IJN Aircraft Carrier Akagi 1: 700 Hasgawa WL227

Plastic model kit: IJN Aircraft Carrier Akagi 1:700 Hasegawa WL227

Features of the IJN Aircraft Carrier Akagi 1:700 Hasegawa WL227 model:

• Scale: 1:700
• Catalog number: 227
• Product code: 4967834492271
• The set includes three types of carrier-based aircraft: Mitsubishi A6M Zero (Zero 21), Aichi D3A (Val), and Nakajima B5N (Kate).
• The model depicts Akagi in the 1941 configuration, with the possibility of replicating the deck markings from the Battle of Midway.

Historical background:

Akagi was initially intended to be a battlecruiser of the Amagi class, but during construction, it was converted into an aircraft carrier to comply with the Washington Naval Treaty. From 1935 to 1938, it underwent a major reconstruction, during which its three flight decks were combined into one enlarged flight deck with an island. It was the second Japanese aircraft carrier to enter service and the first large aircraft carrier of the fleet, which was of great significance for the development of the new striking doctrine of the Imperial Japanese Navy, which concentrated aircraft carriers into groups, focusing their air power.

Akagi played a significant role in the Second Sino-Japanese War in the 1930s. In 1941, after the formation of the First Air Fleet, known as Kido Butai, Akagi became its flagship. In this role, it participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 and in the invasion of Rabaul in January 1942. In February of the same year, its aircraft bombed Darwin in Australia and supported the conquest of the Dutch East Indies. In March and April 1942, aircraft from Akagi helped sink a British heavy cruiser and an Australian destroyer during a raid in the Indian Ocean.

After a brief repair, Akagi, along with three other aircraft carriers of the Kido Butai fleet, participated in the Battle of Midway in June 1942. After bombing American forces at the atoll, Akagi and the other carriers were attacked by aircraft from Midway and the carriers Enterprise, Hornet, and Yorktown. One of the dive bombers from Enterprise severely damaged Akagi. When it became clear that it could not be saved, it was sunk by Japanese destroyers to prevent it from falling into enemy hands. The loss of Akagi and three other Japanese aircraft carriers in the Battle of Midway was a key strategic defeat for Japan and significantly contributed to the eventual victory of the Allies in the Pacific. The wreck of Akagi was located in 2019 by the research vessel Petrel.

Assembly and painting kit. Does not include paints or glue. Assembly requires separately sold modeling tools (including cutters, files, tweezers), paints, brushes, and plastic model glue (e.g., Tamiya Extra Thin Cement). The photo shows a professionally assembled and painted model.