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

[ya-gabor]

While most of the „problems” I have mentioned before (above) are minor and can be said to be cosmetic. There is one very strange thing on the Zvezda kit.

 

Everyone can make their own judgement on this. I can only show some comparison with the real helicopter.

I did get up on a crane high (about 10m over) above the actual airframe to take some less distorted photos which show "real" overhead views.

 

 

 

Best regards

Gabor   

[ElectroSoldier]

It does look to be the wrong shape doesnt it.

[ya-gabor]

Just to add to the number of choices here is a little surprise.  : )  : )  : )

It was by no accident that I was talking about 3 kits, the only thing is I was not allowed to say more at the time. 

Now it is out. This is of course the Annetra kit.

 

 

Box art

 

 

 

on show

 

 

Sprues but they have already been shown before

 

 

Best regards

Gabor

Edited November 26, 2022 by ya-gabor

[Bsin]

Looks like they didn't add rivets to the surface!

[ya-gabor]

3 hours ago, Bsin said:

Looks like they didn't add rivets to the surface!

There are rivets on the airframe but only in some places where it was important.

The original design philosophy behind this kit was to produce a Mi-8 kit with minimal rivets on it but a very detailed interior. This would have been the “basic” version. It was clear that a Mi-8 kit, specially in 48th scale needs rivets, so the intention was to add them in cooperation with HGW Czech decal company. After all they were the first to make dry decals of all sorts and in their range there were “rivet” sets for different WW2 fighters.

 

The difference between the HGW rivet decals and those made by Eduard or Quinta is that it has no backing film, it is applied and few hours later the backing film (which is actually on top of the rivets) is removed so only the rivets are left on the surface. Perfect solution in my opinion.

There is no need to sand completely flat the whole surface like with Eduard rivets.

 

Now that the kit is released under the name of AMK and not Annetra as originally planned, I don’t know what will come of the "riveted" second version.

 

Best regards

Gabor

 

[ya-gabor]

Here is the decal sheet for the new AMK Annetra kit with three colour schemes for the first issue kit. They of course have two Czech paints schemes and one Macedon. As well as all the interior decals, appropriate airframe and rotor stencils, just as for pylon’s & weapon pod’s.

 

 

There is still some confusion as to where is this new kit is from. This is the Czech Annetra kit, for which all the tooling was made by AMK in China. Just as for example Airfix is not doing any of that dirty machining metal work at home but also gives it to the Chinese. 

If one looks at this Mi-17 boxart it will be perfectly clear that this kit now released is by AMK but you can also clearly see the Annetra name beside it!

 

 

Best regards

Gabor

[ya-gabor]

42 minutes ago, HomeBe said:

What we need now it's a classic Mi-8  aka "Hip-C/-E".

 

V.P.

 

Time will tell!

 

    

 

A lot of people are saying this actually, but you know if it would have been this time around three kits from 3 different companies and every one of them a "classic" early TV2-117 engine powered Mi-8T then everyone would be asking for bring on the Mi-17, why not the Mi-17 . . .       So . . .

 

Best regards

Gabor

[cruiz]

Calling the experts, the Annetra kit would be suitable for these examples?
 

 

 

 

Thanks in advance

[ya-gabor]

All I can say that the original plan was for making many versions of the Annetra Mi-17 boxes including some „International” (dont know what was the official Annetra name for it) which had a Mexican version also. Time will tell.

If you build the 1716 or for example 1712 helis then the Annetra kit is for you. These versions still had the "short" fule tank with 3 straps. The 1719 has the long fuel tank and the Marina version has a different set of boxes under its tail (next to the Doppler there is a "Black Box" device also and of course the long fuel tank.  

 

 

Best regards

Gabor

Edited November 28, 2022 by ya-gabor

[cruiz]

30 minutes ago, ya-gabor said:

All I can say that the original plan was for making many versions of the Annetra Mi-17 boxes including some „International” (dont know what was the official Annetra name for it) which had a Mexican version also. Time will tell.

 

 

Best regards

Gabor

 

Thanks for your answer, Gabor; it makes it highly likely that the kit matches at least one of the variants used here; since Mexico operates others that differ visually in the shape of the nose and ramp at the back, I searched for pictures of the ones that resembled the variant in the boxart.

[ya-gabor]

Hi Cruiz,

 

I am not a great internet searcher (a very old man in fact) but it took me about 2 minutes to find an excelelnt photo of 1712 which is exactly the same as the version in the Annetra kit. I am sure there are others in the same batch of helicopters, but I know very little about Mexican Hips.

 

The later versions with the big rear door and the "Dolphin" nose is a completely different helicopter. IF something, I would think that with time Zvezda could do a version like that. But it could be years. (they would need a completely new fuselage for that!!!)

