There is a reason why this model company is called Sweet. That is because it is one of the first things that you say when you open the box. These folks make the finest 1/144 fighters ever produced, and that is purely because they have thought things through before producing the kits. Engineering is excellent as is the detail, even in this scale. They are also quite easy to build with no real fussing and fiddling about to get things to fit.

This particular boxing is for the Akagi fighter group and includes three identical kits.

Included in each kit is a drop tank, and you can pose the wing tips in the raised position. The drop tank is not absolutely necessary and the kit is designed so that you do not have to install it if you don't wish. Providing a one-piece wing really helps with assembly as well.Unlike land based Zeros, it seems that all carrier borne aircraft had a radio, or at least kept the radio mast. The interior is devoid of additional bits like a seat, control stick or instrument panel, though few will really complain.

Instructions consist of a single folded sheet with a four step construction sequence on one side and a full color decal placement guide on the other. Painting info is given using Gunze paint references, a bit of an issue for those in the US where the paint is no longer being imported. The decal sheet itself is very large and provides enough markings to do the three aircraft in overall Ame-iro. What is very nice is that the entire fighter wing is provided. This includes the wing commander, each of the 1st and 2nd section leaders as well as the 'plain jane' aircraft. Even the tiny aircraft numbers for the lower cowling are included. The red is also the darker shade used, unlike earlier sheets that had the red in a brighter shade. The decals themselves are superbly printed by Cartograf.