Su47 Berkut

[Miko]

preping my next build while stuff is setting curing drying on my last.

Su47 Berkut (golden eagle) was a 'one off' experimental technology demonstrator first flight September 1997.

One of two HobbyBoss kits I have in the stash (the other T50 PAK-FA) the parts count seems quite low and the detail and molding from first look seems pretty good. It's Su27 heritage is quite clear, this is my first HobbyBoss build.







As can be seen I've pinched a couple of 'Red Stars' from the decal sheet for a past project, this was always going to be a 'what if', nothing Japanese this time!

Miko (big imposing bird isn't it?)

[Ian M]

Someone at Sukov wasn't reading the instructions when they put that together.

[Miko]

Someone at Sukov wasn't reading the instructions when they put that together.

Ha! does look that way doesn't it? it does impart excellent agility but at the cost of low speed and supersonic performance, similar to the Grumman X-29, The Berkut was used as a technology demonstrator for 4.5 generation fighter, composite materials and advance material bonding techniques. This is exactly my kind of build preference

Miko (busy today)

[Miko]

I've competed my prebuild rituals, last build done, (no one loves the 'shelf of doom'!) cleared the bench of clutter, checked tools and materials, selected paints, made a nice cup of tea and got a few biscuits so I can sit and study the instructions for a while! maybe a YouTube search for 'extra' incentive. . .



Miko ( . . . this is stash control. . . you are cleared to build. . . . may your sprue cutters stay sharp and the carpet monster remain bannished. . God speed!) Ha!

[Miko]

The cockpit is very sparse, a simple seat and control column, you'd think such an advanced jet would have HOTAS?

The instructions call for a grey/blue interior and matt black seat, that's it! I painted the interior 'what if' blue and added a little speculative detail to the seat, there are decals for the instrument panel and side consoles, also painted the wheels in Soviet style green, not sure how much access HobbyBoss had to the real thing but my photo research is a little different to theirs. To keep the 'what if' credible the landing gear has to be as the manufacturer constructed same with the dielectric panels on the leading edges of the aerodynamic surfaces and radome nose cone which appear to be slightly off white




Next step is air intakes the the fuselage goes together

Miko (do all HobbyBoss kits have a low parts count?)

[Miko]

Well this thing just falls together, the fuselage, wings and empennage assembly went together in ten minutes! minimal clean up needed because of thoughtfully placed sprue gates, the tab and slot fitting is almost like a 'snap kit' type of fit, tiny bit of filler needed, probably because I got carried away with the speed of progress maybe should have taken a little more time to get it 'perfect'! Still, a squidge of Vallejo plastic putty and a moist cotton bud will make short work of any gap filling!! Unusually, each wing is just 'one' piece, no top and bottom half with this one!

'Big!' . . . . . isn't it?




So, canopy on, mask it up and time for primer coat

Miko (finalizing the 'what if' back story)

[Miko]

Primer coat on! first time with Tamiya XF-2 Flat White, took several million coats to get any opacity!



Next colour? Signal Red!

Miko (moving along)

[Miko]

A bit of annoying bleed under the masking tape! aarrgghh!!



Next, Oxford Blue!

Miko (what if'ing)

[Miko]

Bit of blue. . .




Just needs a red fuselage stripe and I can add decals

Miko (bit fed up of masking)

[HAWKERHUNTER]

Coming on nicely Miko. Interesting color scheme.

[yak face]

Nice work miko , a very interesting what if . The hobby boss kit looks about as simple as the Zvezda one I did a few years back . Funnily enough I did a what if too . The side by side comparison with the starfighter shows what a big beast it was .

[A_J_Rimmer]

Wow! That's certainly a very interesting what if! You painting looks excellent!

[Miko]

Nice work miko , a very interesting what if . The hobby boss kit looks about as simple as the Zvezda one I did a few years back .

Thanks Yak, The parts count is quite low, seems to be a HobbyBoss thing

I never knew there was a Zvezda Berkut! I see Hasegawa issued it as an Id@lmaster kit! I have one of those in the stash

Funnily enough I did a what if too . The side by side comparison with the starfighter shows what a big beast it was .

It does lend itself to 'what if' for sure, what was your 'what if' thing?

Wow! That's certainly a very interesting what if! You painting looks excellent!

Thanks Arnie, my dodgy mobile phone photography hides a lot of little paint errors! Because 'Testing Colours' paint scheme is a challenging masking job rectifying slip ups is a problem, I'm going to try a new idea (to me at least) and paint a plain white decal sheet the appropriate colours and use that to sharpen up those wavy lines!

I'll decal this next and add the landing gear and all the stuff that could get knocked off later



Miko (should be done by tomorrow)

[yak face]

It does lend itself to 'what if' for sure, what was your 'what if' thing?

I did it as an in service Russian air force machine in the experimental ‘shark’ scheme as seen on one of the su57 / T50 prototypes - if you search su47 Berkut it should pop up

[Miko]

A lightbulb moment brings about this, because 'MoD (PE) Conspicuity Colour Scheme' is a tricky masking job I've painted white decal sheet I had left over from a Fantasy Print Shop sheet, so all those bleed through under masking along panel lines and slight over spray can be decaled back into shape!



Although, I should have primed the sheet in the same way as I did the kit to get a consistant colour density

Miko (thinking outside the kit box!)