Flankerman Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 I have been eagerly awaiting this kit - so I ordered it from Hannants on 16 April - and it arrived this morning - the 19th Excellent service from them Note that the stand is not included.I won't bore you with pics of all the sprues - you can see them here.The kit is incredibly well moulded - with exquisite detail.... note the wheel hub and afterburner flame holder....Two pilot figures are included - standing and seated........... the seated figure is 'posable'........Whilst it doesn't have the 'Omega'/horseshoe shape cross-section, the canopy has no seam line down the middle to remove - perfectly acceptable in this scale IMHO.The IRST ball is separate from the windscreen making for easier conversions.....For the first time ever (IIRC?) Zvezda have got the correct difference between the size of the fin root intakes (although they do need drilling out)......The auxilliary blow-in shutters on the bottom of the intakes are moulded in place (although I think there should be one more set of grooves?)Zvezda's Alexander Adamtsov has cleverly designed the upper forward fuselage as a separate part - allowing for different versions such as the Su-27UB to be kitted with the minimum of mould changes......... the big worry is that there is a joint seam to hide - but it looks a good fit....(it is only taped together here)I haven't checked out overall accuracy & fit - but it all looks good so far.The kits has some amazing tiny details - the seat has webbing (left off if the pilot figure is used) - a side throttle is included, the L/E slats are separate, all the undercarriage doors have actuating rams, there are separate doors for the open & closed options, there is an actuating ram included for the raised canopy, a boarding ladder, wheel chocks and intake blanks are provided etc etc.....Slightly disapointing is the fact that the horizontal stabilisers are moulded in the 'flight' position - there are normally drooped at rest - as are the flaps - so a bit of surgery is called for.But these are just minor quibbles - this looks to be the definitive Flanker kit in 1/72 scale - AT LAST!Not that I am in any way obsessive about Flankers - but this is one of those 'drop everything and get started' kits...More to come....Ken 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintsPhil Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 Looking forward to seeing you build this, it's definately on my want list, if it's anything like their Hind it'll be an impressive kit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VG 33 Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 Fantastic ! She could be my summer kit to do. Patrick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adrianm2 Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 I don`t know how I missed this thread!! It would be great to see some pictures of the joints on the top part of the fuselage and see how you hide them... It looks like a must have. I hope they can come up with more variants soon. Following with interest. Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted April 24, 2014 Author Share Posted April 24, 2014 The joint is not too bad....... but is difficult to photograph... This is the best I could do to show it at its worst - it isn't really this bad.... I'm up to here by now.......... The full story is here. More later.... Ken 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintsPhil Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Glad you are updating this one too Ken, there are a few of us interested! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeR Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Thanks for updating this Ken, much appreciated! Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geedubelyer Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 This looks like a smashing kit with exemplary detail in this scale. You always turn out a nice model Ken so I'm looking forward to more progress. Nice metal effect on the exhaust sextions btw. Cheers, Guy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOUSTON Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Ken, Looking forward to your build ..you always turn out beautifully detailed aircraft models.. I look to seeing your Flanker.. Good GOOD job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adrianm2 Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 It looks like it is not far from painting... Have you got those colours sorted? Does Akan have them? I still don`t have the models in my hands but I have been looking for a match... Vallejo has got something that might be a good start point... Model color 844 Deep sky blue (lighter blue) Model color 962 Flat blue (darker blue) What do you think? Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted April 27, 2014 Author Share Posted April 27, 2014 Some progress over the weekend......The K-36 ejection is well done in plastic - perfectly adequate for a closed canopy model..... (although it looks better in the flesh! - close-up photography is not very flattering The offset IRST is achieved with an insert and a 'barrel' (which has a clear part for the front end)I have fitted the fuselage insert - but I have left off the barrel until the end to aid masking.I have a set of AKAN Su-33 colours - so I'm going with those - they look OK to my tired old eyesThe model is primed with Halfords White Plastic Primer and the white areas on the radome, fins etc have a final coat of Halfords Appliance Gloss White blasted on.