Tupolev Tu-2 'Túzok' - ICM

I have never heard of this manufacturer before, but the Sabre Kits version is just a repackaged ICM kit, with two additional, different 3D printed propellers and a new decal sheet provided. All the other parts are the same as the ICM kit. 

Fret 1. As you can see, the fuselage is the old version of the Tu-2 with three small round windows in the back and not the later version with one single, larger window and a wider fuselage section. There are no panel lines but rows of tiny rivets. While it may be scale accurate, the rivets are so shallow, that they will probably disappear completely under the primer coat. I might be tempted to rescribe some panel lines instead. 

Fret 2 - wings and engines. Here are the three-bladed propellers that fit with the provided fuselage. Three crewmembers are also provided: a reasonably detailed pilot and rear gunner, and a bizarrly crouching radio operator with only vaguely human shape. It's fine, I won't be using them anyway. 

Fret 3 - engine nacelles and stabilizer. All details that are usually represented with panel lines are here lines of rivets and various plates molded onto the parts. It all looks very scale accurate, but I am worried how the details will survive the upcoming filling and sanding sessions. 

Fret 4 - undercarriage and smaller details. Everything seems surprisingly well molded although there is a lot of flash present everywhere.  

Fret 5 - transparencies, loosely rattling inside the box without any protection at all. Damit folks, how much would it cost you to add an extra plastic bag? 

The main canopy is unfortunately badly scratched - it almost looks like a crack. I am not sure I can repair it, but hey, let's just pretend that it's a cracked window of the real aircraft. After all, they were not far from scrap metal when Hungary received them from Sztálin bácsi. 

In this "Limited Edition" kit, two very crisp 3D-printed four blade propellers and spinners are provided - unfortunately four blade propellers were not used together with the old style three-window fuselage provided in the kit, so these parts are sadly not usable. 

This is what the box art describes as a "detailed decal sheet". Ho-hum. It contains markings for two aircraft: a Polish number 8 and a Hungarian number 10. Unfortunately none of these two aircraft can be built from the parts in the box, so other side number decals need to be sourced. 

Instructions are concise and clear - at least if you have built a few plastic model kits before. But there is a lot of room for complete show-stopper errors here if you are not careful.  

Not a very complex scheme: Russian green over light blue with just the tiniest splash of color. The Polish version has a bit of red on the fins and the spinner. The Hungarian ones had different colors on the spinners. On the white 04 that I intend to build, the spinner was red on the left side and sky blue on the right side. Not sure why, maybe they replaced the spinner from another aircraft or somebody just wanted to have fun? 

All the parts on all the frets are coated with some sort of thick, oily residue. This is of course the release agent from the molding process that will make the sprue trees separate from the metal molds, but on this kit, the oil film is so thick that it almost looks like the parts have been covered with engine grease. Fortunately it comes of quite easily using liquid hand dishwashing detergent and warm water, and then some additional cleaning with IPA alcohol. 

Frets laid out on the kitchen table to dry completely. Wifey thinks I have lost it, I cannot say I blame her. 

Let's start with the rather rudimentary flight deck! There are two potential pitfalls right here folks. First of all, do not add the rudder pedals yet, as they will make the fit of the instrument panel much more difficult. The second pitfall is even more dangerous. The long bars on the sides of the cockpit are the front reinforcement beams for the wings. You should attach the front bars at this stage already, but if you also attach the rear bars (shown in the photo), you will not be able to join the fuselage sides later.