1/350 Hasegawa Akagi Complete.

I have been away from modeling and FSM too, I am glad to see you made so much progress and overcame a lot of challenges with this build.  The reaserch you have done really shows in your efforts.  It is a really fine rendition of Akagi you have Steve.

Scott

Thanks BB! Life has been nuts for me as well. If I'm lucky, I get maybe an hour a night on this thing. Supper lucky, half a day.

I'm thinking, at this point all I have left on the ship itself is the landing light system, finish the 14 25mm AA guns, install the colapsible aerial antennas, deck neting, fix the rails on the fore and aft deck, install the jack masts and anchors and that's all I can think of right now. I know there's one or two more items but barring anything more demanding on my schedule, I think I probably have a week or two before I can call the ship finished.

Then on to the seascape, planes and crew.

Fantastic work steve! Have not checked in for a while. Life has been crazy. Glad to see this thing trucking along. 

modelcrazy

Thanks Chris and Steve,

Chris, we should plan on lunch or something. Maybe with the other FSM members that show up.

 

for sure! We'll have to start a thread for lunch meet up once we get closer 

Thanks Chris and Steve,

Chris, we should plan on lunch or something. Maybe with the other FSM members that show up.

you should be proud of what you have built steve , it's just awesome . 

very jealous of you too mongoose , getting to see it live . 

Can't wait to see it! Got the email saying Vegas is still on. Wife and I plan to live it up.

Thanks Chad, they were stripes painted at angles on the fore deck. There was a steam outlet at the point of the arrow which would show the direction of the wind for the pilots. The decals had carrier paper which covered the entire arrow.

I'm not up to speed on my ship jargon to know exactly what a wind directional item is but I certainly can't see anything in the pictures that stands out. Excellent save my friend!

Keep the faith, we all know you'll have her at Nat's, even if on a towing hawser tied off to a cruiser.

No justice to be had if you don't bring a trophy home to put along side her on the shelf.

Thanks John,

No pics today but I did spen most of the evening reinstalling the railing that went were the splinter shields went. I should be able to complete the port side and touch up paint in the next few days then back on track. My list is getting shorter and won't be long before it's in the seascape base and just working on the crew and planes. 160 days left to finish her completly 

Nice work on the hull Steve. I have no problem seeing your pics.

Hmmm, that's very odd. I think you're the only one, at least you're the only one that said anything. I'm not sure what to do to change that. I use Imageshack and have for years without any issue.

modelcrazy

Thuntboss, you can't see any of pics at all? I haven't uplaoded any in the past few days.

No sir, not a one.

I worked on the hull weathering but I was just not happy with the hammock splinter shields I made from Milliput for the gun platforms and such. They were out of scale and just didn't look good and took away from the overall picture IMO....so I removed them. After replacing the railings around the 12.7mm platforms and sanding where I had attached the other shields I was done for the night. I have a few more places to replace/install the railing and then on to the rope splinter shelds for said guns. First I need to repair the paint where the hammocks were located

Thuntboss, you can't see any of pics at all? I haven't uplaoded any in the past few days.

TB, on hindsite I agree with you. I used canopy glue which dries clear but not smooth. The window frams are PE so theres no way of removing it without destroying the frame. I'll have to make that change when I build the Kaga.....when I can afford it.

Hi Steve;

   Now here is where you and I differ. Because of the inside ledge on the bridge by the windows. I would've chosen to use strips of .010 Clear plastic. That way you could shine a flashlight in there and see all that beautimus work. I thought I was a glutton for detail on ships. Well, you passed me by for sure!

As much as I've seriously enjoyed reading this entire thread, I can't see any of the pictures.

Thanks guys.

I spent quite a bit of time on it this weekend but It's stuff that really doesn't make a dent in the overall picture, just necessary items that needed to be done. I did install the mast and rig it, weather the hull, and rig the LF long wire antennas off the island and add the collapsible antenna poles. I'm still looking at completing the AA guns, installing the life rafts, hanging the last four small boats and several other items prior to making a seascape for it. I had one cut out months ago but didn't like the waves, so I tossed it.

That deck looks awesome Steve! can't wait to see it full of planes.

Wow Steve... just wow. Those support girders are amazing looking. 

I'll echo all of the above! Beautiful deck!

Thanks guys. 

I planned on building the mast and rigging it but found I had lost the bracing legs at the rear of the mast pole and I looked everywhere for it. Oh well, something else I'll have to scratch build. My plan it to get the mast on, rig it, rig the short antenna from the mast to the pl[oles on the island and down to the deck. Scratch the flag locker at the bottom of the mast. That should use up the night. I still have the ladders to complete after that and attach the side boats.

Just thinking to my self here......add the colapasable mast at the aft half of the flightdeck, rig those..install the casemate guns..complete and install the 25mm AA guns..install the 120mm AA and install the rope splinter shields..add the saftey nets to the deck..add arresting wires and emergency landing barricades on the deck..install the landing light system...touch paint and weather...make the seascape...make the aircraft and paint the crew.... I think that's all I can come up with but I'm sure I missing a whole lot of things.

Totally awesome work Steve. I’m speechless. 

Steve, I totally agree.... just enough but still very convincing. I'm looking forward to watching your thread when building the aircraft anf little people....

BTW, the bow and stern look wonderful!

Ben

I'll want to do that to my Graf Zeppelin too!  I'll need to steel some hints on your technique some day. 

Thanks guys. I was a little apprenhensive doing that. Once you mess it up, it's done.

Wow Steve, that looks like a real deck!! 

Well done on the deck.  Effective and not overpowering.