Linden Hill

Shipping next month in both 1/48 and 1/72 scales. Decal elements are sized for the Eduard and Zvezda kits respectively: Sheets feature East Germany's 'Top Gun', 'Red 560'! Thanks to Floggerman for his invaluable assistance on NVA historical background. Also features: 2x DR Afghanistan 2x Bulgaria 2x CSSR (Prague Spring era, 1968-70) 2x GDR (MiG-21SPS + MiG-21SPS-K) 2x Mongolia 2x Romania 2x USSR (Operation Danube, 1968) www.lindenhillimports.com

They were retired in December 2012, so our new sheets represent their swan song. Available in 1/72, 1/48 and 1/32 scales shortly from our usual UK stockists www.lindenhillimports.com/lhd32020.htm

You can now buy AKAN directly in the UK from Barnsley's very own Coastal Craft, so I'm assuming your concerns would be moot at this stage. http://www.lindenhillimports.com/akan.htm

Yes, we will be selling them in North America and beyond, along with Coastal Craft's models. The new colours are all in the aqueous acrylic range, and are available from CC (along with the Russian armour and aviation colours) with immediate effect: 70048 507A (1920) 70049 507B (1940) 70050 507C (1920) 70051 RN WHITE 70052 G45 70053 B15 I should also mention that you can also get a selection of our own Linden Hill Decals in the UK from CC in addition to Hannants. Our newer releases offer specific AKAN colour call-outs for Russian, Soviet and ex-USSR subjects. They don't yet have a Website, but you can reach them via E-Mail. coastalcraftmodels at 'Gee' Mail dot com (if you catch my drift) Next up from LHD will be Belarusian Flankers in three scales. The sheets arrived from the printer today, so they should be available shortly. We have to finish the instruction booklet yet (complete with accurate AKAN matches)...

We're setting up a much more efficient distribution system with our partners at Coastal Craft in South Yorks, as anyone who visited their stand at Telford will have witnessed. So, if you're in the UK, you'll be able to order all our AKAN sets directly from them starting very soon. You can also obtain six new AKAN Royal Navy colours (ideal for the CC kits) exclusively from them starting today. http://www.lindenhillimports.com/akan.htm

The next book should be dedicated to the 9-13. Since the 9-12 book Anton Pavlov already published smaller tomes on the MiG-29 SMT of the 14th GvIAP and the Strizhi (Swifts) aerobatics team. I met Anton in Moscow not too long ago, and we were happy to assist him with access to our photo archive on MiG-29 operators in the former Central Asian Soviet Republics (this seems to be a common knowledge gap among Russian authors on the subject). Anton spends time in a professional capacity at Kubinka (121. ARZ, possibly), thus his access to a lot of exclusive archival material on the MiG-29. www.lindenhillimports.com

Just sent you an E-Mail with the appropriate color call-outs. Just to correct what was posted above, we get AKAN packages from New York to the UK in well under a week. Hobbycolours is based in Greece, which means their delivery times are predicated by the Greek post office. www.lindenhillimports.com/akan.htm

If I'm not mistaken, this was one of the ex-115th GvIAP Gromov Institute 9-13s which were repainted in the imperial blue, yellow and black scheme, and were destined never to return from Fairford in 1993. I was a spectator that day. The solo flat display in pouring rain early in the day was spectacular. The duo performance in the afternoon, not so much...

The construction number 2960516761 tallies with Pavlov's archive as one of the Moldovan 9-12s sold to the US. He has the the former bort (VVS, not Moldovan) down as 'White 25' (86th GvIAP), and prior to that 'Dark Blue 08'. Furthermore , he has the aircraft down as coming from the 16th production series in October 1985. Reading more about the 234th GvIAP's first MiG-29s, it appears that a number of them were overhauled at Kubinka (121st ARZ) in 1990. It's therefore probable that 'Blue 08' was redeployed to Moldavia (as it was then) and renumbered at this stage. The photographs of 'Blue 08' in Finland show the early style shorter rudder chord (but no ventral fins). No doubt the rudders would have been extended during overhaul in 1990, probably with a scabbed on section rather than a replacement rudder. That would be the clincher if the Nellis exhibit had the reworked early style rudders.

The MiG-29s which visited Rissala in 1986 came from the 234th. GvIAP at Kubinka. 'Blue 08', and the rest of the delegation, carried the standard Grey/Grey-Green scheme. There is a very nice photo of 08 in Anton Pavlov's book on the 9-12. Thorough archivist that he is, he also lists the pilot of 'Blue 08' on the Finnish trip as Anatoly Arestov. All Moldova's MiG-29s were inherited from the USSR's 86th GvIAP, Black Sea Naval Aviation (Marculesti AB), which converted to the MiG-29 shortly after the 234th. I was under the impression that Kubinka's 29s, including 'Blue 08', were repainted and formed the original iteration of the Swifts (Strizhi).

