| Date of Review |
April 2007 |
| Manufacturer |
South Front |
| Subject |
Mil Mi-26 Halo |
| Scale |
1/72 |
| Kit Number |
72001 |
| Primary Media |
Styrene |
| Detail Media |
Styrene |
| Clear Media |
Styrene |
| Pros |
Nice detailing |
| Cons |
|
| Skill Level |
Intermediate |
| MSRP (USD) |
$37.95 |
Background
The Mil Mi-26 Halo replaced the Mi-6 Hook in the heavy lift role.
It first flew in December 1977 and to this day it is still the
biggest and most powerful operational helicopter. It is powered
by two Lotarev D-136 turbines at 11,400 shp each. The Mi-26 is
also the first helicopter with an eight-blade main rotor. It can
carry up to 20 tons of cargo or about 90 troops.
About 300 Halos have been built and are being operated by about
20 countries (Russian Army, Russian Ministry of Emergencies, Mil-Avia,
Ukraine, Belarus, Cambodia, Congo, India, Kazakhstan, North Korea,
South Korea, Mexico and Peru.
The Kit
South Front is not a known company name to the US with no official
importer. They have done so far two kits that I am aware of one
is the Mi-26 in 1/72nd scale and the other is the LAGG-3 series
4 WWII Soviet fighter in 1/48th scale.
The box is big and all the sprues are packaged in ziplock bags.
The plastic is white and a little on the soft side. Soft is not
a bad thing when you need to manipulate the parts for a better
fit in a limited run kit.
The fuselage is broken down into three segments. This was necessary
and is common practice with limited run kits as then it keeps the
cost of the molds more manageable. It is clear from looking at
the parts that a lot of test fitting and sanding will be necessary
to achieve a good fit.
There is adequate detail for the interior for a 1/72nd scale kit
and with carefully applying the different green and gray paints
the modeler should be able to achieve good results. The instrument
panel details are given as decals and this is fine for the scale.
The rotor details look good but again cleanup will be required
to achieve a sharp look. The rotor blades, all eight of them, do
not have the characteristic droop dialed in the molds like Italeri
does. The blades in my example are a bit warped and will require
some hot water treatment. I am thinking that while I am at it I
might as well dial the droop myself.
The clear parts are reasonably transparent and will look fine
after a dip in Future floor polish.
The decals look nice and they cover 5 different Halos.
Two schemes reference Chechnyan Halos in gray/green/light blue
camo. One scheme in the same gray/green/light blue camo references
a 1986 Chernobyl Halo. One scheme is for the UN Halo as it appeared
while in humanitarian operations in Kinshasha Kongo and the last
scheme is for an Aeroflot machine as it appeared in 1992.
Conclusion
This is not going to be an easy, slap-it -together kit. All the
parts will need cleanup and careful assembly. What this kit will
be is a unique addition to any helicopter collection as it will
absolutely dwarf any other model!
Recommended to modelers with some experience in limited run kits
and to all helicopter lovers with a taste for special subject matter.
While not widely available in the US yet, it is available from
HobbyTerra.com for $37.95 USD
References
Here are the images out of airliners.net
Aeroflot
UN
04 - http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1065312/L/
10 - http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0913992/L/
90 - http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1178720/L/
Cockpit
Interior
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