IJN Akitsushima by Landlubber Mike - Pit Road - 1/700 - PLASTIC

[Landlubber Mike]

Last week I was away at a showcase tournament with my daughter for five days, and thought that rather than lay in bed watching her TV shows when we were back at the hotel, I would bring a kit to work on.  My other 1/700 builds are in the final stages, so I took the kit that was the top of the stash which was this one.

 

This was the first 1/700 kit I bought years ago, as I loved the quirkiness and the camo scheme of this seaplane tender:

 

 

 

The ship was completed by the Japanese on April 29, 1942.  Like a lot of the late builds, the Akitsushima didn't have much of a history.  It was sunk two years later on September 24, 1944.  Apparently after taking damage in 1943, the ship was refitted with repair ship facilities because the Akashi (an IJN repair ship I'm building as well) was sunk.  

 

Edited July 15 by Landlubber Mike

[Landlubber Mike]

I'm building the ship using the Pit Road kit, along with the Artist Hobby super set.  The kit is very nice, but the Artist Hobby set really will take this kit to the next level:

 

The Artist Hobby set not only gives you five PE frets, but also resin binoculars and bollards, brass barrels for two of the guns, and resin parts for the Type 89 127mm AA gun.  In addition, it gives you a set of masks, one pair of which provides a template for you to drill the port holes:

 

I should mention that @CDW had a really nice build that can be found below.  He used a detail set from Tetra which worked out really nicely.  Inspiring build!

 

 

 

[Landlubber Mike]

While at the hotel, I actually managed to get quite a bit done.  I built up the bridge which is composed of four primary platforms, where three of the platforms are inserted into the main platform.  This will replace the kit bridge:

 

I also had time to work on the hull.  I removed most of the deck details as they are replaced by PE from the Artist Hobby set.  I also started working on the port holes.  The kit is missing a lot of the port holes, and some were deep while others were very faint.  So, I filled and sanded the sides of the hull and attached the two mask templates.  I drilled most of the port holes on one side using a 0.5mm bit, but dropped it on the table and it broke.  Of course, I only had one so I turned towards other parts of the build.

 

Thanks for looking in!

 

 

[king derelict]

What a great subject Mike. Lots of super details and very unusual. Your PE work is superb, especially for working in a hotel room with presumably lower quality lighting. Congratulations, I look forward to seeing more.

alan

[Landlubber Mike]

Thanks Alan!

 

For the hotel, I actually bought this Art Bin plastic carrying case from Amazon.  It was able to carry a small cutting mat, the kit and AM, my Optivisor (which I didn't need), and a high powered LED desk lamp (along with a variety of tools).

 

Art Bin:

 

https://www.amazon.com/ArtBin-6917AB-Sidekick-X-Large-Black/dp/B00178HQCE/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=T5TDYNEAAFAJ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.6SPDAklrX67sewcL9xrqNhmg740nCsgSkRK8wAV7fnd4sbHQLx458tl382qWRvun572Qr3WDINdiZbdHwFudL0qfd-JOS0tsg9Z8MToRoAxAzlTneF3w7F2djgX6G0y8d1P8sZqXGtvr4mjUM85Q0c0WrUblc8i4g6NzRv0Mq75lFYWFTsRvrSxG4thTB5B1pU-C-w2TKSHEmuikM3HgApRAMtmbMJSpKxwGShSbUmnJrOOdcEgKPod11Zv9sn8QuT0JQldmDcebqQu21pJBRB8E6r8gU963zOW4ClY3ZJM.oRIalhAhGhBUBEwfTvJNYc-47ovsM_QgMRkhfuFzqF0&dib_tag=se&keywords=art+bin&qid=1752543532&sprefix=art+bin%2Caps%2C131&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

 

Desk lamp:

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B8RZWW8X?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_2&th=1

 

I've used the desk lamp for a while now, and I find that with the added light, I don't have as much need for the Optivisor as I used to.  I don't really use the magnification lens on this lamp, but I have occasionally in the 9 or so months that I've owned it.  It was definitely a necessity in the hotel room as the lighting (as in any hotel room) was really inadequate to do any modeling.

[Landlubber Mike]

Built the two different types of 12.7cm twin AA guns.  The Artist Hobby set gives you the parts and barrels for the right one, and gives you the barrels to add to the kit part for the left one.  There's a 25mm twin gun to add as well, but I probably will use an aftermarket gun rather than build it out of PE to avoid the hassle and have more of a 3D look for the barrels.

