Flankerman

Dan, The Su-27SM can be identified visually by the offset IRST ball on the windscreen (moved to starboard to make room for the IFR probe - although, curiously, the SM does not have a probe). It also has the small EW antenna on the L/E slats. Also lacking is the triangular shaped 'Berioza'(?) antenna on the intake sides. Here's a 'standard' old Su-27 for comparison..... There are other minor differences - the antenna on the fin tip trailing edge for example. Ken

I was disappointed with the NeOmega Mi-17V5 resin set - there are no windows in the resin nose !!!! (OK - they are partially hidden behind the armour plate - but they are still visible !!) I made my own some ten years ago...... build details here - scroll down to it. Ken PS - Great Mi-17 Fubuki4

Chris, The two vents just inboard of the fins are just above the new intakes on the underside (which required the cutout in the main gear door) - so maybe they are the outlets for some heat exchanger system?? I scratched the intakes on my Italeri Su-34 'upgrade'..... (not very well!) ... but completely missed the upper outlets and gear door cutout. Ken

Andrey.... Can we agree the following.....?? 1. EVERY latest production Su-34 has the upper wing fence - whether fitted with Knibiny pod or with 'launch unit' (wingtip missile launch rail). 2. ONLY Su-34's fitted with Knibiny pods have the curved fillet between pod and wing tip leading edge. Just for clarity. Ken

Are we talking about the fence on the upper surface of the wing - inboard from the tip ??? Or something else actually on the pod itself? If the former - I spotted it on Sukhois 'dogship' Su-34 (Bort 48) at MAKS 2011 - you can just make it out - in primer - just above the wingtip launch rail... Here's a closer view...... Why it is there - (along with the curved fillet between the pod and wing L/E) and not on other Flanker variants - is a mystery. They are clearly aerodynamic 'fixes' on the Su-34 - but they don't appear on a similarly configured Su-35S...... Ken

Is there a leftatable version ??? - or do they only launch one way ??? Ken

I know - don't pass judgement until the kit appears etc....... but......... That tailcone looks to be too pointed - the real thing is quite blunt........ ... and the APU outlet is in the top rear, not the starboard side - unless they have changed it without telling me..... Earlier machines (without the APU) had a more pointed tailcone.... Ken

Shouldn't that read "Plastic bag reflections on ebay" Ken

The Russian pilots had their visors down to protect their identity during the Syria deployment. Ken

Chris, Luckily, my Tu-22M2 is in a display cabinet - so easily accessible. I have just taken it out to measure it - and the height from the ground to the canopy sill is.... 5.6cm Hope this helps Ken

Mstor/Nazarov's photo of the canopy also shows an item missed by super-detailers - especially in the larger scales. Note the bungee-type chord connecting the seat to the internal canopy frame. I think this is a seat arming mechanism - when the canopy is blown off, the bungee arms the seat for ejection. The chord is difficult to replicate - as you have to try and fit it before you attach the canopy - especially if you display the canopy closed ....... But it is quite prominent - once you know it is there. Ken

Sorry guys - I meant the PL-8 missile. Senior moment....... Ken

I just did a bit of judicious scraping and sanding on my Trumpeter 1/72nd Su-34..... Before...... (Trumpeter left, Italeri right). After........ Not perfect - but as goood as a resin replacement ? Here's the Trumpeter nose next to the real thing (with caveats for camera angles etc)... ....and finally - my scratched/converted Su-27IB next to the corrected Su-34...... Looks OK to me - but then I am slightly biased.... Ken

Interesting that the PLAAF Su-35 has the 'standard' Russian-style wingtip missile rails - not the 'drooped' rails needed to carry the Chinese PL-12 missile. I wonder if they will be replaced ?? Ken

I have built the 1/72nd Trumpeter Su-34 (which, IIRC, is a scaled down HB kit - so should be the same(?)) - and it has the APU inlet in the tailboom. It looks like this is a late addition though - as you have to cut out the aperture and fit the separate intake grille......... What they forgot though, is the APU exhaust flap on top of the tailboom..... It is difficult to see from the side profiles from KH whether they have included it or not?? Another small feature - again missed by HB/Trumpeter - is the curved wingtip 'fillets' fitted when the ESM pods are carried.... Are they in the KH kit ? Ken