HOBBY BOSS 1:72 MIL MI-24V HIND-E
'INBOX Review'

 

Reviewer: Johan De Wolf (rec.models.scale)   

Kit Details

History

As far as helicopters go, the Mi-24 certainly isn’t one of the prettiest to look at.

In fact it is quite a menacing looking beast, and unless you’ve got a Stinger handy, you probably don’t want to come across one on the battle field. Where as the Mi-8 is a transport with secondary attack role, it is the other way around for the Hind. It was developed to supplement the Hip, in much the same way the AH-1 Cobra supplemented the UH-1 Huey’s in the Vietnam War. Using the same engine/drive train as the Mi-17, the Hind was designed with more powerful armament and more protective armour. Experience in Afghanistan proved that the initial Mi-24A version with the single large greenhouse canopy was too vulnerable in combat situations.  Also the movement of the nose mounted canon was too limited. Therefore the nose section was redesigned with separate bubble canopies for the pilot and weapons operator. The gun was moved to a chin turret. Along with several other changes the new version was designated Mi-24D. This later turned into the Mi-24V which had improved sensors and integrated the 9M114 anti tank rocket system. Like the Mi-8/17 the Hind is a very rugged and reliable machine. Despite its size and weight it is surprisingly fast and reasonably agile. Since production started in 1970 some 2000 machines have been produced. The latest version that is in production today is designated Mi-35. Some 50 air forces operated the Hind, and it has been actively involved in most small scale conflicts since the late 1970’s. Russian crews refer to it as the crocodile but Afghan fighters more aptly called it satans chariot.

The kit

The sturdy top-opening box is crammed full with 7 individually bagged sprues. To further minimize damage the delicate rotor blade ends are protected by bubble wrap. Parts are cleanly formed without flash or sink marks. Panel lines are finely engraved and supplemented by raised detail where appropriate. The fuselage has been formed in a multi segment mold. This produces a fine, easy to remove, mold seam. It also allows for some very fine detail on the underside of the fuselage, something lacking on al other Mi-24 kits. The transparent parts are thin and very clear but there is a very visible mold seam down the middle of the canopy. It will have to be carefully removed. Like with the Mi-8, the parts fit very well. Construction is dealt with in about 15 easy to follow diagrams. A separate diagram shows which weapon can be fitted to each pylon. The high quality decal sheet offers two options and includes a fair amount of stenciling. The package is rounded out by a full-colour sheet showing two 4-view profiles depicting the camouflage schemes and placement of the markings for the decal options.

Accuracy

Fuselage length and rotor diameter are spot on, but the span over the stub wings is 6mm too large. If you wish to correct this, each wing should be shortened by 3mm at the root. The chord at the top of the tailfin looks a tad too narrow. Surface detail is very accurate and looks convincing. Both the cargo hold and the cockpits are very detailed. The rotor blades have a very pronounced rib effect which must be sanded down to look realistic. On a parked machine the rotor blades droop quite a bit, but the kits blades are straight. Note that parked Mi-24’s often “hang/tilt” a bit to one side.  Missing from the kit are the flare packs that are often strapped to the tailboom and the side of the fuselage. Combat machines were also often fitted with the heat dispersers over the turbine exhausts.  These are also not included in the kit. However with a few minor adjustments, the kit will produce the best looking 1/72 replica there is. 

Construction 

As with the Mi-8 kit, this kit is also more like a regular kit. Still a novice shouldn’t have any problem putting it together. As usual the interior is dealth with first. With some 20 parts this must be one of the most detaled cockpit interiors in this scale. The instrument panels have very fine raised detail that will really stand out after some careful dry brushing. The landing gear is next. The wheel bays are fully boxed in, and with in total 14 parts these areas look very good too. The fuselage can now be closed and detailed with another 20 parts for the exterior. The engine bay and stub wings with pylons will add a further 15 parts.  The rotor blades have rather pronounced raised rib detail that needs to be toned down. Also the blades are missing the characteristic droop. They should really be bent very carefully to depict a parked machine realistically. Where this kit really sets itself apart from all other Mi-24 kits in this scale is the addition of a full array of weapons. Included are:

-         2x PTB-450 KS fuel tanks

-         2x FAB-500 bombs

-         2x FAB-250 bombs

-         2x OFAB-250 (listed as FAB-100)

-         2x ZB-500 bombs

-         2x UBK-23/250 gun pods

-         2x 9-A-624 gun pods

-         2x KMGU-2 cluster bombs

-         2x B8V20 rocket pods

-         4x UB-32A-24 rocket pods

-         4x 9M17P anti tank rockets with launch rails

-         4x 9M114 anti tank rockets with mounting racks

These add a whopping 94 parts to the kit. They are nicely detailed and very accurate. It means you can fully load up your Hind, and still have enough left over for two other kits!

Painting and Decals

Painting details are given throughout construction. I do not trust the interior colours though. The cockpits are mostly black, with the instrument panels varying from bright light blue to turquoise to mint green. Seats have black upholstery for the backrest, while the seat cushion often has a faded khaki brown colour. The seat harness is light grey or cream colour. The cargo hold is usually a light bluish grey with an off-white/cream ceiling. The bench mostly has light grey padding, but I remember seeing greenish upholstery too. Markings are provided for an Iraki machine in tan/green over lightblue. Note that Irak had Mi-25’s (down graded Mi-24D) and not Mi-24V’s and they never carried 9M114 rockets as shown in the 4-view. To build this machine omit parts B12/13 and modify part B35/35. The second option is a beige/brown over light blue Russian machine from the Chechen war. This machine had its tactical number painted over and was adorned with a shark behind the cockpit. I’m not sure this nose art was applied to both sides of the machine though. Most Mi-24’s I have seen had very faded paint jobs. Often the darker colour was faded so much that the lighter colour showed through it. Exhaust staining can be very prominent too.

Conclusion

Despite some minor criticism on this kit, I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised by it. It is by far the most accurate Hind kit in any scale. And I think it is safe to say that Hobby Boss has taken over the crown from Italeri, the previous king of helicopter kits. Highly recommended to all modelers, regardless of their skill level.

References

 

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