AIR: Eastern Express 1/288 Tu-160

No help here, but I REALLY REALLY REALLY wish someone would produce a

1/72 of this baby that doesn't cost you your first born....

Bill,

I got mine from Aviapress :-

Payment is in US dollars through a company called CCnow :- I had no problems with my order and it came fairly quickly.

I don't know if Guy at Lindenhill has any - they're not in his list :-

he may have some.

BTW - it's a great little kit !!

Great to practice on before tackling the Master Club or Amodel 1:72 scale versions!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Ken Duffey - Flanker Freak & Russian Aviation Enthusiast Flankers Website -

Imagine the tooling costs - and then factor in the sales potential.

I agree it would be nice - but the mainstream players are going to play safe and produce yet more F-15/16, F-35, F/A-18, F/A-22 kits.

If you want more esoteric kits - like Amodel's 1:72 scale Tu-160 - you should think about selling your firstborn and supporting them .

And no, I haven't bought one - having already made the Master Club resin kit, I can't justify it - even to myself!!

But I am in the process of making their An-22 - see :-

My first (and second) born have flown the nest - so I am in a bit better position than yourself.

Although they STILL want help sometime - does it ever stop ??????

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Ken Duffey - Flanker Freak & Russian Aviation Enthusiast Flankers Website -

Sure it does! About three days after you assume room temperature and the good-byes are over. (The unfortunately, the in-fighting begins over the estate.)

-- John ___ __[xxx]__ (o - ) --------o00o--(_)--o00o-------

The history of things that didn't happen has never been written - Henry Kissinger

Thanks, Ken! I'll look into it.

Bill Banaszak, MFE

Linden Hill tells me they are dropping Eastern Express and are selling off their stock. That was a fast turnaround on the question!

Bill Banaszak, MFE

Well, looks like you already got all the answers I had to give (Avia Press & LH has dropped EE). I will share one idea though. I've been thinking of making this kit but all the other bombers I'm building are 1/144, so what to use for comparison???

GHQ Models makes several pewter fixed wing jets in 1/285 (close enough). I was thinking of doing an in-flight intercept diorama w/ a F-15A or an on-the-tarmac diorama w/ a MiG-23 - their other fixed wing options are MiG-27 & Su-25, no Su-27 darn it to heck!

Here are the links to the GHQ birds if you are interested: Soviet:

NATO:

prices are kind of steep but Squadron had them on sale a couple of months ago for 1/2 to 3/4 off.

Now if someone could make a 1/144 Blackjack life would be a bed of roses.

Bill

True. But there's also the Trumpeter Bear in 1/72 that isn't much smaller, and it sells at "only" 90-100$ (and then, with a better sales potential, also Monogram/AMT/AMTech B-52s)

Panda last year announced an IM Blackjack in 1/72 (I think it's still in the "future releases" on Hannant's website). Who knows...

FWIW I just found it at Hobby Terra too, but reboxed w/ new artwork by Kondor.

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Whoa!!!

I think I prefer the Eastern Expres artwork !!

Someone must think it's a B-1 !!!!

The decals are different too - that decals sheet is for number 07 only - Alexandr Molodchii

The Eastern Express version gives you 4 'named' machines - Mikhail Gromov, Illya Mouromets, Vasily Reshetnikov and Alexandr Molodchii - see :-

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Ken Duffey - Flanker Freak & Russian Aviation Enthusiast Flankers Website -