1/350 Hasegawa Akagi Complete.

And some peopli wondered why I went into the A.F. when I got drafted.  It's better to fly over the water than smash through it.  And I hate flying.

You have done a amazing job on this one.

Never did hear the jeans story but I wouldn't doubt. The wake probably chewed them up but good. Water vs anything and the water will eventually win. Ask the Grand Canyon

Yike! The Bering ?

      Good heavens to Betsy, Now you talk about dangerous water! Yes, the Bering Sea is always darker than the Southern parts of the Pacific. Again I think it's Temp related as well as Underwater configuration. The Hamiltons and the Secretaries could and did put out great Rooster tails!

     I have to tell you a funny tale you've probably heard before. A crewman wanted to wash his oil soaked jeans in the wake. He secured them with good line and made sure they were connected well. A few minutes later he came back and found his pants gone! It seems the ocean likes to eat pants in wakes! Like carpets and model parts! I imagine you dealt with that too!

      My only dio that ever won anything was the U.S.C.G Taney picking up ( Well, fixing too) pick up, a survivor from an aircraft sinking. In very severe, Aircraft carrier damaging, storm waves. I called it "Angels in Time". I often wonder where I would've wound up if I had done a lateral to the U.S.C.G instead of the U.S.M.C.

Thanks Tojo and TB.

TB, yes I spent most of my USCG carrer in the Pacific...actually the Bearing. Talk about storms and rolling ships. It all looks black when you're in a storm in the Bearing. We would often reach a roll of 45 deg. Now if that don't get your panties in a bunch I don't know what will, especially in water that will kill you within 10 min or so. You'll be dead before the con reacts to you being overboard and they can get a boat over to pick you up. We would wear those "Mustang" suits, you know, the orange ones you see Costies wear. Those will add about 5 min to your survival time. Not much when your life depends on the "Boats" to get the RHI over and the cockswaine to get to you quick enough.
But yes, I spent some time in the Pacific. I have a "Domain of the Golden Dragon" plaque to prove it too. Stickpusher mentioned the darkness of the sea as well and you both are correct, it should be a tinge greener. I should have added 2 parts green instead of 1. It's tough to get the mix just right but like you said, it could be temp related, they were comming out of a squall after all. Far too late to do anything about it now. If the judges take off points for the color being slightly off because I'm portraying the Pacific instead of the Atlantic then Pfft on them. The only ones that could possably pick that out are those of us who have been there. Btw, I've also been called out on the hight of the bow wave and the speed of the ship on other forums. To scale that wave is 7 feet high! Lets see those guys make a convencing seascape LOL.
Man I tell ya, there's always somethin.

BTW, one of my boats was the WHEC Jarvis (it's owned ny the Bangladesh Navy now). The Hamilton's were powered by conventional engines and turbines When they spun up the birds and punched it, the ship would squat at the rear and kick up an impressive rooster tail.

Aha!!

 Now I don't feel like the wackiest person here! I mean building a 420 piece crane on flat surface doesn't hold a candle to those witty bitty planes being detailed. Good luck! Oh and by the way, Have you traveled the Pacific? You sure got the colors right. Isn't it funny? The Atlantic, while not as deep in spots is a darker blue usually than the Pacific? And your wake is looking great! I think the coloration has something to do with the Temps too.

   I have seen the North Atlantic turn an Ugly Blue Black just before a big storm! Don't look now, but you did something most model ship builders with a base like that NEVER pick up on. What is it? Get yourself in the water mate! Look at the bow of the great ship near your eye. She just got the order to increase speed for plane ops! What does a ship do in that situation? Her Stern squats from more revs being fed to the screws and the Bow rises accordingly! You nailed it and don't you go change it either! It looks grand!

        I have to note here; My trade was Hull Design and Powerplant fitment!The Japanese, Without a fault built their liners with a similar but not identical Bow than the warships. The effect was this. Watch a ski boat with the Engine in the middle. As it throttles up the bow rises up till it achieves planing speed. Well, a liner is NOT a ski boat. so they designed for the Bulk of the ship to start to rise at the bow first to achieve less hull resistance at manuevers. The hull rose and the ride was smooth.

       It's an odd quirk that no one has caught on to yet. Look at ships designed since the war. All have largish bulbs to almost ridiculous giant ones, below the waterline. YES, this serves to smooth out the water movement down the hull. Consider how much water one of these monsters draw compared to the Akagi! The Titanic had an underwater bow similar( No Bulb) and she like all her sisters rose at rpm change to a higher speed. I watched our battle Group come to speed after getting new orders. The carrier was the only one that didn't "Rise to the Occasion"  ! Now our stern dug in and we almost jumped forward! We had what was called a bulb but I believe the action of it was defeaated by both the Sonar dome being deployed and the screw size compared to other designs. Of course we were the little guys( Destroyers) and we were expected to "Jump to Action!" to add a pun here!

