Introduction

The following introduction is as provided by Zvezda:

In 1941-1942 the Soviet suffered high loses of the IL-2 from fighter attacks from the rear, where the ILs had no defensive armament. The air force asked the Ilyushin design bureau to introduce a gunner’s seat with a defensive machine gun mount into the aircraft design. To maintain the aircrafts production rate, minimal changes were made to the fuselage - a gunner’s seat with a VUB-3 defensive machine gun mount with a 12.7mm UBT machine was mounted in the fuselage. The gunner was only partially protected by 6mm’s of armour at the rear. In order to maintain the flight performance of the aircraft with its increased take-off weight, a more powerful AM-38F engine with enlarged diameter propeller was installed. State Committee of Defence ordered production at plants 1, 18 and 30. By the end of October 1942 all three factories had produced 130 2-seat IL-2s. In November-December 1942 the factories had manufactured 1,500 2-Seat IL-2s. Until the end of 1942 the IL-2 was produced in parallel in 1 and 2 seat versions. 

This offering from Zvezda arrives in a flip top cardboard tray, which is inserted into an end opening card container showing the artwork for the model. Inside of the box a finishing guide and instruction booklet can be found loose. A plastic bag containing all of the mouldings for the model and a ZiploC bag containing the clear parts and the decals - something that I do not like due to the risk of damage to the decals from the plastic. The sprues themselves numbering 5 are all cleanly moulded, there are a few ejector pins marks visible, but I believe only those inside the fuselage halves in the area of the cockpit will need to be tackled. There is what feels like a release agent on the surface of many of the parts, and so emphasis the need and benefit of washing a model kit in washing detergent prior to paint coming anywhere near it. 

This release from Zvezda offers quite a lot to the modeller, for a 1/48th scale model as you are provided with a good representation of an engine with two finishing options, which I believe represents the original engine and the new more powerful one that the aircraft went on to be equipped with. Displaying the finished engine is not the easiest of options, as there is only a small upper panel that is a separate part. And I believe that more of the cowling should be removable and so provided separately. Looking at the propeller and specifically the blades, I am unable to confirm if the later propeller blades are provided in this release. I believe that they are, but I am not 100% sure. The other part that was potentially altered in the propeller boss, which I believe in the later variant has a slightly more rounded look to it when viewed from the side, rather than the cone shape seen on the earlier variant. The biggest problem that I have is due to the aircraft being manufactured in more than one plant, the Soviets had a habit of having slight alterations from one factory to the next.

The cockpit, or office of this model looks to be reasonably well detailed with the only bit that makes the hair on the back of my neck raise up being a fuel tank behind the pilot’s head. The seats themselves are cleanly moulded, with no harness detail present but that issue is overcome due to the inclusion of two very nicely done multi-part figures with harness detail present. For those who do not wish to tackle the figures, the clean seat mouldings will make the addition of after market harness detail an easy option. In instrument panel in the model is provided with raised and recessed detail and a decal to give the desired finished look. Looking at the rear area of the cockpit Zvezda has provided a very nice replication of the machine gun, remembering to include an ammunition feed and spent cartridge ejector chute. The clear canopy parts can be added open or closed, and I am happy with the appearance and clarity of this area.

The body of this model is for the most part in two halves, with the previously mentioned cowling at the front, and the tail rudder that needs to be added which gives you the option to be displayed as desired. Looking at the fuselage itself there is not much in the way of panel line detail, but then looking at the real aircraft that survive until today they also appear to be very smooth and makes for quite an aerodynamic appearance. The tail fins do have nice panel line detail with the horizontal control surfaces being provided separately, and so again displayed as the modeller desires. Two detailed wing braces travel across the lower area of the fuselage, to which you then attach a centre portion of the lower wing with some detailed wheel recess panels and then two short lengths of the upper wing. I like this approach as it allows the modeller to work on getting a clean joint without the wing as a whole getting in the way. Recess panels lines are present where required, but are so fine that I cannot even feel them, and so my concern is that this detail could easily be flooded with paint. The wing flight control surfaces are again provided separate from the wing, and so other than concerns about flooding the detail I am very happy with the model as it is. 

The undercarriage of this release can be shown lowered or raised, with different parts required depending on your choice. It the wheels are retracted one single moulded part for each side is all that is required. If you go for a lowered undercarriage the rear double wishbone retracting mechanism is well represented. Double arms are provided to support each of the wheels and will remind you very much of a WWII heavy bomber as used by the British. I have to give Zvezda quite a lot of praise as regards the amount of detail they have provided in that area of the model. The rear tail wheel is permanently deployed, which is something I initially had concerns about. 

The offensive weaponry provided consists of four Iron bombs, that are located in the wing bomb bays. Detail wise these have been well tackled and so should please most modellers. You are also provided with four rockets that have been moulded separate from the launch rails, which I again find to be pleasing. Should you wish to build a model with clean lines the bomb bay doors can be placed closed, but the rockets are still shown in place. I do not know is this is accurate or not. 

Zvezda has provided three finishing options for this release, and I am very pleased to see that details on what each represents has been provided. These finishing options are:

IL-2 5 of 667th Air Assault Regiment, Battle of Kursk, Spring-Summer 1943

IL-2 24 of 8th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment, USSR Navy Air Forces, Black Sea Fleet, Spring 1944

Il-2 26 (Shchelkovsky Shturmovik), of the 15th Guards Assault Aviation Regiment, 277th Assault Division of the Red Army Air Forces, Leningrad front, Winter-Spring 1943

Conclusion

This offering from Zvezda of the Shturmovik IL-2 is a very promising release. I was very pleased to find a full engine provided for the model, but I do wish more thought had been given to displaying it. I have raised some concerns as regards specific areas of this release, but I was unable to find the answers to my questions at the time of writing this review. I am hoping that by pointing out my areas of concern others will have their input and guide us all in the right direction. With all of that said looking at the model as an out of box build, I am very pleased with what if offered, and at a reasonable price which is always good.