Jump to content

Su-34 - Trumpeter 1/72 scale kit


Recommended Posts

Following the 'comparison' thread - I have made a start on building the Trumpeter 1/72 scale Su-34.....

 

I won't post pics of the sprues - they are available elsewhere and here  - just progress photos of the build.

 

The cockpit is quite comprehensive - with a separate door in the rear bulkhead..... but note those ejection pin recesses in the structure behind the seats.

 

su-34_036.jpg

 

Similarly, the nosewheel bay looks accurate - complete with two-parts for the sliding access hatch.....

 

su-34_037.jpg

 

The K-36 ejection seats are quite simplified - I would replace them if the cockpit was open - but they are acceptable given the closed cockpit...

 

su-34_039.jpg

 

Trumpeter even provide the rudder pedals and very nice control collums - decals are provided for the front and side instrument panels - although the starboard panel curled up on me and I couldn't get it straight...:woot.gif:

 

su-34_040.jpg

 

Note the rear door - which I have posed open.

 

su-34_041.jpg

 

The nosewheel bay in place - although not mentioned in the instructions, the front access hatch can be clicked in place and made to slide open.....

 

su-34_042.jpg

 

Open....

 

su-34_043.jpg

 

Closed....

 

su-34_044.jpg

 

View into the wheel bay.... note the sliding front hatch.

 

su-34_045.jpg

 

Top and bottom fuselage halves glued together.....

 

su-34_046.jpg

 

I have made an attempt at re-profiling the nose to make it sharper - with moderate success......

 

su-34_047.jpg

 

It isn't 100% - but it looks much better - I might shave a bit more off to make the 'beak' sharper - but without going through the plastic!!...

 

Re-shaped Trumpeter nose compared to the Italeri nose....

 

su-34_048.jpg

 

More later...

 

Ken

 

 

 

Edited by Flankerman
sink marks
Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Ken

 

I am building the 1/48 HB version now too. (Z-5 blog). A question that I do not think was asked is:  Some pics of the Su-34 show the radio transparent composite nose cone as being roughly finished, almost like a bodged fiberglass job.  Are the nose cones smooth & up to industry standards or are the roughly finish ones outliers.

 

John

Link to post
Share on other sites

Some progress......

 

The aperture for the APU intake has to be drilled out..... not something you should have to do on such an expensive kit!

 

su-34_049.jpg

 

The mesh grille part is fitted. Note that Trumpeter haven't included the APU outlet though.

 

su-34_050.jpg

 

I used a short length of scrap plastic to stop the mesh part falling inside....

 

su-34_051.jpg

 

There is a join to fill where the tailboom attaches....

 

su-34_052.jpg

 

.... and try as I might, I could not get the tailboom to go forward far enough - leaving gaps on the underside.

 

su-34_053.jpg

 

The good news is... the fins are cleverly designed with side panels to eliminate a joint - they fit perfectly.

 

su-34_054.jpg

 

More later...

Ken

 

PS...

On 20/07/2017 at 8:54 PM, mario krijan said:

You are not at MAKS??

 

No not this year - but I am going on a river cruise in September - from St. Petersburg to Moscow - but the application form for a Russian Visa is a nightmare!!!

 

Enough to put me off going to Russia forever!!

Link to post
Share on other sites
2 hours ago, Flankerman said:

but the application form for a Russian Visa is a nightmare!!!

 

Enough to put me off going to Russia forever!!

 

 

 

Ken, great work as usual. Do you know in russian modellers forum you have unofficial nickname "адский дед" - infernal grandfather? You were build 10 models in time when someone made at best one.

 

 

PS about visa - when few year ago i'm applicated to UK visa - i'm collect regiestered copies of official papers, that shown i'm have appartment, car with garage, countryside home and money deposits in two banks. And after that i'm also visit UK visas center in my town and have 20 minutes interview with visa officer from Moscow by videoconferece (thank you, god blessed UK government that i should'nt went to Moscow for this).

 

So, i think its street with both sides direction from Russian and UK government.

In same time applicate EU visa in my pasport - easy way, just prolongation multivisa for next year, i hope in this year it will be first 3 year visa.

Link to post
Share on other sites
On 19/07/2017 at 8:07 PM, Flankerman said:

Following the 'comparison' thread - I have made a start on building the Trumpeter 1/72 scale Su-34.....

 

I won't post pics of the sprues - they are available elsewhere and here  - just progress photos of the build.

 

The cockpit is quite comprehensive - with a separate door in the rear bulkhead..... but note those ejection pin recesses in the structure behind the seats.

 

su-34_036.jpg

 

Similarly, the nosewheel bay looks accurate - complete with two-parts for the sliding access hatch.....

 

su-34_037.jpg

 

The K-36 ejection seats are quite simplified - I would replace them if the cockpit was open - but they are acceptable given the closed cockpit...

 

su-34_039.jpg

 

Trumpeter even provide the rudder pedals and very nice control collums - decals are provided for the front and side instrument panels - although the starboard panel curled up on me and I couldn't get it straight...:woot.gif:

 

su-34_040.jpg

 

Note the rear door - which I have posed open.

 

su-34_041.jpg

 

The nosewheel bay in place - although not mentioned in the instructions, the front access hatch can be clicked in place and made to slide open.....

 

su-34_042.jpg

 

Open....

 

su-34_043.jpg

 

Closed....

 

su-34_044.jpg

 

View into the wheel bay.... note the sliding front hatch.

 

su-34_045.jpg

 

Top and bottom fuselage halves glued together.....

