Il-2 Shturmovik in 1/72nd scale by Academy

[Learstang]

The below is a review of the Academy straight-winged two-seater 1/72nd scale kit recently released. This modified excerpt is from my book on modelling the Il-2:

"This kit is the Accurate Miniatures kit that was never released under the Accurate Miniatures name in 1/72^nd scale. In terms of construction and detail it is basically a downsized version of a 1/48^th scale Accurate Miniatures kit, in this case the never-released straight-winged two-seater. The spinner is too round and best replaced by a Toko or Eduard spinner (hopefully Vector may release a replacement spinner as they did for the 1/48^th scale Accurate Miniature kits). The decals included in the kit look good and are well-registered. It also has the best cockpit detail of any 1/72^nd scale Il-2 I’ve yet seen, even without any etched or resin detail and better than Tamiya’s 1/72^nd scale offering of the arrow, and the surface detail is excellent, with nicely-engraved panel lines (although the Tamiya’s kit are better). Like the Accurate Miniatures’ kits, it has the correct configuration for the underwing link ejection chute openings, unlike the Tamiya kit, which has the mirror-image openings found in most Il-2 kits.

A strange error in this kit is that the outer wing panels, although obviously for the straight-winged version, feature the flaps for the arrow (these were at a different angle than for the straight-winged Shturmoviks)! These should be filled in and rescribed.

Something unusual that I’ve noticed about the Academy Il-2 kits is the way they treat the panel lines on the stabilisers. Instead of a flat surface, with inscribed lines, they are moulded as if there were overlapping plates, as on a boat. On the real Il-2, there wasn’t this “clinker-type” construction to the stabilisers; they were smoothly butt-joined, with lines between the panels. I have a built up single-seater, and this feature isn’t that noticeable, but you might want to fill in the low areas on the stabilisers and rescribe the panel lines once you have a flat surface, for a more realistic appearance.

Interestingly, on the painting and decal instruction sheet the paint scheme for “White 24” (which appears on the box), and indeed all the aircraft represented by the decals appear to have been taken from the work of Massimo Tessitori on his website, sovietwarplanes.com (Mr. Tessitori has done the drawings for my soon-to-be published book on modelling the Il-2). Highly recommended, with only the Tamiya arrow being a better kit in 1/72^nd scale, and certainly the best 1/72^nd scale kit of the straight-winged two-seater."

Best Regards,

Jason

Edited March 29, 2013 by Learstang

[HOUSTON]

OUTSTANDING. SUPERB build...

[PFlint]

aside from White 24 "Za Chest Gvardii" what other marking options are in the kit ?

(hopefully not the same old boring subject that are done over and over....)

[Learstang]

aside from White 24 "Za Chest Gvardii" what other marking options are in the kit ?

(hopefully not the same old boring subject that are done over and over....)

Paul, actually there are some nice options. There are "White 66", featuring two different borts - "66" and "17", with an interesting variation on the three-colour scheme, "White 26", which features an even more interesting variation on the three-colour scheme, and "White 7", which is in the black/green scheme, and of course, our old friend "White 24". "White 7" was done on this very site by an enterprising modeller who rebuilt the Airfix kit to where it actually looked like an Il-2! All-in-all, some nice schemes to do on an excellent kit. Instead of using aftermarket decals to do another variant, I may just do one of the three schemes (other than "White 24", which I've already built, using the Toko kit).

Regards,

Jason

OUTSTANDING. SUPERB build...

:worthy:

I wish I could take credit for that build, but that was done for the Academy box art. I hope my version of this kit turns out half as nicely!

Regards,

Jason