Flankerman Posted September 30, 2016 Share Posted September 30, 2016 This just in........ Zvezda's Su-33 box art showing a Flanker-D launching from Admiral Kuznetsov - with a Kirov-class battlecruiser in the background. The back of the box shows a made-up model..... Unlike the previous Su-27SM kit, the upper fuselage is a one-piece moulding - with correct contours around the canard mounting shoulders... The lower fuselage moulding - with correctly aligned main wheel wells!!!....... Half of Sprue C with the intakes - note that there are no mesh intakes mouded into the intake sides - they are provided as decals... Sprue B - with the correctly-raked fin tips...... Ken 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted September 30, 2016 Author Share Posted September 30, 2016 (edited) More.... The other half of Sprue C - complete with a boarding ladder..... One of two Sprue F - exactly the same as in the Su-27SM kit..... Sprues D with the crew figures and Sprue E, the clear parts are also the same as in the Su-27SM kit. The excellent decal sheet - from Begemot I think - is packed full of spencil data.... Part of the instruction sheet showing the three possible 'versions' - 1. On the deck with wings spread 2. In flight 3. On the deck with wings and tailplanes folded. The wing fold parts are not as deep, nor as detailed as Trumpeters... The colour schemes quotes Humbrol paints - so it will be interesting checking if they agree with the AKAN Su-33 set. This is, IMO, the best Su-33 in this scale - it is obviously designed down to a price - but it appears to be totally accurate compared to the Trumpeter and Hasegawa kits and as soon as I clear a backlog from my work bench, I'll get it started. I'll soon have as many Su-33's as were built !! Ken Edited September 30, 2016 by Flankerman 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrlx Posted September 30, 2016 Share Posted September 30, 2016 I'm a great fan of Flankers but am not an expert on the type. I have Zvezda's Su-27SM, Hasegawa's Su-33 and Italeri's Su-32/34. How would you compare this new Zvezda kit with Hasegawa's? Cheers Jaime Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPuente54 Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 As with Jaime, I, too, am interested with how it compares with the Hasegawa Su-33(which I have in my stash(and is nicely done)). Now, if only Zvezda would do the Yak-38,and Yak-38UM(UD?), and the Yak-41/141........ A man can dream can't he? That said, the kit sprues look well done. ICM offers more "things under wings" sets for air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles. These allow for a bit more variety for a loadout. Thanks Ken! I can't wait for it to appear in/at LHS, Squadron, or Roll Models here in the US! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted October 4, 2016 Author Share Posted October 4, 2016 The Zvezda Su-33 is spot-on shapewise - the Hasegawa Su-33 has shape issues - with a 'flat top' to the spine...... Zvezda gives you wing fold options (not as deeply detailed as Trumpeters wingfold IMO) - although the intake side mesh grilles are represented by decals instead of being moulded. Haseagawa is a bit of a 'Plain Jane' - out of the box you can only make it with wings spread, flaps and slats up. I built mine as if on the holdbacks - 'hot to trot' - with drooped flaps and shortened nosewheel - the build photos are here. I've built 3 Su-33's (Airfix conversion, Hasegawa and Trumpeter) - with the Zvezda kit still to be built and I would rate them as.... 1. Zvezda 2. Trumpeter (because of the 3 options) 3. Hasegawa But this is only my opinion - "yer pays yer money........." Ken PS ICM offers more "things under wings" sets for air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles The Su-33 cannot use smart munitions - it's purely an interceptor - but it can drop dumb bombs and rockets when needed. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPuente54 Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 Thanks Ken, for the info; I usually don't do the folded wings on naval aircraft; but, it is nice to know that Zvezda does offer the option. That it is not as good as the Trumpeter kit is okay with me. The aftermarket makers will offer 'better bits' for that! I was unaware of their inability to use guided air-to-ground munitions, always good to know that. Again, I am eager to see it offered here in the USA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrlx Posted October 5, 2016 Share Posted October 5, 2016 Thanks for the info, Ken. And congrats on the superb job you did with the Hase bird Cheers Jaime Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
