HobbyBoss' Mi-8 is a great model of one of the most-widely used Russian helicopters.
Molded in light gray plastic, the parts feature fine recessed panel lines and sharply defined surface details. Cockpit detail includes seat, control and collective sticks, instrument panels, and a bulkhead with lots of detail molded on to produce a busy-looking space in this scale.
The cargo compartment has a floor and ceiling with surface detail inside the fuselage halves completing the cabin. There is a separate side door, but the Hip's characteristic clamshell doors at the rear are molded shut.
The clear parts, including a single large nosepiece, are thin and clear with well-defined frames.
Decals provide markings for a generic Russian Mi-8 in middlestone and olive, and a post-reunification Luftwaffe search-and-rescue Hip in dark green and tan.
The sequence of the unnumbered steps on the single sheet of instructions is a little hard to follow. The paint callouts are inconsistent, but the references to Gunze Sangyo, Vallejo, Model Master, Tamiya, and Hum-brol paints take the guesswork out of finding a match.
Based on photos, I painted the interior a combination of Russian interior blue/green and light gray. Building the cockpit and cabin structure seemed awkward at first, but the assembly fit perfectly when I sandwiched it between the fuselage halves. Take time to align the floor and ceiling with the lines engraved in the cabin halves and you shouldn't have any trouble.
The only fit problem I had was the oil cooler intake (Part B12). It was too small, requiring sanding to blend it into the body.
The windscreen went on well, needing just a little super glue around the bottom to fit perfectly. I glued the rotors together. There is no droop in the main blades, so I placed the rotors upside down on a plate and heated both the plate and blades with a hairdryer. This worked well, but be careful not to overheat the blades - they are thin and easily distorted.
I masked the windows and airbrushed the German Mi-8's three-color camouflage with Gunze Sangyo and Tamiya acrylics. The decals are thin, opaque, and settle in with a little Micro Sol. An artist's oil wash brought the fine panel lines to life.
Final assembly went quickly. The finished model looks like a Hip, including the correct butt-down stance, and it measures closely to published dimensions. The kit includes an IR jammer molded behind the engines, a detail I couldn't find on any of the German Mi-8s I saw. Also included are filters on the intakes, another piece of equipment not used on German helicopters. There is no provision for the weapons pylons commonly found on Hip-Cs, but a couple of unused parts are add-on cockpit armor used on some Mi-8s and Mi-17s.
I spent about 20 hours on my Hip, a lot of that masking and painting. Patient builders with a little experience shouldn't have any problems.
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