Thanks Chris,

I'm almost done with the Carrier (I really can't believe it). I finished installing the safty nets and orderd another set of 25mm AA gun PE so I can finish the last four. One more coat of varnish and glue on the Chrysanthemum and she's done except for her crew and cargo. I'm going to make a cover for the base out of plexiglass tonight to keep the dust out and protect it from incidental damage. Once shes done, I take a couple of pictures but will wait for the money shot until all he AC and crew are on.

Total insanity 

Thanks guys,

I added the 25mm AA guns and attached and rigged the fold away antennas. I also applied another coad of varnish.

Yeah Marcus, each ship and situation so so different. I will add some more cotton here and there on the third varnish application. The cotton I already applied is more or less "subsurface", you know, the turbulance of bubbles rather than foam. I won't add a lot more because it would look worse to overdo it.

I also started working on the 27 Kates.

Look at that beautiful blue Pacific water! 

Steve,

It may be hard to judge speed without a wake from the sides or stern.  I would image that she would throw a lot of water off her bow, but that would depend on the wave and water action.

Just my thoughts.

Marcus

Thanks TB,

Take a look at a few of these pictures of the base and let me know how fast it looks like she's moving. I know, she look she's riding a little high but I found that after all the additions to the base it changes that preception. Also, she's up at the bow and rolling to port slightly.

I situated the Akagi into the base and started the cotton for the wake and turbulance.

I used arcylic varnish ot attach the cotton, just pulling off the slightest amout. You don't need much and can always add more not less. Also using arcylic gloss medium, I started crafting the bow wave.

I continues wit the cotton on areas where there should be turbulance and wakes. let it dry overnight and took some pictures out in the light.

Liking what I'm seeing, I started the mutiple varnish process. I'll brush on 3 to 4 coats to add depth to the water. On my last coat I'll add some more cotton the the stern and other areas here and there. There is really no wrong way to do it. You can overdo the effect but if you ever study a wake on a boat or ship just about anything goes as long as the waves are believable. I feel like I'm rambleing.

The first coat of the varnish applied and waiting to dry. This process thakes several days but will dry with a high gloss.

And my helper is trying to pick out his new build.

Hi;

       I would say about maybe 24 knots. The Zekes and the others had pretty good ground effect reactions, believe it or not! Rolling at ten or fifteen would hamper some ops , but there were pilots that didn't worry about that. They were the ones off in the first wave.

     They wore their Headbands, Drank their Sake to the Emperor and yelled Bonsai and ran to their planes. These guys meant business, as we found out. Some of their best pilots managed to stay around for a few sorties.

thank's steve for showing how you build your diorama , and for reminding me to  cut the shape first . 

Tanker-Builder

If at aircraft takeoff ops. speed she would need a good wind into or across the bow and a Bone in her teeth wake wise, as well as Bow wave!

Yes sir.

Her flank was 31 kts, not bad for a carrier of that age and size, so she'll be clipping along.
Kaga was quite a bit slower, being a converted battleship, even though the Japanese had done all they could to increase her speed, but I digress.
They came out of a squal that morning and looking at the few pictures avaliable, the sea was choppy. My plan, and the way I prepared the base is she's a little high at the bow and slight roll to port, as in cresting a swell. I figure she was keeping pace with the Kaga so as not to outrun her so probably what.......27, 28 kts?? The Zeeks were staged at the front since they didn't need much room to take off followed by the 15 Kate's loaded with the type 99 model 5 AP bombs then trailed by the 12 Kates with the type 91 torps. Since they were the heavest they needed all the room they could get.

The deck scene will have all the aircraft will be running with maintance crews attending to their charges. Some of the Kate's gunners will be running toward their mounts (I need to do something with the figures) while the navigators and pilots are attending the briefing.

BTW, the Akagi's Kate bombers targeted the Maryland, California, West Virgina, Tennessee and Oklahoma while her Zeros first wave attacked Hickam and MCAS Ewa field.

How fast will she be going?,

      If at aircraft takeoff ops. speed she would need a good wind into or across the bow and a Bone in her teeth wake wise, as well as Bow wave!

Moving on with the base.

First using rough sandpaper, I sanded the base to remove any sharp peaks caused by painting on the gel.

