1/72 Hobbyboss, Tupolev Tu-2

[Lanmi]

Hi everyone, I will be joining this party with a Hobby boss kit bought in Moson show several years ago. I payed it little under 10€, because I bought some other items from the same vendor. 

Let's start with box photos:

 

 

 

Already started to drill out the holes for interior which is not existing on this kit. 

[PeterB]

I have been tempted in the past by this kit so I will be interested to see how it builds up. For some reason it does not seem to be as well known as the Pe-2 which was produced in far larger quantities and was faster, but smaller I believe and only capable of carrying a considerably smaller bombload. Having said that something like 3000 Tu-2 were built so it was a significant type.

 

Cheers

 

Pete

[Graham Boak]

The Tu.2 suffered a severe break in production.  Apart from the first batch, it didn't enter service until late in the war and much of the production was postwar.  Hence it is less well covered in references.  Regular contributor here Learstang has produced a book on the subject, which I think has yet to be represented by high-quality Russian sources, at least in translation.  I found it a very simple kit to make, as far as I took it,  but somewhat disappointing in its representation of the rear canopy and the gun position, which IIRC is basically the later versions - but I wouldn't swear to that.  There was some discussion on Sovietwarplanes, try "massimotessitori.altervista.org"  The ICM kit is much more involved in its construction but does represent the earlier type.  The old VEB kit was a later aircraft but basically don't bother.

 

I think it a very attractive type but like many 2-engine bombers it is perhaps surprisingly limited in payload.  It is said the Romanian aircrews preferred their earlier Ju.8s, but perhaps they were not impartial.

[Lanmi]

@Graham Boak  @PeterB Thank you for taking interest in this build. You are right something build in over 3K units indeed worth modeller attention. I build as a kid during 80's VEB kit, it was made out of some very strange dark green plastic very resistant to majority of glues available of the time. 

[DaveyGair]

I'll be looking in on this as I have this kit, a £10 cheapie from Amazon. It seems to have very fine surface detail and clear glazing, just needs cutting for the openings in the rear gunner and bomb-aimer.

 

Davey.

[PlaStix]

Hi Lanmi and welcome to the GB. Nice choice of kit. I'm looking forward to following your build of it.

Kind regards,

Stix

[Lanmi]

Thanks everyone for your comments. I've been doing something on the kit sporadically I hope I will put the pace up in the future. 

 

On 6/14/2021 at 8:20 PM, DaveyGair said:

It seems to have very fine surface detail and clear glazing, just needs cutting for the openings in the rear gunner and bomb-aimer

 

Indeed that is how I started this kit. By cutting through the openings in front and rear and also wheel wells.

 

Firstly, I used electric dremel-like tool to drill the holes which later used as a guide for a hand held school saw. 

 

 

 

I added several details in the cockpit, such as scratched instrument panel, seatbelts made from tamiya tape, several styrene details in the inside. Everything inside was painted with AK real Russian A-14 Interior steel grey and than upper and lower halves are glued together. 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope I will update you soon. 

 

[srkirad]

Nice job Lanmi, pretty clever and logical solution for opening up those frontal and rear areas as well as wheel bays - now the kit look pretty more "serious".

Was it a nostalgic feeling having a go again with school saw?

 

Looking forward to future progress, keep the mojo up!

 

Cheers,

S.

[PlaStix]

Hi Lanmi. Great to see this one is underway and it looks like you are making good progress too!

Kind regards,

Stix