Kit Ref: 81756
Price: around £100.00GBP; $124.18USD; €116.93; $162.14
Review by Geoff Coughlin (February 2017)
Thanks to Mike J at MJR Models for helping to source our review sample. Get this model here now.
The good news…
Is that Dave C will be building this great looking kit very soon in full here in your SMN, and so, depending on when you read these words, the model will either be soon to appear in Aircraft-Build Now, or be in Aircraft-Build Now and if it’s completed, then you’ll find the whole finished build in Aircraft-Finished Now-Hobby Boss.
Here’s a little bit of background to the Sukhoi Su-34 ‘Fullback’…
The Sukhoi Su-34 (Russian: Сухой Су-34) (NATO reporting name: Fullback) is a Russian twin-engine, twin-seat strike fighter. It is intended to replace the Sukhoi Su-24.
Based on the Sukhoi Su-27 ‘Flanker’, the two-seat Su-34 is designed primarily for tactical deployment against ground and naval targets (tactical bombing/attack/interdiction roles, including against small and mobile targets) on solo and group missions in daytime and at night, under favourable and adverse weather conditions and in a hostile environment with counter-fire and EW counter-measures deployed, as well as for aerial reconnaissance.
The Hobby Boss kit
Big box usually means big kit and that’s what you get here – this Su-34 has all the look and feel of a much bigger scale 1:32 kit and you have to pinch yourself that this aircraft is in fact 1:48. The box is solid as a rock and no damage apparent to any parts.
Main components
As you can see the fuselage halves are split horizontally making great sense given the design of the Su-34. The mouldings are very impressive here with no distortion and perfectly sized recessed panel lines and rivet detail. This shape just couldn’t be anything other than a great Russian Sukhoi type!
Individual plastic bags protect all the parts that are broken down into their respective sub-assemblies. When you look carefully, the reality is that most of the sprues relate to all the possible weapons and stores this bird can carry, leaving not too much else to worry about.
Take a look at the gallery below and you’ll see what’s on offer.
