Flankerman
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Everything posted by Flankerman
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This new resin kit from ABM represents the sole prototype of the Beriev R-1 jet-powered flying boat. Beautifully cast in flawless cream coloured resin, this is resin casting at its best. It is a comprehensive kit - excellently packaged - with fantastic service - 7 days from order to delivery (over the Christmas period). The box art depicts the R-1 flying over (presumably?) Beriev's base at Taganrog.... The comprehensive instructions are on two A3 sheets folded into a four-page A4 'booklet'.... Note that the col -
IIRC, there were 15 T10M/Su-35 built - 701 to 712 plus a 'pre-production' batch of 3. Of the above, 711 became the TVC equipped Su-37 'Terminator' (later reverting to a 'Su-35' without the TVC engines). The 3 'pre-production' Su-35's (Bort Red 86/87/88) went to Akhtubinsk for service trails - later they plus 2 of the earlier batch were repainted in 'Russian Knights' colours and coded 1/2/3/4/5 - although they never flew a public demo with the team. Ken
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That is an aerodynamic shaped 'wedge' - to divert the slipstream away from the IRST glass to keep it clean. It isn't just on two-seaters. Another small detail....the MKM also has four 'bird slicer' IFF antennas in front of the windscreen.... Great progress BTW Ken
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Great progress - looking good so far. Can I just point out that the raised circle below the IFR probe recess is way too prominent and needs sanding back a bit. The raised circles (there's another one on the starboard side) are actually pop-out lights to illuminate the probe during flight refuelling - and they are pretty much flush with the surrounding skin surface. Keep up the good work. Ken
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A little more..... The first coat of Halfords Grey Plastic Primer shows all that nice detail........... ....especially the excellent etched decking - most realistic..... Ken
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If anyone is still following ??? A little more progress......... The kit supplies the propeller housings - and very delicate castings they are!........ The modeller has to supply the prop shafts - either from plastic or brass rod - BUT the instructions quote their length as 5mm - instead of the correct 11mm (according to my measuring)........ The deck guns - QF 4in and 20mm Oerlikon - are each made up from a resin breech and a mounting pedestal - with a turned metal barrel provided by Master-Model of Poland.
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Decking complete....... It really is quite delicate - but perfectly etched.......... There is a slight mistake on the instruction shet - where the part numbers don't agree with the numbers on the etch.... For example part 8 on the instruction sheet is actually 10 on the etched fret, instruction sheet part 10 is etched as part 9 and part 9 on the instruction sheet is on the fret - but not numbered ! Minor errors and easily identifiable. Ken
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I have made a start...... I cleaned up some casting 'flash' and washed the parts in warm soapy water and made a start on adding the decking parts. I had thought that the etched brass decking would simply be stuck down onto a flat deck to provide detail - but it is much better than that! The etched parts are actually grilles that fit over recesses moulded into the deck - just like the real thing! So before adding them I painted the recesses Panzer Grey - on the grounds that it would be easier than trying to paint inside the recesses AFTER the gril
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Rom, we were both right about 'Blue 04'...... It was originally a pre-production Su-30MKI - as the picture caption in Yefim Gordon's Su-27 Flanker book says...... But then in the text he says..... "The Su-301-4 and Su-301-5 were further converted as the Su-30MKM prototypes" So it was a Su-30MKI AND a Su-30MKM !!!! Cheers Ken
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Rom, if it is the camouflaged '04 Blue' you mean - that was a pre-production Su-30MKI for India :- Although - the photo above shows it fitted with MAWS and LWS - so maybe it also served as a development machine for the MKM ? AFAIK, the Su-30MKM (for Malaysia) were only painted all over grey on the top surfaces (unless you know different?). The MKM is visually different to the MKI (apart form the different avionics) I made a 1/72 scale MKI & MKM a few years ago - using the Heller Su-27UB as a staring point...... Indian
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Don't you mean the Hobby Boss Su-30MKK ??? You are starting with an MKK (Modified (updated), Kommercial (Export), Kitei (China)).... and ending up with an MKM (Modified, Kommercial, Malaysia). Happy Flankering Ken
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One of the things I picked up at SMW Telford was a new resin kit of the Royal Navy submarine HMS Tabard - (thanks Chris for the heads-up) This Group III T-Class sub is made by Starling Models and is an excellent kit of an iconic British WWII sub. The resin parts come in a stout cardboard box - filled with polystyrene 'worms' to protect the contents.... The 8-page instruction booklet is well printed with eay to follow steps.... Note the two types of gun emplacement. Colour painting guide
