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Soviet WWII era Tu-2 in 1/72 kits?


Chuck1945

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The question here about VVS books and the links to various books prompted me to realize I don’t have any kit for the Tu-2. Scalemates doesn’t show much, the most recent being an ICM Kit originally issued about 1997. Is this a WWII version, and if so, is it any good - my stash is too big and I’m too old to think about kits that are going to fight back during assembly.

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A more recent kit is the Hobbyboss, which is a bit ambiguous but probably post war or at least late.  The ICM kit is good but complex, from the over-engineered period.  The only other kit I know is the old and basic VEB one with incredibly hard plastic, and postwar-ish.

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Not a lot to choose from, as the others have stated; ICM did two releases, but I think the plastic parts were the same with just different decals and box art; there is the Hobbyboss kit, and the Encore kit, which is a reboxed ICM kit, as well as the very old Master kit. I have the Hobbyboss and newer release ICM kits, and intended to use the best bits from both to get a decent model. I haven't looked at either kit in a while, so you might want to do a search for 1/72 TU-2 kit reviews to see evaluations of all of the various releases.

Mike 

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I remembered the ICM had a reputation for being fiddly, my other concern was that perhaps it represented a post-war version. You all confirmed the over engineered nature of the kit (while it doesn’t cause nightmares, the memory of ICM’s approach to the I-16 kit is still an unpleasant memory). An internet search got to a couple of articles that make me think the Tu-2S (ICM’s version) was in fact a wartime development and would be appropriate as a WWII example. Now to decide if I want to deal with the kit...

 

Thanks for the comments on kit choices.

 

Chuck

 

 

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I have 2 abiding impressions of the ICM kit (one of their first, IIRC):

  • it was impressively well detailed: the wing interior parts (spars and the like) seemed a good imitation of the real thing, making it possible, if you were so minded, to have it standing on its wheels without any of the wing halves in place.
  • all parts trees were liberally coated in something akin to lubricating oil.

I haven't built mine after 20-odd years.  It isn't a shake-and-bake type of kit but I felt (and feel) the detail and quality of moulding would make it worth the effort - once thoroughly de-oiled!

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16 hours ago, Chuck1945 said:

The question here about VVS books and the links to various books prompted me to realize I don’t have any kit for the Tu-2. Scalemates doesn’t show much, the most recent being an ICM Kit originally issued about 1997. Is this a WWII version, and if so, is it any good

Just to speed things up, I'll put in @Learstang, since Jason has done a book and the Tu-2, and is a modeller,  he'd be the chap to ask.  

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Ah yes, kits for the Tu-2 in 1/72nd scale. I believe you have three choices - the ancient VEB/Plasticart Tu-2, the ICM kit, and the Easy Assembly Hobby Boss Tu-2. Scratch the VEB kit off your list - it's a post-war version with the four-bladed propellers, and although I haven't seen one in years, I can't believe it's more accurate than the ICM nor the HB kits. The ICM kit is well-detailed, but over-engineered and fiddly to build. The HB kit is nicely moulded, simple, and easy to build, but not detailed in terms of the interior. The guns are cartoonish representations of the real items and must be replaced. The clear parts on the HB kit are quite nice, which is all the more reason to tart up the interior quite a bit. The dimensions and detailing of the exterior are certainly more than adequate, though, so what I did with my Tu-2 was to combine the interior bits from the ICM kit with the HB kit. You can get quite a nice late WWII Tu-2 model if you do this. Hopefully this helps some. Please note that the painting instructions are incorrect for all these kits. The black/green over blue (or even worse the non-existent brown/green) camouflage was used only on the early first batch of Tu-2s, which were out of service by the end of 1943. The main version of the Tu-2, the Tu-2S, had a camouflage of AMT-1 Light Brown (tan with a bit of grey), AMT-12 Dark Grey, and AMT-4 Green, over AMT-6 Blue. https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/profile/5681-troy-smith/, would you please provide the link to Massimo's page for the Tu-2 - I'm having problems doing that (I'm good at the few things that I can do, but they are limited). This will give you some good information on the proper WWII Tu-2 camouflages and markings.