 

[Javlin]

Interesting subject matter Mike you and me like the IJN stuff.

[Landlubber Mike]

16 hours ago, Javlin said:

Interesting subject matter Mike you and me like the IJN stuff.

We really do Kevin!  I know people like doing the Yamato and the big flagship carriers and the like, but I really like their converted vessels and auxiliary ships.  Very interesting designs!  

 

I did break down and recently add three US Navy ships to the collection after finally finding a 1/700 Loose Cannon Langley CV-1.  Like a week later, I found a Tom's Modelworks corrected hull for the Hornet carrier, so got a bunch of AM for that one to do a Doolittle raid diorama, and then more recently bought the Tamiya Bogue class that I will do as the USS Copahee - there's a couple of really cool pictures of it bringing back IJN planes and equipment which I will try to model (plus, I love the Measure 33 Design 12A camo scheme):

I 

I found this one as well with the flight deck full of US aircraft, but I think this might be an earlier design given the funnels:

 

[Old Collingwood]

I hope that last one is just a transport carrier.

 

OC.

[Javlin]

7 hours ago, Landlubber Mike said:

We really do Kevin!  I know people like doing the Yamato and the big flagship carriers and the like, but I really like their converted vessels and auxiliary ships.  Very interesting designs!

I hear ya Mike but the big guns are cool.I am thinking my next 1/200 for what it's worth will be the Bismark I like the lines on Kreigsmarine stuff when outfitted with Atlantic bow.I am seriously starting to think about downsizing my collection of 1/48 and 1/72 one day keep the ships,1/32 and a handful of 1/48's.

[Landlubber Mike]

Made some good progress on the Akitsushima past few days.  Using the Artist Hobby supplied template mask, I drilled the port holes out with a 0.5mm drill.  Having the micromotor really helped to not only drill them quickly, but also fairly cleanly:

Removed all deck details which will be replaced by the Artist Hobby set:

Added the Artist Hobby PE decks.  The fit was perfect on these pieces, really well done by Artist Hobby.

Next I think I'll work on the hull sides, adding plating lines and details like degaussing cables and if I'm feeling crazy enough, maybe PE porthole surrounds.  

 

Thanks for looking in!

[Landlubber Mike]

On 7/18/2025 at 3:45 PM, Old Collingwood said:

I hope that last one is just a transport carrier.

 

OC.

OC, I meant to get back to you on this.  A lot of the escort carriers during and after the war were used to transport/carry "stuff" (for lack of a better word).  The Copahee I posted above carried back a number of Japanese planes and engines and other parts during the war.  I'm assuming the picture in this post shows a similar operation of transporting planes.

[Landlubber Mike]

To simulate the hull plating lines, I taped alternating rows using Tamiya flexible tape and then sprayed a fairly medium-heavy coat of Mr. Surfacer 500.  Once you remove the tape, you have nice simulated plating lines.

 

I then added the degaussing cables.  The Artist Hobby set gives you four pieces for each side of the hull, and then a piece for the stern.  The pieces all fit together perfectly.  I've been super impressed by the Artist Hobby update set.  Everything fits the Pit Road kit like a glove.

[Javlin]

Waterline then I would suspect another fantastic Dio on your part?

[Landlubber Mike]

1 hour ago, Javlin said:

Waterline then I would suspect another fantastic Dio on your part?

I think so - these 1/700 models seem to look much better to me in a water dio setting.  I believe the Pit Road kit allows you to do full hull or waterline.  

 

I didn't add the bottom half yet to the hull in part because I'm still deciding what to do (at 1/700, a full hull isn't very deep) and because having the open bottom allowed me to drill holes from underneath to help get glue between the PE deck and the plastic hull.  There were a couple of places the PE deck were not sitting flush, so a hole or two drilled underneath allowed me to get more glue in that spot and with a little pressure, got the deck to fit flush.

[Javlin]

15 hours ago, Landlubber Mike said:

There were a couple of places the PE deck were not sitting flush, so a hole or two drilled underneath allowed me to get more glue in that spot and with a little pressure, got the deck to fit flush.

Why the young Lad is smarter than I have been giving him credit for.....good idea.