​Zvezda IL-2 Shturmovik, Kit No. 4826, 1/48th Scale

Sometimes you just have to wonder why certain model manufacturers do the things they do when it comes to choosing the kits they're going to issue. That's a question that could come to mind here since there are already two older, if somewhat flawed but entirely adequate, IL-2 kits out there in 1/48th scale (Accurate Miniatures and Tamiya). Do we really need another one? The answer to that is a resounding yes, we do, and we need this one.

Let's jump straight to the chase right here and right now and make one of those rash statements that get folks in trouble from time to time: The Zvezda IL-2 family of polystyrene kits are the best Shturmoviks available at the moment. They're more accurate than their existing competition and you can tell the difference if you compare built versions of all the kits with one another.

 Shturmovik. There's no mistaking that shape for anything else; it's an IL-2 and it's the best one out there.

Detailing on this kit is superb, easily as good as if not better than that presently offered by other model manufacturers. The term "world class" is often misused in our hobby, but Zvezda had figured it out and the kit is a fine mixture of delicacy, as close to scale fidelity as it's possible to get at the moment, married to a properly brutal airframe. It's an IL-2 in every sense of the word. Component fit is exemplary as well; if a part doesn't fit you've done something wrong.

In addition, the kit offers a number of options to the modeler, some of which may be suitable for aircraft variants other than the one being offered in this boxing. Options include:

1. Landing gear doors, opened and closed.

2. Bombs (FAB500) for the wing center section bomb bays, the doors for which can be displayed opened or closed.

3. Two different types of underwing rocket rails.

4. Two different types of underwing rockets.

5. Provision to depict the free gun employed or stowed (different configurations).

6. Separate components to model the landing gear in the raised position.

7. Three different types of radio antenna masts.

8. Two different canopy styles (applicable to this kit; there are actually three types provided but one isn't for use with this variant).

9. A semi-complete engine should you choose to use the opened engine panels.

Decals are provided for three different aircraft and they work superbly over gloss paint, such as the AKAN employed on the review model. The kit decals are easily as good as anybody's aftermarket and worked perfectly without the use of any sort of decal solution (with the caveat that they were used over gloss paint).

Could this be the ultimate IL-2 kit? It's certainly a contender for the title!

With that said that while it can be stated that the kit is absolutely amazing in many respects, there are some issues that need to be considered prior to building one. First up is that of scale fidelity, which is probably the last thing you'd expect to hear as a detriment to building a good model. It's often difficult if not outright impossible for a kit manufacturer to issue a model that's 100% to scale, but Zvezda has come close, and that's both a good thing and a bad one all at the same time, because a few of the components (those provided to build up the free gun come to mind here) are tiny in the truest sense of the word and can be somewhat difficult to install correctly. The landing gear components are far more delicate than we're used to seeing in kits of this airplane as well. No, Ya'll, I didn't break anything while building this kit, but the opportunity is certainly there to do it. Caution and a delicate touch are highly recommended.

The instructions are the true bugaboo of this model, however. They're all pictorial, don't do an especially good job of depicting where things really go, and can be somewhat vague if you don't know the airplane. The mounting of the engine is critical to the installation of everything else in the nose but it's a soft installation, one that can be easily misunderstood if you aren’t careful. Construction of the free gun in the rear cockpit is another potential pitfall for the unwary; as previously mentioned, a couple of the pieces are tiny in the extreme and their installation is poorly defined by the instructions. My best friend while building the model was my 1997 edition of Wings and Wheels #2 IL-2 Type 3 and IL-10/Avia B-33 in Detail, which provided photographic documentation of the details apparently taken for granted in the kit's instructions. You may or may not have that particular tome available but you'll probably want something to hand as you progress with this model.

In summary, the kit itself is superb, and Zvezda are to be highly commended for it. In addition to that, the decals could set the standard for those offered in an off-the-shelf kit. They’re thin, beautifully printed, and are easy to work with. The occasionally vague pictorial instructions are another story, however, and a model of this overall quality deserves far better. In spite of that, this is one of those kits that can be recommended, albeit with some reservation; it's presently the best model available of the legendary IL-2 and can be successfully negotiated by most modelers, but modeling skills and a degree of caution are required.