 

Best Regards,

 

Jason

Edited by Learstang
Correction.
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27 minutes ago, Learstang said:

or even worse the non-existent black/brown

I think this should read green/brown.

27 minutes ago, Learstang said:

would you please provide the link to Massimo's page for the Tu-2 - I'm having problems doing that (I'm good at the few things that I can do, but they are limited). This will give you some good information on the proper WWII Tu-2 camouflages and markings.

as requested

http://massimotessitori.altervista.org/sovietwarplanes/pages/tu-2/tu-2.htm

 

cheers

T

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I've got this. I've had it for a good few years now. There was a little slip on paper in the box that said Made In The Ukraine.

 

The only difficulty I foresee in building it would be trying to clean the cosmoline-like crap off of all surfaces. I don't even like touching it!

 

48050299696_2256914091_b.jpg

 

48050299741_3804bf2ea8_b.jpg

 

 

 

 

Chris

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Encore and Zlinek Tu-2s are re-pops of the ICM, the only difference being that Zlinek also includes a small photo-etched fret.

I have the Zlinek Boxing, and the plastic is the same shade of dark olive green.

 

To answer the original question, ICM/Zlinek/Encore undoubtedly is currently the most detailed one (especially the exterior panel and rivet surface finish - closest to true scale representation You will get).

But, not many are seen actually built, given they are a bit on the short-run side.

 

If You dislike a challenging-fitting kit, but don't mind non-existent cockpit detail or some scratch-building there, the Hobby Boss is the kit to go.

 

1 hour ago, Learstang said:

The clear parts on the HB kit are quite nice, which is all the more reason to tart up the interior quite a bit

 

Looking at images of built kits, the HB canopy is of much higher quality than ICM, but IMHO the shape seems a bit odd (lower than the real thing)

 

 

22 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

A more recent kit is the Hobbyboss, which is a bit ambiguous but probably post war or at least late.

 

Given that three-bladed props are already provided with the kit, all You need to do to turn it into a wartime machine is to modify the intakes at the top of engine nacelles.

Just fill-in the sand filter mesh in the middle (as it was probably a post-war modification), and shorten them a bit from the rear.

 

Other minor details, to check against photos of the actual machine You are building, are:

  • Nacelle rings: with the small bulges or without
  • Mid-dorsal gunner position
  • Rear-fuselage side window arrangement.

 

There were variations, please see below:

 

Tu-2 series 1 through 44spacer.png

Tu-2 series 44 through 48spacer.png

Tu-2 series 49                   spacer.png

Tu-2 series 50                    spacer.png  

Tu-2 series 50   

with leading edge anti-icing system   

                                          spacer.png

 

Source: military.wikireading.ru

 

 

Regards,

Aleksandar

 

 

Edited by warhawk
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For me the ICM (and its re-boxes like Encore) are the only possibility for WW2 Tu2. The Plasticart is one of worst kits from this series, I do not see chances to do a good model out of it without massive scratch work (besides that it is post war variant), the HB is also a post war variant (AFAIK - I do not have it), from what I've seen in net not bad one, though.

Regards

J-W

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

both of those are early Tu-2 powered by M-82 engines ( no bumps)

the ICM kit has the bumps for the M-82FN (ASh-82FN) engines -- you can sand them down if you are doing an early version like this

 

my worst complaint about the VEB Plasticart kit is that the propellers turn in the wrong direction AAARRRGGGHHHH !!!  🤩

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18 hours ago, PFlint said:

both of those are early Tu-2 powered by M-82 engines ( no bumps)

the ICM kit has the bumps for the M-82FN (ASh-82FN) engines -- you can sand them down if you are doing an early version like this

 

my worst complaint about the VEB Plasticart kit is that the propellers turn in the wrong direction AAARRRGGGHHHH !!!  🤩

Besides, different pilot сanopy, different glazing of the tail gunner, different tail, and many little details differences.

Edited by DLinevitch
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