Background:

Akagi's aircraft participated in the Second Sino-Japanese War in the late 1930s. Upon the formation of the First Air Fleet or Kido Butai (Striking Force) in early 1941, she became its flagship, and remained so for the duration of her service. With other fleet carriers, she took part in the Pearl Harbour raid in December 1941 and the invasion of Rabaul in the Southwest Pacific in January 1942. The following month her aircraft bombed Darwin, Australia and assisted in the conquest of the Dutch East Indies. In March and April 1942, Akagi's aircraft helped sink a British heavy cruiser and an Australian destroyer in the Indian Ocean raid.
After a brief refit, Akagi and three other fleet carriers of the Kido Butai participated in the Battle of Midway in June 1942. After bombarding American forces on the atoll, Akagi and the other carriers were attacked by aircraft from Midway and the carriers Enterprise, Hornet, and Yorktown. Dive bombers from Enterprise severely damaged Akagi. When it became obvious she could not be saved, she was scuttled by Japanese destroyers to prevent her from falling into enemy hands. The loss of Akagi and three other IJN carriers at Midway was a crucial strategic defeat for Japan and contributed significantly to the Allies' ultimate victory in the Pacific.

Contents:

The resealable plastic bag has one pre coloured photo etched deck printed onto a sheet of brass. The Eduard base has the two planked pattern, with what looks like rows of tie down points. The finish looks pretty weathered with plenty of tyre scuffing. The metal itself is fairly thin and quite easy to bend if you are not careful. It might be an idea to glue it to something a lot more rigid. There brass surround that is lightly attached to the pre coloured deck comes away very easily. The white line appears to mark the centre section of the flight deck. This looks like the flight deck of the Akagi after the original three flight decks was replaced with a single deck.

Dimensions:
L: 132mm [5 3/16 inches]
W: 110mm [4 5/16 inches]

The dimensions do not include the removable excess brass that borders the pre painted deck. Not particularly generous in size, you will find a “Kate” with a 1/72 wingspan of 215mm overhanging this portion of the deck a fair bit.

Conclusions:

So if you want something to sit your “Clauds”, “Susies”, “Vals”, “Kates, “Zeros” etc then this is well worth considering. The price may put some off, but the quality and looks are first rate. Great idea Eduard.