Hi everyone, I thought I’d get started on the 1/144 Amodel kit and build it as a ‘Yellow 55’ of the Ukrainian Naval Aviation, set in the 1990s, depicted floating above a (resin) sea with the undercarriage retracted, as I find this configuration particularly appealing.
by
Rodolfo Masti, on Flickr
Before making a proper start I’ve been having a read through a few build threads and comments on the kit, just to get an idea of where the awkward spots might be.
From what I can gather, most of the work seems to be in the fit rather than the basic shape.
The outlines look rather good, but it does seem very much a short-run kit, so I’m expecting a fair bit of dry-fitting, adjustment and general tidying up along the way.
The areas that seem most likely to need a bit of attention are:
the fuselage/hull join, which may leave a fairly noticeable centre seam and some unevenness along the surface
the wing roots, where gaps and alignment issues could affect both the appearance and the dihedral
the engine nacelle joins, particularly if the instructions are followed without checking the fit carefully first
the nose glazing and canopy, both of which seem to benefit from a bit of care and perhaps some light trimming
the wheel wells, which may be especially relevant in my case if I do go ahead with the undercarriage closed
It doesn’t look like one that will simply fall together, but that’s part of the attraction with some of these less common subjects.
If I can get the joins sorted out neatly and make the closed undercarriage look convincing, I think it should build into a very appealing model.
At the moment, I suspect the wheel wells, fuselage join, wing roots and clear parts will be the main things to keep an eye on once I get underway.
In any case, I’m looking forward to making a start, as the Be-12 is such an interesting aircraft and not something that turns up all that often on the bench.
Before starting, a look inside the box:
by
Rodolfo Masti, on Flickr
by
Rodolfo Masti, on Flickr
