Flankerman

What are they going to do with it??..............turn it into a hotel? Ken

From Yefim Gordon's 'Antonov's Heavy Transports' - Vol 18 in the Red Star series..... (written in 2004) "In their plans for the future the Antonov Airlines reckon with having three An-225's in their fleet; the first step in this direction would be the completion of the second An-225 (c/n 01-02) which is still sitting in one of the factory hangars at Kiev-Svyatoshino" IIRC, the 'third' airframe is a structural stress test specimen. All plans to date to complete these airframes has come to naught. Ken PS - The An-124 was also built at the Aviastar factory at Ulyanovsk, Russia :- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aviastar-SP

They might have moulded the inner wing section and spine to accomodate the different mounting brackets for different external payloads - or, a more plausible explanation is to correctly mould the rear of the fairing between the wing and fuselage. It is quite a complex shape - with a round fuselage translating into a flat section and a round top.... Some pics I took of the beast at Gostomel in 2006..... http://www.flankers-site.co.uk/An-225.html Ken

I built the X2 variant last November........ Be aware that the instructions are wrong in that kit - the main canopy opens sideways (like an F-104), not upwards as I (and the instructions) have got it. Ken

So, four possibilities... Tu-128 fighter with raked fin tip. Tu-128UT prototype trainer with raked fin tip. Tu-128UT production trainer with flat fin tip. Tu-128M fighter with flat fin tip. Just swap the fins around - it looks easily do-able - as long as the flat fin tip is provided in the Tu-128UT kit. Thinks.... with a Trumpeter and 4 Fiddlers, you can make music Sorry.... I'll get my coat. Ken

AFAIK - none - as the Tu-128M was converted from Tu-128 airframes.... From Yefim Gordon's 'Soviet Heavy Interceptors' (Red Star Vol 19)...... "The conversion of operational Fiddlers to Tu-128M standard took place at the PVO's overhaul plants, using the two prototypes as pattern aircraft" and.... ".......fitted with the new R-846 radio, accordingly the fin was modified to feature a horizontally cut-off dielectric fairing instead of the original all-metal angled tip. The entire fleet was upgraded to Tu-128M standard within a relatively short time." Ken

Woodstock74 will probably 3D print one using his excellent CAD drawings, us mere mortals have to make do with an 8mm dia plastic knitting needle.... Ken

Wow! - that makes my amateureish efforts look like a ham-fisted pile of poo! Following with interest... Ken

Thanks for the compliment Woodstock74 ...... Having 'converted' the Airfix Trafalgar - inspired by 'Pen-Pushers' build (first link from Woodstock74) into HMS Splendid, I then found that website showing HMS Spartan with a 'top secret' DDS fitted (second link)... so, inspired by that I did a second conversion - and tried to reproduce the tatty appearance with missing tiles, rust streaks etc... Semi-successful. Following your build with interest.... Ken

I think black is too stark on a scale sub - so I use a rattle can of Halfords Volvo Dark Grey - a very dark grey, just off-black..... Looks OK to my tired old eyes...... Ken PS - I also use Halfords Rover Tempest Grey - (which is a bit lighter) - and Halfords also do rattle cans of gloss and matt black if you want to use them. Halfords Grey and Red Plastic Primer cans are also useful - for a medium grey and red lower hull colours. PPS - My 1/350 scale sub builds are here.

My first thought was .... I built that same kit years ago (when it was first released by Monogram) - and converted it into a GRB-36D 'FICON' My second thought was - "That was quite a while ago" - then I checked my web page - and saw that I had written an article about the conversion for Scale Models magazine - which was published in SEPTEMBER 1981. That's THIRTY SEVEN years ago !!!! Looks like the moulds have stood the test of time very well - good luck with your build Ced Ken

Great start Serkan I will be interested in how you tackle the engine intakes.......... Following with interest. Ken

Off on a slight tangent.... I was talking to the crew of a USAF CV-22 at Fairford in 2017. I asked him about the weight of the wing fold mechanism - plus the blade fold. He confirmed that USAF CV-22's still had the mechanism - and that it was just so much excess weight for a system the was not required by AF machines. I wonder how much more a COD V-22 could carry - or how much more range could be squeezed out - if all that excess gubbins was removed? Ken

Junglierating.......... Looks like either a camera port on the 'Sabrinas' ..... or a chaff/flare dispenser...... The two 'bumps' below the central gun camera port looks like sensors of some sort - RWR? Ken

Sister ship ZZ190 and splinter camo ZZ191 are fitted with the new 7-cannon nose........ Sorry.... I'll get my coat. Ken