Kit Details

Aircraft: Hongdu JL-8/ PAC K-8 Karakorum
Scale: 1/72
Kit: Trumpeter #01636
Parts: 52 light grey + 2 clear injection molded.
Surface detail: finely engraved
Decals: 3 options
Accuracy: very good
Price: € 9.95

History

Development of the J/K-8 was a joint venture between China and Pakistan. The object was to develop a replacement for Pakistan’s aging T-37’s and China’s obsolete JJ-5’s (Mig-15Uti). Work started in the late 1980’s and the plane was to incorporate an American engine and instrumentation. However after the Tienanmen massacre the American involvement became politically impossible. The first prototype therefore flew with a Russian engine and Chinese systems on 21-11-1990. A pre-series batch of 6 for Pakistan and 6 for China were delivered in 1996. The original plan was that Pakistan would set up their own production line, however this idea was dropped and all machines will now be produced by China. In the mean time the Pakistani requirements for the K-8 have risen from 75 to 100 machines (to date some 30 have been delivered). The machines for the Chinese airforce and navy will be powered by a license built AI-25. It is unknown how many machines the Chinese forces require, but the total could run into several hundreds. The K-8 has proven to be a popular trainer for airforces with a small budget. The K-8 is a simple easy to maintain, yet modern aircraft. It can be fitted with American, Ukranian or Chinese engines. It is available with a wide range of systems, including a full “glass cockpit”. To date the largest export customer is Egypt who will eventually acquire 120 machines (partly from license production). The machine is in use with at least 5 other African airforces, and Sri Lanka is another user of the type. Indonesia has shown interest in the type, and recently President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela announced the Venezuelan airforce would be buying the type as well. In total some 500 machines are on order now for at least 10 airforces. This makes it one of the most successful trainers on the market today.

The kit

The strong blue box holds two light grey sprues and, separately packed, one transparent one. The parts are cleanly formed without flash or mold mismatch. The clear parts are commendable thin and very clear. The decals look very good, and offer markings for 3 machines. The instructions offer a parts location diagram and 13 easy to follow construction drawings. The final item in the box is a full colour leaflet with 3-views of the 3 machines for which markings are provided.

Accuracy

All dimensions are within one mm of what they should be. From the level of detail it is clear to see that Trumpeter must have had access to the real machine. For this scale the cockpit is very detailed and even the difference in height of the canopy breakers on the front and rear bang seats has not escaped the attention of the mold makers. Note that the instrument panel is of the type found on production machines and thus not really suitable for the first prototype. The gun in the kit is of a semi recessed type, like on the Mig-21/23. I have not been able to find pictures of this setup. Photographs of armed machines show a gun pack similar to that of the BAe Hawk. However since the rest of the detail on the model is so accurate I guess Trumpeter knows more than I do. Right from the box the kit will result in a very detailed and correct replica of the real Karakorum.

Construction

As usual the cockpit has to be dealt with first. It is made up out of 12 parts. The instrument panels have very fine raised detail, which I brought out with careful dry brushing. I kept the kit seats and only added seat belts, but the purists will want to replace them with a suitable item from the Aeroclub range. Any detail you add to the cockpit will be visible through that large and very clear canopy. The cockpit assembly, nose gear bay and tailpipe are then sandwiched between the fuselage halves. Although not mentioned in the instructions, I thought it wise to put a bit of weight in the nose (a quick balance test showed a possible tail sitter).

Next the wings were attached, followed by the air intakes. This was the only step where I needed a little filler. The basic airframe is now complete and the landing gear was added. I also installed the wing pylons but I left the drop tanks and gun pack off. I replaced the “solid” head up display reflector with a transparent one, and the fitted the shroud over the instrument panel. Next various smaller bits and pieces were fitted to the model. The finish the kit off I glued on the canopy and windshield with PVA glue.

Painting and Decals

Colours are given throughout construction in Gunze Mr.Hobby/Color numbers and generic names. The decal sheet offers markings for the first prototype, A Pakistani machine and a Chinese machine. For the Pakistani machine only the blue sections are given as a decal. I would have liked to have the red parts as well as this is a harder colour to paint than blue. Same goes for the Chinese machines, where red/white cheat lines as a decal would have been very helpful. In the end I decided on an even more esoteric subject. I decided to do my model in the colours of the Zimbabwe airforce. A small outfit from South Africa, called MavDecals, has produced a decal sheet for a Zimbabwean K-8. These machines are camouflaged in an interesting red brown/bright green over light grey scheme. I had to mix both top colours as I couldn’t find the correct colours in any range.

The Mav decals where a bit of a disappointment. It is easy to see that they are screen printed. Also all markings, except for the roundels, are too big. I could use the rescue arrow and ejection seat warning triangles from the kit sheet but as I had no replacement, I had to use the other markings from the Mav set. The Mav sheet only gives you a b/w picture of one side of the aircraft, so I was lucky to find some more pictures on the net. I also received a set with very helpful pictures from a friend who photographed a machine during an airshow in South Africa (thanks Erwin). The decals themselves performed without problems though. As these machines are still pretty new, I kept weathering to a minimum. There is some wear on the paint on the leading edges, but only to the yellowish primer and not to the bare metal.

Conclusion

Trumpeter has provided us with a very high quality kit of this interesting aircraft. It went together without any problems and was a nice change from the more complicated kits I normally build. I can recommend this kit to modelers of all skill levels. It is probably too much to wish for but it would be nice to see someone produce a high quality decal set for all the small airforces that fly the K-8. I hope this kit will do well for Trumpeter so they will consider doing an F-7MG, FT-7 and FC-1 as well.

References

Google for K-8 Karakorum

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