(I'll rub down the slight spatter - don't worry!)Ken 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomoshenko Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 Looking good. I'll be interested to hear of what you make of the Akan paints. I have a set too for a Flanker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magman2 Posted April 28, 2014 Share Posted April 28, 2014 Looking good Ken, I have always enjoyed your Flanker builds. You have touched, sat in and photographed The Flanker. I have a lasting memories of the First UK visit of the Flanker to Farnborough,I can remember thinking I was lucky to get with in 15 ft of the plane. The Flight display was amazing. Thank you for sharing, your vast Knowledge and Photos of this Great Aircraft. It is greatly Appreciated. Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted April 28, 2014 Author Share Posted April 28, 2014 Looking good. I'll be interested to hear of what you make of the Akan paints. I have a set too for a Flanker. I have just airbrushed the lighter of the two blues with a bottle of AKAN - 73065. Its the acryllic version - and I just primed the airbrush cup with a few drops of tap water and poured a bit of the paint on top - then gave it a stir in the cup. It went on beautifully - silky smooth finish and the airbrush cleaned up afterwards easily with water - all dried out now. The model is drying in the airing cupboard - I'll post pics soonest. I'm well impressed with the AKAN paint - I'm not a very good airbrusher, but this makes it so easy. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted April 28, 2014 Author Share Posted April 28, 2014 Just before airbrushing the first of the AKAN blues, I spotted this on the white-primered model.....Its a raised ridge on the LERX - instead of being a smooth concave curve, the fuselage curves down, then slightly back up again, before going back down to the edge of the LERX.It's very hard to spot, but there is a definite S-shape that you can feel, rather than see.Dunno if it is correct - just never spotted it on other Flankers.......Anyway, here's the first colour applied.....Ken 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintsPhil Posted April 28, 2014 Share Posted April 28, 2014 Nice blue finish, those AKAN paints do spray well by the looks of it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radleigh Posted April 28, 2014 Share Posted April 28, 2014 Lovely Ken, would like to see more of your builds here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ekonbor Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 hi there, thanks for posting your build, any chance of showing what marking options are included in the box? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted April 29, 2014 Author Share Posted April 29, 2014 It's on my website .... here. There are 3 options in the kit.. 1. Su-27SM Red 82 from 23 IAP based at Dzemgi (Komsomolsk-na-Amur) in 2011 2. Su-27SM3 Red 51 from Krimsk in 2013 3. Su-27SM Red 04 from the Combat Training Centre at Lipetsk in 2013 The first two options have the standard 3-tone camo scheme....... The last one - Red 04 has the latest two-colour bright blue camo scheme - seen here on its sister ship at MAKS... Ken 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted April 29, 2014 Author Share Posted April 29, 2014 I masked off the lighter blue with Blu Tak and masking tape, ready for the darker blue.I had trouble with Zvezda's painting guide for Red 04 - it doesn't match photos of the same machine - so I went with the photos....http://cdn-www.airli...3/6/1568633.jpghttp://cdn-www.airli...5/2/1827250.jpgI'm very pleased with the result - the AKAN paints are great!Ken 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomoshenko Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 Very nice. No problems with your airbrushing there. Glad you like the Akan paints. I've heard you can use them in an airbrush neat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted May 5, 2014 Author Share Posted May 5, 2014 Decals are on - after glossing with Klear........ There are gazillions of them - made by Begemot - and they go on superbly after a two second soak in warm water. Landing gear and weapons next....... Ken 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintsPhil Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 Nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IGKent Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 Ken seems to me that the base color is too dark. Must be made lighter (look at the picture on the first page) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stfmodels Posted May 7, 2014 Share Posted May 7, 2014 What 2 AKAN colours did you end up using for the camouflage Ken? I'm looking at having a go with the acrylics as well for the same build & am wondering... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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