Myasishchev M-55 Geofizika/Geophysica - High Altitude

[Tegethoff]

Number two of my builds of high altitude planes, following on from the HobbyBoss 1/72 Lockheed U-2C - a great model to build albeit lacking detail:

 

Myasishchev's M-55
The M-55 is an updated and greatly changed M-17. The Mi-17 was initially planned as a counter to US ultra high altitude reconnaissance balloons (history sure does rhyme sometimes), development of which started in 1962. The M-17 first flew in May 1982, and had been demilitarised. The M-17 used a single RD-36-51-B engine, the A version being used in the supersonic Tu-144 passenger plane. 

The M-55 was quite different using two D-30-V12 engines which are from a family used in things as diverse as Tu-154 passenger planes, Il-76 heavy lift planes, Mig-31 high altitude interceptors and the M-55 a high altitude research plane. The M-55 took flight in August 1988, has set and I believe still holds 15 FAI records. After the collapse of the Soviet Union it has been used for research, I can't find any information about what has happened post 2022. 

Flankerman's excellent build thread below will be heavily borrowed from but shows how good the moulding looks, but I have good hopes for this. It looks a great model even if the number of pieces to make the seat looks daunting (26 - Flankerman's build thread has photos of the build instructions for it). 

 

This website has photos of the plane in 1999 

https://www.drewexmachina.com/2021/05/31/a-glimpse-of-the-russian-m-55-geophysica-high-altitude-aircraft-may-1999/

 

The box art looks fantastic, it is my first time of building Modelsvit. 

 

[billn53]

Excellent choice! Excuse me while I pull up a seat!

 

I recently built a Modelsvit MiG-21. Good, detailed model but lots of tiny parts on big sprue gates. Pay careful attention to the instructions (not always clear) and do plenty of dry fitting before committing glue. 

[RidgeRunner]

Me too! I love Modelsvit kits although the parts take a lot of cleaning up because of the sprue connections. Even so, great kits of great subjects!

 

Martin

 

[Tegethoff]

So a bit of a start, I'm priming and painting some of the larger internal surfaces. First time using AK Extreme metal and wow am I impressed. The Aluminium was sprayed onto Mr Surfacer 1500 (thinking I didn't need to paint black the internal air ducts) and its results are incredible (this is only 1 pass with no buffing). I'm really pleasantly surprised. 

Next to build up the cockpit.
 

 

[billn53]

Ditto on the AK Xtreme metal, I like it a lot!

[Tegethoff]

The parts required for the main fuselage, pre assembly. Possibly not visible but the exhausts are in Burnt iron, with the central fan in a silver. The intakes are AK Aluminium with Mr Hobby Aqueous 338 on the central fan and Tamiya panel line, so when you look down the intakes it glistens a little. That is the theory. The fit so far is really good but as said need some mild clean up of the edges, which is usually really visible.
  

 

 

 

 

[Serkan Sen]

Good start and very nice kit. I have some Modelsvit kits including Su T-10, Tu22 and Mirage 4000 and in general all sprues look good.

Serkan

[Tegethoff]

2 hours ago, Serkan Sen said:

Good start and very nice kit. I have some Modelsvit kits including Su T-10, Tu22 and Mirage 4000 and in general all sprues look good.

Serkan

Thanks. The sprues so far have exceeded my expectations. The plastic was a little "odd" the first time I was cutting it down so I took out slightly too much in one notch, but that is entirely user error on my part and now is fine. 

I also have a Tu-22KDP waiting but it might be a bit of time before I get to it! 

[billn53]

3 hours ago, Tegethoff said:

I also have a Tu-22KDP waiting but it might be a bit of time before I get to it! 

 

Same story here! I thought perhaps I'd build it right after finishing my Bounder, but then thought better of it!

[LorenSharp]

Interesting subject. It looks like a slimmed down, enlarged  cross between a U-2 and a Vampire. I like its lines.

[Tegethoff]

13 hours ago, billn53 said:

 

Same story here! I thought perhaps I'd build it right after finishing my Bounder, but then thought better of it!

It wasn't fast enough or it wasn't large enough!?? I am looking forward to the build thread as and when you get around to it 🙂

 

13 hours ago, LorenSharp said:

Interesting subject. It looks like a slimmed down, enlarged  cross between a U-2 and a Vampire. I like its lines.

It looks striking but it is huge - apparently 500m extra altitude vs the U-2. See the partially complete Fuselage vs the U-2C. I'm not sure if it is a thing of beauty, the nose is decidedly odd, but it is visually striking. 

