Red Star 1/48 AL-7F Exhaust First Look
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | May 2016 | Manufacturer | Red Star |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | AL-7F Exhaust | Scale | 1/48 |
| Kit Number | 148005 | Media | Resin, Photo-Etch |
| Pros | Nicely detailed cockpit | Cons | Nothing noted |
| Skill Level | Intermediate | MSRP (USD) | $25.95 |
First Look
Red Star was previewing a few of their new resin detail sets at last year's IPMS Nationals and with the Trumpeter Su-9 and Su-11 Fishpot kits coming in 1/48 (back then), they were pushing to have several detail sets tailored for those kits. Here is one of those detail sets - this is the afterburner section for the Lyulka AL-7F turbojet engine that powered the Sukhoi Su-7 Fitter, Su-9 Fishpot, and Su-11 Fishpot. The engine was also used in the Tupolev Tu-128 Fiddler ans AS-3 Kangaroo.
This set nicely replicates the two-stage afterburner offset from the nice turbine face, and provides nicely detailed interior sections for the chamber as well as the exhaust nozzle. The set also includes the nozzle actuators and a strip of photo-etch to replicate the textured fuselage interior visible around the afterburner nozzle.
As noted above, this set was designed to work with the Trumpeter 1/48 Su-9 and/or Su-11 kits, but can also be adapted to work with the Su-7 kits (OEZ and Eduard) to enhance their aft details. The AL-7F powered all of the Su-7 variants and even the Su-17 Fitter B while later Su-17s and Su-22s moved to the AL-21F or R-29 engines. This set will help you with any of your early Sukoi fighter/fighter-bomber projects.
Stop by Red Star website ( www.redstarscalemodels.com) for a look at this and other detail sets produced under their banner. What ever you do, do NOT search for Red Star Productions (ignore the logo) as you may end up in either a pornography website, a branding and marketing website, or even a move production support site.
My sincere thanks to Red Star for this review sample!