TU-22M3 Backfire - C

Litaki, 1/144 scale

Reviewed by Graham Carter

Designed way back in the 1960s the Tupolev TU-22M Backfire is a supersonic, long-range strategic and maritime strike bomber. Various modifications have enabled it to remain in service with Soviet forces and the Ukraine until the present. About 680 were produced. The M3 variant (Backfire C in NATO nomenclature) featured more powerful and fuel-efficient engines and altered air intakes that resulted in a weight saving of 2500kg and a a 500kph increase in speed to 2300kph and range of 7000km.

It remained in Soviet service until 1991 and also with the Ukrainian Air Force. Being capable of delivering strategic nuclear weapons, the aircraft were withdrawn from Ukrainian Air Force service in 1992 after the nation signed the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. All bar two were scrapped in 2003-4, and this two are now in museums in Kiev and Poltava.

Info from Wikipedia and kit instruction booklet.

This is the second 1/144 scale one from this new Ukrainian company and arrived in a sturdy top-opening box with a very nice rendition of one of the decal choices, an example from the Ukrainian Air Force. A great inclusion is a framable A4 card copy of the box lid for your collection.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
• 
• 

Thumbnail panels:

Inside are eleven dark grey sprues in several clear sleeves with foam strips to protect parts from scratching, as well as two 3D printed exhaust rings, a number of 3D printed bombs that can be used instead of the injected ones provided, a separate clear sprue, a PE set consisting of myriad missile fins, a set of masks and a small decal sheet.

The instruction booklet includes a nice welcoming note and an outline of the aircraft’s history and use. The A5 stapled booklet gives part map, a paint table for Mr Color, MIG, AK Interactive and Tamiya colours, a weapons diagram, and 64 (!) construction steps. Each of these is clearly set out, well-drawn and with colour notes and hints.

An example of how to do instructions from Litaki that other kit makers should replicate in my opinion.

The parts are crisply moulded and do not have alignment holes or pins as this is a short-run kit. Surface detail is excellent for this scale, not too over-emphasised.

The forward fuselage is split vertically while the rear, swing-wing section is split horizontally to allow for the moving wings mechanism. The cockpit is adequate and uses decals for the instrument panels. Seats are simplified, and wheel wells are also fairly plain, again given the scale. The doors do have some moulded framework. The undercarriage is quite complex, taking up six steps in the booklet, and modellers will have a bundle of fun getting all fourteen wheels to sit on the ground together.

The 3D printed exhausts look great and are further embellished with PE interior rings.

The load of injected plastic bombs may tax the modeller as each is to be embellished with a set of diminutive PE fins and a rear ring, the placement and gluing of which is way beyond my skills and patience. How nice, then, that Litaki provided a set of 3D-printed items as well, which are finely detailed as can be seen in the image below.

How nice, then, that Litaki provided a set of injected items as well, albeit not quite as finely detailed.

Markings

The small decal sheet contains markings for three example and are neatly printed and do not have any stencilling - thank heavens at this scale!

Each one is illustrated in colour on half of an A4 sheet to show colours ( all grey over white). They are:

1. Serial 20106726 tail number red 57 of the Ukrainian 185th Guards Heavy Bomber Regiment before being placed in the State Aviation Museum in Kiev,

2. The same aircraft as above but with the tail number ‘Blue 96’ at an airshow in Bratislava in 2002, and

3. Serial 3686153 , tail number blue 80 of a number of heavy regiments, and attended the RIAT at RAF Cottesmore in 2000. It features a dedication to Aleksander Molodchiy, a Ukrainian-born hero of the Soviet AF in WWII and now is displayed in a museum in Poltava.

This is a very competent rendition of this important Soviet aircraft and if this is your interest area and scale then it comes highly recommended.

Thanks to Litaki for the sample

Review Text & Images Copyright © 2025 by Graham Carter
Images Copyright © 2025 by Brett Green
Page Created 24 September, 2025
Last updated 26 September, 2025

Back to HyperScale Main Page

Back to Reviews Page