W I M M E R

SCALE MODELER
Volume 9, Number 8, AUGUST, 1974
4 pages, page 64 til 66 and 69

Published by
CHALLENGE PUBLICATIONS; INC.

Tu-154

Anfang 2009 bekam ich von meinem Hobbyfreund Don aus USA zwei Ausgaben der Zeitschrift SCALE MODELER von 1973. In diesen Ausgaben sind Artikel über KVZ/Plasticart Bausätze. Da wir diese Artikel für alle KVZ/Plasticart begeisterten für interessant halten, haben wir uns bei CHALLENGE PUBLICATIONS; INC., um die Erlaubnis zur Veröffentlichung bemüht. Im Juli 2009 bekam ich nun vom Verlag die Erlaubnis, diese auf unserer HP zu veröffentlichen. Wir bedanken uns dafür ganz herzlich beim Verleger Edwin A. Schnepf.

Besuchen Sie auch die HP von CHALLENGE PUBLICATIONS, INC.. Auch wenn es die Zeitschrift SCALE MODELER nicht mehr gibt, so werden nach wie vor sehr interessante Zeitschriften herausgegeben.

Wenn Ihnen weitere KVZ/Plasticart betreffende Artikel bekannt sind, würden wir uns über eine Nachricht sehr freuen. wimmerrichard@hotmail.com

Visit also the CHALLENGE PUBLICATIONS; INC. website.

THE SOVIET UNION’S ENTRY INTO THE TRI-JET FIELD WAS THE TUPOLEV Tu-154. THIS WAS THE LARGEST TRI-JET IN THE WORLD UNTIL THE APPEARANCE OF AMERICA’S McDONNELL DOUGLAS DC-10.

By  Jordan  Ross

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A Tupolev Tu-154 in operation with the Soviet state owned airline, Aeroflot. The graceful lines of this Tri-Jet are readily apparent here.

Hohe Auflösung / High resolution

Hohe Auflösung / High resolution

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Hohe Auflösung / High resolution

Hohe Auflösung / High resolution

The first announcement of a Tri-Jet airliner built in the Soviet Union appeared in 1966. At that time a Prototype of the Tu-154 was being built. The first scheduled test flight was to begin in late 1967. The first prototype flew a year later in October, 1968. This aircraft displayed the serial number CCCP-85000. The aircraft was designed primarily as a medium to long range domestic aircraft, and was intended to replace some of the older airliners in service with Aeroflot, the state owned airline.     The aircraft was designed to carry 158 passengers, a three man crew, and six cabin attendants. An all freight version was also announced, and a stretched model, which would have space for up to 250 passengers. The aircraft was also projected for sales to foreign airlines outside the U.S.S.R. The Tu-154, coded by the Allies (“Careless”), entered Aeroflot service flying the Moscow 2 Tbilisi, in July, 1971. Czechoslovakia has ordered six of these aircraft.		The Tupolev Tu-154 has three Kuznetsov NK-8-2 Turbo Fans with a cruising speed of 559 miles per hour, and with a normal operating altitude of 36,000 feet. It has a span of 123 feet 2½ inches and a length of 157 feet 1¾ inches. In comparison with the DC-10 which has a length of 180 feet 5 inches and a span of 155 feet 4 inches. The DC-10 has a maximum cruising speed of 587 miles per hour.     This kit of the Tuplov Tu-154 is one of the latest releases by the East German manufacturer MODELL- BAUKASTEN in their 1/100th scale. The latest release being the AN-12, which will be reviewed in depth in an upcoming issue of Scale Modeler.     On opening the box, it becomes immediately apparent that a change has

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been made in the quality of the moulding from previous offerings, or so it appears. The scribing is much cleaner and is raised. Unfortunately it’s raised too much and will have to be sanded down. In 1/100th scale panel lines are not too obvious anyway.     MODELLBAUKASTEN uses a very hard white plastic for their airliner kits, which has almost a glassy appearance. Before the model can be painted this surface will have to be roughed up using emery paper or a rough scouring powder. Paint simply will not stick to the untreated stock surface.     The kit consists of 42 parts, not counting the stand. They are connected to the trees very securely and should be cut off with a knife and not broken off or you will lose part of the piece for sure.     After the parts were washed, scoured and sanded down construction began by putting a half ounce of weight in the nose. It may be that this plane would stand up without the weight but I did not want to take a chance of finding out the hard way so I put it in.     Next the interior was sprayed Pactra flat black. If this isn’t done the white plastic the kit is made from will clearly show through the many windows and you will lose the illusion of a fuselage with something in it.		Sticking the various parts together is no major problem, even for a relative novice to the hobby. However, once that is done, you will be faced with a rather tricky filling and sanding job. The fuselage will not line up exactly even all along the upper and lower seams and perhaps because of the type of plastic it is, the seams will develop small air bubbles where the glue contacts it. It may be necessary to fill, sand and test paint more than once to be sure the seam is smooth before final painting.     The wing fit to the fuselage is excellent on this kit and no filling was required there, just careful gluing. Incidentally, the majority of construction was done with MICRO-WELD.     As with all “T” tail aircraft be sure the horizontal surfaces line up 90 degrees to the fin. It’s a glaring error if not done properly.     The aircraft has 14 wheels each of which will need to have the ridge in the center of the tire sanded down and then painted. I used Pactra flat black for the tires and Testor’s silver for the hubs. It is not necessary to paint the hubs an the inside of each tire. Since they are arranged in a dual configura-

Hohe Auflösung / High resolution

Hohe Auflösung / High resolution

Hohe Auflösung / High resolution

Hohe Auflösung / High resolution

An interesting series of inflight shots of the Tupolev Tu-154 with the serial number CCP-85000. This was the first prototype, which made its maiden flight in 1968.		An excellent view of a Tupolev Trident taken at the Prague Airport in October 1973, by Petr Vik. The aircraft is shown in the Aeroflot colors.

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Hohe Auflösung / High resolution

Hohe Auflösung / High resolution

Hohe Auflösung / High resolution

tion you can’t see the inside of the wheel well enough to go to the work.     The landing gear struts are molded in a silver styrene which looks as realistic as any paint, so I did not paint them.     There are a couple of ways to go in attaching the engine pods to the fuselage. It is easier to leave them off until after the model is painted, however, there is always the risk of a poor fit leaving an unsightly gap between the pod and fuselage. The other way is to stick them on before painting, do your filling and sanding if needed and then paint around them. I chose the later course an this example, and if I had it to do over again I would leave them off until after painting and take my chances an the fit.     The kit provides decals for the blue stripe along the fuselage, but I elected to paint mine on with Pactra insignia blue. This was the first paint to go on. I then masked it off and shot on the white. It is Pactra gloss white well thinned down so as not to gum up my		gun. Notice that some of the white is below the blue stripe. Also note the odd way the white paint line follows the rear edge of the rudder down onto the fuselage.     Leaving the blue area masked I next masked off all the white area and sprayed the rest of the plane in natural metal using the “Dull” finish metal paint from International Modeling in Las Vegas. This stuff dries hard in 24 hours and doesn’t require any further treatment.     I used the red stripe from the kit decal to go along the fuselage below the blue one. All other markings an the plane are from the kit sheet which depicts an early production model of this sleek looking airliner. MICRO DECAL set was used but be careful putting it on. The decals are very thin and could ball up on you if not treated with proper respect.     The leading edges of the jet intakes were done with Testor’s silver. The grills on the engine pods are a flat black wash.

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