Su-34
Trumpeter 1:72 scale kit
Box Art
Superb packaging
The nose.
Top shot - note the 'sharp' engine nacelles.
Underside.
Trumpeter (left) and Italeri nose cones.
Trumpeter nose compared to real thing.
Nacelles - note the more shape and subtle blending on the Italeri kit.
Italeri upper fuselage mated to Trumpeter lower.
Italeri lower fuselage mated to Trumpeter upper. Note the strakes on the Trumpeter kit.
Fins - Italeri is incorrect - too tall and represents an early configuration.
Trumpeter tailboom - with APU inlet - a rectangular hole has to be opened up to fit it. No exhaust is provided.
This is the flap on the APU exhaust.
Trumpeter (upper) and Italeri tailbooms - Italeri is too long.
Trumpeter Su-34
Italeri Su-34.
Together - the shapes are exactly the same.
Trumpeter left, Italeri right.
Trumpeter.
Italeri.
Trumpeter.
Italeri.
The real thing 1.
The real thing 2.
3.
4.
The Trumpeter Su-34 Parts.
Cockpit and nosewheel bay.
Intakes and tailboom.
Fins, flaps and tailplanes.
Wingtip pods, pylons and canards.
Exhausts and wheels - note the packaging.
Ejection seats and KAB-500L bombs.
Building the Su-34.
Cockpit components - note the open door in the rear bulkhead -
and the sink marks !
Parts for the nosewheel bay.
K-36 ejection seats - very simplified - and no firing handle.
Instrument panel is a decal. Note the silver rudder pedals.
Cockpit minus ejection seats - note the open door.
Cockpit and nosewheel bay glued in place on the lower fuselage.
The front cover in the access tunnel can be made to slide - here it is open for access...
.... and here slid forward to close.
View of the closed hatch inside the nosewheel bay.
Top and bottom fuselage halves joined.
Nose re-contoured.
Much improved nose shape
The aperture for the APU intake has to be drilled out..... not something you should have to do on an expensive kit!
The mesh grille part is fitted. Note that they haven't included the APU outlet though.
I used a bit of plastic card to stop the grille falling inside.
There is a joint to fill when the tailboom is attached......
.... and try as I might, I could not get the tailboom to go forward enough - leaving gaps on the underside.
The fins are cleverly designed with side panels to eliminate a joint - they fit perfectly.
The intakes are accurate - but overly complex.......
....and they don't fit very well. I had to glue the front end first......
....then clamp the back ends to get a flush fit - but still with gaps.....
.... which need filling.
Flaperons, wing fences and rudders added - plus cockpit coaming.
Underside view.
The Su-34 has a set of blinds inside the cockpit - which Trumpeter do not provide, so.....
... they have to be scratched....using plastic card.
Trumpeter have also missed the small fillets when the wingtip pods are fitted.
Masked Platypus.......
Why can't Trumpeter supply self-adhesive masks ??
All primed up - ready to paint.
Just out of the paint shop - AKAN paints used.
A few areas need touching up - but its looking good.
Finished Model
Curved fillet between wing L/E and ESM pod added - Trumpeter missed it.
... they also missed the Blind Flying curtains inside the cockpit.......
.... and the silver APU exhaust outlet on top of the tailboom.
APU inlet - and exhaust on top.
They also missed the step attached to the anti-FOD guard.
Comparison photo - the original Su-27IB prototype (left) and latest production Su-34 (right).
Tailbooms compared......
....and noses.
Su-27IB (converted from Heller Su-27UB and Italeri Su-34) next to the Trumpeter Su-34.
New Begemot decal sheet - 1/72 scale
Ken Duffey
October 2018