Polikarpov I-185

[Paul A H]

Polikarpov I-185

1:72 Art Model

The Polikarpov I-185 was a prototype high-performance fighter designed in 1940 for service with the VVS. Following a short delay in development due to the unavailability of a suitably powerful engine, the new fighter took to the air for the first time in January 1941. Performance and flight characteristics were found to be very impressive, with the I-185 reportedly able to outrun the Messerschmitt BF-109F. The I-185 also packed a decent punch, with armament comprised of three 20mm ShVAK cannon, all synchronised to fire through the propeller.

Despite this promising start in life, the I-185 never made it to serial production. Instead, the Lavochkin LA-5, which used the same M-82 engine but was easier to manufacture, was ordered for the VVS. In the end, only a handful of prototype I-185s were produced.

Although Russian outfit Art Model may not be a familiar name to many of you, over the past couple of years they have produced a number of interesting subjects, some of which have never been kitted in injection moulded plastic before. Recent releases have included exotic prototypes such as the Yakovlev Yak-141 Freestyle and the Blohm und Voss 155 V2, so the Polikarpov I-185 seems a good choice to continue this theme.

Art Model’s latest kit arrives in a compact, top-opening box. Inside are two fairly small sprues of white plastic, a resin engine, clear plastic cockpit canopy and navigation light, and a tiny decal sheet. Everything is safely packed into a couple of resealable plastic bags for protection. The quality of the mouldings is pretty good; the white sprues feature fine, engraved panel lines and delicate details and the transparent parts are thin and clear. The fabric parts are also nicely represented. A small amount of flash is present on some parts, and there are a couple of sink marks in places, but this is to be expected on a limited run kit and the overall impression is pretty good. The instructions cover both sides of a sheet of A4 paper and, rather than the usual line drawings, are made up of a series of photographs of the various stages of construction. As the kit is fairly simple to build and has relatively few parts (35), this format works rather well.

Construction begins with the wings and the main landing gear bay. The lower wings are moulded as a single piece with the bottom of the fuselage, to which the separate port and starboard upper wings must be fixed. The port upper wing appears to have a narrow, raised flaw moulded into the trailing edge. The instructions acknowledge this, advising the builder to “обработать до копийности”. Sanding this down will only be a two minute job, so it shouldn’t present a problem, particularly as it is on the inside of the wing and won’t show once the kit is assembled. As is usually the case with limited run kits, there are no locating pins so a little bit of extra care and attention must be taken with construction.

Construction continues with the cockpit. Detail here is pretty good, with a couple of gas cylinders, a seat, side consoles, control column and instrument panel making up the main internal structures. Decals are provided for instrument dials rather than raised details, and very nice they are too. Once the fuselage halves are joined, the rather lovely resin engine can be fixed in place. Unfortunately the engine cowling will hide most of the engine, but there is no reason why the enterprising modeller couldn’t find a way to display it to better effect. All that remains to do then is fit the airscrew, landing gear and canopy and construction is complete.

The sole colour option provided is that featured on the box artwork; light blue lower surfaces and green upper surfaces. Decals are limited to four red stars, which makes things nice and simple. The decal sheet is well printed and the instrument panel decals are amongst the best I’ve seen.

Conclusion

The sleek yet muscular Polikarpov I-185 is an attractive and unusual subject, and kudos goes to Art Model for releasing this kit. It looks good on the sprue, and should build up into a nice model. If, like me, you are a sucker for exotic Soviet types, this will be right up your modelling street. Definitely recommended.

Review sample courtesy of