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Finished at last - my conversion of the AFV Club USS Gato into the USS Sealion in her transport role designated LPSS. I think I've made the raised decking too high. The Marines helicopter is a Shapeways 3D printed S-55...... It hasn't turned out as good as I would have liked - but I'm blaming failing eyesight and fat fingers... The helicopter main rotor blades are scratched, the crew figures are from a Fujimi set. Not perfect, but something a little different. More of my 1:350 scale subs
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I'm doing all this by eye - I have no drawings - so it won't be 100% accurate..... Adding the side panels..... Blended in with filler.... It's exagerated in this view - but I might have got the raised decking a tad too high??? Here's a top view... A quick squirt of primer - and it doesn't look too bad.... Ken
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I'm just worried that I won't find any 'Marines' white lettering in my spares box - stars and bars should be OK - but painting those windows etc black is going to be a challenge .... and my eyesight is failing - which combined with my fat fingers - is not conducive to micro-modelling. I'll do my best. Ken
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When she was converted to the transport role, Sealion's forward engines and torpedo tubes were removed to make room for storing equipment. I have filled in the recesses for the tubes...... The raised decking is made from plastic card - scored to match the kits decking.... The new decking attached - with the new fairwater temporarily in place..... .... with the helicopter on deck (just to see what it looks like).... Ken
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Ever since finding this photo of the Balao-class sub USS Sealion, I have wanted to try and model her...... All I needed was a 1/350 scale model of a Sikorsky HRS-3 helicopter to place on her widened deck aft of the fairwater..... Then I found that Shapeways Models made a 3D-printed S-55 helicopeter - so I was ready to start... I'm using the AFV-Club Gato-class sub as a starting point....... Sealion is a Balao-class sub (improved Gato), so I needed a late-style fairwater - also made by Shapeways.....
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As long as that producer supplies decals - for all 3 variants...India, Malaysia and Algeria. I used decals from my spares box for the MKI and Zotz decals for the MKM - but they are now difficult to obtain. It would be good if you could do all the versions Kotey ....... - even if Zvezda don't do the kit. Ken
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That's a shame about Zvezda not doing any Su-30MKI/MKM/MKA etc variants - a missed marketing opportunity I think. Apart from the MAWS/LWA systems on the MKM.......... .... the airframes aren't that different. You would probably need different cockpit panels (decals) and of course colour schemes (and decals) - but you could get at least FOUR variants out of the one set of moulds... Shame. Ken PS - FWIW, my conversion of the Heller Su-27UB into an MKI & MKM are here. I also did a Su-30
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Just finished - after a bit of a fight - the latest 'BIG MiG' from Modelsvit........ the MiG E-152-1.... Usual fare from Modelsvit - excellent panel detail, large sprue gates, superb decal sheet, canopy masks and etched fret - a complete package. I had trouble getting the fuselage halves to close up around the cockpit/intake trunking - but won in the end. The dummy K-9 missile are painted to look like AIM-7 Sparrows. Business end of the massive Tumanskiy R-15-300 turbojet.
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I'm not from either - but if you are visiting Tallin (Estonia) take a trip out to the old olympic complex and go aboard the 'Lembit' - a pre WWII sub that saw service with the Estonians and the Soviets. Well worth a trip. Ken
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Arriving too late to be used on my Trumpeter Su-34 - this latest set from Begemot covers all variants of the 'Fullback' - from the second prototype (Bort 43), through the early production machines and right up to date with the types deployment to Syria. Colour schemes range from the early Flanker-style camo, through the recently abandoned 'Eggplant/Aubergine' single colour uppers, right up to latest green/blue colours - FS Numbers are provided for all the colour schemes.. A full stencil sheet is included - and there are hundreds of them - plus a host of stencils for the
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Wow! - it looks like a fabulous place - with lots of operational types (unlike Monino which is mostly prototypes and one-offs). How easy is it to get to ?? - public transport from Moscow?? Are foreigners allowed in - can you just turn up and get access?? Great photos - thanks for sharing. Ken
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Apparently it is a 'Channel Wing' design - according to Wiki :- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handiwork_181 Ken
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The brain said 'Mi-1' - but the fingers typed 'Mi-2' Now corrected. Ken