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Eminex/Channel Express An-72 in 1/144


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To complete a trio of recent builds here is something a bit different.

 

I saw my first An-72 many years ago, from a train passing the end of the runway at Edinburgh Airport. At that time I didn’t know much about Soviet aircraft and I had no idea what the strange apparition was. A phone call to a friend who worked at the airport established that it was an An-72 doing a Royal Mail charter on behalf of Channel Express. I promised myself that one day I would build a model and about 13 years later here it is. My first attempt was with the Amodel kit, a memory which still makes me shudder. Eventually I did what I should have done all along and used the superb PAS resin kit, a delightfully easy and straightforward build despite the weird shape of the real thing.

 

Apart from the windscreen (by PAS) decals are by Two Six, an early-ish sheet and perhaps not one of Ray’s best efforts. It was presumably designed for the Amodel kit and needed quite a bit of nipping and tucking to fit the PAS version. This led in turn to a fair amount of retouching, the light blue in particular being very difficult to match. The dark blue also had a nasty tendency to flake off which caused further problems. Never mind, I’m reasonably happy with the final result and looking forward to my next PAS build which will probably be the rather more conventional Boeing 717.

 

As always thanks for looking and I promise this is the last one for the time being!

 

Dave

 

http://35924531036_448624e2e7_k.jpgSAM_0025 by David Griffiths, on Flickr

 

http://35155958453_030a781f9d_k.jpgSAM_0030 by David Griffiths, on Flickr

 

http://35833544541_ca33bec947_k.jpgSAM_0029 by David Griffiths, on Flickr

 

http://35577028490_ac09c0ac92_k.jpgSAM_0033 by David Griffiths, on Flickr

 

http://35577030050_eedf614383_k.jpgSAM_0032 by David Griffiths, on Flickr

Edited by Skodadriver
Fffffff .... Photobucket!
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Don't stop! I enjoy looking at your models. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Thanks for posting them, Joe

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That's very nicely done. I know what you mean about the Amodel kit but it can be done. I was going to do this scheme on my Amodel kit but didn't in the end.

Keep up the good work.

Steve

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Loving it ! :thumbsup2: :thumbsup2:

I was toying around with the Eminex colour scheme when I was trying to beat the Toko 1/72 kit into submission. Needless to say I chickened out and went with a camou version instead.

Thanks for posting.

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Thanks for your kind comments everybody.

Mitchem - I've heard that the Toko kit is hard going although I don't do 1/72 and have no actual experience of it. There are some very colourful An-72s and -74s around and if any of the decal manufacturers was to come up with Cavok or this beauty (are you listening PAS? Revaro? Aerodeka?) I'd build another PAS kit like a shot. It really was a delight.

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I need that screen decal! Great little build Skodariver, I'm building the Amodel An-71 but stopped building as I'm stuck at the screen, this decal would solve my problem...

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Superb job! I really love the lines of the AN-72, so obviously a YC-14 rip off, but there's more AN-72s flying today than YC-14s!

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Superb, great to see less common aircraft modelled. Good work.

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Thanks for your kind comments everybody.

Mitchem - I've heard that the Toko kit is hard going although I don't do 1/72 and have no actual experience of it. There are some very colourful An-72s and -74s around and if any of the decal manufacturers was to come up with Cavok or this beauty (are you listening PAS? Revaro? Aerodeka?) I'd build another PAS kit like a shot. It really was a delight.

Those are pretty stunning colour schemes Dave !

As for the Toko kit..... I don't think it's that bad, just as long as you read the instructions carefully. Needless to say I didn't and I paid the price (with interest) over three years ! :doh:

Mike's Toko"loshe"

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Another great model and an unusual design.

The flight deck decal is good looking.

PAS 717 next? That's the very kit I've just loosely assembled on my workbench along with a PAS A310 - I'm eager to get back to my builds again.

Jeff

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Another great model and an unusual design.

The flight deck decal is good looking.

PAS 717 next? That's the very kit I've just loosely assembled on my workbench along with a PAS A310 - I'm eager to get back to my builds again.

Jeff

I actually think the flight deck decal is better than the ones Kurt Lehmann does. Kurt gives you a colour picture of the crew whereas PAS just gives an impression, more like what you'd see at a normal viewing distance from the real aircraft.

The trouble I have with PAS kits is that when I'm ordering from Russia I keep feeling I ought to make the order worthwhile and buy more than one. I have a few in the stash - B717, ATR-72, PC-12 (very orange and very cute!) and IL-96. I managed to get the -96 at a very good price when the bottom dropped out of the rouble but there is the small matter of a pink Tristar to be finished before I start another wide body.

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Very nice build of lovely bird.

I've seen once or twice it at Krakow airport and few more times at high altitudes using telelenses.

At that time I didn’t know much about Russian aircraft and I had no idea what the strange apparition was.

One correction. Antonow airplanes are not Russian - they are Ukrainian. They were Soviet, but not Russian. The factory is in Kiev...

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...

One correction. Antonow airplanes are not Russian - they are Ukrainian. They were Soviet, but not Russian. The factory is in Kiev...

Oops! Thanks for the correction. Apologies to anyone from Ukraine I inadvertently offended.

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IL-96!?! I didn't realise it was available, I've seen it on the site but the penny didn't drop. Now that's one I'll definitely be getting. And the Mercure...

Edited by pinky coffeeboat
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Great build, and a scheme not seen very often. Your friend is probably right about it being chartered to Channex but Atlantic Airlines had one on charter at around that time, mainly for race horse movement, they had a contract with an Arab owner. The stalls were a palletised fit so the aircraft did get used for other charters.

I remember the strange 1970's style interior colours and fittings, the really clever design of the cargo equipment (built in hoists and extending rails), the pervading smell of boiled cabbage and hydraulic fluid and the huge number of crew! We cut a crew member off the Electra flight deck, the Estonians seemed to bring their families!

Ugly but clever aeroplane, built for the Siberian oil field exploration supply work.

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