 

su-34_046.jpg

 

I have made an attempt at re-profiling the nose to make it sharper - with moderate success......

 

su-34_047.jpg

 

It isn't 100% - but it looks much better - I might shave a bit more off to make the 'beak' sharper - but without going through the plastic!!...

 

Re-shaped Trumpeter nose compared to the Italeri nose....

 

su-34_048.jpg

 

More later...

 

Ken

 

 

 

G'day Ken,

 

I shall be following along to watch you weave your magic. ref the nose re-profiling, could you not chuck a blob of Milliput (or similar) inside and then shape as required? No problem if you sand through the plastic as the Milliput will allow you to continue to profile instead of resulting in a void,

 

cheers,

 

Pappy

Link to post
Share on other sites
2 hours ago, Pappy121 said:

ref the nose re-profiling, could you not chuck a blob of Milliput (or similar) inside and then shape as required? No problem if you sand through the plastic as the Milliput will allow you to continue to profile instead of resulting in a void,

 

That was my first thought too - but I think I have got away with the re-shaping without going through the plastic.

 

I have gently shaved a little more since the above photo - it isn't perfect, but it is much better than the original.

 

No doubt there will be resin replacement along soon..... Quickboost? Aires?? etc - you listening ??

 

Ken

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...

The Trumpeter intakes really capture the complex internal shape - but they are overly complex and the plastic is very thin.

 

It took me a long time to work out how the parts went together from the instruction diagram - lots of dry fitting to figure them out - but I got there in the end....

 

I also painted the insides before assembly - you can't get at them afterwards.........

 

su-34_055.jpg

 

The fit isn't brilliant either - filler needed along one seam.

 

When it came to fitting the assembled intakes to the fuselage - there was another problem. The mating surface on the fuselage bottom was slightly bowed - so the intakes only made contact at either the front or rear - they could see-saw in the middle.

 

I think this is due to the main undercarriage bay walls not fitting flush - I had to first clamp and glue the intakes at the front first - and when the glue had set, then clamp and glue the rear ends.....

 

Fronts glued in place.....

 

su-34_056.jpg

 

.... followed by the rears.....

 

su-34_057.jpg

 

.... but it still needed filler on the rear join....

 

su-34_058.jpg

 

If I were to make another Trumpeter Su-34, I might try to fit the intakes to the lower fuselage moulding BEFORE glueing the upper and lower fuselage halves together - at least that way would make it easier to clamp and glue (and probably eliminate the 'bowing')

 

The whole fuselage assembly is very flexible and feels unusually delicate.

 

Ho-hum.....:bandhead2:

 

Ken

Link to post
Share on other sites

Some more.....

 

Cockpit coaming, wing fences, flaperons and rudders added - although they are separate parts, the rudders and flaperons are not 'posable' - unless the mounting tabs are modified.

 

su-34_059.jpg

 

Underside view showing the small amounts of filler needed - note the straight-edged fillet added to the LERX on production Su-34's.

 

su-34_060.jpg

 

Ken

Link to post
Share on other sites

The latest production Su-34 has a very visible set of blinds that roll up and down inside the side windows - with a semi-circular blind that folds up from the top of the instrument panel....

 

su-34_063.jpg

 

Trumpeter make no provision for this prominent feature - so, to be really accurate, they need to be added.

 

I'm using hoops cut from plastic card fitted inside the clear canopy .........

 

su-34_061.jpg

 

Once they are painted I'll add the blinds - made from thin white plastic card.

 

I did the same on my Italeri Su-34 update.......

 

Photo%20030.JPG

 

Also missed by Trumpeter are the fillets between the leading edge wing tip and ECM pods when they are fitted.........

 

su-34_062.jpg

 

Small additions - but they are there if you know where to look.

 

Ken

Link to post
Share on other sites

Ken this is really nice work. Even though I don't build 1/72nd it is good to see such crisp building. As an aside, I have the Italeri kit and I really want to build that one. Do you think it is worth it or should I just get the Trumpeter version, with its wonky nose, and use that instead? I normally build in 1/48th but still debating that too.

 

Thanks for any input.

Link to post
Share on other sites

The Italeri kit was good - in its day - I updated it ..........here

 

The Trumpeter kit represents the latest configuration (Chines on the LERX, APU in tail etc) and is much more modern.

 

Apart from the (semi-fixable) radome, it is a good kit - better, IMHO, than the old Italeri kit.

 

It has loads of weapons (some say TOO many!) - a neat clear plastic Platan targetting box, open door in cockpit  etc etc.

 

Although it still needs some fixes (fillets on wing tips, APU exhaust etc) - plus those prominent window blinds.

 

Yer takes yer money........

 

Ken

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 5 months later...

I've just resurrected this one - from a few months ago...........

 

su-34_064.jpg

 

Canopy fitted and masked with Tamiya tape. Why can't Trumpeter provide self-adhesive masks like Modelsvit ??

 

su-34_065.jpg

 

su-34_066.jpg

 

Final primer coat - now ready for painting.

 

Ken

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 1 month later...

Meanwhile.... back at the Su-34 ..... it has now emerged from the paint shop....

 

su-34_067.jpg

 

I used the AKAN Su-34 set - and I am pleased with the resluts.

 

su-34_068.jpg

 

There are a few areas in need of a touch-up - and I broke off the port upper wing fence.....

 

su-34_069.jpg

 

Underside view.

 

Next up is the decals, undercarriage and weapons.

 

Ken

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...