Mi-8MT/Mi-17 from Annetra, Trumpeter & Zvezda in 48th scale

[ya-gabor]

3 hours ago, Buckmeister said:

Is there any indication at all that any of these manufacturers is planning to do an earlier Mi-8T with the long dog house and the tail rotor on the opposite side?  All of the really interesting ones I would want to do are variants of that aircraft.

 

There are 3 answers to this question:

 

1.   It is like predicting the lottery numbers. No one knows what will time bring. Anything can happen and also there could be nothing! (In current economic conditions, recession, fuel prices, the war . . .   investing in a brand new kit is a considerable financial strain for any manufacturer. First of course they would look at numbers, how well did the previous kit do, can it generate an economically viable market demand for a new kit . . .)

 

2.   Looking carefully at the sprues of the already released 3 kits it is obvious that in planning them there was an option integrated for possible future versions including the early Mi-8 helicopters with the TV2-117 engine. The possibility is there, will the producers use this eventually is another question. There are many kits around from major makers which had some obvious parts brakedown for future version but eventually they never materialized!

 

3.   Using the already released kits one can build a Mi-8 version which would be about 80% correct. Important to add that this would need a complete new engine block. Will any aftermarket company make this? Good question but it is hard to predict. Of the kits available the easiest would be to make this from the Annetra kit since the engine section is provided separately.

To turn around the tail rotor to the other side is not so difficult, the small (early) external fuel tanks are already there in many kits. Of course the subtle details will not be right, for this one needs to do a lot of correction, conversion, scratch building. . .

 

To make a proper Mi-8 with the TV2-117 engine there is a need to make a brand new fuselage and many small details, which would be around 60% brand new kit! A lot of investment to make this!!!

 

 

I know it is not the answer that many would want, but there is no real answer to this . . .

 

Best regards

Gabor

[ya-gabor]

On 5/14/2023 at 5:15 PM, fintajoe said:

Hello Gabor,

Is there any source now to get the Hungarian edition of the AMK kit? Or at least it's decal sheet from?

 

Zoltan

 

 

You can contact Annetra directly for the kit here:

 

info@annetra.cz

 

Best regards

Gabor

[Buckmeister]

Well, if anyone has any input, please give them my enthusiastic vote for an Mi-8T.  All of the interesting ones like the Czechoslovak ECM birds and the orange and blue Aeroflot arctic birds are based on that version.  I would buy at least four of them.

Edited May 17, 2023 by Buckmeister

[ya-gabor]

Close in the steps of the first released Chinese Trumpeter kit of the Mi-17 a second version was also issued. The difference is mainly in the front canopy, here there are giving one with no round cut-out for the forward facing gun.  

Sad to see the complete lack of research by the Chinese Trumpeter!!!  I fully understand that they are Chinese and have absolutely no knowledge of a given foreign language. But if they take a closer look at available photos on the i-net it would be obvious what a given marking should look like. Here not just a single mistake but basically in every word of the marking something is wrong. Also the exclamation mark is missing at the end of it.

 

 

OK One can say that this is a one off problem / mistake / accident. . .   Unfortunately not really since this is constant problem with this Chinese manufacturer. Take a look at the previous kit they made and here another language is treated in a similar way with complete lack of knowledge.

 

 

The sad part of the story that what they do or rather what they don’t do at all is not limited to the decal but also to the plastic parts as well. Oh well, what can one expect from the Chinese Trumpeter.

 

Best regards

Gabor

[fintajoe]

On 5/16/2023 at 9:48 PM, ya-gabor said:

 

 

You can contact Annetra directly for the kit here:

 

info@annetra.cz

 

Best regards

Gabor

Thanks Gabor,

I ordered one box directly from a small czech model shop (hajekhobby.cz) , it's already on my way to me.

 

Regards

Zoltán

[iaf-man]

Very interesting thread,Gabor!!!

Many thanks

I see that Zvezda has a MI-8T kit in 1/72-did you see it?

Maybe they will upscale it

As for multiple choice decals,there are Fine Art of decals( Cutting Edge ),they have 2 big sets

https://fineartofdecals.com/goodiess/?p=7341

I don't have them yet(ordered the second sheet with big German Eagle),as I understand-there's no type indication in the instructions

Isaac

[Shorty84]

1 hour ago, iaf-man said:

I don't have them yet(ordered the second sheet with big German Eagle),as I understand-there's no type indication in the instructions

Isaac

There is no indication but they show the distinctive differences in the profiles.

Simply spoken, if the intakes are longer (end at the forward edge of the sliding entry door on the left), the engine housing aft of the main rotor cutout transistions smoother into the fuselage (and features no rectangular grid and APU exhaust on the left side) and the tail rotor is on the right side, it is an earlier variant, a Mi-8T. @Flankerman made a good comparison here: http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?/topic/181255-mi-8t-vs-mi-8mtmi-17-differences/&do=findComment&comment=2890500

If this is really correct for each variant is best checked by looking for a photo of the particular machine.

