Amodel News for 2011

[Massimo Tessitori]

Vaku copies? Good idea.
So, it has only the forward-sliding canopy of the second prototype?
Regards
Massimo

[Walker]

John , thnx for the links...as soon as i can, i shall putlittle Su on the plans.
Last week i  took a chance and bought I-17 TSKB-19, and i wasn't dissapointed.Its way ahead of the old
I-17 of Amodel.
It is something completely new, and done  quite nice, almost Tamigawa quality.
I'll try to  obtain  one more for kitbash because old one is very crude.Difference is  landing gear position, and  nose, as i  remember correctly.
By the way i also ordered  new I-185, and ill keep you posted.

Not quite true. All the new sets of Su-1 Su-3, TSKB-19 made a very rude. There are serious inaccuracies. Surface models worked very primitive. With numerous defects, scratches, damages. Characteristic sagging fabric covering made very primitive and rough. The pointing rough and uneven. Parts fit together poorly. So to Tamiya or Hasegawa, very, very far away. In fact it is rough blanks for a very long completion.

[learstang]

We have too very different opinions here so it looks like we need to see some posted pictures of the models in question, or at least the sprues, so we can judge for ourselves.  Musa, one thing you have to remember is that most of us are simple modellers, not a master craftsman and scratch-builder like you, so maybe we're a little more forgiving as long as the shapes are accurate.  One thing's for certain; neither Hasegawa nor Tamiya are going to be coming out with these kits anytime soon.

Regards,

Jason

[Azagtoth]

My thoughts exactly, learstang...if anyone is interesting, i can either email, or post photos of  these model kits.

@ Massimo...yes, and i can say this is best cast i have seen of this forward skliding canopy.

[Walker]

We have too very different opinions here so it looks like we need to see some posted pictures of the models in question, or at least the sprues, so we can judge for ourselves.  Musa, one thing you have to remember is that most of us are simple modellers, not a master craftsman and scratch-builder like you, so maybe we're a little more forgiving as long as the shapes are accurate.  One thing's for certain; neither Hasegawa nor Tamiya are going to be coming out with these kits anytime soon.

Regards,

Jason

Yes Jason, that's why I expressed my point of view. Because skreych-builder will be easier to bring these models than the modeler. And my position is not at all anti-advertising Amodel. On the contrary in this model has a number of stunning models performed very well and with a good study of the surface. I have a feeling that very Amodel hurry to have time to release as much as possible models of any kind of quality. At least I have seen before from all the latest new models, most made at very low levels. There is a word of Russian: "halyava".

[Azagtoth]

Actually, i think that people who are interested in Russian aviation have very limited supply of Su-3 and Su-1...namely one, and that model kits are quite decent.Comparing it to  Firefox Yak-28 or some "icantrememberwhatmanufacturer" Yak-15, they are Tamigawa to me.

[Eugeny Knupfer]

Here's my review of Amodel's new I-17:

http://scalemodels.ru/articles/4188-obzor-Amodel-1-72-i-17-ckb-19bis.html

The automatic translation is very hard to make sense of, so here is the bottom line. The model is quite crude, all the surface features (panel lines, hatches, fabric skin) probably need to be redone, as well as the small parts. Regarding its accuracy, even taking into consideration the fact that there are no correct drawings of TsKB-19, the model still leaves much to be desired. The fuselage shape especially will require some corrections - cylinder fairings on the cowling are too bulky, the cross-sections are wrong, the spinner is too long, and so on.

In my opinion, the model could have been done much better, and is actually a step back for Amodel. It looks like they changed their priorities lately, putting emphasis on quantity instead of quality. Which is too bad.

[John Thompson]

Here's my review of Amodel's new I-17:

http://scalemodels.ru/articles/4188-obzor-Amodel-1-72-i-17-ckb-19bis.html

The automatic translation is very hard to make sense of, so here is the bottom line. The model is quite crude, all the surface features (panel lines, hatches, fabric skin) probably need to be redone, as well as the small parts. Regarding its accuracy, even taking into consideration the fact that there are no correct drawings of TsKB-19, the model still leaves much to be desired. The fuselage shape especially will require some corrections - cylinder fairings on the cowling are too bulky, the cross-sections are wrong, the spinner is too long, and so on.

In my opinion, the model could have been done much better, and is actually a step back for Amodel. It looks like they changed their priorities lately, putting emphasis on quantity instead of quality. Which is too bad.

Thanks for that information, Evgeny, and welcome to Sovietwarplanes.com! I was so impressed with the quality of the Amodel Yak-9U, Yak-9P, and Yak-3/VK107A when they were first released (even if the nose may be a bit too short on the Yak-9 kits), it's very disappointing to hear that they're not doing so well on their more recent kits. Amodel is a hard company to understand, or to predict what will happen next!

(Your review on Scalemodels.ru is excellent, by the way; the photos show very well the surprisingly poor quality of the kit.)

