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What is the best 1/48 Polikarpov I-16 kit?


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I have become fascinated with the Spanish Civil War and the aircraft that participated during that war. The I-16 has this repugnant attraction for some reason, and I feel no respectable Soviet aircraft collection would be complete without one. I am familiar with HC kits, but lack of cockpit detail as well as other issues makes me want to check out the other kit options before making a choice, so any recommendations? Are there decals for some of the Republican aircraft of the Spanish aces out there?

Cheers

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Eduard, Eduard and Eduard! They blow the Academy?HobbyCraft model away and they also do a boxing especially for the Spanish Civil War with 2 kits inside!

HTH

Happy Modelling,

Christian the Married and exiled to Africa

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  • 2 months later...
  • 4 months later...

I just realized I had never held to my promise. So, if anyone is still interested:

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Compared to the Academy kit (I don't have the Eduard Rata yet. Mom said I need to finish my spinach Hobbycraft first...)

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In comparison, the Hobbycraft doesn't come off as that bad, dimension-wise, although it gives a strong impression of having been designed from a low resolution drawing.

Strong points of the ARK model are the rendition of the fabric and the optional detail parts (lower- and front cowling, spinner, propeller, undercarriage).

Weak points are the interior or lack of same (but the footrest is correct), the blank instrument panel, and the strong relief of the removable panels/reinforcement strips on the exterior.

Edited by Bonehammer
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  • 1 month later...

built the hobbycraft many years ago;i seem to remember it including the early full canopy ;but it didn't fit that well and didn't look right

You remember correctly. The instructions didn't mention it, but the canopy could be cemented in the open position (forward of the cockpit opening), thus solving the fit issue.

But then it would be painfully obvious that the clear parts were as thick as a slice of cheesecake.

Squadron had a vacformed replacement. The main problem with all the Hobbycraft Ratas is the lower cowling, missing a couple exhausts.

Unfortunately neither Eduard nor Ark seem to want to go near the early versions...

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Unfortunately neither Eduard nor Ark seem to want to go near the early versions...

It's just as bad in 1/72 - Amodel's type 5 was one of their first releases, and needs lots of work to get it to today's standards of detail, although otherwise, with some effort, it's presentable. ICM's late I-16's are excellent; they did produce a type 10, but it wasn't a "real" type 10, it was just the late-version kit with type 10 decals. Modern kits of the I-16 type 5 and the type 10 in both 1/72 and 1/48 would be welcome.

While I'm on the subject of ICM, I might as well toss out a reminder that, back in 2011, they had the I-153 in both scales on their release list for that year - where are they?! :rant:

John

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  • 1 year later...

IMO Ark is more accurate in outline and spine cross section, and has much better wheel well dome shape with marked internal windows.

You have to drill the top fuselage windows yourself. Detailing looks cruder than Eduard's but again, in my opinion, is more accurate.

Most imporant to me, the windshield is thinner than Eduard's - important as all but theType 5/6 I-16's only have the windshield and thin rear edges are a must.

Decals are a weak point, but I fixed that wit Begemot mega decal sheet (99 options).

Needs more help in the cockpit than Eduard (comparing bare plastic).

I have never seen the "enhanced" ARK release on sale. I would buy them immediately.

Vedran

The milimeter brigadee

Edited by dragonlanceHR
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  • 2 weeks later...

I have never seen the "enhanced" ARK release on sale. I would buy them immediately.

Or not.

HLJ has them on Black Friday sale - it's a 2-kit boxing with PE and resin parts - but the 85 EUR price tag is a bit :yikes: , since I got my regular kits for 10 EUR each.

Vedran

The milimeter brigade

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  • 4 years later...