 

Best regards

Gabor 

 

[dylan]

well isn't that interesting timing

[ya-gabor]

Some details of the AMK / Annetra kit which will be released in 9 days time on 10th of December.

 

 

 

 

At the moment only the AMK / Annetra kit will have the option for the earlier “short” 3 strap external fuel tanks.

 

 

 

Best regards

Gabor

[ya-gabor]

This forum was designed to compare the 3 kits of the Mi-8 / Mi-17 which suddenly will flood the market.

 

But at the moment all this could sound like a one sided affair including strong bias towards the AMK / Annetra kit.

 

The truth is apart from the initial news with sprue shots of the Trumpeter kit nothing has been released since then.  : (  : (   If more is published I would be more than happy to see it and share it here.  

 

As for the Zvezda kit. Looking back at previous trends it seems that Friday is the day for them. In the afternoon before going away for a weekend brake, it seems they press an Enter for the info prepared during the week to publish it. The last info from them were those box-art photos shown already. So lets see if they do anything this afternoon.   : )    : )

 

 

Best regards

Gabor  

 

[delide]

On 11/25/2022 at 5:18 PM, ya-gabor said:

While most of the „problems” I have mentioned before (above) are minor and can be said to be cosmetic. There is one very strange thing on the Zvezda kit.

 

Everyone can make their own judgement on this. I can only show some comparison with the real helicopter.

I did get up on a crane high (about 10m over) above the actual airframe to take some less distorted photos which show "real" overhead views.

 

 

 

Best regards

Gabor   

Interesting, that does look misshapen. But the comparison make it looks worse, as the arrows have been placed at rather difference places. The red arrows on the Zvezda build have been placed at the bottom of the housing, the black arrows on the real thing are placed higher.  Here is the photo from AMK's part. The bottom/intersection is similar and transits to thinner shape at the top, the black line is roughly where the black arrows are placed on the photo of the real thing.

[ya-gabor]

Hi Delide

Both the red and the black arrows point to the same panel line on my comparison. It is the same place and not the bottom of the curvature! 

The panel line is the opening line where the cooler cover opens upwards. 

 

On scalemodels ru some one pointed out with a collection of photos that there is a difference between the Kazan and Ulan Ude manufactured helicopters cooler covers. Also saying that Zvezda has reproduced the Kazan helicopter and this could be the reason for the difference. 

This could be so. The only problem is that we have received Kazan helicopters.

 

As before all I can do is to show some comparisons and everyone can make up their own mind.

 

Best regards

Gabor

[delide]

17 minutes ago, ya-gabor said:

Hi Delide

Both the red and the black arrows point to the same panel line on my comparison. It is the same place and not the bottom of the curvature! 

The panel line is the opening line where the cooler cover opens upwards. 

 

On scalemodels ru some one pointed out with a collection of photos that there is a difference between the Kazan and Ulan Ude manufactured helicopters cooler covers. Also saying that Zvezda has reproduced the Kazan helicopter and this could be the reason for the difference. 

This could be so. The only problem is that we have received Kazan helicopters.

 

As before all I can do is to show some comparisons and everyone can make up their own mind.

 

Best regards

Gabor

 

 

Can't find it on that site. Honestly the bottom/intersection of the AMK housing looks almost same as Zvezda, but the rest look much narrower, could be just different housing indeed. This area is difficult to judge for me at least, as there is not a lot photo of it.  

[ya-gabor]

Yee, it is not really often that one has the chance to look at this helicopter from the top. Unless one is a nerd like me. : )  : )   When had the chance, took the crane ride and had a closer look from the top of all available helicopters from about 10 meters above them to have as little distortion by the lens as possible. The view (details, shapes) is fairly different from up there when compared to images taken standing next to the thing from ground level.

 

On scalemodels site the photos shown were of crashed aircraft since that is another possible time when one can take good photos of both the top and the bottom. But fortunately this is less often! : )  : )

 

On the weekend I take some more photos to follow up the comparison between the kits.

 

Best regards

Gabor

[delide]

1 hour ago, ya-gabor said:

Yee, it is not really often that one has the chance to look at this helicopter from the top. Unless one is a nerd like me. : )  : )   When had the chance, took the crane ride and had a closer look from the top of all available helicopters from about 10 meters above them to have as little distortion by the lens as possible. The view (details, shapes) is fairly different from up there when compared to images taken standing next to the thing from ground level.

 

On scalemodels site the photos shown were of crashed aircraft since that is another possible time when one can take good photos of both the top and the bottom. But fortunately this is less often! : )  : )

 

On the weekend I take some more photos to follow up the comparison between the kits.

 

Best regards

Gabor

 

Ha, yes, I guess it's rare to have access to the real thing and a crane at the same time.

 

Just found those photos on scalemodels, it looks like the Zvzeda one is not wrong either. Very interesting to know, but man, why does it has to be different...

 

Looking forward to more comparisons.

