1/350 Hasegawa Akagi Complete.

Magnificent work. Truly a masterpiece.

BBorBust

Magnificent work. Truly a masterpiece.

 

Thank yo my friend,

OK this weekends data dump. I worked on and off. I have 79 hours into it now. The Zero took 9 of those hours, but now that I did one, I get faster as I go. Not that I have any complaints with the detail kit but I do wish they added drop tanks for the Zeks.

The canopy was more difficult that I thought it woule be. Cutting out for the interior and the canopy/antenna were to toughist and too the longest. Now time to paint but I'll do that when I have the AB out for other things. The wheels are turned brass.

Moving on the she ship. I completed the pillars and added the crane tracks. I dry fit the deck to check the fit. Looks good. Now I need to add the cable stays but am also continuing on to the kits instructions and the additional paper detail set. Theres still some girders needed to add to the fore/aft sides and the mid deck.

Also, I didn't like some pillars hard molded on the kit so I am replacing those.

That's all I got done this weekend.

MC that's an insane achievement. That picof the pillars and your girder work could be used by their marketing group!

 I was wondering what that cockpit would consist of. Dang that plane looks good. Hope youcan improve on 9hrs. Did I understand that right, 9hrs to make 1?

Thanks Chris

The cockpit consisted of the IP, stick, seat and headrest. Yes, 9 hours. but most of that was cutting down the interior and fixing the fuse because I broke it in half carving some material out. Several mistakes that I learned from. Prototype. The next won't take as long and I should be able to speed up and even get an assembly line going.

9 Zeeks

27 Kates, 12 w/torps, 15 w/bombs

The PE set comes with type 91 torpedos with special fins and type 99 AP bombs. I though about using the 250KG bombs for the Zero's drop tanks.

Those aircraft are intenseive builds on their own.  I have always wondered about those spinning blades.  At this point they seam a little strange being made from metal instead of transparent or even semi-transparent plastic. It will be interesting to see how they come out.  The old way was to try cutting a disc of clear plastic.  This should look better, and be easier.

Tme to get more popcorn and a drink while I take notes.

We are never going to find you.  Every nut house on the planet has you on the most wanted list for capture.

I don't know how you do it....fantastic

This thing is past over the top for a FSM cover and feature.  Hope you submit it when done

Ikar, I also have spinning prop PE that look like a faster spinning prop, at least to me. Since from the pictures I've seen most if not all the planes on the deck were running while the pilots were being breifed.

Thanks GH, I believe after I make the cable stays for the aft pillars I'm going to lay down the girder PE and go back to the plastic...and the paper girders I have. I found that I can't finish the entire deck girders until the hull structure is completly finished. Looking through five diffrent sets of PE instructions to check if any part has any AM attached to it is time consuming, then I go and add to the work by creating my own scratch building. Sometimes it seems like I'm crawling along and another it seem like theres really not much more to do it it were OOB. But I am really enjoying this build. I also started on the base, cut out the Styrofoam. I think I went too heavy with the waves but at this stage it's not a problem to fix, or just start over. I know the Kido Butai was coming out of some somewhat heavy seas just before launch. A little pitch and roll.

After having looked at this post of the pillars in PE I had to lie down and take a nap. It was making me dizzy.

You are either certifiably insane or derive some pleasure from doing what I (and some other modelers) would consider extremely taxing, often vexing work. I'm sure the latter is true. I only wish I had the talent, perspicacity, and perseverance you're demonstrating with the PE and the aircraft on this build.

Beautiful work!

Love them big words.  I think I may have to get a Photo Etch Dictionary, and build it,  to get through some of them.

On the bright side I think I may have to get the P.E. set for the New Jersey.  My kid wants me to build him that ship in its WWII configuration.  Unfortunastely I have the Mosouri.  I asked if he wanted it idone as set up for the signing ceremony despite I would have to add all those figures and platforms.  He's insistent, considering my family is from Jersey.  Now I need to fine the decals for the New Jersey.  Should be fun, but not as much as you're having.

what mike 1943 said , I just don't have the vocabulary . just beautiful work .

Thanks Mike. Steve and Ikar.

Ikar, if you're intrested, I know a few places where you can replace those Bofors and Oelrikons with 3D and won't have to drive yourself nuts with the PE. It might be worth the price, which are reasonable, until you figure just how many you will need. I bought some for the North Carolina. I know where my limits are.

https://blackcatmodels.eu/en/

Shipping isn't too long either, mine came in about 2 to 3 weeks.

