Sovietwarplanes

As I haven't seen a report on this kit here I thought I may as well give my first impressions.

This is the first Zvezda aircraft kit I've seen and I was immediately impressed. Looks to be very nicely moulded with no short shots. While I'm not a huge fan of riveted models this one doesn't seem too bad. The rivets are reasonably restrained and should look OK under paint. Panel lines are quite fine and restrained, no Italeri/Airfix/Matchbox trenches here. The surface of the plastic is very slightly rough but there are a lot worse out there. Would only need a couple of minutes attention with fine wet and dry paper to get a smooth finish though I doubt there is any real need. It might be a problem if you wanted to paint the aircraft with a natural metal finish but why would you?

I know little about the actual aircraft so can't comment on the interior detailing. It has been said that the wheel wells aren't right and that the cockpit is missing a lot of detail. Actually if I hadn't read any of that I would have thought the cockpit and wheel wells had quite a nice level of detail. Certainly more than a lot of kits. Sometimes it's easier when you don't know a lot about a particular subject. One thing the cockpit does need is some seatbelts.

Looks to be nice detailing in the bomb bay. At least the major structural parts seem to be there. I'm sure the super detailers could add a lot of piping and such but it seems they would have a good base from which to start.

It is well known that the cowling is wrong. I have solved this problem by ordering the Vector correction set. I got the same cowl type as provided in the kit, though there is also a Vector set that depicts the later, more steamlined and let's face it, more attractive cowl. Honestly I would have bought that one but it was sold out.

The fabric control surfaces in the kit aren't great. Not quite up to the standard of the rest of the kit. The kit parts could be improved with a bit of work but then Vector offer an inexpensive replacement set which will save the modeller a lot of work and most likely give you a better result.

Zvezda provide two sets of canopies, one for a closed canopy and another for the opened one. Most companies would have you just place the sliding part of the pilot's canopy on top of the fixed part but this can look a bit odd and not quite in scale. Zvezda's open canopy is moulded with the sliding canopy already pushed back over the fixed part. Seems like a good solution to the nested canopy problem and should look far more in scale. The only problem I can see is that painting the canopy frames of the fixed canopy (which are under the sliding part) will have to be done from the inside. Not sure if this will look convincing or if the canopy frames will look like they are made of class.

Unusually these days in 1:48 scale kits a crew is provided. They look quite nicely done for those that like that sort of thing. Though they would look more lifelike if they weren't staring straight ahead quite so resolutely.

You get six bombs in the kit, four for the bomb bay and two (optional) under the wings.  Again I can't comment on the accuracy but as kit bombs go, they look pretty nice.

There are two finishing options. White 15 with green/black upper surfaces with light blue undersides and Red 21 with white upper surfaces with light blue undersides. The schemes are OK but but you wouldn't call them all that exciting. You might want to have a look at the Begemot sheet for the Su-2 which has 48 different options.

One final thing  about this kit. It comes with a tiny bottle of glue. Sure I probably won't use the glue, I have plenty of glue but I thought it was a nice touch. Almost like a little present. Took me back to my childhood days when many Japanese kits came with a little foil trapezoid of glue. Messy and never enough but it was nice to have.

It would have been better if Zvezda had got the cowl right and the fabric on the control surfaces was more convincing but the only real problem is the cowl and Vector have come to the rescue there.
Overall I'm very pleased with this kit and look forward to starting it though there are two Sturmoviks that need to be built first.

Cheers,
Robert

Good review, Robert - thank you for providing it! I'm not a 1/48th scale person, but it does seem that there are some nice kits coming out in the last few years of VVS aircraft, such as this, the Il-2, the Tu-2, and the Il-4. Nice to see new VVS kits in any scale. This one may deserve a look, as far as I'm concerned.

Regards,

Jason

Hi Robert,
thank you for the revew, it's interesting.
Zvezda has made the same version of ICM, and they made a wrong engine cowling as them? I wonder if there is some relation.
It would be interesting to know better about this error, to see if it can be corrected by the modeller in some other way.
Regards
Massimo

Thanks guys.

