Hiryu - A comedy of errors

He-He!

 I have to thank you for a tongue in cheek chuckle. What'sa matta you, You no lika meataballs? This isn't a comedy of errors. It's just a learning thing. Yer lernin Dude!

Thanks TB, I'm just out of my element and feeling kind of lost.

Attsa matta me?  I like-a the meatballs!

Good post, G. It's funny.

I'm with you in so many ways regarding ships. I used to build them as a kid, loved them. I recall the carrier taking forever, but by golly I finished it.

But I'm too particular now and a carrier would take me several lifetimes. Rabbit hole is spot on.

Back to point, looks like you're doing a fine job. Be interested in following this from a fellow 'love 'em but scared of 'em' perspective.

You are doing fine.

Put the model on a base. Temorary to start with and move it to a nice one later.

Temporary base:

Scribing rig. This is shown after I had already marked the hull and applied tape, to illustrate the set up:

Masking at stern:

She was only one of two carriers ever built with the island on the port side.

Greg,

I’m a busybody, so I keep track of what is happening in the 1/700 world of ships despite not being inclined to partake in it.  And what I see today is alarming - the level of detail people are packing into their kits is beyond belief.

I too dabbled in ships when I was small, but it was good enough to just use tube glue to get everything together so you could start playing with the airplanes on the carriers.

Now I feel like a little kid in a soap box derby car showing up at Le Mans.  I am total roadkill!  Still, I’m gonna do my best to push this one across the finish line.

GM,

That is a great idea!  I’m gonna do that ASAP, because I smooshed another fantail railing today.

While I feel your pain -- particularly the bit about "grabbing previously done areas" [oh, the stories I could tell....] -- you can't really be claiming a 'proper' case of AMS these days without having gone to Shapeways for those 'few extra' items...and end up dropping 8x the price of the original kit on those seductive resin accessories.

Cheers

You could always build her as she looked on the morning of June 5th...

gregbale

While I feel your pain -- particularly the bit about "grabbing previously done areas" [oh, the stories I could tell....] -- you can't really be claiming a 'proper' case of AMS these days without having gone to Shapeways for those 'few extra' items...and end up dropping 8x the price of the original kit on those seductive resin accessories.

Cheers

Oh I’m not done yet.  After mocking the Nano Dread stuff, I took a closer look at them last night.  I might get some sets to bump up the anemic kit details.  But since the model is part of a GB, I’ll need to match everyone else’s level.

Although I already have PE for the planes, I would imagine someone like Shapeways has fully detailed 1/700 IJN Kates, Vals and Zeros.

stikpusher

You could always build her as she looked on the morning of June 5th...

A bombed out ship is even more work than an intact one Stik!  Besides, the “snapshot time frame” for the project is the morning of December 7, 1941.

We have a guy who is really deep into the history of Pearl Harbor directing us, so I “only” have to build the model based on information he and others have provided us with.

Well, one of the places you have gotten to is the stop the PE and paint, or try and paint around fragile PE?

Because it's Hiryu, you do have an advanatace fr not having a lot of galleris ans serach light platforms with Chestnut linoleum decks.

However, becasue it's Hiryu, you are facing the need to mask and paint the disruptive deck pattern.  Which is likely death to installed rails given the number of colors required.

But, there is a very real possibility you need a different deck color than the sides--thhis is a bugabear most of the time.  As you either have to brush paint or mask

And "complete" 1/700 aircraft--LOL.  They now come as microscopic kits unto themselves.  Separate landing gear, PE to make canopy frames, struts, nona-decals, the works.

Do not even browse shapewaps for the AA fit, they will exist.  And they will tease you with their teen, microscopic, beauty.  Or for crew, for that matter, which will come in blocks of a 50 or a hundred at 1/700, and far easier to deal with than PE crew.

It's a rabbit hole.  To Alice's Looking Glass, and the Red Queenawaits within and a Cheshire cat laughing at you the whole time.

DId Hiryu have disruptive camo on its flight deck during the PH attack?  The flight deck and the guns are still loose so painting the galleries will not be an issue. I’ll finish the railings and add any sidewall details, then paint.   Yeah I’m grateful there are no linoleum decks to deal with.

Unless Shapeways has switched to SLA printers, I’m gonna pass on their products.  I have examples from them using the FDM machines, and do not like them.  I think I’ll draw the line at origami PE aircraft canopies.

To be clear, Shapeways is the store. The product is made by their vendors. Quality varies. 

I don't believe that Hiryu ever had camo on the flight deck.

