In this first instalment of a two-part build, David Holmes completes Border Model's 1/35 Imperial Japanese Navy IJN Akagi flight deck.
The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) aircraft carrier Akagi was named after Mount Akagi (meaning red castle) and was originally built as an Amagi-class battlecruiser. The ship was laid down in 1920 but converted radically from 1935-38, whereby the three original flight decks were consolidated into a single, enlarged flight deck with an island superstructure. In early 1941 Akagi became the flagship of the First Air Fleet and played a leading role on December 7, 1941 during the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor. Akagi also played a critical role during June 1942’s Battle of Midway, in which it was severely damaged by US Navy SBD-5 Dauntless dive bombers and was subsequently scuttled by Japanese destroyers.
Border has become synonymous with aircraft in 1/35 scale, such as its recent Stuka, but this Akagi/Kate combo is arguably the firm’s most ambitious offering thus far. It includes a large (57 x 47cm) Akagi flight deck section with the entire island, plus a sublimely detailed Nakajima B5N2 Kate bomber (to be covered in the next instalment). Parts for the latter are supplied on 11 pal…