 

I hope you didn't intend to do the German variant because all East German Mi-8s were early ones and all existing kits in 1/48 are the late variant (Mi-8MT).

 

Cheers

Markus

[iaf-man]

There is, beside Eduard,a russian producer of photoetch-Microdesign

Take a look at their offerings,comparing to Eduard's

https://microdisign.ru/products/1-48/mi-8mt-zvezda-eksterer

https://microdisign.ru/products/1-48/mi-8mt-zvezda-desantno-transportnyy-otsek

https://microdisign.ru/products/1-48/mi-8mt-zvezda-kabina

https://vk.com/album-113356638_289776121

[Cristofer]

Hi folks

Has anyone bought Life Resin products for the Mi-8?for Europe?
I ordered 3 kits on a trial basis. Contact with the manufacturer was until he received the money. After that he replies very rarely. Still waiting for shipment. Once he says problems with 3d printing. Once he says tomorrow. I am afraid I have lost my money. 65usd

Cristofer

[serendip]

4 hours ago, Cristofer said:

Hi folks

Has anyone bought Life Resin products for the Mi-8?for Europe?
I ordered 3 kits on a trial basis. Contact with the manufacturer was until he received the money. After that he replies very rarely. Still waiting for shipment. Once he says problems with 3d printing. Once he says tomorrow. I am afraid I have lost my money. 65usd

Cristofer

Hi Cristofer,

Welcome to the thread and to ARC.

Sorry to hear about your pricey set back.

 

Thanks for sharing however - at least as you serve as a warning that people don't order from this operation again.

 

 

[ya-gabor]

5 hours ago, Cristofer said:

Hi folks

Has anyone bought Life Resin products for the Mi-8?for Europe?
I ordered 3 kits on a trial basis. Contact with the manufacturer was until he received the money. After that he replies very rarely. Still waiting for shipment. Once he says problems with 3d printing. Once he says tomorrow. I am afraid I have lost my money. 65usd

Cristofer

 

Wasnt this that Soviet based company announcing hundreds of figures many many many pages ago???

 

If it is then they would have  a lot of problems in getting anything out from there where ever you are in the world. Also the sending of money would not be easy either. But it is possible that this business works just one way. 

Sorry for your experience!

 

Best regards

Gabor

[serendip]

Good morning everyone,

 

Can anyone advise if the Eduard sets below are any good for the Zwezda model:

https://www.aviationmegastore.com/en/modelling/detailset-mil-mi8mt-hip-interior-zvezda-eduard-fe1340-194725.html

https://www.aviationmegastore.com/en/modelling/detailset-mil-mi8mt-hip-zvezda-eduard-e49-1340-194720.html

 

Thanks,

Marc.

[ya-gabor]

4 hours ago, serendip said:

Good morning everyone,

 

Can anyone advise if the Eduard sets below are any good for the Zwezda model:

https://www.aviationmegastore.com/en/modelling/detailset-mil-mi8mt-hip-interior-zvezda-eduard-fe1340-194725.html

https://www.aviationmegastore.com/en/modelling/detailset-mil-mi8mt-hip-zvezda-eduard-e49-1340-194720.html

 

Thanks,

Marc.

 

Hi Marc,

 

Well they are intended for the Soviet made kit, while Eduard has made separately sets for the Annetra and the Trump kits. So in principle the etched parts should fit exactly this kit.

Is it any good? Real value for adding details to a kit? One has to make their own decisions on this.

 

Somewhere on previous pages I did report on this set with some comments on it. 

 

Best regards

Gabor

 

[serendip]

2 hours ago, ya-gabor said:

 

Hi Marc,

 

Well they are intended for the Soviet made kit, while Eduard has made separately sets for the Annetra and the Trump kits. So in principle the etched parts should fit exactly this kit.

Is it any good? Real value for adding details to a kit? One has to make their own decisions on this.

 

Somewhere on previous pages I did report on this set with some comments on it. 

 

Best regards

Gabor

 

Thanks Ya, I recall you were less than impressed - is that correct?

 

Regards,

 

Marc.

 

 

[ya-gabor]

1 hour ago, serendip said:

Thanks Ya, I recall you were less than impressed - is that correct?

 

Regards,

 

Marc.

 

 

 

Hi Marc,

 

In a way yes!

 

The sets that Eduard is doing a missed opportunity in my opinion. A lot of obvious things are left unattended so to say. I know they say every time that Eduard is doing only DETAILING and not CORRECTING sets, but even in detailing a lot of obvious things are simply not included. Or instead something else is made which either has absolutely no value for a given kit or poorly researched, and/or is not relevant to the given kit.

 

Sad, since photoetch is such a versatile technology and some extremely fine and delicate things could be made to make the given kit MORE DETAILED! And even in some cases to make it a true masterpiece with the help of photoetched parts!  

