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Balkan Airlines Ilyushin Il-18V in 1/144 scale


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The Ilyushin Il-18 is a four engine Soviet built turboprop airliner that made its maiden flight on July 4, 1957. It became one of the best known, the most durable and the most popular Soviet airliner of the era. The Il-18 was widely exported and it was one of the principal airliners of the Eastern block countries for several decades. In total 24 airlines have operated the plane and the military versions have been employed by 13 nations. I myself had once the possibility of experiencing the Il-18 on a flight from Belgrade to Warsaw in 1981.

 

Due to the aircraft's air frame durability, many examples have achieved over 45,000 flight hours and the plane type still remains operational in both military and to a lesser extent civilian service. The production of the Il-18 took place between 1959-1978 with 719 planes of multiple civilian and military versions manufactured.

 

Balkan Bulgarian Airlines was the national airline of Bulgaria, founded in 1947 as a Soviet-Bulgarian joint venture under the name TABSO. The company became fully owned by the Bulgarian state in 1954, and was renamed Balkan Bulgarian Airlines in 1968. At its peak, they were the second largest airline in Eastern Europe. Balkan Bulgarian Airlines went bankrupt in October 2002. Over the years, the Bulgarian airlines have operated a total of 18 units of Il-18 aircraft of different sub-types in its fleet.

 

I built my model from an Eastern Express 1/144 scale kit which for a limited-run product was quite ok. The fit of the parts was generally good and the molding crisp. Naturally, there was some fitting and sanding to be done but nothing too much. To enhance the details of the bird I ordered an excellent Extratech photoetch set. The plane had a wire antenna between the rudder and an antenna above the cockpit for which I used a 0.08 mm fishing line. I decided to use the Balkan Airways livery decals of the kit. They were of very good quality and not too fragile. The Balkan Airlines LZ-BEV that my model depicts was of the Il-18V sub-type.

 

I painted the white areas of the fuselage with Tamiya Fine Surface primer which I then coated with Tamiya gloss varnish spray. For the light grey underside of the fuselage, the wings and the stabs I used Revell 374 that I mixed slightly lighter with Revell 04. For the minor details I also used Vallejo, Revell and Humbrol paints.

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, Romeo Alpha Yankee said:

Lovely work Matti! 🏆

Thank you Ray!

 

Einar aka Matti🤣

8 hours ago, RMCS said:

Excellent work 

Thank you!

 

Einar

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10 hours ago, Natter said:

Good to see something a little unusual, especially when it is a nice as your Ilyushin.

Thanks Natter!

 

Einar

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Excellent work, sir!  I was under the impression that the real thing has a slightly weird nose due to the pressure bulkhead forming a rounded area behind the nose radome.  Does the kit replicate this?

 

Alex

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24 minutes ago, TheyJammedKenny! said:

Excellent work, sir!  I was under the impression that the real thing has a slightly weird nose due to the pressure bulkhead forming a rounded area behind the nose radome.  Does the kit replicate this?

 

Alex

Thanks Alex. It's a good question and I honestly have to say that I do not know. I have to look into the matter!

 

Einar

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26 minutes ago, Swamp Donkey said:

That’s lovely. I remember these well

 

SD

Thanks SD!

 

Einar

30 minutes ago, Skodadriver said:

Splendid work as always Matti and extra kudos for getting such a good result from an Eastern Express kit!

 

Dave G 🇺🇦

Thank you very much Dave!

 

Einar

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1 hour ago, Vesa Jussila said:

First class work again! Once again plane that is not familiar for me, but I am learning.

Kiitos/thank you Again Vesa!

 

Einar

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25 minutes ago, Viking said:

That is lovely Einar (Matti? 😉) a real old classic!

 

Cheers

 

John

Thank you John!

 

Einar😄

 

 

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9 minutes ago, SouthViper said:

Very good and fine work modelling this great airplane.

 

Is it me or the Il-18 really has some similarity to the Lockeed Electra II ?

 

SouthViper from Brazil 

Obrigado/thank you!

 

You're quite right. The Il-18 does resemble the Lockheed Electra II a lot

 

Cheers 

Einar 

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