Sorry for bringing this discussion back to the top but I don't wanna start new one but recent discussion about Shestakov's White 3 made me wanna build some I-16 these days...
So I just wanna check what are all the options in the 1/48 game:

EDUARD Kits:
- Type 10

- Type 17
- Type 18
- Type 24
- Type 28
- Type 29

HOBBYCRAFT & ACADEMY Kits:
- Type 5/6 (H/C)
- Type 10 (H/C + AC)
- Type 17 (H/C)
- Type 18 (H/C + AC)
- Type 24 (H/C + AC)

ICM Kits:
- Type 24 
- Type 28

ARK Models:
- Type 10 (Super Moska)
- Type 18 
- Type 24
(Am I missing anything in Ark list? I think all their boxes are basically these three kits)

My Questions:
1) Do plastic differs from kit to kit for ARK Models?
2) All H/C & AC kits are the same plastic in the boxes - isn't it? So what type is that? Or it is no-type but some mash of types?
3) Are all Eduard kits appropriate types as marked on the boxes?
4) Hobbycraft kit doesn't seem to be precise for Type 5/6 and nobody else, even eastern European manufacturers do not seem to care about early types for some reason (4/5/6 and some early prototypes)
5) Airwaves & NeOmega conversions (sadly, both seems to be out of production) are the only path to precise Type 5 in 1/48 scale - or am I mistaken?

Is anyone selling the conversions for Type 5 from their own stash? I would be interested to purchase...

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Zdravo, Milos

I cannot comment on the rest of the list, but I have Academy type 24 in my stash. As you said, the kit bear only a passing resemblance to type 24 and even the ancient MPM type 24 vacuform kit, which I also have, is more detailed and accurate than Academy's rendition. It would probably take just as much effort to make a decent type 24 model out of the Academy kit as it would to convert it into a type 5 model. Just my thoughts. Cheers

Jure

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Ciao Jure!

I do have Hobbycraft Type 5/6 but it's back in Serbia and I did not inspect it for at least 6 years! I know when I did it didn't pull me in the box to build it but pushed me to return it on my stash shelf and keep it there. I am kind of modeler that like EASY builds that give good results even if I have to pay few $$$ more for the decent kit. Tiny, tiny mistakes do not bother me as long as majority of the obvious things do look good.

I have ordered Type 10 from Eduard but heart beats for a decent Type 5. I still don't know why nobody makes those early types?!

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1 hour ago, dragonlanceHR said:

Neomega makes nice resin conversion sets...

Bok Vedrane,

I wrote to them (via email found on their webiste, which lists UK address if I am not mistaken) and they replied that only Type 29 conversion is available. If they had Type 5 still I would be buying few...
If you know of a way to lay hands on some please let me know!
Milos

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Zdravo, Milos

I have not touched my Academy I-16 kit for about twenty years. It is still buried deep down among other unwanted kits, destined not to be built before my fourth or fifth reincarnation ... IIRC kit's contours are slightly off all over the shop, although this is somewhat noticeable only on the wings due to a slightly too short chord. What bothers me the most are fine positive lines, which make rather poor representation of ribs. There is absolutely no sagging of fabric and both wings and tail look like they are covered with metal skin. Cheers

Jure

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Zdravo Jure,

I think that the best thing for the wings is what Aleksandar Šekularac did - creating masks & using few layers of Surfacer to create new ribs... a bit wider... They will still not be a perfect representation (even conversions by 2 companies for Type 5 are not having ideal "ribs" and fabric).

I should persuade Trumpeter to make those early models maybe under Hobby Boss?!
 

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22 hours ago, Milos Gazdic said:

Bok Vedrane,

I wrote to them (via email found on their webiste, which lists UK address if I am not mistaken) and they replied that only Type 29 conversion is available. If they had Type 5 still I would be buying few...
If you know of a way to lay hands on some please let me know!
Milos

 

Bok Milose,

I checked two online shops in Russia and Type 5s are in fact unavailable. But I can ask the owner of one if he can source it.

He was able to get me two OOP Neomega Su-31 kits but I had to wait a couple of months.

 

Hopefully we'll see a re-issue or a new kit at some point.

 

Best regards,

Vedran

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