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1/72 Mil-Mi-24 Hind - what's the best kit?


Raven Morpheus

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Hello

I've nearly bought all the helicopter kits I plan on buying, for the moment, but one I've not yet obtained is a Russian Mil-Mi-24 Hind.

And looking around I'm a little "confused" as to which kit to buy in 1/72. I've thought about buying it in 1/48 (to match the scale of my 2 Hueys and Revell AH-1F Cobra (when I've bought it)), but there only seems to be the Revell kit with raised panel lines.

It seems my options for a kit in 1/72 are Revell, Italeri, Hobby Boss, and Zvezda.

Decal/paint scheme wise I'd like it to be of the Russian Afghanistan invasion/occupation era.

So, which is the best kit in 1/72 for an oob Mil-Mi-24 Hind? Is there a better 1/48 kit than the Revell one?

Thanks in advance.

Edited by Raven Morpheus
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What he said.

If Zvezda could only be persuaded to add a Hind-D to their three current kits (Hind-A, -E and Mi-35M)... lots of great markings/color schemes for the first "double bubble" subtype.

Cheers,

Andre

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Hmm, OK so Revell is the best kit? Do they do one in 1/72 with Soviet Afghan conflict era, or even just Soviet, markings though?

I was looking around some more last night and I realised the old Monogram 1/48 kit #5819 comes with markings I'd like (Soviet ones), and actually the quality of the 1/48 kit doesn't seem all that bad. Certainly looks fine if like me you just want a Hind and aren't too fussy about counting rivets.

Although it is more expensive due to it's "rarity".

Hmm, choices...

Edited by Raven Morpheus
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In 1/72, go with Zvezda, or the Revell rebox, this one. Other Revell boxings are based on the Italeri kit, which is not bad, but has some issues, like rotorblades that are mirrored compared to the real one.

In 1/48, go with Monogram/Revell. It's your only choice, and not a bad one. Like Don said, the real thing has raised rivets and panellines as well. There are aftermarket decals availlable, as well as a bunch of aftermarket parts if you desire these.

Edited by Creepy Pete
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In 1/72, go with Zvezda, or the Revell rebox, this one. Other Revell boxings are based on the Italeri kit, which is not bad, but has some issues, like rotorblades that are mirrored compared to the real one.

In 1/48, go with Monogram/Revell. It's your only choice, and not a bad one. Like Andre said, the real thing has raised rivets and panellines as well. There are aftermarket decals availlable, as well as a bunch of aftermarket parts if you desire these.

Thanks yeah I'd like to avoid buying parts and decals. I find I buy a kit, intending to buy extra bits or decals, then it sits waiting for a long while because I run out of £ for parts/decals. I've come to the conclusion, that besides paints, I'm better off doing kits oob.

Looks like that Revell one is the one to go for in 1/72 though, it does look like a great kit from the reviews and it's got a Soviet markings option.

Edited by Raven Morpheus
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I paid £20 for my 48th Hind, it's the Monogram one reboxed by Mini Hobby Models. https://www.scalemates.com/products/product.php?id=197206

One thing with the Revellogram 1/48 is that it doesn't have the fuselage twist/cant to port designed to counter torque. This feature is best seen from the port rear quarter aspect. This results in a lean to port and the impression that the port tyre is flat compared to the other side.

Searched on line to illustrate the point but all the photos are of the front quarter except one pic and that example was parked on grass, so useless.

Back on topic, no one has mentioned the Hobbyboss offering.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B001D0CENM?pc_redir=1414052925&robot_redir=1

Any good? I would imagine the fit at least is good?

Trevor

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Back on topic, no one has mentioned the Hobbyboss offering.

The Hobbyboss has a rather annoying seam line running right through the canopies, and lacks the fuselage twist of the real thing which the Zvezda captures quite nicely.

HTH,

Andre

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For 72nd, Hasegawa has been mentioned once, but it was released in 1984 or thereabouts and may be mainly based on CIA "distant" information; much the same probably applies to the Airfix kit which is of similar vintage (D released 1984, A 1989; also boxed by Heller). Esci released a kit in various versions around 1990, and it may then have been the best - no idea if that kit is now boxed by Italeri, whom I seem to recall to have a mould of themselves in the 90s, before they acquired the Esci tool library ?

Zvezda cooperates closely with Italeri (or at least they did for quite some time), and I could have sworn Zvezda had a kit in the mid 90s, but I may confuse this.

There was also a Monogram Snap kit , which I assume is the one found in a Matchbox black box when the brand was leased to Revell.

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I have the three Hasegawa 1/72 variants of "A,D, and E". After reading this thread and the link branches, I might buy a later Zvezda version to stage along side these kits. I believe that oob you would do just fine with a Hasegawa kit, they include photoetch, crew and squad figures, and even fine AK-47 guns for the troops.

Edited by modelglue
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I have every Hind kit mentioned.

72nd scale:

  1. Italeri (and Revell rebox)
  2. Hasegawa (all three variants)
  3. Hobby Boss
  4. Zvezda - only one with the twist.

I agree with all stated, Zvezda's is definitely the best of the bunch.

48th scale:

  1. Trumpeter (Mini-Hobby) - Not as nice as the original Monogram release they copied.
  2. Monogram (also in Revell boxing) - Most accurate for a long time since it was developed until the Zvezda kit. Based on close up photographs and video provided to the company to produce the kit. It does lack the twist.

35th scale:

  1. Trumpeter - Nice kit

Regards,

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I have the three Hasegawa 1/72 variants of "A,D, and E". After reading this thread and the link branches, I might buy a later Zvezda version to stage along side these kits. I believe that oob you would do just fine with a Hasegawa kit, they include photoetch, crew and squad figures, and even fine AK-47 guns for the troops.

Unfortunately, Hasegawa's Hind-A cockpit layout is totally fiction, featuring three crew positions.

Cheers,

Andre

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Only ZVEZDA in 72 scale ....in 48 no yet good offer.

I disagree, other than the twist which many didn't notice for over a decade, what is wrong that it is "no good offer?" Having the same references Monogram used (photos from Piotr Butowski, others not named, video provided of a defecting Sandinista Mi-25 which landed in Honduras), I can state that the designers made this kit very close to what they had provided to them. Adding a twist is not easy but it isn't impossible either.

Regards,

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  • 5 years later...
15 hours ago, edgardo gil said:

Somebody has the Academy´s Mil Mi 24 V, according to Scalemates it would be the same kit as Zvezda.

Many thanks.

It is, but in my neck of the woods it's about 1 1/2 the price point of the Zvezda original. 

 

Revell of Germany reboxed the Zvezda as well, look out for the Czech Tiger Meet box (or you'll risk ending up with an Italeri):

 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/revell-04839-mil-mi-24-v-hind-e--169027

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

 

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