Zactomodels 1/32 Su-27 Sorbitsya ECM Pods First Look
By Michael Benolkin
| Date of Review | October 2009 | Manufacturer | Zactomodels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Su-27 Sorbitsya ECM Pods | Scale | 1/32 |
| Kit Number | 32019 | Media | Resin |
| Pros | Interesting option for the Trumpeter kit | Cons | |
| Skill Level | Intermediate | MSRP (USD) | $28.00 + Postage |
First Look
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Zactomodels is a small aftermarket company that does some of the most incredible engineering and casting to correct selected beloved subjects. This time around, they've added another nice option for the Trumpeter 1/32 Su-27/Su-30 Flanker kits.
As you may recall, Trumpeter produced a magnificent Su-27 Flanker B kit in 1/32 scale, and this has been followed by the Su-27UB trainer and the Su-30MMK strike fighter variants. These kits provide an interesting cross-section of combat variants of the Flanker series and Zactomodels produces a nice range of enhancements for all of them.
This latest release provides a simple modification to the stock Su-27 or Su-30 kits - the Sorbitsya pods. These are electronic countermeasure (ECM) pods that install out on the wingtips in place of the missile rails. Like the missile rails, the pods extend well forward of the wingtips to provide aerodynamic counterbalances in addition to their electronic duties.
The pods come with a pair of brass wires which will provide a strong join into the wingtips, and the cast-on details nicely replicate the antenna fairings and navigation lights. The aft end radomes are separately cast and simply mount onto the ends of the pods.
Another interesting innovation included in the set is the pair of sheets you see in the image to the right. One sheet contains pre-cut vinyl overlays that go onto the wingtips to represent the strengthening plates that are added to the upper and lower surfaces of the wingtips of those aircraft configured to carry Sorbitsya. The other sheet has a template with the rivet patterns that can be put into the vinyl 'plates' after installation.
As usual, this is a nice bit of engineering from Zactomodels to give you more options in Flanker variants out of the stock Trumpeter kit. When added to the correction sets previously released, your Trumpeter kit will stand up to anyone's scrutiny on the contest table.
You can learn more about this and other project from the Zactomodels website at http://www.zactomodels.com.
My sincere thanks to Zactomodels for this review sample!