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Su-27 Pilot

 

MasterCasters, 1/32 scale

Summary

Catalogue Number:

MST32024 - Su-27 Flanker Pilot

Scale:

1/32

Contents and Media:

Resin and photoetch with colour instruction sheet

Price:

GBP 8.95 from the Mastercasters Website

Review Type:

First Look

Advantages:

A nice addition for the Trumpeter Flanker

Disadvantages:

None noted

Recommendation:

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Ken Bowes


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FirstLook

 

The 1/32 Trumpeter Su-27 was a much anticipated kit which, unfortunately, was delivered with some noticeable flaws.

Now having spent lots of hard earned dollars on Zactomodels outstanding nose, canopy and intake sets, a Black Box cockpit and Aires wheel well and exhausts, the piece d’resistance unexpectedly arrived to add to the project. This has taken the form of a nicely sculpted 1/32 pilot produced by Master Casters in the UK to fill out the cockpit of this aircraft.

So what do Master Casters provide the modeler with this figure? Basically, a seated pilot in a somewhat relaxed pose, ideal to represent an aircraft recently returned from a sortie and about to address the ground crew. Optional oxygen mask and hoses for the G Suit are also supplied to vary the appearance of the pilot. The figure itself is cast in five parts (head, torso, legs and arms) and exhibits very fine detail with little scrap resin.

Overall a nice package from this perspective. The figure should fit nicely in the kit seat, or if one goes for an aftermarket cockpit, it will probably best fit in the Aires seat as it is beltless, unlike other alternatives.

 

 

The actual figure represents a pilot in a lightweight style flight suit and leather jacket with fur collar, somewhat reminiscent of photos of Sukhoi test pilot Victor Pugachev and others who demonstrated the Flanker in the West during the 1980s and 1990s. Photos line of Flanker pilots show a heavier positive pressure suit, which also seems to act as an environmental protection suit in case of ejection in the more hostile parts of Russia, but this could be associated with the time of year. Aside from this observation, this pilot has all the correct equipment including good representations of the ZSh-7AP helmet with mount for helmet mounted sight, KM-35MS oxygen mask and PPK-1V partial pressure suit (g-suit).

The detail on all these items is crisp and should reward careful painting. In summary this figure will make a nice addition to a Trumpeter Flanker, noting of course it best represents a Russian/FSU pilot as pilots of recent export purchasers of the Flanker such as India, Indonesia and Malaysia use a mix of Western and Russian flying clothing.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to Jay Laverty from MasterCasters for the samples


Text and Images Copyright © 2008 by Ken Bowes
This Page Created on 5 February, 2008
Last updated 5 February, 2008

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