Next, I mixed the color for the sea. Since the Akagi was in deep water the sea will be a dark blue. I used acrylic tube paint mixed with water to spray. The mix was 1 part green, 3 parts grey and 7 parts blue.

Once that was dry I added some white to my blue mixture to color the water where it churned and caused bubbles.

Satisfied with that I sprayed acrylic varnish thinned with water to protect the coats and give it an initial sheen.

Possably tonight I'll set the Akagi in the base and start on the cotton.

Thanks TB and Hoo Yah

I never would have thought a company was crazy enough to make such a kit. Leave it to Infini to do such a crazy stunt. Whats really nuts, the PE sets are usually sold out, so theres more nutso people out there than just me.

BTW, Infini also makes a WW2 USN aicraft set as well.

I just received my 1/350 Marine Air Group kits and looked at them. I can't even imagine putting cockpit details on those itty-bitty planes and helos. Magnifying lenses, tweezers, or whatever; these fingers can't do it. Not in my skillset.   Wow!!!

I made another post further on!

 Following in my footsteps? My Gosh, what have I done? I hoped to teach folks, But this? This project is Awesome from start to where you are now, I love it! It definitely makes me proud to say I BUILD MODELS ! !

OIK!

   I thought I was bad with duplicating all the printed gear on a 1/400 Cidade-Del Rio paper model. Only two cranes to go. That is Not for me -Good Luck !!

While I'm waiting for the deck to dry I started on the planes. As an update, here is what I'm working with. The Infini 350 detail set and the Hasegawa Carrier aircraft sets.

Here is one of the Zeros with the area to be removed in black and after the PE interior is installed.

I found it difficult to grind out the interior just enough not to either gring theough the exierior or break the fuse where it is thin. I have 15 zeros to pratcice with and the first wave only had nine. The Kates will appreciate the practice.

First wave Zeek markings

Still trying to get a list of the 27 Kates. I found 4 and each are a little diffrent from the other but I may have to make it up.

Thanks Marcos,

As the first carrier of Carrier Division One and constantly the flag, I don't believe she got any breaks. Her and the Kaga were considered the best the Japanese had. Losing her, the Kaga, Soryu and Hiyru were a devastating blow leaving the less experienced Zuikaku and Shokaku as the only fleet carriers left.

Chad, it would sure be great to see you my friend. As it stands now, it might be a while before I make it back to Richardson. Possibly next year for my annual check they think. 

Ok, this is just too awesome! I may have to go to the Nats just to see it in person! 

Steve,

Very nice work installing the landing lights, ship;s boats, etc.  Didn't mention it earlier but the weathering of the landing deck showing the wear of landings really is a great touch.  She looks like she hasn't had a break from action since Pearl Harbor.  She a sweet looking ship.  Nice job. 

Marcus

Thanks Glenn, I'll be starting on them shortly.

mustang1989

This......

is just plain crazy...

 

No kidding! I had no idea.

Thanks TB. I'm only following in your footsteps my friend.

Well;

 Now you went and done it! I was looking at my Hornet and said to myself " Self!" If Modelcrazy can do that model and do it justice like he doing,You can do this." See what you started ? You Craftsman, You! Ship looks Awesome!

Thanks my friend!

I was able to get quite a bit done this weekend. Almost done with the carrier itself!

I completed the side boats, scratched the landing light system, repaired various area broken off or bent with my fat fingers, scratched the rudder position indicators and touched up the paint.

I started the water base because setting it in the base, while making it difficult to work on it due to the bases large size, 12"x32", will lessen the possibility of breaking items such as the folding aeriels and safety netting hanging off the side of the flightdeck.

The rope shields with the type 10 120mm AA guns.

Forgive me if I you already saw some of these pics. I loose track.

The flight deck, decal carrier paper post surgery. The deck aft of the indicator lines is a little too sanded down but that just adds to show wear, at least I hope it does.

The side boats tied down.

Landing light system

The rudder indicator system. Port, red hourglass, starboard, red ball.

What everything would have looked like landing.

On to the base. I started out as usual tracing the hull. Why I don't do this before I start building is beyond me.

Next, cut out the hull, and grind the waves. The Akagi just came out of a squall so the waves were a little rough before they launched.

Next, I added aluminum foil for the chop and primed with grey paint to cut down the metallic look, I also added some paper towels soaked with glue to fill and acrylic medium the gaps. I did this by placing Saran Wrap on the base, placing the hull in it and spreading paper towles and acrylic medium to fill any gaps at the hull and removing both the hull and Saran Wrap. This is why I need to do this before building the kit. When will I ever learn. None of this will be seen in the final product.

After all is dry in a few days, I will start the acrylic medium and painting process.