[ya-gabor]

😊  😊  😊  😊  😊  😊 

 

Do I remember right that around 9 AM this morning I wrote about Zvezda new kit:

 

 Looking back at previous trends it seems that Friday is the day for them. In the afternoon before going away for a weekend brake, it seems they press an Enter for the info prepared during the week to publish it.

 

 

You can see above what was published on Friday evening.

 

  😊  😊  😊  😊  😊  😊 

 

 

So now we have sprue photos of all three soon to be released kits. More on comparison soon. 

 

 

Best regards

Gabor

[ya-gabor]

Since at the last moment the sprue photos were released here is a little explanation of what is what. It is a fairly big jigsaw puzzle so it will take some time. : )  : )

 

Already in the very first CAD image there was a hint that the early “short” external fuel tanks with large cut-outs for the main gear legs will be released.

 

 

 

Next up on internet the full helicopter view CAD images were shown with “short” 3 strap fuel tanks but now with narrow cut-outs.

 

 

But then came the surprise that the painted test build for the box illustration of the full model show us the helicopter with the “long” 4 strap version of fuel tanks.

 

 

So which one will it be in the box???

 

The answer is very simple. All are included in the set. Actually it is a “3 in 1” kit! (in reality far more than that but more on this later). The kit has 3 versions of the tanks in the box. Let’s see how it is all goes together. Well in a virtual way as the kit in this half of Europe is out of reach.

The codes in the corner of the images like E 66 refer to part number on the given sprue. Actually I am not sure about right long fuel tank, it could be E 19 or 16 but it is not clearly visible on the photos.

Also here is a little explanation for those who are not familiar with the Mi-8 helicopter on all that 3 or 4 strap nonsense. I have numbered them from the front going back.

 

 

 

 

Actually the 4 strap “long” fuel tanks are also wider to accommodate more fuel. While on the left side this is not a problem on the right side the fuel tank has too, so to say “blend in” with the KO-50 or Kerosene Heater for the cabins. On early “long” tank versions the original KO cover (relic from the early narrower 3 strap tanks) was used which resulted in a considerable “step” (looking from the top). Here the KO cover was parallel with fuselage side. Later production helicopters had this “awkward problem” solved where there was a straight line from the KO intake at the front all the way to the joint line with the “large” fuel tank. This line was of course not parallel and this also requires a different set of KO covers!

 

 

 

So should I put together the full build instruction like this?  : )  : )

 

Any news from Trumpeter???

Not for the moment.

 

Best regards

Gabor

[Tank]

27 minutes ago, ya-gabor said:

So should I put together the full build instruction like this?

I think some recipes for the options would be most helpful. Ie if using E19, most use E66 and G6/7 (add in their other part numbers needed for this version) or if even possible E19, F6, G8/9.
 

I know enough from you and Flankerman to know I don’t know anything about the different versions possible from the different factories. 

 

[ya-gabor]

Hi Tank,

 

It is possible to do some cross kiting of course, but in its present form it is not possible to simply add to E66 and E 19 any of the tail sections of fuel tanks. 

*  first and most of all, they are not applicable to this fuel tank version

*  second E66 and E 19 are wider.

 

One can play around with the basic 3 strap version F6 G29 and tail sections depending on what your choice of helicopter.

 

Also note that to fit the small tanks and the big one as well as the different tail sections there are additional parts in the set. On the underside the attachment is different so different sections were made for this. 

This is why I have said that this is a big jigsaw puzzle. 

 

Actually the fuel tank variations are a minute part of the Zvezda puzzle. It is difficult to find two identical Mi-8's!!! Each have differences here and there! One really has to have a very close look at references in what you are intending to build!

 

Best regards

Gabor 

[ya-gabor]

This is just a random look at bits and pieces on the three different kits. The cooler intake is compared this time. It has a centre body and around it supports / guide vanes. The 3 manufacturers took three different approaches to this, let’s say designer’s artistic license was in the forefront.

 

It is visible that Annetra/AMK made 16, Trumpeter just 15 while Zvezda has only 13. On the real helicopter there are 17 guides. One can look at widely available photos of this part on the internet or walkarounds.

 

 

 

 

Which is more authentic looking (since none are exactly correct) is for the modellers to decide.

There are manufacturers who would say all this is a “Minor” in correction and will not care about it, say that it is just rivet counting and come up with a detailed explanation why they did what they did. . .  

 

Best regards

Gabor

[ya-gabor]

Still same simple comparison of the three kits. They are in alphabetical order from left to right.

This time the instrument panel and the decal which goes on it. They are not scaled exactly so there are some size discrepancies. Choice here is purely depends on taste of the modeller.

 

 

 

It is very rare to have a chance to compare three manufacturers making exactly the same kit and releasing them at the same time (give or take few days).

 

Best regards

Gabor