Flankerman

I didn't see you there..... .... and I'm jealous as hell....... Great model BTW Ken

It's a pity they can't float it up to Khimki in Moscow to join the A-90 Orlyonok. Ken

The Aleksayev Lun ekranoplan ..... has been moved from its dry dock in Kaspiisk ( https://igor113.livejournal.com/51213.html?page=1) to a new location ........... http://translate.google.com/translate?prev=/language_tools&u=https%3A%2F%2Fzen.yandex.ru%2Fmedia%2Flanasator%2Fekranoplan-lun-proekta-903-v-derbente-udalos-oboiti-ohranu-i-popast-vnutr-5f30e9b9bbe8572b801cebe9 Interesting story of a fascinating machine.... Ken

Just being mischievous........ but the canopy latches look a bit ill-defined.... (ignore the handsome jet jockey...) And..... will the decal sheet include a map for the beautifully rendered map case??? Sorry - it's hot and I'm bored... Kyen

Great details Gabor - it looks fabulous - although not my scale. I see that it has the rails for the blind-flying canopy.......... .... will there be instructions on how to make the folded curtain (if the modeller chooses to fit it ???). My attempt in 1/72 scale is less than stellar...... Ken PS - I'm not trying to be awkward - just fascinated by the level of detail you have incorporated - it's just stunning.......

That's nuthin............. Yours truly has actually SAT in a Flanker....... (Me at Kubinka in 1993..) (Note the ejection seat arming chord at top left - a small detail often missed - does the new GWH kit have it? .... and again at Zhukovski in a Su-33 (IIRC) ..... (arming chord there - but not attached) Ken

Be my guest Andy.... If you PM me you email, I'll send you them in the original hi-res size - let me know which ones (I've done K4, K-12, K-22 & K-26)........ Ken

The Soviets did similar rough-field experiments with a tracked landing gear on an Il-28.... They also fitted a ski landing gear to a Su-7......... Maingear..... Nosegear.... A system of a retractable ski attached to the main landing gear of a Su-7BKL actually went into production... Ken

How about the Soviet Nikitin-Shevchenko IS-2 Biplane/Monoplane ??? Not only did the main landing gear retract into the lower wing - but that lower wing could then retract into the upper wing - morphing from a biplane into a monoplane. That's pretty goofy. Then there's the Fairey Barracuda.... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Barracuda From Wiki...... The hydraulically-actuated main landing gear struts were of an "L" shape which retracted into a recess in the side of the fuselage and the wing, with the wheels within the wi

It's all very confusing - this is from 'Sukhoi Su-30 Flanker in Indian Service' by Phillip Camp with Simon Watson...... About the Su-30K....... It talks about the first 8 delivered....... then .... "These were supplemented in June to December 1999 by an additional 10 Su-30K (SB009 tp 018) .... These aircraft arrived with Russian avionics and were an improvement over the first eight aircraft, having updated electronic warfare systems and precision-guided weapons capability" and later............ "The first eight aircraft were very emasculated, lac

The first batch of 8 (SB 001 - SB 008) - later supplemented by an additional 10 (SB 009 - SB 018) - were visually the same as a Su-27UB - with the addition of an offset IRST and IFR probe. They were designated as Su-30K and wore Russian - style camouflage. The fins were the same as the Su-27UB - only the later, definitive Su-30MKI with the canards had a fin with an increased-area rudder. Four of the Su-30K's were painted in a special commemorative scheme representing the Indian flag..... Happy Flankering.... Ken

Visually.... the Su-27SM has an offset IRST ball on the starboard side of the windscreen - but no IFR probe on the port side. It also has RWR antenna halfway along the leading edge slat that is not present on the Su-27. I think the SM also has twelve hardpoints - the 'standard' Su-27 only has ten. That's external visible differences - internally - and in the cockpit - there are other differences. Ken

I've made a start....... Being a limited-run kit, all the parts need 'fettling' to fit... edges need trimming to square them up, some of the parts have flash in awkward places, delicate parts need careful trimming and are prone to breakage ......etc All par for the course for this type of kit. The four seats have sides that are way too thick - and benefit from being thinned down...... (as moulded left, half trimmed middle, fully trimmed right).. What's the collective consensus on seat belts??? - just lap straps - or full 4 - point over-

My Mikro-Mir Kalinin K-7 has survived the current vagaries of the international postal services and has finally arrived into my eager hands.... Ordered on-line from the Ukraine from :- https://amarket-model.com/ the kit was packed inside a stout carboard box with the contents cocooned in bubble wrap and although it took a while, it arrived undamaged - excellent service The impressive box art shows what the finished model should look like.... The massive wing is made from hollow fibreglass-resin with a superb glass-like surface finis