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R-60/AA-8 Aphid Missiles 1:48 Eduard Brassin (648082) The R-60 was designed by the Molnyia bureau as a medium range light weight missile, with extreme manoeuvrability, which was achieved by its very small frame and light weight, coupled with a set of forward facing strakes on the nose that improved the action of the forward steering fins at the extremes of engagement. With a practical range of 4km and above, it was the most agile Air-to-Air missile for many years, and could be fitted with either a radar or optical seeker head, the radar head receiving the K suffix. The missile can be carried singly, in pairs on a dual rail, and although designed primarily for the Mig-23, it was also used on the Mig-21, Mig-25 and 27, as well as a host of other Sukhoi and Yak aircraft. R-60s have even been used on a Mi-24 Hind, and reportedly BAE Hawks in Finnish service. Not one you see every day! The Kit The set arrives in Eduard's deep clamshell package, and inside are the parts for four missiles, four single rails and two dual rails, as well as a choice of seeker head or cover, and two small pre-painted frets of Photo-Etch (PE) metal. The missiles are attached to their mould plugs at the rear, and these should be easy to remove cleanly. A small circular PE exhaust vent is attached, and an optional set of Remove Before Flight (RBF) covers are included on the PE frets. The nose can accept either the optical heads, or be replaced by a resin RBF cover, as well as a number of triangular tags that attach to the missiles and rail. The forward strakes are PE parts that slip into slots on the nose, while the steering vanes are resin and attach with pegs and holes just aft of the strakes. A pair of additional diagrams show both the location of the missiles on the two rack types, as well as the location of the triangular RBF tags. As is standard now, colour codes are given throughout using the Gunze Sangyo codes, as well as the colour names which should give most modellers all the information they need to find a match in their chosen range. Conclusion You can't have too many missiles, and with the resurgence of Russian Cold War jets with the model companies, these super-detailed resin missiles should be easy to find a use for. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of