su27rules Posted October 5, 2016 Share Posted October 5, 2016 (edited) Thank You for the photos Ken. Zvezda Su-33 is great looking plastic kit but........... .......But what about the horizontal stabilizers.....only in a horizontal position when parked?? Cause on a real plane the horizontal stabilizers could be set in a different positions even when folded and parked. And what about one-piece flaps and no separate slats, so work will be needed......the inboard leading edge slat and flaps are drooped with folded wings. Is that a possibility on the Zvezda kit or not? Edited October 5, 2016 by su27rules Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted October 5, 2016 Author Share Posted October 5, 2016 And what about one-piece flaps and no separate slats, so work will be needed......the inboard leading edge slat and flaps are drooped with folded wings. Is that a possibility on the Zvezda kit or not? Not straight out of the box - I'm having to do the same on the Trumpeter kit - droop the flaps and slats on the fixed inner wing.... Then the one-piece outer flap needs to be separated into 3 parts - plus the ailerons need to be slightly drooped as well. So, no, you can't do the wings folded straight from the box - you need to modify all three kits. My Hasegawa build :- http://www.flankers-site.co.uk/model_su-33_hasegawa.html My (ongoing) Trumpeter build :- http://www.flankers-site.co.uk/model_su-33.html My (not yet started) Zvezda build :- http://www.flankers-site.co.uk/model_su-33_zvezda.html My Trumpeter J-15 build (with flight deck) :- http://www.flankers-site.co.uk/model_j-15_flanker.html My conversion of the Airfix Su-27 - (done about a trillion years ago) :- http://www.lindenhillimports.com/seaflanker.htm Ken PS - One more thing about the accuracy of the Zvezda Su-33 - the box has the Sukhoi 'Cy' logo with the words - "Produced under the licence of Sukhoi Company' - so it is spot on. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
su27rules Posted October 5, 2016 Share Posted October 5, 2016 Thank you Ken . Zvezda looks great but for me option for the horizontal stabilizers only in a horizontal position when parked and with fold option is bad and sad decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted October 5, 2016 Author Share Posted October 5, 2016 I agree about the horizontal stabs - all Flanker kits have them in the horizontal position. It doesn't take much to modify them. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James G Posted October 6, 2016 Share Posted October 6, 2016 Ken, I trust your reviews - the Zvezda kit it is then, when I get around to buying an Su-33! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asgardiano Posted January 1, 2017 Share Posted January 1, 2017 so which akan colour set would be more appropriate for this kit set number 47326 or set number 47302? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngstROM Posted January 1, 2017 Share Posted January 1, 2017 From what I can see in the instruction pages at HobbySearch, Trumpeter fixed the weird angle of the main gear bays on this one (and the Chinese version) from their earlier Flanker issues. Just thought it worth mentioning! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted January 1, 2017 Author Share Posted January 1, 2017 I've lost my mojo on this model - along with a parallel Trumpeter Su-33UB build. I can't remember which of the AKAN paints I used - but I wasn't happy with the results and both builds are stalled after being painted, masked and re-painted.. I purchased a set of Su-33 paints from MiG - but I haven't compared those yet. Maybe the New Year will restore my enthusiasm........... Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted January 1, 2017 Author Share Posted January 1, 2017 1 minute ago, AngstROM said: From what I can see in the instruction pages at HobbySearch, Trumpeter fixed the weird angle of the main gear bays on this one (and the Chinese version) from their earlier Flanker issues. Just thought it worth mentioning! That's because they had to provide a completely new fuselage moulding for their Su-33 - to incorporate the canards and shortened tail boom - totally different to their other Flanker kit variants. As well as a bigger wing of course. So they had a 'clean sheet' on which to work. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngstROM Posted January 1, 2017 Share Posted January 1, 2017 Indeed...but with these guys I can't help feeling it's still a lucky throw of the dice! I confess I'm a victim of Trumpeter/HobbyBoss paranoia (hysteria?) and can easily imagine all of the above adjustments plus the old 'toed-in' gear bays...just pleased that didn't happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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