Su-22 Kits In 1/72nd.

[Radish]

What's the Bilek kit like.....as I've ordered 2 and I hope it's a bit better than the Hobbycrap effort.
I've been enthused by the profiles of updated Su-22s.
I can see Peru getting there's really "tweaked" as I've got the decals.
Iran too??
And what about China??  

[upnorth]

The Bilek kit is quite nice and I'd say the best SU-22 you'll get in 1/72.

I've seen the KP SU-22 in the box and while it looks a bit rougher than the Bilek, it still looks like it could be built into something respectable.

I know what you mean about the Hobbycraft travesty of the Fitter, I don't know where they got the moldings for it, but they should have left them where they found them.

[Spey_Phantom]

Mastercraft also has a couple of fitter kits ou there.
i recommend the "Gulf of sidra" boxing, it has verry nice Hungarian, Afghan, Libyan and Angolan Decals  B)  

[Captain Canada]

That's funny, Radish....I was just pondering that same question ! I feel the need for a Fitter. Shame my LHS is closed for a few days !

 

[Radish]

Great minds think alike, Cap'n  

[elmayerle]

As far as I know, the Hobbycraft Su-22 is rubbish.  There are basically two good, but different families of molds out there for Su-22s, Italieri - and those they share molds with - and a Polish company (whose name I've temporarily forgotten) and those they share molds with.  The "big difference" is in the exact structure that coordinates the wing sweep between Rh & LH.  It doesn't matter, otherwise, though since both families of molds produce excellent kits.

[upnorth]

The two families of molds go like this:

Italeri=Bilek

Mastercraft=KP

Italeri very quickly set up mold swapping deals with Zvezda in Russia and Bilek in the Czech Republic after the fall of Socialism. Notable Bilek kits that came out under Italeri labelling include the single and two seat SU-22s and the bomber version of the IL-28 Beagle. Italeri also repopped Zvezda's MiG-23s, PE-2 and SU-25.

I don't know if Italeri still has mold swapping deals with those companies.

KP of the Czech Republic and Mastercraft of Poland currently do have a mold swapping deal, but you have to be a bit carefull when you're buying them. If you buy them and the only have a Mastercraft logo on them  and not the KP one, then they are more than likely a Mastercraft retooled KP kit. Case in point was a 1/72 MiG-19 I bought not long ago in Mastercraft boxing. It was the old KP moldings but retooled to have recessed panel lines (and not real grand ones at that). If you get them with both Mastercraft and KP logos, they will most likely be the straight KP kit with Mastercraft decals.

Here's an inbox write up of one of the Bilek/Italeri Fitters, so you can see some sprue shots and the like.

http://modelingmadness.com/scotts/mod/rus/...u22upreview.htm


If you want more of a cockpit than the kit provides, Both Pavla and NeOmega make resin replacements, though I think NeOmega claims Pavla's is a rip off of theirs.

There really are only two deficiencies in the Bilek Kits and both are easily handled:

1: the main landing gear legs are a slight bit short. On my fitter, I just made  a couple of styrene shims and stuck them at the gear leg attachment points. You don't even need much of a shim, a slice of .020 styrene should do it.

2: the MERs are not great and the instructions for putting them together are nearly indecipherable. I've been up close to the actual item on preserved Fitters and can tell you the kit part bears only a passing resemblance at best to the real deal. I wouldn't bother using them.