1/350 Akula

[musangpulut]

Hi!

Just a simple question for a submarines lover here.Which kit offered the most accurate Akula in 1/350 ? Dragon, Alanger or most recently, Bronco?

regards

Amzari

[parche]

I have never seen the Dragon offering but based on their other 1/350 subs it is probably decent in shape and size and fails in accuracy and detail...

The Alanger Akula is an Akula I and looks decent in shape but is pretty soft in detail...it is interesting that it lacks the Hogner stern (long slender extension placing the screw well away from the hull) and has a poor screw. The raised detail for the hull openings, torpedo tube doors and loading hatch are somewhat annoying.

The Bronco kit is an Akula II...specifically the GEPARD, Akula II Hull 2 (because she is the only one that looks like this) and is referred to in some circles as Akula III instead of Akula II. It is a beautiful model, but there is some discussion that the hull diameter is too great and that the shape of the trailing edge of the sail is wrong and the fairing of the sail into the hull is incorrect.

I think if you are not totally wrapped around the axle about accuracy, I would grab the Bronco kit... fitting the upper hull to the lower hull is a bit fiddly, but I have enjoyed building mine... I am also building the Alanger kit into an early Akula I.

Both the Alanger and Bronco kits have their issues with accuracy, but I think both will end up as neat models on the shelf that look like their respective Akula I and II offerings. The Alanger kit has more things to fix, but they are fixable...I made no attempt to confirm the hull diameter issue with the Bronco kit because I knew I wasn't gonna be able to fix it anyway. Hope this helps.

Dave

[musangpulut]

Nice explanation.Really useful. Will get the bronco kit. Many thanks for sharing the info!