Any chance of some 1/350 WWII Japanese Carriers???

Hasegawa 1/350 IJN Carrier Akagi (1941)

One of the carriers that participated in the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941. Coming in the second half of 2008! Hasegawa has also announced a 1/700 Akagi, depicting the carrier in its earlier "three deck" configuration.

http://www.hlj.com/hlj_gallery2/v/nuremberg/naval/

I was going to say 'fat chance!' until I saw the note above.  A 1/350 Akagi would certainly be splendid, but I HATE to think what Hasegawa will charge for one, when they are getting around $50 for a little Yukikaze destroyer, and in the neighborhood of $200 for a (flawed!) Nagato!  Anybody taking any bets?  I say $300!  I hear tell the 1/350 Kongo coming out by Fujimi is going to go for around $175 (Oh well, the kids don't need to go to college anyways!). 

I had kind of hoped that one of the other Japanese carriers might be more unusual and interesting (after all, Akagi is already available from Hasegawa in 1/450, from Nichimo in 1/500, and all the usual waterline suspects make it in 1/700).  Something like Hiryu, or even better, one of those REALLY funky Japanese light carriers, like Zuiho or Ryuju!

On a more nationalistic note, have you noticed how Trumpeter REALLY avoids producing kits of Japanese ships?  A splendid source for US and allied ships, but no Japanese... Oh well, I can't complain too much, because Trumpeter is coming out with HMS Repulse in 1/350, and for that, I can forgive them anything!

searat12 wrote:

I was going to say 'fat chance!' until I saw the note above.  A 1/350 Akagi would certainly be splendid, but I HATE to think what Hasegawa will charge for one, when they are getting around $50 for a little Yukikaze destroyer, and in the neighborhood of $200 for a (flawed!) Nagato!  Anybody taking any bets?  I say $300!  I hear tell the 1/350 Kongo coming out by Fujimi is going to go for around $175 (Oh well, the kids don't need to go to college anyways!).  I had kind of hoped that one of the other Japanese carriers might be more unusual and interesting (after all, Akagi is already available from Hasegawa in 1/450, from Nichimo in 1/500, and all the usual waterline suspects make it in 1/700).  Something like Hiryu, or even better, one of those REALLY funky Japanese light carriers, like Zuiho or Ryuju! On a more nationalistic note, have you noticed how Trumpeter REALLY avoids producing kits of Japanese ships?  A splendid source for US and allied ships, but no Japanese... Oh well, I can't complain too much, because Trumpeter is coming out with HMS Repulse in 1/350, and for that, I can forgive them anything!

Pre-order at www.freetimehobbies.com     approx $185.00-$200.00

I was hoping for a model of the Shukaku or the Zuikaku.   These 2 carriers participated in all majoor carrier battles during the war except for Midway, and offer many more diarama, paint scheme and configuration possibilities.   But Akagi will do.

Let hope Hasagawa will also release enough 1/350 aircraft to fill the flight deck.