All the best;
John

[learstang]

Spaseeba for the link, Eugeny, and welcome to the site, indeed!  The more English/Russian speakers we have on this site, the better.  I see now what Musa was talking about.  The surface detail is definitely not the greatest.  I recently purchased the Amodel Ar-2 and what struck me about that kit was how amazingly detailed the surface was, with each rivet represented (thankfully as recessed, even if that's not entirely accurate, it's preferable from a modelling standpoint than raised rivets), and each panel line and access panel.  It is disappointing to see Amodel apparently regress in this area.  I don't necessarily expect ease of assembly from Amodel, but I do expect accuracy in shape and surface detail.  Let's hope they will get back to improving the quality of their kits, and not become slaves to the almighty dollar (or rouble, or euro, etc.).

Regards,

Jason

[Azagtoth]

You've opened my eyes , Eugeny...so, almost everything has to be done from the scratch.

[Eugeny Knupfer]

John, Jason, thanks. Glad if this info is useful.

I was so impressed with the quality of the Amodel Yak-9U, Yak-9P, and Yak-3/VK107A when they were first released (even if the nose may be a bit too short on the Yak-9 kits), it's very disappointing to hear that they're not doing so well on their more recent kits. Amodel is a hard company to understand, or to predict what will happen next!

I recently purchased the Amodel Ar-2 and what struck me about that kit was how amazingly detailed the surface was, with each rivet represented (thankfully as recessed, even if that's not entirely accurate, it's preferable from a modelling standpoint than raised rivets), and each panel line and access panel.  It is disappointing to see Amodel apparently regress in this area.  I don't necessarily expect ease of assembly from Amodel, but I do expect accuracy in shape and surface detail.

Indeed, Yak's and Ar-2 are great, both done on an entirely different level, and it is sad to see that level decline in some of their last kits.

You've opened my eyes , Eugeny...so, almost everything has to be done from the scratch.

Well, I wouldn't say everything, but it will definitely require a lot of work. Of course, it depends on how important accuracy is to you (if the word "accuracy" applies here - after all, what's left of TsKB-19bis is 4 photos and a few contradicting drawings). Probably, a shortened spinner and new engine cylinder fairings (thinner and spaced farther apart) will go a long way in making this model look more like I-17. Correcting fuselage cross-sections is far more difficult. Not to mention surface detail that needs to be redone... Not an easy build for sure.

[Massimo Tessitori]

Hi,
are you sure that the spinner is too long for the third prototype, represented in the reviewed kit? The profile shown in the review is that of the first prototype, Tskb-15, and has many differences, including a shorter spinner.
Years ago, I collected something on this page. http://mig3.sovietwarplanes.com/I-17/convert.html I know that some things are obsolete now, as the red tail suggested by the profile of Letecti Kosmonautika, but can still be useful.
Regards
Massimo

[Eugeny Knupfer]

Hi Massimo,

are you sure that the spinner is too long for the third prototype, represented in the reviewed kit? The profile shown in the review is that of the first prototype, Tskb-15, and has many differences, including a shorter spinner.

I have actually included two profile comparisons in my review, one with TsKB-15 (first prototype) drawing from an old "Modelist-Konstruktor" magazine, and another one with a drawing from "Aviatsiya" magazine, which represents TsKB-19bis, the third prototype. Of course, TsKB-15 differs from TsKB-19 and -19bis in several areas, including  spinner, but I decided to include the comparison with TsKB-15 drawings because they seem much more reliable than the ones from "Aviatsiya". Regarding the spinner, as you can see, it's too long when put against TsKB-19 drawings from "Aviatsiya", and of course, there are photos, such as this one, which show the same.

Years ago, I collected something on this page. http://mig3.sovietwarplanes.com/I-17/convert.html I know that some things are obsolete now, as the red tail suggested by the profile of Letecti Kosmonautika, but can still be useful.

Of course, I am familiar with your page and have used it many times. In fact, recently I've been trying to put together all known photos of I-17 (here), and took some of them from your page. I hope you don't mind. Currently I am trying to piece together a better drawing of TsKB-19 based on a new material, which became available recently. 

[Massimo Tessitori]

Hi Eugeny,
I agree that the spinner is too long, even if probably less than what appears on the drawings of aviatsiya that are visibly wrong over the nose. When I adapted drawings for that page, I based on some drawings that were probably derived from those of Modelist Konstructor, and keep only vague inspirations from those of Aviatsia.
You made a good work by collecting those photos. Don't mind, my scans are collected here and there too.
Regards
Massimo

[Eugeny Knupfer]

When I adapted drawings for that page, I based on some drawings that were probably derived from those of Modelist Konstructor, and keep only vague inspirations from those of Aviatsia.

These are drawings by Yury Guglya, published in "Aviatsiya i vremya" magazine and in his book "Single Engined Fighters of VVS RKKA 1930-1945". They mostly depict TsKB-15 and are clearly based on earlier drawings from "Modelist-Konstruktor" and, therefore, appear to be fairly accurate. However, the profiles of TsKB-19 and TsKB-19bis from these drawings are much less reliable, since they ignore many differences between 15/19/19bis, such as the cylinders fairing shape, lower cowling shape, canopy (which is different on all three aircraft by the way) and so on. IMHO, the TsKB-19/bis profiles from "Aviatsiya" look more convincing than Guglya's drawings, at least in depicting the differences between -15 and -19, although they have issues too.