1:48 Mi-8 Hip weapon mounting frame with BD3-57KrV for Zvezda kit (for UKRAINE only / Late) (2 pcs)

Weapon mounting frame with BD3-57KrV racks for the Mi-8 in 1:48 scale

An armed Mi-8 carries bombs, rocket pods and containers on truss frames mounted on the sides of the fuselage. That is exactly the frame this set brings, including the BD3-57KrV pylons the loads are hung from. The parts are made by 3D printing in resin, so they have a thin truss and crisp edges of a kind that cannot be achieved in injection-molded plastic. The package contains two pieces, that is, a frame for both sides of the fuselage. It is an accessory for a model, not a kit of the helicopter.

The real subject

The Mi-8 is a twin-engine multirole helicopter that appeared in the 1960s and still serves in dozens of countries. It is originally a transport machine, but from the outset it was also adapted for fire support: rocket pods, bombs and containers were hung on the side frames. This particular form of the frame with its pylons corresponds to the late version that appeared on machines in Ukrainian service.

Use and tips

Cut the parts off the supports with a sharp scalpel or a fine saw, level the surfaces with a file and do the sanding with your airways protected. They are glued with cyanoacrylate. Before gluing, measure out the position of both frames on the fuselage exactly, so that they are symmetrical and at the same height, because asymmetry is the most conspicuous mistake on a side frame. The thin truss is fragile, so handle it with tweezers.

Who the set is for

• builders of helicopters in 1:48 scale
• owners of the Mi-8 kit from Zvezda
• modelers building the armed version of the machine
• advanced modelers working with resin

The set is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.