Well I started the cable stays last night. I don't know if they're going to stay tight after I install the deck for good. I'm not happy with the gussets. They are turned the wrong way and too small. I my replace both sets anyway. I used stretched sprue but my switch to an evergreen product for consistancey. The more I think about it, the more I may just do that. Proof of concept anyway.

That PE looks wonderful and the aircraft is maddening like off the charts!

Have you considered piano wire or a thin guitar string? They would be the thin gage that would work great in scale and stay straight and strong.

I also have used a product from Germany that is a clear nylon filiment thread. While it works well for rigging on 1/350 and smaller ships, it could also work well for the cables. The good thing with the thread is you can tighten it up with a little heat....

Ben

Thanks Ben. Yes, I'm considering guitar string. The Uschi string I have is great for rigging but a little thin for cable stays.

Oh wow! That is an awesome detailed build Steve. 

Thanks PJ!

Some more progress, slow, but progress. I worked on the AM paper braces and finally got the process down. Now I'm starting to get some things done again. A 25mm AA gun platform is shown here. The other platforms shown also have the paper braces. Once I touch them with thin CA, they become as hard as plastic. I need to attach the bracing posts and makes up some AA guns from PE. There are also 2 ladders that will be attached from the small hull opening to the platform.

ikar01

Now I need to fine the decals for the New Jersey.  Should be fun, but not as much as you're having.

 

I'm not sure where to get those currently. Try Floating Drydock.

GMorrison

I think on a BB they were about 4 feet tall. At 1/350 that's about 1/8". I'm not sure where to get those currently. Try Floating Drydock.

That's what I remember from the painting instructions, that the maximum height was 48"

NJ had some differences around the bridge area vice Missouri, but that would be rivet counting.

If Floating Drydock doesn't have the decals, GMM used to have a set of white wartime numerals.  That was long ago, though.  As far back as wehn I got the xeroxed copies of the hull number painting instructions.  Sigh.

Some more work last night. I worked on the braces to the 25mm gun platform but there is some filling I need to clean up before I take a pic of it. I opend up the Infiny twin 25mm gun set and started assembly. I believe each of these guns (14) may just take an evening to build. This one is only half built.

Infiny Models are not for the faint of heart.

How many pe sets do you think you will use on the Akagi? All that pe sure scares me. 

Well I had a very long and thought out response, I sent it and the site had an error!!!

I lost everything I wrote in the last 20 min so I won't retype it again. Let's just say, a lot.

Yet another reason, becides spell check, to type everything in Word first.

Steve, I had a similar incident a couple weeks ago on a large detailed thread. I did not rewrite mine either and simply cut it very short. Sorry to hear and hope we didn't miss anything in the write-up. 

By the way, those guns look really nice. It will be interesting to see how all that detail pops once you have it detail painted. 

Ben

Shaping up to become a beautiful build with a lot of eye candy to linger over, Steve. Looking forward to seeing your progress - she's going to be something special!

Green with envy , watching your skills with PE , having fits with PE on my Arizona . But l,'m learning and getting better . 

Thanks guys.

Here the gun is finished and next to a kit gun. It took me around 3 hours but now I know the sequence. They should take about and hour each and have 13 more to do....unless I loose parts.

What an amazing difference.

Every time I see more of your PE work, I get more in awe of your abilities.

Thanks GH. This thing is certaintly raising the bar and sharpening my abilities. I won't complain about radar antenna dipoles anymore.

Steve,

Jiust got caught up with this build.  All I can say is wow.  In one of the earlier posts, you were wondering about the cable stays material.  I don't know the diameter you need, but have you looked at brass rod or stainless steel sutures?  Maybe there's a draw plate available to get the brass rod to the thickness you need.  Just curious, did the Coast Guard ship on Black Cat Model's website happen to find it's way to you?  Looking forward to more.

Thanks Buddy.

That's an idea. I saw some brass rod that Infiny sells or maybe something from Evergreen.

I saw the cutter from Black Cat. A little pricy for 1/350 scale. It would be smaller that a WW2 destroyer.

I have been working dillegently every night on the Akagi. I have been replacing the bracing parts with the laser cut paper parts. Each one takes me about an evening each and still have several parts left to do. After this do I work on the AA guns or planes or do I go back to finishing the hull? 

Do you have enough eyedrops to do all of those guns?