From: "Steve Bamford ARC" To: "ayshapiro2" References: <001601c480e1$70a56160$0400a8c0@attbi.com> Subject: Re: 1/144 Minicraft Tu-22M3 Backfire Part 1 Date: Sun, 3 Oct 2004 11:54:39 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_02B9_01C4A93F.C9A53DE0" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Unsent: 1 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1409 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_02B9_01C4A93F.C9A53DE0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi Dmitriy, I just wanted to let you know your article went on ARC today. Thanks = for sending it in. =20 Steve Bamford Aircraft Resource Center http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com =20 Live like there is no tomorrow; Love like you've never been hurt. Work like you don't need the money. Dance like nobody's watching. Sing like nobody's listening. Live like it's Heaven on Earth. ----- Original Message -----=20 From: ayshapiro2=20 To: steve@s102164210.onlinehome.us=20 Sent: Thursday, August 12, 2004 7:58 PM Subject: 1/144 Minicraft Tu-22M3 Backfire Part 1 Hey Steve, =20 This is my newly completed 1/144 Tu-22M3. This is one of the two = parts. The second one will be sent in when I finish it, which should be = in a couple of days. There is one thing that you might want to fix in = the Templates section. At the bottom of each article, it says Photos and = text =A9 2003. It's already 2004 so I suggest you change that. Thanks,=20 Dmitriy =20 1/144 Minicraft Tu-22M3 Backfire Part 1=20 by Dmitriy Shapiro -------------------- Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 01.jpg = here=20 =20 History: =20 One of the greatest bombers in the Soviet Air Force, and now the = Russian Air Force, the Tu-22M was actually know as the Tu-26. The = aircraft, which was originally know to NATO as the "Backfire" was = identified by the Soviet Union as the Tu-22M. It began as a new concept = from the Tu-22 with a swing-wing design, and a whole new body. The new = swept wing of the Tu-22M was especially made for high performance, and = it offered a far better solution. Development of the aircraft started in = 1966, but there were reports from the United States that Tu-22 parts = were converted into new prototypes. These statements were absolutely = false. These newly produced aircraft were specified as "Backfire A", and = were built to a completely new design, but still kept some Tu-22 Blinder = features. After the Tu-22M0, M1, and M2, came the last version, the M3. = The Tu-22M3 had two new Kuznetsov NK-25 engines that produced 25,000 Kg = of thrust each. The new aircraft had some new visible changes. The most = significant were the new ramp-type engine intakes, the "Down-Beat" tail = radar, the tail guns, and exhaust holders. The nose was also completely = changed, and it carried a rotary launcher in the bomb bay. This new bird = had the NATO name of "Backfire C." About 350 are estimated to be in = service right now. The first flight of the Tu-22M3 was on June 20, 1977, = but it was deployed 4 years after, in 1981. It has a maximum speed of = 2,300 Km/h, but travels at a cruising speed of only 900. The Tu-22M3 can = carry one to three H-22 missiles, six to ten H-15 missiles, 24,000 Kg of = free falling missiles, and one double barreled GSH-23 gun located in the = tail. One of the greatest bombers in Soviet history is still serving in = Russia, Ukraine, and India. Click on images below to see larger images =20 Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo = 03.jpg here. Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized = version of photo 03.jpg=20 Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo = 04.jpg here. Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized = version of photo 04.jpg=20 Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo = 05.jpg here. Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized = version of photo 05.jpg=20 =20 The Kit: This is the Minicraft kit has a long history. My father bought = this kit back in Russia, and did not let me do it until my skills were = really good, and then one day he told me to make it. This tooling was = developed by Minicraft and Academy, as it says so on the box. This is = the same exact kit as the 1/144 Tu-22M2, except the nose and the intakes = are different. It comes with rescribed panel lines, average detail, and = white plastic. The wheel bays have no detail, landing gear has barely = are detail, and the cockpit has some chairs and that's it. There are = many things needed to be done to make it an actual M3, and not an M2 = with a different nose and intakes. Looks like Minicraft just wanted a = cheap way to make a new model. Overall, the kit is pretty nice, but a = lot more detail could be used. Even though it is in 1/144, the model is = still pretty big. =20 Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 02.jpg = here=20 =20 Construction: Construction started out like it always does. First came the = fuselage halves, which included the fuselage itself and the tail. I put = several lead nose weights in the front of the aircraft to keep it from = falling on its tail with all the weapons it will have. The cockpit was = simple, and since it's really small, I didn't do much detail. Then, one = of the most complicated and most important parts of the construction = came, which was the wings. On the Tu-22M, the wings can move in = different positions, just like on the F-14 Tomcat. Minicraft developed a = special way to simulate this. The wings have long stick coming out of = them with a hole on the end of each. In the middle of the fuselage, = there is a place where you can hook up a long piece of plastic that has = 2 bumps on the sides. This moves so that when you put the holes on the = ends of the wings onto the bumps, they move simultaneously. The wings = are held up on little bums that are almost at the start of the real = wing. These had to be sanded down for a comfortable fit. When the whole = wing assembly was done, this was glued on the bottom of the fuselage. = All of the sanding and filling was done, and I must say it was not a = pretty sight. The wing joints and the bottom fuselage joints required a = lot. The intakes had no problem, except with the join of the fuselage, = which took several putty applications. Then, the windshield was dipped = in Future, masked with Tamiya Masking Tape, and another coat of Future = to stop the paint from leaking through.=20 After the main construction, there were several modifications that = had to be made. Since the kit is just a remake of the M2 with different = intakes, there was a lot of stuff to be done. I just changed the most = noticeable things, and now the small issues, like moving the whole wing = section back or forth. First of all, I had to shorten down the back = radar, because it was way shorter, and had a different shape on the = Tu-22M3. Then, the back guns had to be totally changed. I cut off the = actual guns and saved them. Then, I sanded down the sides of the area = where everything was stored. I sanded the front part to get the right = shape, and then put the guns back on. The tail had to be sanded down to = be thinner so the new modifications would not be too small. These were = glued on later.=20 For the weapons, there was an AS-6 included, which was pretty = accurate. After posting my In-Progress pics on the discussion board, my = good friend Raymond gave me a suggestion. He gave me a suggestion to = build some AS-4 missiles. It was my first scratchbuilding project, but I = decided to go for it. I found some 1/48 AIM-54 missiles in my spare box = from my F-14 kit that I threw away. They were built poorly, so I had to = cut off all of the fins and smooth out the fuselage. