1:32 B-13L rocket launcher (4 pcs)

Reskit 1:32 — B-13L rocket pods (4 pieces)

A set of four resin B-13L rocket pods in 1:32 scale. It is not a kit of an aircraft or a helicopter, but add-on armament that you hang under the wing or on the pylons of an already built model. On an object with such a complicated shape a resin casting gives a markedly better result than a two-part plastic molding: the front faces of the pod, the mounting and the surface detail are crisp and free of the parting plane that would otherwise have to be laboriously sanded away. Four pieces in the package match a usual underwing fit.

The real subject

The B-13L is a Soviet pod launcher for unguided aircraft rockets of 122 mm caliber. It is carried on the pylons of combat aircraft and helicopters of Eastern design — the maker's sister sets name as typical carriers the Su-17 and Su-22, the Su-24, the Su-25, the MiG-23, the MiG-29 and the Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters. Against launchers of smaller caliber the B-13L is markedly bulkier and clearly visible on a model, so it pays to do the work on it carefully.

Building and painting tips

First wash the castings in lukewarm water with detergent because of release agent residue from the mold. Cut the casting blocks off with a saw or a fine cutter and true the cuts up with fine abrasive paper, ideally wet and with respiratory protection; resin dust is not to be inhaled. They are glued with cyanoacrylate. Apply a primer before painting — on resin that is a necessity, not a recommendation. The pods are usually painted in the same shade as the underside of the aircraft or in a different technical gray; add contrast with a dark wash into the recesses between the muzzles and a light dry brush on the edges. Hang them on the model at the very end, so that they are not in the way while you paint the lower surfaces.

Who the set is for

• Builders of combat aircraft and helicopters of Eastern design in 1:32
• Modelers who want to replace coarse plastic stores with a crisp casting
• Those building a scene with the complete underwing armament

This is an add-on set of underwing armament, not a model of an aircraft. It is supplied unassembled and unpainted; glue, paints and the base kit are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.