 

 

[LorenSharp]

The box art does give it an "elegant gracefulness " about it.

[Flankerman]

I'll be following your build with interest, tegethoff - especially how you fix the forward fuselage to the main body.

 

I had a lot of trouble with mine.... http://www.flankers-site.co.uk/model_m-55_modelsvit.html

 

I took a few pics of it at MAKS.... it is a large machine..

 

 

 

 

Ken

[Tegethoff]

1 hour ago, Flankerman said:

I'll be following your build with interest, tegethoff - especially how you fix the forward fuselage to the main body.

 

I had a lot of trouble with mine.... http://www.flankers-site.co.uk/model_m-55_modelsvit.html

 

I took a few pics of it at MAKS.... it is a large machine..

 

Thanks Ken. Great photos and build thread the photo of it coming in to land looks almost anachronistic. Since you highlighted it and when I bought the kit I've been thinking about a solution for some time. I was thinking about using a rod of sprue or two to lengthen the relative contact area especially on the roof and provide some additional internal strength. Does this seems crazy? It's slightly academic as the moment as I'm still building the cockpit!

[treker_ed]

Not too sure if you can get hold of a copy, but there is a full build article on the M-55 in the March 2022 (Vol 44/issue 1) of Scale Aircraft Modelling from Guideline Publications, with walk-round pictures in the same issue.

[Flankerman]

12 hours ago, treker_ed said:

there is a full build article on the M-55 in the March 2022 (Vol 44/issue 1) of Scale Aircraft Modelling

 

That would be my article - here (minus the walkround photos) http://www.flankers-site.co.uk/model_m-55_modelsvit.html

 

I still have the walkround photos on my PC - I could resize them and upload them to my website if anyone is interested ??

 

Ken

[Tegethoff]

2 hours ago, Flankerman said:

 

That would be my article - here (minus the walkround photos) http://www.flankers-site.co.uk/model_m-55_modelsvit.html

 

I still have the walkround photos on my PC - I could resize them and upload them to my website if anyone is interested ??

 

Ken

I would certainly be interested in seeing them if it is not too much work for you. Thanks!

[Flankerman]

Here ya go - all 70 of them!

 

http://www.flankers-site.co.uk/model_m-55_modelsvit.html#Walkround_Photos

 

Happy modelling

 

Ken

[Tegethoff]

Thank you so much. Sad see that that is what it looked like in 2011(?). I'm also more and more impressed by Modelsvits attention to detail. Building the exhaust area, there are very slight rises in the casing above the exhaust pipes and I thought it was an error, now looking at your photos it shows that that is where probes live. Thanks once again!

[billn53]

1 hour ago, Tegethoff said:

 I'm also more and more impressed by Modelsvits attention to detail. Building the exhaust area, there are very slight rises in the casing above the exhaust pipes and I thought it was an error, now looking at your photos it shows that that is where probes live. 

 

I had a similar experience when building their MiG-21F. I noticed a slight 'wave' along the wing root which I first thought was a mistake on my part. But, reference photos showed it to be correct! 

[Tegethoff]

3 hours ago, billn53 said:

 

I had a similar experience when building their MiG-21F. I noticed a slight 'wave' along the wing root which I first thought was a mistake on my part. But, reference photos showed it to be correct! 

I hadn't heard too much about Modelsvit but I'm turning into a fan. If only their kits had some tabs to make assembly a little easier!

[Tegethoff]

Slight update on the air-intake underneath the fuselage. Not the simplest piece - 2 brass sheets (which need to be bent into a very slight curve), 3 walls of plastic and an internal plastic pole. But I got there! Now to finish the cockpit, and to make the forward fuselage before joining the front and back parts together. Hopefully over the weekend. 

 

 

 

[TeaWeasel]

Interesting build, looking forward to updates. 

[Tegethoff]

So having made the cockpit - I was thinking of how to strengthen the join between the cockpit and fuselage as Flankerman/Ken had alluded to. I ended up using some sprue and Revell contacta glue as well as contacta glue on the front wheel bay (which acts as a secondary binding point. So far it seems to have worked quite well - I used some CA glue as gap filler and for additional strength. Overall really impressed. The lining up the fit when glueing takes some time and has definitely made my skills better.
 

 

All connected, waiting for the seat and joy stick:

 

Absolutely vast wings attached (needing some filler but otherwise really smooth fit). They drop a little but it looks like that is what the aircraft actually does! Once again Modelsvits detail is impressive.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LorenSharp]

Impressive wingspan.