… in 1/700th scale? I haven’t made one yet.
Preferably WW2.
Zuiho…
It certainly has a nifty paint scheme!
This would be a great beginner kit,but it’s 1/600.
Tamiya 1/700 enterprise or Hornet… There are old kit but carry friendly price tag which means as beginner if you spoil it, u will not feel so heart pain plus they carry decent level of detail and is not that intensive.
Dragon 1/700 ESSEX class carrier will be for expert level with PE included.
I don’t think the Dragon Essexes are that bad actually; they are much less work than the Trumpeter ships. The included PE is optional as well. If you want full hull they’re your best start.
If you want to start with a WW2 carrier, be prepared for lots of repetition. An Essex-class will have you counting and mounting 20mm AA guns for a long time. Then there’s painting and decaling the aircraft. If you are used to such stuff, all the better. Some folks can find doing lots of the same work, over and over, a struggle to finish the project.
If you think that could be a problem, doing an escort carrier could be a good first choice. It would have plenty of challenges, but not quite as much potential for boredom to set in.
I’ve built 5 1/700-1/720 carriers, but I really like carriers.
However you choose to go, have fun.
I built the old Shokaku. Can’t remember which Japanese manufacturer, but I don’t recall any problems.
Mike F6F suggests the Escort carrier. This is the Tamiya/ Skywave USS Bogue kit, slightly adjusted to represent HMS Khedive:
I agree with (for a US subject) the suggestion of the Tamiya Enterprise or Hornet. If you want full hull, look at one of the newer Trumpeter kits.
For IJN, I’d go with the Hasegawa Akagi, the Tamiya Junyo, or the Fujimi Zuikaku.
I went with Tamiya’s Junyo as this painting has me interested, and this series of pictures influenced me also.
Does someone make PE for this kit?
Both Toms and Gold Medal make sets for WWII IJN carriers. The GMM set is a single set
http://www.goldmm.com/ships/gms7ordr.htm
while Toms offers multiple sets to complete differnt items
http://www.tomsmodelworks.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=23_26&products_id=263
Both are good, however for a ship beginner I do not recommend Toms photoetch. Their products are etched from a softer brass and are less forgiving of an errant thumb. The GMM products are etched from a stiffer brass or nickle-silver
I’ll second the others who’ve recommended the Hasegawa or Tamiya 1/700 kits.
Tamiya’s Hornet (CV-8, the Doolittle Raid’s carrier) is still in their catalog and is available online or from your local hobby shop. Tamiya’s Enterprise (CV-6) is out of production, and finding the kit on the secondary market will have you waiting a lonnnnnnnnngggggg time, I know, I search eBay for it. One auction in the past 5 months. But the Chinese maker Model Hobby has what is said to be a copy or retooling of the Tamiya kit in their catalog, again, available online or through the LHS.
Hasegawa’s Essexes are nice kits for beginners, too, because you can choose to build them out of box and have a decent model, or you can hone your skills and learn some new ones to correct some of the minor issues. For example, to build the Essex herself, you need to leave off some AA hull sponsons 9easy) but also correct the stern AA tubs (molded for her later sisters, for twin 40mm tubs). But Hasegawa does address the different bows that you had in that class (long-hulled vs short-hulled) by molding the bows as separate pieces.
Back in January, I picked up Trumpeter’s Saratoga in 1/700, circa 1935, and that’s a nicely detailed kit that is not too difficult, out of the box, either. That’s another one that you can find on the market now.
Revell’s Yorktowns kits are bigger, 1/525, but we builders over 40 each have one or two of them in our past. Again, sufficient basic detail to look good, and you can practice techniques and build it out of the box, or stretch your scratchbuilding skills.
For any American carriers, though, I recommend replacing the kit air wing with Trumpeter’s sets. I am completely sold on clear plastic aircraft, to achieve the clear canopy look. No more painting them silver or gray for me!
Hope this all helps, and look forward to seeing some pics!
Regards,
Brad