The Little World

Every model kit is an adventure in a cardboard box – some are the Walt Disney types and some are the Jumanji sort…

In the case of the Ilyushin 4, I arrived at the wing stage and took some time out to be flabberghasted. The construction of the thing is a unique departure.

The engine nacelles of the real Ilyushin 4 are set in the centreline of the wing shape – to pull the aircraft forward into space with the most efficient passage of air over the wing – in its turn generating the best lift. Many bombers with twin or quad propellor engines are much the same. Few put the centre of thrust far away from the rest of the wing.

But in most of the other kits I’ve built, the nacelle is either an integral part of the wing moulding , or at least is applied in a separate set of castings around the wing itself. Zvezda, and Mister Craft have made each nacelle a separate part of the wing that sits between the inner root and the outer panel. There are two cement interfaces where other people get by with none.

The result is a nervous time making sure that the mating surfaces are square to each other and have enough of a bond or weld to withstand the flexion of weight upon the wing. I found myself paying more attention to this than I would have to a wing-root joint.

The wings have no dihedral that I can see. This may have been a real feature, though it might be just the kit. nevertheless I have succeeded in mating the surfaces so that there are no gaps. As it is square I ask no more.