 

People at Eduard say every time that there is only a limited time available for research, production and testing. . .   I do contact them regularly on new subjects to give a nudge in the right direction when there is still time ( in my opinion) to make corrections. In most cases nothing happens. : (  : (  They are already doing something else and there is simply no manpower to go back and re-do something. . .

 

The thing is very simple, they make and sell the sets when the given kit is released. It has been quoted from the boss that they are happy if they sell 200 pieces in that short period of a kits peak after release. Later most sets simply fade away, initial run is sold out and they never return to a given subject. (it is a kind of strange marketing strategy where you make people buy now and very fast a set because tomorrow it will be gone for good. Something similar to some Airbrick kits).

 

Oh well that’s the way it goes.   

 

Best regards

Gabor

[ya-gabor]

For the Moson show this weekend (20th & 21st April 2024) the Czech Annetra company is coming out with a new version of its Mi-17 kit in 48th scale. It is a limited edition No. 48 004  of Latin American Hip’s. Four marking versions are included in the kit: Cuba, Mexico, Costa Rica and Peru.

Since it is a limited edition kit it will be sold in a white box with a sticker denoting the version. But the content of the box is what really interesting! Of course it has the standard Annetra/AMK Mi-17 plastic parts. A small photoetch fret is included, some resin parts as well as painting masks. What makes it different from previous Annetra/AMK kits is that it now contains a full set of Vac-Form transparent parts produced by the well know Rob Taurus company. It makes a whole lot of difference compared to the AMK injection moulded parts!

A new instruction sheet was prepared for the kit.

 

Limited kit, so for its premier limited numbers will be available at the Moson show. More on the kit soon.  Here is the box cover and a teaser for some of the markings included with this kit.

 

See you there!

 

Best regards

Gabor

[cruiz]

That's interesting; I wonder what the resin parts would be: a more detailed replacement of the kit's parts or extra ones specific to the operators?
 

[ya-gabor]

27 minutes ago, cruiz said:

That's interesting; I wonder what the resin parts would be: a more detailed replacement of the kit's parts or extra ones specific to the operators?
 

 

Hi Cruiz,

 

I would say stay tuned. As soon as I have more information I will post it here.

The Annetra kit was originally designed to accommodate many different versions of the Mi-17. To achieve this different extras were designed for all sorts of Air Forces using the helicopters. Last year at Moson there were 4 different boxings of Mi-17’s. Each had particular details added from resin to make each kit as authentic as possible. I believe the same is happening with the Latin American boxing.

 

Best regards

Gabor

[cruiz]

1 hour ago, ya-gabor said:

 

Hi Cruiz,

 

I would say stay tuned. As soon as I have more information I will post it here.

The Annetra kit was originally designed to accommodate many different versions of the Mi-17. To achieve this different extras were designed for all sorts of Air Forces using the helicopters. Last year at Moson there were 4 different boxings of Mi-17’s. Each had particular details added from resin to make each kit as authentic as possible. I believe the same is happening with the Latin American boxing.

 

Best regards

Gabor

Thanks Gabor

 

I'll be following your updates. Right now, I have two AMK kits and some accessories (the Rob-Taurus ones are on their way). I'm hoping for someone to make resin engines and gearboxes, and I would probably have to scratch-build the external supports for the Mexican version, which are unique to them and look nice with Western rocket launchers and machine guns.

Edited Tuesday at 05:26 PM by cruiz

[ya-gabor]

Here you go.

Just received the information on the extras in the set. The photoetch is the same as in all previous Annetra / AMK kits

There is a set of masks for the kit.

The resin parts include the “Lipa” IR jammer disco light and the after end of the external fuel tank with the big cut-out.

And of course the new decal sheet with the four markings options.

 

Best regards

Gabor

[ya-gabor]

Here is a layout map of the vendors hall with some companies marked. If you want to find the Annetra Mi-17 kits, they will be on sale so added the Annetra position in the hall for your convenience.

 

Best regards

Gabor

[ya-gabor]

Here are the two other marking options for the new Annetra Mi-17 helicopter kit. It will have its premiere at Moson show this weekend.

 

Best regards

Gabor

[paulsbrown]

Do any of these kits have the nose radar?

[ya-gabor]

Hi Paulsbrown,

 

The helicopter in your photos is a completely different bird from the off the shelf Annetra Mi-17 kit!

 

First and most important it has square windows. In most cases they are associated with “passenger” or VIP versions which were very different in many respects. From the outside it has the bigger external fuel tanks, different doors, the KO cabin heater is above the door on the right side, compensating balances on main rotor, additional armour . . .  And of course there is that radar on the nose.

 

As far as I know this radar has not been produced but what future holds is another story. The schemes selected for this Latino version of the Annetra kit don’t have the radar so it was not included.

 

Best regards

Gabor