1:48 Mi-24

A combination nobody else repeated

Mikhail Mil managed to squeeze two roles into one machine that are normally divided between two types. The helicopter flew in September 1969 and combined strong armor protection and attack armament with a cabin for eight troops to be put down. In the West it was nicknamed Hind and in Afghanistan it became a symbol of the Soviet presence. Later versions brought the typical pair of stepped bubbles one above the other, with the gunner in front and the pilot higher behind him. The Czechoslovak and later the Czech Air Force operated the D versions and machines designated 35.

Glazing, and there is plenty of it

Besides both pilot bubbles the machine has side windows in the cargo compartment, vision ports in the doors and small windows at the sides of the nose. On a model in 1:48 that means a long row of small frames on which taping by hand is slow and prone to mistakes. One badly guided cut means overspray that can no longer be hidden on the model. The pre-formed shapes fit their places the first time and hold the outline of the frame along its whole length.

What to do with the contents

The set offers shapes in two forms, for the outer and the inner side of the glass. On cockpits with dense framing paint sprayed inside is useful even when you build everything closed, because a light interior would otherwise show through the glass. Lay the film on a washed and dry surface, paint in light applications and take it off right after the last coat is touch-dry.

The helicopter is not in the package; this is an accessory meant to be bought along with a kit.