The Trumpeter
Tu-160 kit contains 609 parts moulded in grey plastic with fine engraved panel
detail - all delivered in their usual packaging style with the sprues in
individual bags and a separate internal box containing the rubber tires,
white-metal undercarriage legs, etched-brass instrument panel and a clear sprues
containing the canopy, side windows and other clear components.
The fuselage is
split horizontally into upper and lower halves - with a joint between the front
and rear halves - which must be eliminated by filling and sanding.
There is full
internal detail - including the crew compartment (which includes a toilet!), fully
detailed undercarriage bays and two large weapons bays - fore and aft of the
wing spar. Most of the crew compartment cannot be seen once the
fuselage is assembled - so my detailed toilet is just a bit of fun - you can't
actually see it on the finished model.
No less than 300 of
the plastic parts go to make up the weapons load of 12 Kh-55 cruise missiles -
six each on two rotary launchers in each bay.
Unfortunately,
Trumpeter have got the missiles completely wrong - they are 20mm too long - as
is the spindle of the rotary launcher!
I replaced them on
my model with some excellent Kh-55 & Kh-55M missiles from Amodel - so my Tu-160
is displayed with five Kh-55M's in the forward bay (with one about to be
loaded) and two Kh-55 and one red-painted Kh-55M in the rear bay.
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The kit wings can be
made to sweep - but not in unison - and anyway, they are best displayed in the
fully forward position - with all the slats and flaps deployed - as provided by
Trumpeter. I added some internal detail inside the wings - so that I
could have the upper-wing spoilers deployed. And yes - I do have a photo of them
raised in the asymmetric configuration as shown on my model!
Trumpeter's decal sheet is
perfectly adequate and gives markings for two Blackjacks - but I used the superb
decal sheets from Begemot - which provides decals for thirteen different
Tu-160's - I also used their companion decal sheet of Tu-160 stencil data -
there are literally dozens of decals to be applied, but the end result is worth
it.
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There is only one colour scheme
for a 'Blackjack' - white!
In fact, the Russian Air Force
nickname for the Tu-160 is 'White Swan'.
I used spray cans of acrylic car
paint to give a superb gloss white finish on my model. Most White Swans look a
little dowdy with fading paintwork - the exact appearance of each Tu-160 is all
explained in Begemot's decal instructions - but my subject - 'Pavel Taran'
- has just recently emerged from an upgrade and repaint - so it is in pristine
condition.
Thanks are due to Trumpeter for
kitting such a large aircraft - it sits nicely alongside their Tu-96Ms Bear and
Tu-16 Badger in my collection of Russian bombers.
Ken
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