Airfix Model World – July 2018

INTERMEDIATE BUILD
Su-34 FULLBACK

INTERMEDIATE BUILD

Su-34 FULLBACK

http://www.airfi xmodelworld.comwww.airfi xmodelworld.com 3737

 All three undercarriage units were well-detailed items, with each leg comprising multiple

parts. As with other small components, care was needed when removing them from the runners.

 After a coat of paint and a panel wash, the gear legs came to life. The tyres exhibited

impressive detail for 1/72 scale units.

 MRP-202 Light Blue Su-32/Su-34 was the first colour applied, covering the entire upper

and lower surfaces.

 White Tack ‘worms’ and masking tape covered the lighter areas, and set the pattern for

the light green-blue segments.

airbrushed with clear gloss varnish.

Trumpeter’s painting

and markings guide was

comprehensive, albeit slightly on

the small side for decal placement,

with myriad stencils dotted

around the airframe; several were

so small they could barely be seen

after being removed from their

backing paper. Despite this, though,

no problems were encountered

during this decaling stage.

Things under wings

Trumpeter has earned an enviable

reputation for the number of

stores it includes with its aircraft

kits, and this was no exception,

sharing most (if not all) with

its previous multi-role Flanker

offerings. This meant two examples

each (apart from the APK-9 data-

link pod) of a whole range of AAMs

and air-to-ground munitions – but

beware, not all are applicable

to the Su-34, despite what the

supplied weapons chart indicated.

Unsurprisingly, a difficult choice

lay ahead regarding what would

be hung under the Fullback’s

wings and fuselage. A study

of Internet references yielded

an abundance of weapons fits,

with no two seemingly alike, but

certain patterns did emerge.

Air-to-surface weapons seemed

confined to the fuselage, intake

and innermost wing pylons,

while the outer hardpoints were

reserved for air-to-air missiles.

For this build, a mixture of

ordnance (and their associated

launch rails) was selected,

including a centreline fuel tank,

which is usually carried on ferry

missions. Given the multiplicity