Here someone made a model of a bombed out Hiryu 

https://images.app.goo.gl/8cKPRM2E6rFzw1oDA

Ah...good old aoshima Hiryu. That brings back memories.

I was once young, and tended to overreach. Dreamt of a midway fleet and proceeded to detail up an aoshima hiryu and converting a hasegawa 3-deck akagi to the full deck version (yes how foolish).

Then Fujimi came up with better respective kits for both, and Hasegawa also popped their own Akagi to nail the door shut.

What do I have to show for it? 2 islands (and a half converted Akagi hull). That was that.

Yours will most definately be completed for the GB. 

If you plan to use any of the aftermarket type 89 AA guns (eg nanodread), you have to fix up the Aoshima hull. Basically you need to add about 1mm to the hanger level (where they join the flight deck) because, Aoshima made them too low and anything else there will touch the flightdeck otherwise.

Those bridges look fantastic Potchip!  And THAT is the reason I avoid ship models.  Sorry to disappoint, but I will not be taking the old kit to your level.  Unless the other guys do.  But I'm not showing them your photos!

Oh and thank you for the Nano Dread heads up.  Crummy kit guns it is then!

Tojo72

I don't believe that Hiryu ever had camo on the flight deck.

Not so much "camo" as the distinct painting on her deck.  Three sets of stripes, the "fan" of diagnonas on the foreward potion, the giant "meatball" and the contrast of tan and grey   metal decks.  The red and white stripes on the fantail will be exciting, too.

Now, how much of that was "artist's conception" is subject to question.  Both Aoshima and Fujimi put the scheme on their box art, too.

Back to OP, in case you really need insanity, Lion-Roar has a complete brass replacement deck for the Aoshima kit

CapnMac,

IIRC the carriers did not have the hinomaru nor the katakana first letter of their names on the deck at the time of Pearl Harbor.  I'll need to check on the red and white stripes tho.

There is a Lion Roar detail set?  Aw see, you guys are not helping me keep this project simple!

I always put on the main deck railing last, for The reason noted.  For intermediate decks I do the railings as last step before gluing that deck into the superstrucure.  I paint the railings on the fret, and touch up any brass marks that end up showing through the paint.

Don Stauffer

I always put on the main deck railing last, for The reason noted.  For intermediate decks I do the railings as last step before gluing that deck into the superstrucure.  I paint the railings on the fret, and touch up any brass marks that end up showing through the paint.

Hiryu did have the letters as well as the red/white stripes but no meatball during Pearl. Unlike USN during the early phase of the war where carriers operate as taskforces centred on individual carriers and not carrying IDs to keep the enemy guessing, IJN carriers operate as a fleet and IDs are there to help airgroups land back to their home carrier easier. 

Here's a good example of Hiryu/Soryu during Pearl by YuCong

http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=35005

Real G

CapnMac,

IIRC the carriers did not have the hinomaru nor the katakana first letter of their names on the deck at the time of Pearl Harbor.  I'll need to check on the red and white stripes tho.

There is a Lion Roar detail set?  Aw see, you guys are not helping me keep this project simple!

 

Hasegawa 1/350 Akagi depicts her at Pearl Harbor.They indicate the katakana, and the red and white stripes.Are they wrong ? I would think they researched their superb kit, but I couldn't say.

stikpusher

You could always build her as she looked on the morning of June 5th...

 

 

 

Tojo72

 

 

Hasegawa 1/350 Akagi depicts her at Pearl Harbor.They indicate the katakana, and the red and white stripes.Are they wrong ? I would think they researched their superb kit, but I couldn't say.

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Wow, that's a lot of russet/chestnut linoleum on that lower deck--I would not have imagined that.

And that "bow fan" is longer than the later paint scheme, too.  The deck stripes look to be a bear, either really long, fussy, decals, or a boat ton of masking.

When I looked at that wrecked Hiryu build I thought the hollowed out bow was not really convincing until I saw photos of the actual ship that GM posted.  Boy, the Hiryu really got gutted!

Anyway, thanks guys for all the input - looks like I have my work cut out for me!

Since I have the attention span of a squirrel, I got the new(er) Fujimi Hiryu and accessory detail set.  Oh man, what a difference!  The Fujimi kit is very detailed and is miles away from the last century Aoshima offering.  A lot of the sponsons and platforms on the side of the hull are separate parts, and they are cleanly molded compared to some of the stuff I have been working on.

No need to say which one is which:

Detail set:

Gaaah, so many teeny parts!

Yes, yes, I know - I should replace the plastic splinter shields with PE.  Ya-ya-ya, unicorn papoi.

I got my modeling knife ready: