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Hi guys. I started a new project a few days ago... It will become a Ukrainian Army Aviation Mi-24PU2. I started with the cockpit parts which were painted black. When the Ukrainian Mi-24s where upgraded to Mi-24PUs2 standard they got a new cockpit which give them night flight suitability. For the first time I got me some Quinta Studio decals. This set is for the M-24V and provides the needed black layout for my project. Applying them is very easy and worked very well from the beginning. Cut them out like normal decals, dip them into warm water for a few seconds and slide them to the plastic parts. Different to normal decals, the Quinta Studios 3D decals need an adhesive. Quinta recommends any PVA based glue, clear coat like Tamiya x-22 or cyanoacrylate glue. I used Micro Kristal Klear and it worked very well. The WSOs instrument panel is different in Mi-24V and Mi-24P so I had to use the kit decals here. In my opinion the seatbelts looks way better in vinyl than their etched counterparts from Eduard & Co. Regards Daniel

While the @Homebee sleeps, I'll crack his news - 4! On Moscow "МИР ДЕТСТВА 2021" ( WORLD CHILDHOOD 2021) expo , has announced a 1/48nd of Mill Mi-35 from Zvezda in 2022. B.R. Serge P.S. But if you think need to merge this branch with the Mi-24 from Zvezda in 1/48 - no problem!

While the @Homebee sleeps, I'll crack his news - 3! On Moscow "МИР ДЕТСТВА 2021" ( WORLD CHILDHOOD 2021) expo , has announced a 1/48nd of Yakovlev Yak-9 from Zvezda in 2022. B.R. Serge P.S. As far as I understand, the whiskey truck overturned on the street @Learstang , in addition to the overturned candy truck!

Yak-9D (4815) 1:48 Zvezda The Yak-9 was an evolution of the successful Yak-7 fighter, and was intended to retake the initiative from the Nazis new Fw.190 and improved Bf.109s, which it successfully did. Production started in late 1942, and by summer 1943 there were enough in service to make a difference, playing a part in the crucial Kursk battle, thanks to its agility in the thicker air at lower altitudes and the heavy armament it carried. It was made in a number of different variants with different intended uses, with the D fitted with additional fuel tanks for longer range, and the DD for longer range still. There were also other versions with a larger 37mm cannon in the nose, and even a 45mm cannon in one variant that had to be installed with a muzzle brake. Post war saw the continued development of the type, which involved the installation of a more powerful engine, and these were later hived off to Soviet-friendly satellite states at the end of the 40s, where they served into the 50s, although their unusual lubrication system saw accidents caused by engines seizing due to forgetful pilots neglecting the hand-cranked lubrication lever in the cockpit. Something that might not necessarily be top of your agenda during a hectic dog fight or tricky manoeuvre. The Kit This is a brand-new tooling from Zvezda, and as it comes from Zvezda’s home country, the boat has been fully pushed-out, with the result a highly detailed kit. It arrives in a flimsy end-opening box, with a top-opening tray inside that is tough enough to hold everything safely inside, firm up the outer box, and comes complete with an additional captive lid/flap. Inside are six sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue, decal sheet and the black and white printed instruction booklet, which has a separate painting guide in full colour, printed on both sides. A quick look at the sprues reveals that the detail is excellent throughout, with fine engraved panel lines and rivets where applicable, which are noticeably absent from the wings due to their construction with metal framework and a Bakelite impregnated plywood skin that was responsible for a major reduction in weight between it and its predecessors. There is also a complete engine that has some stunning detail moulded-in and goes all the way back to the cockpit, for which there is a very nicely sculpted pilot that has separate arms, torso and a choice of heads with goggles up or down at your choice. Other options include having the gear down, the engine exposed or closed up, with the additional option of closing up the landing gear and purchasing a separate stand for an in-flight pose. Construction begins with the engine, which is made from a substantial number of parts, and has some super mouldings that would make it a shame to pose it closed up. You will need the engine whether you display it or not, but most of it won’t require painting if you leave the engine closed. The radiator bath is next to be made, with back and front surfaces depicted, after which it is inserted into the full-width lower wing, which has a riveted armour insert behind the chin intake, and that also has front and back surfaces, plus a two-part fairing around it that has a seam up the middle, so will need careful fitting to minimise the seamline for easy hiding. The radiator intake also has a separate lip added to the front before it is flipped over and the wheel bay walls are made up, with the rear wall also forming a short spar that extends to the outer edge of the bays. Behind the spar a box is made up from individual surfaces, the aft section again forming a short spar as well as having tubular framework raised up that forms the rear of the cockpit. The floor of the cockpit sits on the boxed-in area, and has details such as rudder pedals and a choice of two control column types added, with a fuel tank and bulkhead in front, which are joined to the rear with more tubular framing that supports the cockpit sides and instrument panels, as well as other equipment within the cockpit. The instrument panel is well moulded, and four decals are included as well as a part that boxes in the rear of the panel, and a flat cross-member on which it sits at the front of the cockpit. If you're after more detail, Quinta Studio have already released a 3D Printed replacement that you can see here. The afore mentioned pilot is similarly well-moulded, with enough leeway in his arms to allow you to fine-tune them to reach the controls, plus a choice of goggles up or down, and you could incline his head up, down or to the sides to give him a little bit of additional character. The completed engine is decked out with four individual exhaust parts per side, and as some of them are twin pipes, care must be taken to correctly orient them firstly, and put them in the correct order. They aren’t hollow-tipped, but are very small, so with a dab of your blackest black it’s unlikely anyone will notice. The cockpit assembly is completed by bringing together the frames, the lower portion of the seat on its cross-frame, the vertically roll-quilted seat back set against the rear frame, the large cannon breech that runs through the prop, and the pilot if you are using him. At this stage the instructions have you inserting the landing gear legs and their retraction jacks, but these could be left off until later if you wish. The upper wings are joined to the lower after painting the bay roofs on the inside surface, and adding a pair of intake inserts to the wing root leading edges, and a cooling flap at the rear of the radiator, which has its actuators pushed through two holes from above. Wingtips with clear lights, the tail wheel leg that has a separate wheel and yoke half, and rear deck with equipment added are all built up in preparation for fixing the fuselage to the wings and internals. The inner surface of the fuselage halves are painted and has an additional frame added to the nose area on the starboard side, while a floor insert is prepared with the tail wheel for insertion later. The fuselage halves are closed around the existing structure plus the rear deck and a short bulkhead that also has the antenna moulded-in, although I would almost definitely knock that off during handling, so would probably replace it and drill a hole for later insertion of the antenna or its replacement. The port fuselage half is missing its side cowlings to accommodate the display option, and this is prepared with an intake in the lower nose, with a frame added to the inside for the closed-up version. The elevators and their fins are each made of three parts with the flying surfaces able to be posed, as is the rudder and both the ailerons, all of which are separate individual parts with lightly engraved fabric detail visible on the surfaces. If you are opening up the engine cowling, additional parts are included for the port nose machine gun as well as its ammo supply, made from a number of parts and nestling in the top of the engine. The canopy and its companion piece are then inserted in place whether you are showing off the engine or not. The section of the cowling at the very tip of the nose is used if you expose the engine, and this too has additional parts fitted underneath before it is installed behind the prop. The full upper cowling is supplied as a single part if you choose to close it up, leaving you with a neat panel line and one less seam, which is always nice. The prop is moulded as a single boss with the three blades integral, and this is surrounded by the spinner, with the boss and a cannon barrel part to allow the modeller to leave off the spinner front if desired. The canopy opener and the fixed aft section are added behind the windscreen and in front of the aerial antenna. After adding in the main gear legs during earlier construction, the task is completed by adding a captive outer bay door and inner door with actuator, adding two bay doors to the side of the tail gear leg, oil-cooler flap on the chin-intake under the nose, then making up the main wheels from two halves plus inner and outer hubs, after which they slip over the axles to complete the build phase. Markings There are three decal options included on the sheet, with a separate half-page of the instruction booklet showing where all the stencils should go, while the main markings are given on the colour sheet. From the box you can build one of the following: 1st Separate Regiment Normandy-Niemen, Pilot Marcel Lefebvre, #14 6th Guards Regiment IAP of the Black Sea Fleet Air Force, Pilot Grib, #22 64th Guards Regiment IAP, Pilot Denchik #3 Decals are printed for Zvezda in a similar style to Begemot, although no logo is included to confirm. They are in good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin satin carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion This is a highly detailed model of this important WWII Soviet fighter that some may contend was the best of the war, and certainly one of the best Soviet fighters of the war. Lots of detail throughout, and with enough difference in personal markings to interest many modellers. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of Alex at Quinta Studios

Hello everyone! Today I'm glad to introduce once more of my models, and to finish the "parade" of 737-family. The last one is most popular today type 737-800. Zvezda kit is neat, easy to build and needs only few putty, especially compared to previous EE 737-100. I've thought about livery choose for last one 737 for a long time. First I really wanted to build it in NOK-air bird livery, but later decided that it's too complicated for my skill till that days. Another one idea was Aeroflot classic old livery, but I am not a fan of "whatif" liveries. Finally I stopped choosing and purchased another one high quality and easy-to buy in RF livery from PAS. OK, it's another one standard and not eye-catching design. But first, I was a passenger on Nordwind couple of times (though flights were operated on 321) and the second and main reason that I've sent to trip this plane for great number of times as a handling-supervisor. Nordwind is one of Russian companies, far not the biggest but well-known inside the country. They operate park of different aircrafts (737's, A-321, 777-200 and -300). Mainly they perform domestic flights, and flights to Antalya (AYT) during high-season as well. In addition, I have warm feelings for this carrier for their easy-to-communicate and not arrogant flight attendants. Serving their flights, you will never be denied a cup of hot coffee in the cold season, a bottle of Cola in the hot, or some food if you feel hungry. So, enough lyrics, let's talk about painting First I've used ZIP-maket primer (that time I usually used it, but later replaced it with Decorix from a can). Grey colour of fuselage was mixed by eye from mr. Hobby #1 + Tamiya XF-24 Dark grey. Wings are painted by eye as well, the difference is in quantity of grey paint. Then I've chosen correct colour for engines, but finally stopped on Mr. Hobby H-18 steel. As I think, it's not far from real colour. Wheels, undercarriage and gear-flaps painted with zvexzda #30 light gray. Tyres covered with XF-85 Tamiya Rubber black. Wing-edges ant other heated areas painted with X-11 Chrome silver. Pledge future before and prior decals, as usual. And final layuer is mixed Future with 5% of X-21 Flat base. Decals from PAS are wery high-quality as usual. Technical inscriptions and others - from the included decal-sheet. (Basically it's Utair livery out-of box) Also I've added beacon on the top of fuselage (on the bottom there are a hole for the rack), and red and green lights on the wing-tips. Though highest quality, the decal has few minor disadvantages. For example, instead of "www.nordwindairlines.ru" on real plane, this inscription without WWW on decal-sheet. And what was pointed later by colleagues, I've applied some inscriptions not enough straight, and destroyed little red N logos on the engines. It's all on the side of my crooked hands Model was finished in last days of 2021. The last two fotos is for compare with prototype of the model. Respects, tMikha.

My last of the 1/144 787s and probably one of the most attractive liveries for the Dreamliner. ANA had signed a 5 year contract with Disney and painted at least 4 of their aircraft in special Star Wars liveries. Maybe some of you remember that a few years back,I already built that model,then with a 787-8,streched with resin plugs. After I had finished that kit,Zvezda announced their -9 kit... I actually never planned to build the R2D2 livery again because of its complicated design. But a friend kept asking to sell him that model,so last year I finally gave in and sold it,which led me to the point to build another one for my collection again. This time I used the 787-9 kit from Zvezda and a decal set from PAS instead 8A decs. The decals were great to work with and are also durable enough to accept some heavy handling and trimming. Again for the windows Authentic Airliner windows were used and details come from the nice Zvezda decal sheet and the spares box. Painted with Gunze white surface primer 1500,clear coated with Gunze premium gloss prior and after the endless decal session. All other paints are Gunze as well. Now my Dreamliners are all done and the Star Wars jet is back in my collection. No matter what,there wont be ever a 3rd R2D2 build May the force be with you Alex

Here is the Zvezda Tu-154M finished as LZ-BTX of Balkan Bulgarian Airlines circa 1994. The build is more or less OOB although I used BraZ engine fans in place of the unlovely kit items. Paint is Halfords Appliance Gloss White and Mr Hobby H338 grey with Humbrol and Tamiya metallics. Decals are by Two Six and are up to Ray's usual standards apart from a couple of minor points. The green sections of the two small forward doors on the right need to be shortened by just over 1mm otherwise the doors will be too tall and affect the placement of the main “Balkan” title. If you have filled the door outlines it’s easy to get caught out as I was. Also a bit of patching material would have been nice since the red and green stripes don’t meet under the belly and the green in particular proved difficult to match with paint. Windows are from Authentic Airliner Decals and I added a sensible modicum of stencils from the spares box. The obligatory soot staining was done with artist’s pastels. Thanks for looking and constructive criticism is always welcome Dave G

Zvezda is to release in 2020 a 1/72nd Lockheed C-130 Hercules kit - ref. 7321 Source: https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235061306-zvezda-2020/ V.P.

Welcome everyone involved in modeling and just interested as well! So.. this is my first "adult" airliner model. All previous attempts better to be called just "baby-toys". It was finished in fall 2021. Since my first practice in aircraft modelling I was in search of the way to get smooth gloss surface on my models. So finally I've discovered the way, that I use till today. It's easy enough - for gloss white surface I use airbrush with Gunze (Mr. Hobby) H-1 paint plus thinner for acrylis paints mixed up to the consistency of milk. Boeing 737-MAX is well-known and popular airliner. Most of us know about some difficulties with this type, that caused two air crash episodes. The main visible differences between MAX and NG are new big engines and new form of IPU exit hole. There are also some additional differences, but they're clear only for technical or flight staff. This built take a lot of time - more than one month - it's really long for me. The reason was that I've ruined first decal-sheet and had to wait till new order will be delivered. Zvezda kit is well-known and really neat and easy-to build, needs just a few putty (I use Tamiya Putty basic type) for connecting wings with fuselage. Unfortunately, my kit had manufacturing defect: right wing was twisted. I tried to solve the problem using hot water. It was successfully for about 50/50. It's not rule for Zvezda, but an exception. Also I know, I'm "lucky" guy First I've used ZIP-maket primer (really cheap but low-quality thing, later i refused from using it) Basic white, as I told upper, was Gunze H-1. Red-nose and winglets is master-acryl #12 Wing edges are painted with Tamiya X-11 chrome silver Undercarriage and wheels are MAKR #6 aluminium and Tamiya XF-85 rubber black. Flaps were highlighted with soft pencil. Gray color of wings mixed from Gunze H-1 plus a few dark gray Tamiya paint. Pledge future prior and after decals plus one additional layer for extra-protection. The livery I had choose once, while surfing model-store site. In my opinion it's one of the most interesting liveries (though some colleagues told it's odd and ridiculous). Very interesting idea with portraits of different famous persons on the tail. And mr. Oscar Wilde - is one of my favourite writers. "The picture of Dorian Gray" I've read two times, and saw cinema as well. His sharp quotes are brilliant! So it wasn't a long choice of person for Norwegian livery. Decals manufactured by Ascensio. Well and reach enough but too fragile. And another story that I've purchased two same sheets but white color of them was different. You can see it in word "Norwegian" for example. Technical inscriptions from default out-of box decal. Also there are some visible disadvantages I have made: -Sloppy painted engines - it was the most difficult part of painting for me - APU inlet is the same as 737-800 has. But really it's different. -Headlights on the wings also looks sloppy because first painted with brush in aluminium, then black and clear detail from the kit was mounted finally. - Too shiny (caramel effect) on the surface (That time I didn't use any flat base and covered model with 100% Pledge Future) Anyway, it was first warmy welcomed model on local thematiс resources. And now I'm glad to introduce it here. Feedback and criticism are welcome! Respects, tMikha.

Zvezda is to release in 2020 a 1/48th Ilyushin IL-2 Shturmovik kit. Source: https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235061306-zvezda-2020/ V.P.

Hello to all. This is my latest finished model.The Zvezda MiG-31.I have installed the Extratech Pe in the cockpit and added a pair of Resin K-36 seats.The rest is oob.I painted the kit in gunze and tamiya acryclis.The decals came from the spares box. Regards,Dragan

Hello there! This is my first model on this resource, so i apologise if I have made some mistakes. So... all of us well know about A-320 plane - it's one of the most popular in the world. Model produced by Zvezda is very good about assembly and copyability. Some info about prototype: EX-32007 serves now in Kyrgyz republic Avia-Traffic Company. This is one of the oldest A-320 flying till our days - this plane in service since 1993. First operator was Sri Lanka airways. During that time plane was damaged in Colombo airport by terrorist attack. Later it was repaired and served in Danish air transport. At least in 2016 it was delivered to ATC - Avia-Traffic (ATC) based in Manas airport, Bishkek. In early march 2022 I've bought tickets for Aeroflot from Moscow to Bishkek (my parents live there). But for well known reasons, Aeroflot had temporary stopped flights to any foreign countries. And the only way to travel was ATC. So after good vacation with family, I had no doubt about livery for my new model. Materials: Zvezda kit 1/144 Decorix primer first Mr. Hobby H-1 for basic white Master-Acryl "royal blue" (Zvezda MAKR) paint for engines Also used some mr Hobby and MAKR (grey, aluminium) paints for wings, hot part of engines, undercarriage. Painted with airbrush. Decals ordered from avia-decal (Belarus) Pledge Future as basic lacquer and as well as a cover for decals. Final lacquer is Pledge Future mixed with 5% of Tamiya X-21 flat base. It's something near gloss lacquer, but helps to prevent excessive shine while photosession. PS Hope you will enjoy viewing this model. With respects, tMikha.

Hawker Hurricane IIc British Fighter (7322) 1:72 Zvezda HobbyPro Marketing If one was to asked to give the name of a British fighter that took part in the Battle of Britain, the Spitfire would undoubtedly be the most common answer. However, the aircraft that provided the backbone of the defence in that infamous battle was the Hawker Hurricane. Designed in 1935, it was quite a step forwards to the existing front line RAF fighters of that era, key features being a fully enclosed cockpit, retractable undercarriage, 8 guns, powerful V12 engine and most notably, a single cantilever wing as opposed to a biplane configuration. Despite its revolutionary look though, the design and manufacturing techniques were old school, a steel frame with fabric skinning so in reality, it was very much a progressive rather than evolutionary design. This however was to provide useful in manufacturing and in the face of battle. The Hurricane was easy to produce, repair and maintain. This is in comparison to the birth of the Spitfire which used completely new manufacturing techniques which whilst offering performance, hindered early production. Early Hurricane Mk.I’s went through a series of design enhancements. Initial aircraft had fabric wings which limited the dive speed whilst the spin characteristics were a concern for test pilots. This was remedied by the addition of a strake below the rudder that became a key characteristic of the Hurricane. The fabric wings were also changed by 1940 for new metal skinned ones which increased the dive speed by some 80mph. Other notable improvements on the Mk.I were the addition of 70lb of armour plate for the pilot, self sealing fuel tanks and a 3 blade constant speed propeller. Of the 2700 victories claimed during this battle by the RAF, nearly 1600 ware at the guns of the hurricane. Whilst the Hurricane soon became outdated a front line day fighter in Europe, it went on to see considerable success in other campaigns throughout the war. The Mk.IIC was a much improved version, armed with four 20mm cannon and equipped with the Rolls Royce Merlin XX engine, capable of developing almost 1,500hp. These aircraft were generally used for ground attack and night fighting duties. With the addition of these bombs and cannon, it became an effective ground attack aircraft. It has its history firmly rooted in the battles of the Mediterranean, Russia and the Pacific, not to mention early night fighting over Europe where many aces earned their status. Over 3000 Hurricanes were sent to the Soviet Union under lend lease. The Kit This is a brand-new tooling from Zvezda, fresh off the presses in Russia, so it is a modern kit and has plenty of detail moulded-in, with fine engraved panel lines but very subtle fabric effects. certainly on the fuselage. It is designed to be assembled without glue, no doubt for the younger modelers out there, but I suspect it will also be be bought by some a lot older! The kit is quite detailed for an easier kit, there is even different pilots supplied for the RAF or Soviet marked aircraft. First of when building the kit the modeller needs to decide on gear up or gear down. The main gear well and ailerons are then added to the lower wing, with the radiator going underneath. The one part top main wing then goes on top being sure to add the clear parts for the navigation and landing lights before closing them up. We now move to the cockpit. A basic lower frame goes in which contains the rudder pedals and control column. A second frame then holds the seat and instrument panel, with a decal being provided for the instruments. The top frame clips into the bottom frame, and then the rear bulkhead goes in. Moving on to the fuselage sides tow A frames go in which allow the two sides to go together. Once together a 3 part propeller / spinner goes on the front. At each side a single 3 pot exhaust is fitted. If using a pilot then there are two choices if you are going RAF or Soviet. Once he is in (or not) the fuselage can be clipped to the main wing. The canopy then goes on. At the read the rugger an tail planes are fitted. If making the model gear down then a single part tyre is attached to a single part leg, and the gear door fitted to the outside of this. A single part closed door complete with wheel is provide for a gear up option. Markings There are three painting options included on the decal sheet. From the box you can build one of the following: KX471 from 78th Fighter Aviation Regiment, Northern Fleet, Vaenga Airfield, Summer 1943 Z3778 No.1 Sqn RAF, Tangmere 1942 BE581 No.1 Sqn RAF, Tangmere 1942 (Overall Black Night fighter scheme) The decals are well printed with a red band around the edge that is reminiscent of Begemot’s work, but that’s just my guess. The colours are dense, printing sharp, with a satin carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion It’s a very nicely moulded kit, A welcome addition to the range. Recommended. Available from all good model shops online or in actual buildings. Review sample courtesy of

While I'm still trying to solve the problem with the Lufthansa DC-10 cockpit windows, I decided to start with my other kit that I had in my queue. In order to complete the complete line of Boeing passenger planes, I chose the Boeing 767 in the colors of the magnificent Brazilian airline Varig. The choice of VARIG started through a very strong link that I have with the airline and with Brazil itself: My grandparents emigrated from Portugal to Brazil in the 50's. They met there, got married and had children telling Portugal again already in the 1980's. On the trips they made from Rio de Janeiro to Oporto they chose Varig most of the times and even today, they always tell me how big, splendid and good the airline was in terms of service, quality and planes. Thanks to that and also thanks to my mother, my house is full of things from Varig. Cutlery, trays, blankets and more. Like TAP and Swissair, Varig is an airline that is in my heart, due to my connection with Brazil. An airline that unfortunately shouldn't have had the outcome it did. But turning now to the kit itself! I bought this kit on sale on eBay and with free shipping! I was quite satisfied however, a little suspicious that the kit is from Zvezda. Since I was a kid, I've been used to seeing Revell kits. That's why I always try to give preference to Revell, even knowing that most of the time the mold is not the best. The box is a normal Zvezda box, with the lid and the illustrations drawn, along with the classic box where the kit comes from, which is quite good and resistant and useful for storing things in the future! When I started assembling the kit I put the two main parts together and I was very surprised by the quality of the kit. The two pieces fit perfectly and at first glance everything looked in place. All the pieces have incredible lines and details that honestly left me with an excellent impression of Zvezda! For all kits to be so perfect, I started to have a favorite brand! The next step was to apply putty to all the windows as well as to make the necessary changes to the main fuselage. This Boeing 767 comes with the Aeroflot layout which consists of four doors at the front and four doors at the rear. It turns out that the Boeing 767 that I'm going to make, the PP-VPV has a different configuration: It has two doors at the front, four windows on the wings and two doors at the rear. I confess that I was very close to changing the plane to the -200 version. The 767-200 is an airplane that manages to have a very peculiar beauty. But after comparing the 767-200 and the 767-300 with the same painting (yes because Varig operated with both versions), I opted for the -300 version. Maybe one day I won't make a 767-200 with the colors of American or United Airlines The kit had such a good fitting, that the windows fit perfectly into the holes. Obviously, I putty and sanded everything and in the final result the entire surface was polished. I have to stress this one more time. The kit had such a good fitting, that I didn’t apply putty in the top and bottom. I just sanded it and then with the help of a scalpel I redid the lines I had erased with the sandpaper. It was a 1st time, not applying putty to cover bad fittings, which saved me a lot of time and patience! Zvezda you rock! After sanding and applying the wings (and those had to take a little plastic putty from Vallejo), I turned to the engines while the putty was not drying so I could sand again to apply the primer. I decided to follow the instructions and started with the low pressure turbine and nozzle area of the engines. After assembling (just to check the fit and shape of the engine), I noticed that this interior part would not be very visible. Anyway, I decided to apply a smoky color in order to simulate a little the metallic alloy already marked by the high temperatures there. Varig's 767 used to have General Electric CF6-80C2 engines. After that I decided to apply a primary white to reveal some imperfections as well as for the paint to adhere better when applying the final color. This afternoon I did it and left it to rest. Next time I will probably sand the imperfections a little and then start with the painting process!

Those who have followed my recent builds will know of my affinity with the 747. Whilst my current 747-436 tribute build is stalled (I'm still waiting for replacement decals), I thought I would turn my attention to some more modern 747 kits. Hopefully they will be far less hassle and go together much more easily than the venerable Revell 747-400! The only modern version of the 747 is the -800 variant. Both Revell and Zvezda have 1/144 versions of this aircraft, but which is best? There's only one way to find out - build them both! To start, here are the two boxes: First impressions - the packaging on the Revell box is superior, as are the decals. The quality of the sprues looks pretty comparable - time will tell as the build progresses... More on that later! Regarding the schemes, I am going to venture into the world of custom decals and build these two as 'what ifs'. Both models will be finished in a 'Utopia' or 'World Image' livery, used by British Airways at the turn of the century and then dropped in favour of the current 'Union Flag' scheme. It was a bit marmite(!), but I quite liked it and thought it would be an interesting side project to design something completely different and previously unseen on a 747. One model will be finished in the 'Youm al-Suq' design, representing Saudi Arabia. This scheme was only ever used on two aircraft - an Embraer 145 (G-EMBJ) and a 737 (G-GBTA). Images of these two aircraft can be seen on the artist's website: https://www.shadiaalem.com/british-airways-utopia-project I purchased some decals designed for the 737 and set to work on photoshop, amending the design to fit a 747. Here's the original decal: Then after many, many hours of work, I created something 747 sized: The other airframe will receive a variation of the 'Colum' livery used on my tribute build. This design was quite well received and there were several different versions of this design in use. I am basing my decal on G-BGDR, a 737-236. I bought these decals earlier in the week and have a few hours of work ahead of me... Here's how they look, compared with the 747: Obviously they need enlarging and I will have to make a few modifications and additions along the way! I hope to turn my attention to these two models soon - I need a break from the endless round of filling/sanding/priming which seems to be happening with all my other projects at the moment! Just gluing plastic together will make a pleasant change...

Zvezda is to release in 2020 a 1/48th Mil Mi-24 "Hind" kit. Probably the start of a family of Mi-24: D/V/P etc. Fingers crossed. Source: https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235061306-zvezda-2020/ V.P.

The Su 25 have always caught my eye, and I can't really explain why. Maybe I just think it looks brutal, specially when full loaded. I'm planning to make this kit as a Iranian Su-25, well-armed with rocket pods. The decals and instructions says it's overside is painted in FS20400 (sand from asia minor) and FS 20117 (a red/brown colour I dont know?) and the underside is painted in FS35414 (a blue'ish green). I think this is the Iraqi colours, but dont really know, so if someone know, please let me know I was planning on doing it in "full" Asia minor minor scheme (Sand,brown,green and grey), maybe I'm still going with that plan, because I supposed I can used the same decals, since the ID number for the aircraft does'nt change if the plane gets a new colour coat? Anyways, the kit does look fine, not much flash, the panellines is a bit crude to my eyes, but not the worst I've come across Looking forward to see how it comes together - lets get started The kit: The aftermarket parts (Rocket pods, mask, seat, stencils and pitottube): The sprues: The decals:

So as I have finally finished my 1/350 Dunkerque I figured I should repair my first build since coming back to the hobby. Here is Zvezda's HMS Dreadnought in 1/350. Aside model master barrels for the guns its oob. It did come with an artwox deck when I bought her, but it started to lift off the night I fitted it so it went the way of all the earth shall we say. She could do with a lot of upgrades but is what she is. I learned a lot from her so from that point of view is a success. She is brush painted in humbrol enamels which was a faff in the end as I ran out of paint and couldn't get anything to match so I think the hull and some parts had 5 coats in the end softening the already soft parts of the detail. Thanks for having a look Sam

Hello, Here is my recently finished model, the Zvezda 1/35 ural truck with trumpeter A/A gun. I hope you will like it. Thanks for looking.

In 2020 2021 is to release a new tool 1/144th Airbus A320Neo kit - ref. 7037 Source: https://vk.com/doc-29859496_526077927 V.P.

