The NATO term is “Hind,” but the Russians nicknamed the Mi-24 helicopter “Crocodile.” The Mi-24 achieved notoriety as an air-support gunship for the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.
Zvezda’s 1/72 scale Mi-24 is molded in medium gray plastic with light, recessed detail that can disappear into the soft plastic with sanding. By the same token, the soft plastic is easy to rescribe and allows liquid cement to bond especially well. The biggest problem with the softness is that major parts, like the main rotor assembly, are fragile. I should know: I broke three of the five blades. The vinyl-like clear parts have excellent clarity and surface detail, and react well with Pledge Future floor polish.
Choose your configuration and options before beginning. You can have the cockpit, cabin doors, and engine compartment open or closed, and these choices can complicate the assembly sequence. I expected trouble with the fit when I chose to close everything, but the parts fit surprisingly well with little filler required. Weapon options include two different nose cannons for either a Soviet army aviation or a Russian navy version.
Interior detail is hit and miss, with the cockpit as a miss. It has basic detail; decals depict instrumentation. I used masking tape to add seat belts. The cabin detail is a little better, but you won’t see much of it if you close the doors. Same is true for the engine area. But if you leave it open, you can show off good detail in the two engines and the main-rotor housing.
The instructions are unusual, making the assembly sequence hard to understand as I worked through the 35-step directions. In the left margin are subassemblies that need to be accomplished before finishing the main instruction step. In addition, some of the steps guide you in assembling the model with all the doors and panels open to show all the extra detail within.
The kit provides markings for two Soviet Mi-24 units that operated in Afghanistan and one Russian navy Mi-24. The decals went on fine and reacted well to Solvaset. I used Model Master paints as suggested in the instructions.
Despite the large quantity of parts, a confusing instruction sheet, and a complex series of options, I really enjoyed building the model. It took me 25 hours to complete — not a quick build, but one that produces an exceptionally detailed model of a very important Soviet helicopter. It is accurate according to the drawings in Mi-24, by Jiří Bašný, Jiří Brázda, Michal Ovčáčík, and Karel Susa (4+ Publications, ISBN 978-80-900708-2-0). Anyone with a little modeling experience won’t have any trouble assembling it. I hope that Zvezda will continue making Soviet helicopters, including the early Mi-24 Hind A.