#3 DONE +++ 1:144 Ilyushin Il-60 airliner "In Soviet Union, Aeroflot flies YOU!"

[Dizzyfugu]

What would a Soviet GB be without a typical airliner? Found an 1:144 Caravelle from MisterCraft in the stash (no idea why I bought it, maybe because it comes with Aeroflot decals, markings from a movie prop!) and decided to convert it into "something more Soviet" for the GB, as a more economic alternative to the Tu-124 jet airliner. Probably from Ilyushin OKB, turboprops, and - of course - Aeroflot markings. 

[PR19_Kit]

Don't forget the tail prop, all good Soviet airliners had them. 

[Dizzyfugu]

Nah... But contraprops are a must! Only deaf passengers are quiet passengers... 

[Dizzyfugu]

The project (tentatively christened Ilyushin Il-60) makes good progress. Wings have already been modified with engines (from a Kompakt Mir resin set for the Trumpeter Tu-95, excellent stuff!) and work on the fuselage is also going on well. The Caravelle's original engines and their attachment points disappeared. The triangular windows were drilled open into circular shape. The fuselage has been "closed", with lead in the nose, and the round fin tip cut away, to be replaced with a square transplant. Stabilizers will also be moved down. On the nose, a scratched thimble radome was added.

Fuselage and wings are still separate, but both look much different - the Fifties flavor of the Caravelle is totally gone, and with the radome on the nose the aircraft looks disturbingly modern!?

[PR19_Kit]

Veeeeery interesting.............. 

[Dizzyfugu]

Agreed. And it feels very unusual, too. Long time that I have built an airliner, even though it's a fictional one.
Pics are pending, though, I guess I'll add them after the Fastback is done. In so far, I try to keep the audience's imagination stirred... 

[Dizzyfugu]

Wings and fuselage have been mated, and stabilizers were mounted, too. Looks like an aircraft! But fit is so poor... I checked the kit's lineage and the moulds date back to 1960-something!

Now some detail work can start, including the contraprops, which have to be puzzled together from single resin parts. A new, longer landing gear (with better detail) will also be mounted, and I might add an extension to the retractable boarding ladder under the rear fuselage. Basic painting can also start soon - white top with paint from the rattlecan and a grey belly. Blue trim will be scratched from generic sheet material and some of the Mistercraft OOB sheet from the Aeroflot movie prop Caravelle.

[PR19_Kit]

Looks like an aircraft! But fit is so poor... I checked the kit's lineage and the moulds date back to 1960-something!

IIRC the Caravelle was Airfix's second or third 1/144 airliner kit. The Comet was the first and the wing-fuselage joint on the 90s issues were DIABOLICAL!

[Dizzyfugu]

It's not the Airfix kit, AFAIK. It seems as if this 1:144 Caravelle comes from a (unknown to me) company called "Ruch", and the kit was also re-boxed by RPM in the Nineties.
I checked sprue pics of the Airfix kit, and this obscure RUCH kit looks like a poor copy of the (obviously vintage) Airfix kit - the latter parts look MUCH more crisp. 

[PR19_Kit]

Crumbs yes, the Airliner SIG guys won't go anywhere NEAR a Ruch kit!

I think you're right, they were pirated copies of Airfix kits of the time.

I'll be even more impressed if you make a good job of that one Thomas, as I'm sure you will do. 

[Dizzyfugu]

Since yesterday evening, the Il-60 has a windscreen, soem more window holes, contraprops and a stalky landing gear (scratched from B-1B and Tu-22M parts!) for enough ground clearance.

Both details look a bit weird on this compact aircraft - and I wonder if anyone would recognize this thing as a Caravelle... 

[Dizzyfugu]

Painting started, with white primer on the top and an acrylic white coat on top. Then, the belly and the wings will be painted light grey, and some wing areas (flaps, leading edges) Aluminum. As a shocker, the propeller baldes become bright blue with yellow tips.

[zenrat]

I'm rattling my tin cup on the bars of my cell and i'm gonna continue until I get some pics...

[JayBee]

I do not see why you are expecting pictures.
There is nothing there to take pictures of, it is after all just an optical Ilyushin. 

[Dizzyfugu]