1:700 IJN Aircraft Carrier Lift & Hangar Set

Lifts and hangar of Japanese aircraft carriers 1:700 (Fine Molds)

A detail set of photo-etched parts in 1:700 scale from the Japanese manufacturer Fine Molds. It is not a model of a ship but an accessory for kits of Japanese aircraft carriers of the Second World War: it contains parts for rendering the deck lifts and the fittings of the hangar deck, that is, elements that injection-molded plastic can only hint at in this scale. The etching replaces thick plastic surfaces with thin metal with the structure drawn out, and opens up the option of building a lift in the lowered position with the inside of the hangar visible.

How to use the set

• the parts are cut out of the fret with a sharp scalpel on a hard surface, not by breaking them out
• the edges are cleaned up with a file and the bends made over a metal ruler or in an etching bender
• they are glued with cyanoacrylate glue applied with a pin, or soldered
• the metal has to be degreased and given a primer before painting, otherwise the paint will not hold

What to watch out for

The parts are very thin and small, the instructions are brief and experience with etchings is assumed. Work over a surface with a raised edge, so that a flying part does not end up on the floor, and use fine-tipped tweezers. An open hangar means that the inside will be visible, so it pays to think through in advance what will be in it and how it will be painted. The set is a universal accessory, not a part tailored to one particular kit; some of the pieces are trimmed to fit.

Who the set is for

• builders of Japanese aircraft carriers in 1:700 scale
• modelers who have already worked with photo-etched parts
• those interested in an open hangar deck and a scene with aircraft

This is a detail set of photo-etched parts, not a kit of a ship. The model, glue and paints are not included in the package.