Learstang

Nice photographs of the box, James! It's nice to see you've gotten a start on this beast - I've gotten most of the parts off the sprues, and cleaned up, and I'm starting to glue and paint, starting with the cockpit. Please keep the pictures coming. One thing about that aft armour plate - the flange on top should be cut off for the single-seater, otherwise it's looking good. The colour looks good for the cockpit - a medium grey. Please see the photograph below for what I'm talking about with the armour plate (the red-striped part should be removed). Oops! Just read where you said you want it just straight out of the box - so, never mind about the armour plate (unless you want to). Regards, Learstang

Allok, if you mean of the ski-equipped version, that will be part of my review. That, and shots of all the sprues. Regards, Learstang

Thank you for the information, James, I'll have to check him out. I presume he'll have the different versions of the IL-2 as they're respectively released. At his prices, I might just be able to afford them. Regards, Learstang

Wow, these prices are all over the place - I got mine for $83USD (minus shipping), Smitty1 saw one for $168USD, now this one for $64 (USD, I presume). James, excuse my ignorance, but who or what is "YYVan"? Regards, Learstang

Mike, unfortunately the 2-seater didn't have the skis. But I agree with the winter white, with some large patriotic slogan on the side(s), preferably in red, weathered to within an inch of its life (you should see how nicely the winter scheme showed off the considerable engine exhaust stains). Personally, I'm waiting for the 37mm armed version to do in white - I've already got the particular plane picked out (as a matter of fact, I intend on doing one in that toy scale, 1/72nd, first). Regards, Learstang

Smitty1, HB posted that on their site a week or so ago. Since the ski-equipped version appeared on their site several months before it was available, at least on ebay, it may be some time before it comes to a hobby shop near you. Speaking of the ski-equipped version, I've yet to see it any place other than ebay - for example, Hannants and Squadron still don't have it as available, just as a future release or "presell" from Squadron. Still, it's nice to see the wheeled version is already moulded and packaged, then onto the straight-winged two-seater, then the 37mm armed version, and then the arrow! The whole set! Amaze your friends, estrange your wife! I'll buy a house just to have a place to display them! Must have... Regards, Learstang

You're welcome, Nick! I'm definitely looking forward to the whole lot, although where I will store them (or get the money to buy them) are different matters altogether. Still, a welcome problem to have. I only hope that they do the two-seaters with the wooden fuselage, and not that bl***y metal fuselage. That'll save a bit of sanding and/or filling in. I don't mind the metal wings so much - more of the two-seaters apparently had metal wings than used to be thought. At any rate, we shall see. If they come out with a new version every six months or so, that would be just about right. I should have my loan for the previous version just about paid off by then. Regards, Learstang

Welcome, Gabriel! Nice to see another Houstonian on the site (too bad about our Astros, though). You've picked good subject matter - the Sea Fury has always been a favourite of mine and I think the most beautiful radial-engined aeroplane ever. Regards, Learstang

I'd like to add a few more observations about this kit. (LSP_Kevin is going to be nice enough to post my full review in toto in the Review section of this site sometime next week, I believe). Not only does the kit have the etched brass for the gunner's strap, but it also has a nicely done 12.7mm Berezin UBT machine gun for the two-seater. More intriguing still, what I thought were the 20mm and 23mm cannons, turn out to be the 23mm and 37mm cannons, respectively. So, it looks like we may have a 37mm armed IL-2 in the works! I hope they do it as the correct straight-winged two-seater, and not the arrow (the swept-winged version). In terms of a correction, I notice that the skis do not have the small attachment point near the front where a wire was apparently attached to the front of the landing gear (although to be honest it's hard to see the line in the few photographs of the ski-equipped version I've seen). At any rate, there definitely was a small bump there, as you can see if you look at my modest little model I posted pictures of earlier in this thread. That's it from Shturmovikaya, for the moment, but stay tuned! Regards, Learstang

Thank you, Kevin, I will do so. I don't know if this is the place to post it, but I've just seen on the Hobby Boss website (www.hobbyboss.com/83201.htm), the box art for the wheeled single-seater Shturmovik. As they had the box art for the ski-equipped version posted on their website several months before it was available (I don't even know if it's technically in release even now), it may be a few months before this version is available. One thing I did notice about the photo-etched parts for the ski-equipped version, which include parts for the bomb bays and the seatbelts, is they also have the strap the rear gunner sat on, so I would say a two-seater(s) is definitely in the works. At this rate I'll have to take out a loan to buy all the versions they come out with. Still, a nice problem to have. Regards, Learstang

Thank you, Kevin, for the information! I've already started doing the write up on the kit. I do have to correct one "inaccuracy" I noted - this kit does indeed come with the correct eight rocket rails and rockets. I missed that on my first, rather cursory examination of the kit. Not only does it have the rockets, but the rest of the ordnance is very comprehensive and well done indeed. However, I'll go into more detail on that in my write up. At this point I can't really give you a timetable as my book takes first priority (although this write up and my book are not mutually exclusive). Regards, Learstang