Thought I should try and contribute something after all the help I've been given here.

Jason you are right about it being a good era for 48 scale VVS subjects. The Zvezda Yak-3 and La-5 and FN look like terrific models. It's great to see Xuntong tackling the Soviet twins. I'm particularly looking forward to the SB series. Hopefully they'll do some Pe-2s as well.

Massimo, interesting to hear that ICM made the same mistake with the cowl. You can only assume they were working from the same set of plans.

As to correcting the cowling, I guess the modeller could do it but it wouldn't be an easy job. The shape is a long way off. You would need to add a lot of plastic and then sand it down to the correct shape. Of course you would need a good reference  first.

Regards,
Robert

Robert, given where Xuntong are going, even bringing out the SB series (I hope they do the Ar-2!), I would imagine they'd do a Pe-2. With 1/48th scale B-25's and A-20's available, it would then be possible to do all of the important Soviet and L-L twin bombers used during the GPW. That would make an impressive lineup in 1/48th scale. It would even be possible to convert a Monogram/Revell C-47 into an Li-2NB night bomber, with a bit (actually, more than a bit) of work. I wish I had the money, time, patience, and space for all that.

Regards,

Jason

Just wondering, I heard lots of people on several forums wishing for a new Pe-2. I built both the MPM and HIPM kits back way then and don't remember any particular issue (other than the blank IP on the MPM one). They are both still available. What is it that makes them unappreciated?
If their Tu-2 (and the DB-3 sprue shots) is anything to go by, a Xuntong Pe-2 is going to be rather overengineered...

apparently both have problems

http://www.network54.com/Forum/149674/thread/1362810038/Koster+1-48+Pe-2-


I did email Sergey asking if there were any good drawings but with no response.

I have both, and have been meaning to order some items off Bill Koster so was going to ask about canopies and nacelles.

The HiPM kit is OOP, and the MPM kits is not to easy to get, so an accurate Pe-2 would be neat, along with an Ar-2, and the Yer-2 as well ::)

HTH
T

I forgot about the Yer-2 - how about both versions; the early one with the asymmetrical canopy, and the later version with the two-seat cockpit canopy. I also wish someone would come out with the early version in 1/72nd scale (I know Amodel do the later version, but it would take a lot to back-convert one, especially the canopy).

Regards,

Jason

Hi,
I fear that the Ar-2 and Yer-2 are too scarcely known to encourage Xuntong to risk their money and work for such kits. I think it is a luck that Amodel has made kits of these subjects in 1/72. Li-2 is already a bit more likely.
Regards
Massimo

I would add that DB-3s were used in China against Japaneses, so this plane is possible too from a Chinese firm.
Regards
Massimo

You're probably correct about the Ar-2 and Yer-2, Massimo, but I wouldn't mind seeing an Li-2, especially if they also do the night bomber version (Li-2NB).

Regards,

Jason

Hi Jason,
is anyone already producing an Il-28 in 1/48? If not, it seems a candidate: a Soviet twin that was utilized by Chinese AF.
Regards
Massimo

I don't know if anyone does the Beagle in 1/48th scale; I rather doubt it, at least any mainstream manufacturers. I've always liked the Beagle. Now if they did a Badger (Chinese Xian H-6) in 1/48th scale, that would be great!

Hph Models do a 1:48 Il-28 in resin. Not seen one but from all accounts they are very nice but also very expensive. Comes with markings for Chinese and Russian aircraft.
I am strictly a WWII guy but if there was one ever produced in injected plastic I might be tempted. It is a great looking aeroplane.

Regards,
Robert

"is anyone already producing an Il-28 in 1/48? If not, it seems a candidate: a Soviet twin that was utilized by Chinese AF.
Regards
Massimo"


There was a 1/48 resin Il-28 from HPH:

http://www.aeroscale.co.uk/modules.php?op=modload&name=features&file=view&artid=5089


I do not know if it is still available.