Mach2 Soyouz 1/72

[starseeker]

Hi, all! It's been a long time since I last posted, but it's -25C outside and modelling season has begun again. I've made only a little progress on my Buran build (actually started a second one, so nothing to report there yet. Thought I'd start another kit in my queue just for the fun of it. A 1/72 Soyouz. From a Third World manufacturer called Mach 2. What? They're French?? As in the same country that producess the Heller Constellation?? I don't believe you.

 

I've found only one other build of one of these on-line, and that was Mat Irvine's. I should have realized that, that wasn't a good sign as I now suspect Mr. Irvine is required by the Courts to build every real space-related kit that has ever or will be manufactured. Otherside, why would he have built this? Tho' what crime this punishment fits, I never want to know. 

 

Mr. Irvine said that this was a bit of work. I'll go out on a limb and say that this is the single worst model kit that I've ever encountered. And I built the big Moebius Seaview model.  

 

 

 

Edited December 20, 2021 by starseeker
Attempting to insert images

[starseeker]

[Alan R]

There's a Soyuz in there somewhere ...

 

Cheers,

Alan.

[starseeker]

Okay, Imjur links have to have the "imj" deleted from the ends of the link to work. Photos in the post above, and (with luck) below, will give you some idea of the incredible crudeness of this kit.  The surfaces of the parts is rough and flaking. The runners could be best describes as masses of flash embedding occassional model parts here and there.

 

I debated on the best angle of attack and decided to just assemble as many of the large sub-assemblies as I can, then sand them all completely smooth, rescribe any panel lines, and add either the kit's small parts, cleaned up, and/or scratch my own details as needed. There may seem to be large mismatches in the joints in the photos, but the plastic is so thick that even sanding it by 50% would still leave the parts thicker than most 1/32 aircraft or 1/25 scale auto kits. I'm not going to worry about the models surfaces as they're hopeless. I'm actually thinking that the parts might be most easily smoothed in my lathe. That would also true them round. 

 

Even just joining the parts tightly, never mind how they match on the outside, is difficult, as all the large pieces are different thicknesses throughout their length and breadth. I've used a motor tool on the insides of the parts to get the inside edges reasonably close to the same thickness all along the seams so there aren't gaps all along. Even using strips of styrene as reinforcements along the seams wouldn't work otherwise, as the seams wouldn't meet. 

 

 

 

 

It will be an interesting challenge, to say the least. Maybe it's time to get back to the Burans?

 

 

 

Edited December 20, 2021 by starseeker
Rearranging images and text

[Bandsaw Steve]

It’s a shame the kit is dodgy because this is one of the most important and interesting subjects in the whole field of real-space.

[voozet]

 

On 20/12/2021 at 17:22, starseeker said:

Thought I'd start another kit in my queue just for the fun of it.

 

I keep my fingers crossed though for me, this kit looks more like a source of frustration than fun.

It reminds me of the models available in Poland in my youth, when we were on the worse side of the Iron Curtain. Products from abroad were unavailable or very expensive. In stores, models made in Poland and other countries of the Soviet bloc appeared from time to time. They looked like this.

[starseeker]

The only way I can think of to build this, is just to put the biggest pieces together, and start sanding. I'll look at it as being the same as building a flying model rocket, having to fill and sand and fill and repeat endlessly until the last traces of the spiral in the cardboard tubes have disappeared. And then you add all the surface details. This will be very much like that. Except that it will be 4 smaller rocket models (the boosters) and one large rocket model (the core). Oh, joy.

 

So I cemented the all of the largest pieces together as best they'd fit. Which is pretty ugly. Some warm water to unwarp some parts will be neseccary before I can bring everything together.

 

 

 

As you can see, there are several places all over the parts that haven't been molded completely, leaving some depressions in the plastic. Up close it's difficult to tell in places whether something is flash or actual detail. Sanding or lathing everything smooth and round is probably the easiest (and only?) way to get a good start on this build. 

 

If it ever does get built, it will make an impressive addition to a 1/72 collection. Here it is next to my languishing Horizon WIPs:

 

 

Makes you realize that the Vostok booster that so spooked the Americans into thinking that they were way behind in the missile/space race was really nothing more that four Redstones strapped to to an Atlas or Atlas-and-a-half core. Actually dead simple in retrospect, and reliable enough to still being used half a century later. Also makes you realize ,looking at the size of the Mercury capsules, just how small the individual components of the Soyuz capsule must be. In 1/144 scale, everything just looks tiny. But as scales increase, you can start to get a better comparison. 

 

Well, thanks for looking, and back to Bedlam! 

 

 

[TimB]

I think your copy is better than mine.  I opened the box earlier this month, and realised that I would have to 3D print all the engine bells and the bases of each of the Stages.  The tapered part of the centre stage is short shot and distorted, so that will be a 3D print as well.  I also dug out my references, and realised how much else would be scratch-built.  OK, back in the box, and I'll look again when the Shelf of Doom is a bit less full!

I will follow your build with interest but not envy...

Regards

Tim

  

[GrahamS]

I find it difficult to understand how any self-respecting company can sell such a poorly manufactured product.

 

Best of luck with it!

 

Graham

[CT7567]

On 12/22/2021 at 8:37 PM, Bandsaw Steve said:

It’s a shame the kit is dodgy because this is one of the most important and interesting subjects in the whole field of real-space.

+1.

I realize that real space subjects don't have nearly the market draw of yet another Bf-109 or P-51 (or any of a multitude of other frustratingly common subjects), but given the historic significance it's downright mind-boggling that the first 1/72 injection molded R-7/Soyuz family came from France.

 

@starseeker I think the biggest advantage you have in this case is that the Soyuz doesn't have any windows - Mach 2's plastic is consistently of dubious quality, but for any subject with clear parts the quality of the molding is just as poor - and no option to just sand/fill/lather/rinse/repeat, unless you try to create a master for molding replacements.

 

For what it's worth I have the Sputnik and a couple of other earlier (pre-Soyuz) subjects in my stash, and those share common core and booster parts but the mold quality in my examples is substantially better than your kit (and what other comments have described). I don't think it would be worth trying to track down one of those kits as a potential replacement since the molds have the same basic issues (out of round, irregular thickness, etc) but the surface quality isn't nearly as poor which makes me suspect the common molds may have suffered some deterioration before being used for the Soyuz kits.

 

On 12/23/2021 at 9:28 AM, starseeker said:

Makes you realize that the Vostok booster that so spooked the Americans into thinking that they were way behind in the missile/space race was really nothing more that four Redstones strapped to to an Atlas or Atlas-and-a-half core. Actually dead simple in retrospect, and reliable enough to still being used half a century later.

 

 

Ironically that description (minus still being in contemporary use) isn't far off from the Saturn IB - aka "Cluster's Last Stand" 😄)