Italeri 1:72 Mil-24 Hind-D, No 014

History: Originally developed as a flying APC (Armoured Personnel Carrier) the Hind was later transformed into a gunship with heavy armour and armament. The nose was redesigned from a greenhouse canopy to tandem 2-seat configurations, thus improving flying characteristics. Also a new gun turret was installed with 12.7mm (0.50 cal) 4 barrelled Gatling gun. Undernose sensors are missile guidance pod to port and electro-optical device (probably laser rangefinder and designator). Third man in cockpit actually sits behind the cockpit of the flight engineer.  The cabin was left the same, but now houses missile reloads instead of the armed troops. Well, the "Devil’s Chariot" has proven itself in several armed conflicts, and has been improved steadily (IR suppressors, flare dispensers) over the years. The future sees the Hind with new Havoc-type main rotor and many other improvements to keep the "Chariot on the run".

The Kit: Italeri’s Mi-24 Hind D is actually Hind E, as this model has sensors (like new teardrop-shaped missile guidance pod under nose), weaponry (AT-6 to replace/augment AT-2 used on D) and exhaust suppressors as E’s. Maybe it can be explained as this model is ’94 vintage.

What’s in the box?: Instructions, decal sheet, three sprues, one clear, no bags. Parts total is 131, of which 11 is transparencies (canopy, 2 doors, 8 windows), all parts in the kit are to be used. 

Instructions are typical italeri, so no surprises there, small history, colour callouts, exploded steps and three-view marking instructions.  The model has finely raised panel lines.  The fit appears , fitting is usual Italeri - minor gaps here and there, otherwise it seems to be a nice model. But it’s hard to say conclusively without completing the project.

How is this model to be built up?: 

• First step, cockpit, it’s made of bathtub, two seats, one dashboard (for pilot), four control sticks (two for each member), and another stick for gunner, probably gunsight. On dry fitting the cockpit fitted rather good inside, small gaps here and there, but still more good than bad.
• Cabin is made up of six parts, floor, ceiling and two walls, also seats and frame supporting seats. Those who want to, and have proper information may try to represent auxiliary fuel tank that is sometimes carried in cabin.
• The fuselage is split vertically and now the cockpit, cabin and rotor base plate alongside with nose gear bay and tail rotor are to be attached here. Doors are optionally possible to split horizontally, if one wants to build doors-open diorama, but in this case doors need more details, like actuating struts etc..
• Exhaust suppressors are optional, and are made up of thre parts each (they were carried only in action, not during peacetime due to their drag penalties). Engine intake is also made up of three parts, with intakes and dust filters. Adding to cockpit area are two pieces for gunner. 
• Wings are split horizontally with separate end panels, one has missile guidance pod, as it's supposed to. Nose equipment (cannon and electronics) are also to be added here. Tailplanes and IRCM “disco light” are attached here as well. Canopy has separate doors for each member of flight crew - what a perfect model to build a diorama with (with Revell’s T-80 MBTs and ICM’s BMP-2s)?! Canopy fit is very good (for such a complex shape), like most of the parts on this model.
• Under the tail boom goes four sets of countermeasures, chaff and most probably flares.  If you like you could improve this as these countermeasures are just four plates with holes. Hardpoints are one piece with rocket pods, my suggestion is to cut those buggers off. Also AT-6 Spirals are a joke (see armament options for spare raids).  
• This model has no wheel up option, but it is possible to build it yourself. But when modifying this model to Mi-35 standard, one must remember that the Mi-35 has fixed landing gear. 
• Main rotor is made up of nine parts, five of them are blades, straight blades are late production model’s (included), kinked are early model’s (early Ds, not included). 

Versions: There are 3 of them: one Soviet Hind in Afghanistan, one Czech and one German model. Colours are basically similar, gray underside, sand and military brown (Soviet)/ field green (others) upper side. 

Weapons: As mentioned, rocket pods are a joke, as they’re a hybrid of two pods (B8V20 and UB-32A-24, having body of first and nosecone of second) and are not believable representations of either of them as there are 19 tubed housings. Weapons to obtain from aftermarket sources are:

• 4 x 9M17P Falanga/Phalanx (AT-2 Swatter) with associated rails (to endplates), 
• at least 4 x 9M114 Shturm/Storm (AT-6 Spiral), up to 8 can be carried (extra 4 on outer hardpoints on similar rails to endplate’s), 
• B8V20 80mm 20 round rocket pods (up to 4), 
• UB-32A-24 57mm 32 round rocket pods (up to 4), 
• I’m not sure of the name, but this pod has 5 130mm rockets (up to 4 of these), 
• Different bombs, like FAB-50, -100, -250, -500 (number meaning bomb’s weight in kg-s); OFAB-100, -250; ZB-500 fire containers and KMGU-2 cluster dispenser. I’m not sure in bomb racks, but these may be fitted,  
• Gun pods like UPK-23/250, 9-A-624, grenade launcher 9-A-669, 
• Fuel tank PTB-450. 

When placing missiles to wing endplate rails then one must consider, that missiles are “looking” inward and upward about 5 degrees (relative position of missile’s nose to missile’s aft). 

Accuracy: Hard to say, it looks like the Hind, if ignoring the problems with weapons, given length on box is 23.6 cm, real thing has a length in 72 scale of 24.3 cm (without rotors and gun). So this model is a bit small, maybe 1/73-75. Otherwise it looks nice (correct shape and relative size) and is recommended to anyone who want’s to reproduce the Devil’s Chariot.  Still my recommendation would be to use this model in a diorama with Zvezda Mi-8s (new info is that this may be out of production, it was in last catalogue, but not in new) and different soviet armoured vehicles, like MBTs, IFV/AFVs and APCs. These all together pack quite a punch (in impression of course).