Kit: 7286
Scale: 1/72
Manufacturer: Zvezda, from Dragon Models USA, 626-968-0322,
www.dragonmodelsusa.com
Price: $12.95
Comments: Injection-molded, 79 parts, decals
Pros: A good kit for intermediate modelers
Cons: Not much up-close detail

The Ilyushin Il-2 Stormovik was one of the most important Soviet aircraft of World War II; more than 36,000 were produced. Although the aircraft didn’t fare well in air-to-air combat, the Il-2 achieved its notoriety as an effective tank buster by destroying many Nazi tanks and vehicles during the Battle of Kursk in May, 1943. The Il-2 evolved later into the Il-10 variant, which served in various air forces, including the North Korean Air Force in the early 1950s.

Zvezda’s 1/72 scale Il-2 Stormovik kit includes 79 light-gray plastic parts. The parts include recessed detail, and are flash-free, although many of the parts are a bit too thick for the scale.

The fold-out kit instructions are presented in six pages. Written instructions are provided in several languages including Russian and English. (I found the instructions to be a good opportunity for me to break out my English-Russian dictionary to review some Russian terms I’ve long since forgotten.) The instruction sheet follows a clear and logical order; however steps 7 and 8 are a little vague in showing the exact location for placing parts B18 to B19.

Assembling the model is straight-forward. The kit includes a very basic cockpit with little detail, but there’s ample room for superdetailers who want to take the model to the next level. There are no locator pins for joining parts together, but surprisingly, the fit is good. Only minor filling was required.

The kit includes air-to-ground weapons, but the instructions don’t mention attaching them. I’ll do a little more research and attach them later.

I used Testor Model Master paints as suggested in the kit instructions. The kit comes with two marking options; the decals went without any trouble and reacted well to Solvaset.

Of all the 1/72 scale Il-2s kits available, the Zvezda kit is the simplest and easiest to assemble. It took me only 10 hours to build. If you’re looking for a quick build over a weekend, then this model might suit you. It looks accurate and sits nicely next to other Soviet aircraft of World War Two. Modelers with a little aircraft-building experience won’t have any trouble assembling it.

– David P. Anderson