Fujimi 1/700 No. 041 Shokaku 1941 Plastic Model (Standard Edition)

- Scale: 1/700

- Type: Plastic assembly model kit, glue assembly

- Molded color: primarily gray for ease of assembly and painting

- Historical motif: Pearl Harbor period and early months of the Pacific War

Overview

This detailed 1/700 scale model reproduces the Shokaku class carrier at the outbreak of the Pacific War. Two editions are offered: Standard (STD) with high-quality sculpting and realistic fit, and PLUS with additional precision parts and transparent components for greater realism and easier paint separation.

Key features

- Accurate Pearl Harbor-era appearance: no radar, Type 94 anti-aircraft director on the bridge with a single unit on the port side, flight deck white markings based on December 1941, bow and stern anti-aircraft positions not yet installed.

- Hull designed as left and right halves with internal reinforcement for rigidity and separate sponson parts for three-dimensional detail.

- Fine sculpting of external wiring, open portholes reflecting the completion-to-outbreak condition, and a hull bottom designed to fit inside the hull sides.

- One-piece flight deck from bow to stern with separate windbreak and three elevators. Elevators can be shown lowered; windbreak can be built folded or raised.

- Detailed wooden deck texture with depths designed for washes and shading. Recessed expansion joints, drain gutters, landing marking overhangs, and under-deck truss structure reproduced in relief.

- Anchor deck and stern deck provided as separate parts with integrated bollards and anchor supports, finely sculpted anti-slip deck pattern, and individually molded flight deck support stanchions.

- Chrysanthemum crest included; PLUS edition supplies a separate crest part for added realism.

- Two-level stern boat deck reproduced as separate parts. Standard kit includes integrated boat cradles; PLUS edition supplies separate cradle parts for easier painting.

- Included ship boats in the Standard kit: 12 m motor launch, 11 m motor launch, and 13 m special cargo boat as one-piece parts. PLUS version offers multi-piece boat parts for paint separation.

- Bridge base in left and right split parts with integrated navigation bridge windows. Anti-air command post modeled in place; PLUS version includes precision binocular parts.

- Funnels in upper and lower split parts with U-shaped profile, emergency smoke outlet details, internal deflector plates, and separate grid structures for realistic appearance.

Armament and fittings

- 12.7 cm twin high-angle guns offered in shielded and unshielded configurations. PLUS edition includes higher part count assemblies for greater realism.

- 25 mm triple machine guns supplied as single-piece parts in the Standard kit; PLUS edition offers two-piece assemblies for easier painting.

- Mooring booms and accommodation ladders supplied as separate parts with selectable deployed or stowed positions.

- Small fittings such as ladders and the 60 cm signal searchlight provided as independent parts. In the Standard kit the 60 cm searchlight is molded gray; PLUS version supplies a transparent part.

Carrier aircraft

- Three aircraft types included: Mitsubishi A6M Zero Model 21, Aichi D3A Type 99 carrier bomber Val, and Nakajima B5N Type 97 carrier attack Kate.

- Standard kit includes two of each type for a total of six aircraft, molded gray to reduce gate cut damage during assembly.

- Aircraft feature separate parts for windscreen, propeller, landing gear and external stores: Zero Model 21 with drop tank, Val with bombs, Kate with torpedo.

- PLUS edition supplies transparent parts and increased aircraft quantities for display flexibility.

- Compatible with separately sold Japanese carrier aircraft sets covering the early wartime period.

Decals and markings

- Standard kit includes two decal sheets: one with flight deck white lines and operational markings (recreated after renewed research) covering Pearl Harbor, Indian Ocean operations and Coral Sea, and a second sheet with naval ensign, national flag and aircraft Hinomaru markings in three historical sizes scaled to 1/700.

- PLUS edition adds a stern name decal.

Accessories available separately

- Photo-etched parts set specifically for the Shokaku class

- Wood deck sticker sheet for Shokaku

Who this kit is for

- Collectors and modelers seeking a historically accurate, highly detailed 1/700 scale representation of the Shokaku class carrier in the Pearl Harbor era.

- Choose the Standard edition for excellent sculpting and fit, or the PLUS edition for additional precision parts, transparent components and easier paint separation for advanced finishing and display.

*This is a plastic model and requires assembly.