Brilliant job, Mate! The Tojo has always been one of my favourite Japanese planes. Very pugnacious appearance - there's no doubting that this is a fighter. How did the kit go together? Regards, Learstang

I am currently writing how to improve the kit in my still-to-be published book, but I've agreed with LSP_Kevin to do a full review of the kit (so you don't have to wait for the book, guaranteed to be a best-seller!) in which I will go over the good points and the bad points of the kit, and how it can be improved. I envy your being able to see the Prague-Kbely example - they did a nice job on the restoration, although the three-colour scheme they used could be improved (the brown should be light-tan, and the grey should be darker like an Extra Dark Sea Grey). I'm not normally much of a rivet-counter when it comes to kits (or restored full-size aeroplanes), but in this case, it's kind of my job. Regards, Learstang

Thank you for the welcome, Kevin, and yes I would be interested in doing a kit review. Just tell me what I need to do. Regards, Learstang

Don't get me wrong, Kagemusha. I'm elated to have a good kit of the IL-2 in 1/32nd scale. Inaccuracies seem to creep into every kit. Despite its inaccuracies, I would definitely encourage anyone interested in WWII aircraft to buy this kit. As far as pictures of my modest little 1/72nd scale ski-equipped Shturmovik, here are two (it's the nice Smer kit, which correctly has the wooden rear fuselage represented). My model is definitely not competition quality, but I like it. Note the balances near the wing tips, the four rocket rails per wing, and that the carburetor intake filter is not installed in the starboard wing root. The only thing I would change on it would be the interior colour, including the landing gear, which should all be a greyer hue. If I had to do again (or if I redo it) I would use Testors Light Ghost Gray, as I find this to be a reasonable match for the Soviet A-14 Steel Grey. Enjoy! Regards, Learstang

Thank you for the welcome, LSP_Ray! As a matter of fact, one of the items holding up getting my book published (except for adding some pictures, it's essentially finished) is I intend to do an Appendix devoted to this kit. I know the AM model you're talking about - it's amazing! I don't know how he reproduced the wooden surfaces. I'm afraid that's a wee bit out of my league! I just got my IL-2 in the mail, and in response to Eli Raphael's question, I've only seen it on ebay. It still hasn't appeared as an available item on Hannants' or Squadron's sites. I got mine for around $100USD, including shipping, which isn't a bad price, I think. There's one out there now on ebay, from the same seller (sari.sari) with bidding starting at $69.99USD. I can tell you I received mine in about 3 days, and in very good shape so I don't think you have to worry about buying from this seller. He must have picked some up in China or Japan. Now for the bad news. The kit is, as Alan mentioned, very well-moulded and very detailed, complete with cannons, wing machine guns, and a detailed Mikulin AM-38 engine. However, the kit has inaccurate painting instructions (as every Shturmovik kit I've ever seen has), the metal rear fuselage should be wooden, and the kit has only four rocket stations, whereas a single-seater should have eight (although it has an additional set of holes for mounting the extra rocket rails - perhaps these will be present in the wheeled single-seater). Although it is possible that the ski-equipped single-seater only had four stations, due to the increased weight of the retractable ski installation, I've never read or seen anything to that effect. In addition, the wings are missing the outer aileron/anti-flutter balances, which were present on all metal-winged single-seaters. Nothing that can't be fixed, although adding the additional rockets and rocket rails would entail building them from scratch, or buying another kit just for the pieces! Still and all, it's a very impressive kit, and Hobby Boss are to be congratulated for having the intestinal fortitude to provide a kit of this important aeroplane in 1/32nd scale. If anyone's interested, I can post pictures of my modest 1/72nd scale ski-equipped version, done in what I think is an accurate winter scheme. Regards, Learstang P.S. I may post other comments/observations on this kit as I examine it in more detail.

Great to hear about how nice this bird is. Mine is in the mail! I'm a bit of a Shturmovik nut (I'm finishing up a book on modelling the IL-2) so I've been waiting for this kit since I first heard the rumours about it well over a year ago. The only problem I've seen with the kit as far as the test shots is that they've made that bl***y metal fuselage version. I don't know why manufacturers persist in doing this version (Accurate Miniatures, Academy, Toko, etc.) as only about 200 single-seaters were built with the metal fuselage and NO 2-seaters (some 2-seaters were modified with a metal fuselage, but that was all postwar). Still, I'm sure there's nothing wrong with this kit that a little sanding can't fix (Okay, maybe a lot of sanding - we are talking about 1/32nd scale here). It'll be great to see your pictures of it, once you get it done, Alan. Good luck, Mate, with the build! As far as size goes, people don't think the IL-2 was that big, because it was a single-engine, and as first produced, single-seat aeroplane. In real life it was a bit over 38' long and had a wingspan of over 47'. It was a big chunk of steel, aluminium, wood, fabric, wood putty, primer, packing tape, chewing gum (I'm joking about the last two). Regards, Learstang