Sovietwarplanes

http://www.largescaleplanes.com/reviews/Kits/WW2/HobbyBoss/il-2/il-2.php

Linked here your consideration.

I'm the one who wrote that rather lengthy review, so I'd be interested in any comments or questions regarding it.  Since writing that review, I have done much work on actually constructing the kit, so although most of what I wrote there still applies, I have also uncovered other details, especially concerning the engine.  A condensed version of this review will be in a forthcoming issue of Scale Aviation Modeller International, depending on if I ever finish the b****y model!  I plan to add an even lengthier review to a book I'm currently working on with Oleg Rastrenin, a Russian expert on the IL-2, to be released by SAM Publications as part of their Datafile series.

Regards,

Jason

Hi Jason - please keep us updated on progress with your book!

John

I will do so John, and I'll also do a big, splashy announcement when my magazine article is read for publication, and I'll also announce when the book is ready.  At this point with the book, most of my part of the text is written; Mr. Rastrenin is responsible for the historical section, whilst I am responsible for the modelling section.  What's holding me up is I actually need some models to go along with the text.  I've chosen three - the Toko straight-winged two-seater in 1/72nd scale (basically out of the box), the Accurate Miniatures arrow in 1/48th scale (with lots of aftermarket parts), and the piece de resistance, the 1/32nd scale Hobby Boss ski-equipped single-seater with many scratchbuilt parts.  Once I get the Hobby Boss kit done, I'll get the magazine article off, then I can concentrate on the other two models for the book.  That's the plan, at any rate.

Regards,

Jason

Hi Jason,
congratulations, an interesting text.

Those lines on the windshield were not used for sighting.  The windshield was divided to increase survivability.  In theory, if the windshield was hit, only one piece would be shuttered and other pieces would be still useful.  This was called ?mosaic windshield?.

Cheers,
KL

Thank you Konstantin for reading the article!  That information about the windshield is something I've corrected for my book.  Someone else who'd read the article on the Large Scale Planes site pointed out that those were lines of separate pieces of glass, and that the sighting lines consisted of concentric rings and two horizontal lines on the windshield.  I'd always read that those were sighting lines, yet looking back at wrecks, I could see that they were actually separate pieces of armoured glass.  Since I found out they were separate pieces, I'd wondered why they were separate like that, a "mosaic" as you say.  The explanation I had read was that the Soviets were unable to make big enough pieces of armoured glass; that's why they were in pieces.  Is that just another bit of anti-Russian nonsense from the West - you know, the Soviets were too primitive to make this or do that?  We all know the VVS flew around in planes made out of balsa wood held together with rubber bands, with a piece of chewing gum stuck on the windscreen for a gunsight, whilst the mighty blonde-haired Aryan heroes of Germany flew around in beautifully made all-metal planes, that not only had all their controls automated, but had gunsights that automatically shot down two Soviet planes with each shell.

Regards,

Jason

Well, cloaked in the glowing robes of my (mostly honorary and undeserved) position of Global Moderator, I went in and deleted all the off-topic posts to save Massimo from having to make the decison. I've seen a moderator delete or edit posts by a forum "owner" before, but this might be the first time a moderator has had to delete his own posts. Now that I'm on this wild power trip, maybe I'll ban myself for a while, too! (Split personality - I feel like Peter Sellers in one of the final scenes of Doctor Strangelove...) ;)

John

Thank You , Jason for that pre-review.
I look forward to the later version and your book.
please keep us advised so we can purchase it when it is printed.

Hopefully John will forgive me but when i read this it made me smile:
Regular McGyvers if you added that balsa was cut with swiss army knife.
Please do announce the book here.

And a dull Swiss Army knife at that!  TISO, DGM, and all, I will gladly announce when my book and article are done.  The article will be done before the book.  Hopefully, the article will be in a spring issue of Scale Aircraft Modelling International.  As far as the book, it's hard to tell right now.  I'm almost finished with the cockpit on my Hobby Boss Shturmovik, and should be gluing the fuselage together within the next few days (he says hopefully), so I expect things to pick up from there, modelling-wise (they better!).  Happy Holidays to everyone!

Regards,

Jason