Hi Everyone Sure I'm not the only one, but got into modelling during the pandemic to stop myself going mad. Us pilots were regularly locked up around the world in various countries & hotels & sometimes quarantined back on arrival. I decided to make a model of every type of aircraft I've been lucky enough to fly so far in my career, these are the first 2 that I've finished building. These are also the first models I've made since I was about 12, I know they're not a patch on some of the fantastic ones I've seen on here but I did my best . And yes I made some stupid mistakes, which I'm sure you guys will spot. The 757 was modified with some flaps by LACI with decals from Draw Decal, the 767 decals are from 26 decals Any comments welcome as I'm a complete beginner and looking to learn from the vast experience on here \

My first Zvezda 757 build ,and I have to say it is a wonderful kit that goes together perfectly. Almost no filling required,all parts fit neatly. I had actually plans for the 757 with the Phoenix Suns livery but the seller sent me the wrong sheet although the correct instructions. While I checked photos of the Diamond Backs livery I found it also very attractive,so I decided to keep the decals and build it in this livery. The greenish fuselage colour had to be mixed. As these paints were Humbrol flat paints,I clear coated it with Future,as my usual Gunze varnish wasnt enough to get a smooth surface for the decals. The decals are Brasil Decals,they offer a great variety of liveries and the quality so far was quite good. But here the decals,esp. the red/gold stripes didnt want to stick on the model and most of the elements tended to silver after dry. Lots of careful trimming away the clear film took care of the silvering,not perfect but a lot better than without. Some elements overlay,so I clear coated them between each step to ensure that they will stay on the model. Some trimming was necessary as the decals are actually meant for the Minicraft kit. The windows are from Authentic Airliners and details are from the kit and a 757 detail set. Its in my opinion not quite up to my usual standard due to the problematic decals but it looks good in the showcase. Cheers Alex

Hey Folks, this one is almost OOB. I just masked the livery and only used the small titles for winglets and engines. All paints are Mr.Paint MRP slovakia and silver parts alclad. Stencils from uprise decal and titles from nazca decals. The wheels are add on resin parts, other than that it has no major upgrades. I must say, i regret a little bit the missing cockpit, should have done one. This Model took me a year, it was stored for a while and then i continues. We usually kept our aircraft clean, but a bit of dirt was still visible usually. I scratched all Antennas and clear lights and thinned down + opened the pack inlets. Back then Air Berlin used to be germany's 2nd biggest airline. I was proudly flying for them, allthough in A32X aircraft. Was a great chapter of life. @coneheadff i promised you this one hope you like it...

Today, I put the finishing touches on my Zvezda Boeing 737 MAX 8. Not perfect, but it looks great, and I'm quite pleased with it. This livery gets a knocking from some, but personally I think it looks great, especially on the MAX. Build - kit went together very well as per Zvezda kits Paints - Humbrol and Halfords spray cans, details with Humbrol enamels and acrylics Decals - Livery decals by 8Decs, windows and details from Authentic Airliners. There was a mismatch between these which led to some windows being misaligned, but it's not hugely noticeable and the overall look destracts from it. A few homemade details - Pitot/static made out of spare plastic, have since found a better way to do with paper card, but will save that for next time. Static wick dischargers made from flakes of an old plastic Christmas tree. Weathering done with HB/2B pencils. The shelf is getting a bit full! Next up I'm heading to widebody town with the Revell 777-300ER. Opting for the baby blue Air Canada livery and an aircraft I travelled on back in 2014. Suggestions and feedback welcome. Chris Tip if using bits of Christmas tree for static wicks... they fall off.

So the first of my pair of entries is this: I've never built a Zvezda kit but they are Russian and it comes officially licenced too (according to the box). The box is a top sleeve over a sturdy top opening cardboard box, inside there's the following: The kit comes with a stand (nice addition), a pilot figure - always a gripe of mine that for the amount of plastic a lot of manufacturers don't include one. Instruction booklet seems clear enough, in black and white and show options for having the undercarriage up or down (nice, I like to do up). The decals are quite sparse - though I really don't mind as I find placing 100s of stencils on aircraft rather tedious - options for a few aircraft, I think I'll go with the Polish version as I want to try doing a NMF. I have some aftermarket paint masks from Eduard but other than that I plan on just doing it straight OOB. More to follow, once I actually get to make a start on it - the PBY5a Catalina is taking up a lot of workbench space at the moment.