Well, here's a selection of countries. These decals will be on sale next week: P.S. Yes, there's a typo in the cover, which will be corrected before release. The 9-13 with the new Turkmen insignia is indeed 'Blue 18'. www.lindenhillimports.com

I just received one of the FB.9 kits and, if I'm not mistaken, whatever the other faults listed above, it's not an FB. 9. It's missing the 8" extension to the starboard intake fillet for the cooling unit. So the faulty FB. 9 is actually a faulty FB. 5, I believe. Anyone?

Wow, I think I've finally found a definition for 'Chutzpah'.

Two things for UK modellers: 1. As Martin states above, you'll now be able to buy AKAN aqueous acrylic paints in the UK via Coastal Craft. We're happy to be working with them, and they'll be at the Huddersfield Show on the 17th of February. We'll also continue to serve our UK customers via mail order. USPS airmail rates for small packets to the UK are still a good deal, but there was a hefty rate increase last weekend. 2. Although AKAN will continue to produce the aqueous acrylics (they are subject to fewer postal restrictions), they are drawing down their old enamel stocks and increasingly moving over to a new acrylic lacquer line (the base paints are manufactured by Dupont and others in Benelux). A number of new acrylic lacquer colours were released in the last month or so, including unfaded variants of some of the recent VVS tactical colours. They're easier to create/mix and ship from Moscow than the water-based paints when the temperatures get below -15C... We've been testing the new acrylic lacquers, and they are very tough. We will be selling AKAN's own brand thinner, but they also work very well with Tamiya's lacquer thinners. I've brushed and airbrushed with good results over the last couple of weeks. The finish is satin/gloss. The new paints come in 10ml bottles rather than the 15ml ones for the aqueous line, so they are more expensive. These new paints will be available from Linden Hill in the next 2/3 weeks. We have two large shipments en route from Moscow. We will be unable to send the new paints to some countries in the EU. We'll have more specifics on this next month (UK should be OK). http://www.lindenhillimports.com/akan.htm

Faded, natch...

A couple of points of clarification here, as we're AKAN's distributor outside the former territories of the USSR. 1. Not all AKAN paints are faded. Some of the modern colours are, and this was at the behest of the local market in Russia. Most VVS assets are exposed to the elements 365 days per year. 2. Some factory fresh post-war VVS colours are in development at AKAN now. They will form part of a new fast-drying semi-gloss acrylic line, which we will be launching in early 2013. This new paint formulation has a tougher finish and is designed for optimal use when using washes and weathering techniques. We just received the first test batch from Moscow and are impressed. New colours will be added to this line throughout 2013. Be aware that the new line of paints are not water-based, and correspondingly there may be shipping restrictions applicable to certain countries. We also just received some interesting new colours for the water-based 7xxxx line for Soviet armour and 1960s/70s VVS schemes. We'll post details to our Web site later this week. Hope this helps. http://www.lindenhil...ts.com/akan.htm P.S. Here's a picture of one part of AKAN's office in southern Moscow. It's situated in an old military factory where the Sputnik was manufactured. Anyone recognise the green colour on the walls?

Another new 1/72 sheet ready to go: More details here: http://www.lindenhil...om/lhd72029.htm Argentine Army AE-260 is possibly one of the rarest Falklands 'vets', reportedly having made a single flight to Stanley airfield and back on April 29, 1982.

Now available in a limited print run. They should be available from Hannants and our other EU retailers in a couple of weeks, at the same time as our MiG-23MLD decals. Set features both US and Lithuanian Afghan 'vets'. More information here: http://www.lindenhil...om/lhd72028.htm

This decal set is now shipping, and should be available in the UK from Hannants and our other retailers in 2/3 weeks. Our special shipping rate for just this decal set to the EU is US$3. Mention this post when ordering. Much more information about the sheets + instruction booklet can found here: http://www.lindenhil...om/lhd32015.htm Price list here: http://www.lindenhil...nhilldecals.htm

La-152 (powered by Junkers Jumo 004/RD-10 engine) La-156 (RD-10F with afterburner) http://www.lindenhil.../propandjet.htm

Obscure one for you: Nagorniy Karabakh, 1992 Armenian Su-25 vs. Azerbaijani Su-25. Two OEZ kits would suffice. We've got the 1/48 decals covered; although the Azeri Su-25, which was hijacked from the Soviet base at Sital Chay and shot down by the Armenians in June 1992, didn't look like the one on our sheet. Blue 23 was overhauled in Georgia a couple of years ago. http://www.lindenhil...om/lhd32014.htm

I'm hoping they'll be landing in Suffolk in a couple of weeks.

Available now in 1/32, 1/48 and 1/72 scales. Part 2 also available as special edition with Ukrainian Air Force 299th BRTA patch http://www.lindenhillimports.com/lindenhilldecals.htm Caveat Emptor! Colour call-outs on sheets are for AKAN paints. http://www.lindenhillimports.com/akan.htm

In case anyone's interested, Prop & Jet's new La-174TK kit is now available: more information here: http://www.lindenhillimports.com/propandjet.htm

Funny you should mention us. We're getting a P&J shipment later this month directly from the owner in the North Caucasus. Shipment will include the new La-174TK kit.