1/700 Special Series No.80 Japanese Navy Heavy Cruiser Atago (1944/Operation Sho-Ichi-Go) Plastic Model

Product Introduction

This ship is depicted in its final appearance as it participated in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, with new parts added, including a 25mm machine gun and radar!

This is an unpainted kit that requires assembly and painting. This is a 1/700 scale underwater model that does not include the bottom of the ship. This product is made up of the previous (special series) mold and newly added mold parts.

The heavy cruiser Atago was an improved and modified version of the previous Myoko-class, and was built as a treaty cruiser. The second ship, Atago, was completed at the Kure Naval Arsenal in 1932 and assigned to the Yokosuka Naval District. There are three other ships of this class: Takao, Chokai, and Maya. They are equipped with five 20.3cm twin turrets with an elevation angle of 70 degrees, allowing for anti-aircraft fire. The ship underwent a refit in 1939, and like the Takao, its bridge was reduced in size, a bulge was installed, and its aft mast was relocated to improve communications. At the start of the war, it engaged in the Southwestern Front Operation, and then advanced to Guadalcanal, taking part in the Second Battle of the Solomon Islands, the Battle of the South Pacific, and the Third Battle of the Solomon Islands. During the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944, it was hit by four torpedoes by a US submarine and sank in the Palawan Strait.

This product is based on the second Takao-class ship, the Atago, as it appeared during the Battle of Leyte Gulf (October 1944). Only the Atago and Takao feature a number of custom parts, such as a reduced-size bridge from pre-war refits and a rear mast relocated aft.

New molds have been used to standardize the differences in the level of reproduction of equipment and other features depending on the product release date, and some parts have been separated to allow for painting. - The No. 13 radar includes new parts with sculpted truss structure and aerial shape. - The No. 21 radar features more detailed sculpting than previous included parts, such as the insulator base for fixing the front elements. - The No. 22 radar uses a slide mold to recreate the open state. - The 12.7cm twin anti-aircraft gun A1 Kai 1 is subdivided into 6 parts, improving the modeling resolution from the existing 2-part model. - The 9-meter cutter is made into 2 parts for painting, and the mount is available as a separate part, with the option of an integrated deck mold. - The 11-meter motorboat's canvas and wheelhouse/engine room canopy are made into separate parts to allow for painting. Each part is painted and then assembled and glued later. - The ship's boat mount features molded-in features, including uneven surfaces and lightly recessed holes, for a more precise design. - The chrysanthemum crest on the bow, and the side lights and lifebuoys on the sides of the bridge are available as new parts. - Binocular telescope parts have been added to the air defense command post and compass bridge. - Decals have been added for the stern ship's name inscription (painted in naval colors) and the white lines on the mast. - The Type 96 25mm machine gun now comes standard as a two-part part, reducing the amount of painting required.

Hull - The hull has a one-piece structure, with the port and starboard sides molded as a single unit, allowing for more stable assembly than a glued-together assembly. - The side bulges installed during the refit are reproduced as separate parts. - The numerous blocked and unblocked portholes lining the ship's sides, as well as the surrounding external electrical wiring, are reproduced with three-dimensional sculptures.

Upper Deck - The upper deck is a single part, with detailed engravings added to the linoleum deck support and the anti-slip steel deck. - The additional single machine gun turret and ammunition boxes are molded into the deck as a single piece.

Decks - The shelter deck is a separate part, accurately recreating the torpedo equipment compartment below. - The aircraft operating deck is a separate part, with engraving on the vertical surfaces created using a slide mold.

Bridge - The distinctive large bridge structure is a single-piece part with engraving on all four sides created using a slide mold. - Exclusive parts for the Atago are provided to represent the differences from its sister ship, the Takao.

Main Gun Turret - The main gun barrels can be attached to the turret at any angle to recreate any elevation or depression. - The heat shield seams on the sides and top of the turret are meticulously engraved. - New mold parts are available in addition to those for the sister ship "Takao."

Funnel - The front and rear funnels are both separated into left and right halves, and the handrails and double scaffolding are delicately sculpted. - The funnel's rain protection grille can be removed to allow visibility into the inner tube. - The steam exhaust pipe is a separate part from the funnel, recreating individual differences from ships of the same class.

Mast/Aviation Equipment - The aft mast's lower truss structure is molded as a single piece, allowing for easy reproduction of detailed shapes. - The floatplane hoisting and storage crane features sculpted truss shapes on the sides and top using a slide mold, and the hook is also delicately sculpted. - The catapult (Kure Type 2 Model 5) features realistic side and top shapes using a slide mold.

Aircraft - The mold color is gray to improve workability (to prevent damage when cutting the gate). Includes two Zero (three-seat) floatplanes.

Included decals Includes markings such as naval ensigns, national flags, and the Hinomaru flag for aircraft carriers.

The naval ensigns are available in three sizes. These are 1/700 scale versions of the actual 10cm, 6cm, and 3cm sizes.

Includes the Hinomaru flag for aircraft carriers and the friendly identification band (yellow band), including the Hinomaru flag without the white border seen in the later stages of the war.

Decals include the white lines on the masts and the ship's name on the stern (gold and solid naval colors).

[Included Contents]

34 runners

1 assembly manual

2 decals

This product is made in Japan. This is a plastic model kit that requires assembly.

Safety Warning

None Plastic Model [Scale] 1/700