest available in any scale, I'll consider it as my best reference for modifying my old school Tamiya 1/700 scale Taiho.

"Latest " is the key word.

[Timmy C]

I'm not sure you're gonna get more "latest" than two-three weeks ago...

[S-boat 55]

Hi All, I'm part way through building Veryfires Taiho (DX version) it's a fantastic kit worth every penny, although with some cheeky omissions on veryfires part in my opinion.

Anyone any idea how bright her anti fouling would likely have been, I've seen suggestions elsewhere that Japanese ships had a very bright almost post box red akin to humbrol 60, but the large model of Yamato in her museum has a quite dark almost burgundy hue to it and whilst Taihos from a different builder you'd expect some standardisation,

Any suggestions would be gratefully received,

Thanks

[Dan K]

A dull, dark red. Tamiya XF-9 Hull Red is a spot-on match. Just Google that.

[S-boat 55]

A dull, dark red. Tamiya XF-9 Hull Red is a spot-on match. Just Google that.

Thanks, I'd read a while back about there being different shades used by different shipyards but can't find the info now and perhaps a misnomer,

[Dan K]

That happens to be true, but it applies to the gray applied to the hulls. There was an official, specific mix for IJN gray, but each of the IJN's four principal naval shipyards managed their own particular (and subtle) twist on that gray mix. That may have also been true of the private yards that built IJN ships as well.

[S-boat 55]

That happens to be true, but it applies to the gray applied to the hulls. There was an official, specific mix for IJN gray, but each of the IJN's four principal naval shipyards managed their own particular (and subtle) twist on that gray mix. That may have also been true of the private yards that built IJN ships as well.

Ah the plot thickens, thanks for confirming that, I'll have to keep that in mind as I plan to do a couple more Japanese ships and the subtly different shades would help break up the monotone in the cabinet,

Am I correct in saying as standard any non planked deck areas would have been the same grey as the vertical surfaces?

[Dan K]

Yes and no. Generally speaking, most metal deck areas (like an anchor deck) are covered with treaded metal and are gray. However, a good portion of the unplanked decks were often cover with linoleum, and fastened down with brass tie-down strips. It varied by ship type and class.

See: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=159424

Tamiya also makes that color XF-79. So do other paint manufacturers. There is said to be some variation in the color, depending on origin and batch.

[S-boat 55]

That's a very interesting thread, thanks for sharing, leaves me wondering on Taiho which if any may have been linoleum, there's so little info on her I guess I can treat it as best guess really,