In Box Review of Accurate Miniatures 1/48th Scale Ilyushin IL-2m3 Sturmovik
Highly Detailed Famous WWII Soviet Ground Attack Aircraft
Kit no. 3407
Copyright: 1997
I paid $28.98 for my kit at a local hobby shop that went out of business years ago.
The kit is available from one individual in the U.S. for S20.00 and 5 places overseas on the web.
In 1997, the modeling world was more or less thrilled, as at last a state of the art quarter scale model kit of this iconic aircraft became available. A single seater and a ski version followed. I have both these kits and the single-seater review will appear here later.
Copyright: 1997
I paid $28.98 for my kit at a local hobby shop that went out of business years ago.
The kit is available from one individual in the U.S. for S20.00 and 5 places overseas on the web.
In 1997, the modeling world was more or less thrilled, as at last a state of the art quarter scale model kit of this iconic aircraft became available. A single seater and a ski version followed. I have both these kits and the single-seater review will appear here later.
HISTORY:
The Ilyushin Il-2 is a ground-attack plane that was produced by the Soviet Union in large numbers during the Second World War. The word shturmovík, the generic Russian term for a ground-attack aircraft, became a synecdoche for the Il-2 in English sources, where it is commonly rendered Shturmovik, Stormovik and Sturmovik.
To Il-2 pilots, the aircraft was known by the diminutive "Ilyusha". To the soldiers on the ground, it was called the "Hunchback", the "Flying Tank" or the "Flying Infantryman". Its postwar NATO reporting name was Bark. First flown as a single-seater (Type 1), the IL-2m (Type 2) was developed to provide better protection from rear attack when a gunner’s position was added. With the Type 3 the wings received a sweep, which allowed the correction of the center of gravity.
Even with all of the armor plate and impressive armament, these aircraft suffered appalling losses. Even when production reached 1,000 aircraft per month, new airplanes barely equaled attrition. By May of 1945, almost 40,000 of these tank-busting aircraft had been constructed. Today only about half a dozen are known to still exist.
During the war, 36,183 units of the Il-2 were produced, and in combination with its successor, the Ilyushin Il-10, a total of 42,330 were built, making it the single most produced military aircraft design in aviation history, as well as one of the most produced piloted aircraft in history along with the American postwar civilian Cessna 172 and the German then-contemporary Messerschmitt Bf 109.
The Il-2 played a crucial role on the Eastern Front. When factories fell behind on deliveries, Joseph Stalin told the factory managers that the Il-2s were "as essential to the Red Army as air and bread.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Length: 38 ft. 2.78 inches
Span: 47 ft. 10.8 inches
Powerplant: One 4M-38F liquid-cooled V-12 of 1,750 hp
Performance: 250 mph top speed at 4,900 ft, 19,685 foot ceiling
Armament: two 23mm VYa cannons, two 7.62mm ShKAS machine guns, one 12.7mm UBT rear machine gun, two optional 37mm VYa cannons
Ordinance: two 250kg FAB bombs (external). Four RS-132 rockets
The Ilyushin Il-2 is a ground-attack plane that was produced by the Soviet Union in large numbers during the Second World War. The word shturmovík, the generic Russian term for a ground-attack aircraft, became a synecdoche for the Il-2 in English sources, where it is commonly rendered Shturmovik, Stormovik and Sturmovik.
To Il-2 pilots, the aircraft was known by the diminutive "Ilyusha". To the soldiers on the ground, it was called the "Hunchback", the "Flying Tank" or the "Flying Infantryman". Its postwar NATO reporting name was Bark. First flown as a single-seater (Type 1), the IL-2m (Type 2) was developed to provide better protection from rear attack when a gunner’s position was added. With the Type 3 the wings received a sweep, which allowed the correction of the center of gravity.
Even with all of the armor plate and impressive armament, these aircraft suffered appalling losses. Even when production reached 1,000 aircraft per month, new airplanes barely equaled attrition. By May of 1945, almost 40,000 of these tank-busting aircraft had been constructed. Today only about half a dozen are known to still exist.
During the war, 36,183 units of the Il-2 were produced, and in combination with its successor, the Ilyushin Il-10, a total of 42,330 were built, making it the single most produced military aircraft design in aviation history, as well as one of the most produced piloted aircraft in history along with the American postwar civilian Cessna 172 and the German then-contemporary Messerschmitt Bf 109.
The Il-2 played a crucial role on the Eastern Front. When factories fell behind on deliveries, Joseph Stalin told the factory managers that the Il-2s were "as essential to the Red Army as air and bread.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Length: 38 ft. 2.78 inches
Span: 47 ft. 10.8 inches
Powerplant: One 4M-38F liquid-cooled V-12 of 1,750 hp
Performance: 250 mph top speed at 4,900 ft, 19,685 foot ceiling
Armament: two 23mm VYa cannons, two 7.62mm ShKAS machine guns, one 12.7mm UBT rear machine gun, two optional 37mm VYa cannons
Ordinance: two 250kg FAB bombs (external). Four RS-132 rockets
THE KIT:
Accurate Miniatures is an old prolific plastic model kit manufacturer based in Charlotte, NC.
This kit comes in a deep shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The cover art shows a color illustration of a IL-2m3 Stormovik that is attacking a German tank and half-track, that are moving across a snow-covered field near a forest.
The tank has a black German cross on its sides and both vehicles are overall Panzer grey.
The IL-2m3 depicted is a well-documented plane of the 566 ShAP (Battle Regiment) on the Leningrad (St. Petersburg) front in the summer of 1944.
The markings are the standard six-position national red stars and a very colorful arrow fuselage marking.
The arrow contains the inscription “Za Leningrad” (“For Leningrad”) and the city skyline. Behind the arrow is an inscription reading “Mest’ za Khristenko, 999 Battle Group, killed in action in the Spring of 1944.
There is a diagonal yellow arrow and a white no. 07 on the sides of the rudder. The aircraft is in a wave pattern of earth-brown, dark-green and dark-grey, with a blue undercarriage.
One side panel of the box lists the kit’s features:
Delicately recessed panel lines. Over 120 part. Fully detailed interior. Optional tires (weighted and unweighted). Detailed , educational instruction sheet with aircraft history. Protected clear parts. Silk screen printed decals. Optional armament, ordinance and canopies. Paint cross-reference chart.
CONTENTS:
One unassembled plastic model kit containing many small parts. Suitable for ages 10 and above. Some building experience helpful. Cement and paint not included.
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS REQUIRED:
Basic modeling tools. Hobby knife,eement, tape, etc.
Paint list.
Aircraft specifications (already listed above)
Designed and packaged in USA. Plastic parts made in Korea. Decals printed in Mexico. All rights reserved.
Accurate Miniatures’ address in Charlotte, NC and International Hobbycraft (UK) Ltd’s addresses are provided.
All in English and French.
Accurate Miniatures is an old prolific plastic model kit manufacturer based in Charlotte, NC.
This kit comes in a deep shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The cover art shows a color illustration of a IL-2m3 Stormovik that is attacking a German tank and half-track, that are moving across a snow-covered field near a forest.
The tank has a black German cross on its sides and both vehicles are overall Panzer grey.
The IL-2m3 depicted is a well-documented plane of the 566 ShAP (Battle Regiment) on the Leningrad (St. Petersburg) front in the summer of 1944.
The markings are the standard six-position national red stars and a very colorful arrow fuselage marking.
The arrow contains the inscription “Za Leningrad” (“For Leningrad”) and the city skyline. Behind the arrow is an inscription reading “Mest’ za Khristenko, 999 Battle Group, killed in action in the Spring of 1944.
There is a diagonal yellow arrow and a white no. 07 on the sides of the rudder. The aircraft is in a wave pattern of earth-brown, dark-green and dark-grey, with a blue undercarriage.
One side panel of the box lists the kit’s features:
Delicately recessed panel lines. Over 120 part. Fully detailed interior. Optional tires (weighted and unweighted). Detailed , educational instruction sheet with aircraft history. Protected clear parts. Silk screen printed decals. Optional armament, ordinance and canopies. Paint cross-reference chart.
CONTENTS:
One unassembled plastic model kit containing many small parts. Suitable for ages 10 and above. Some building experience helpful. Cement and paint not included.
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS REQUIRED:
Basic modeling tools. Hobby knife,eement, tape, etc.
Paint list.
Aircraft specifications (already listed above)
Designed and packaged in USA. Plastic parts made in Korea. Decals printed in Mexico. All rights reserved.
Accurate Miniatures’ address in Charlotte, NC and International Hobbycraft (UK) Ltd’s addresses are provided.
All in English and French.
The other side panel of the box gives 5 one-paragraph histories of the IL-2m3, in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. With each language labeled with a color illustration of the flag of the country that speaks the language.
There is a loose cardboard shelf in the box. Above it, the instructions, decal, some line drawings, a free catalog offer card from Accurate Miniatures and a card to get a free trial issue of Microscale Modeler. The parts trees are all below the shelf.
Below the shelf there are 7 light-grey plastic sheets and a clear tree in 4 sealed clear cello bags.
The instructions consist of a 12 paged, staple-bound booklet.
Page one has a side view of the IL-2m3 in the box art scheme.
Page 2 tells about the kit, over a suggested paint color listing of Model Master, Humbrol, Gunze Sangyo Aqueous, Mr Color, Aeromaster and Floquil Military brands of hobby paints.
Page 3 on through to page 11 gives a grand total of 10 assembly steps.
There is a lot of text in each step to direct the assembly.
Page 12 is a painting and marking guide, marked as step 10.
It shows a 4 view in the box art scheme (already described above)
Trees are not alphabetized or illustrated in the instructions.
The 1st light-grey tree holds: the elevators, flattened and not-flattened wheels, hub caps, wing bottom center section (17 parts)
The instructions consist of a 12 paged, staple-bound booklet.
Page one has a side view of the IL-2m3 in the box art scheme.
Page 2 tells about the kit, over a suggested paint color listing of Model Master, Humbrol, Gunze Sangyo Aqueous, Mr Color, Aeromaster and Floquil Military brands of hobby paints.
Page 3 on through to page 11 gives a grand total of 10 assembly steps.
There is a lot of text in each step to direct the assembly.
Page 12 is a painting and marking guide, marked as step 10.
It shows a 4 view in the box art scheme (already described above)
Trees are not alphabetized or illustrated in the instructions.
The 1st light-grey tree holds: the elevators, flattened and not-flattened wheels, hub caps, wing bottom center section (17 parts)
The 2nd light-grey tree holds: the propeller and its spinner, bombs, nose side panels, exhaust pipes, guns etc. (24 parts)
The 3rd light-grey tree holds: the fuselage halves, rockets, rear seat machine gun, cockpit rear-wall etc. (15 parts)
The 4th light-grey tree holds: landing gear legs, wing spar, cockpit floor, seat, joy stick etc. (38 parts)
The 5th and 6th light-grey tree hold wing halves (2 part ea.)
The 7th light-grey tree holds: the tail wheel, under-wing gun mounts, rocket support rails, seat back support etc. (11 parts)
The clear tree holds the canopy (7 parts)
The decal sheet completes the kit contents.
There are no crew figures included.
The detail is excellent.
The detail is excellent.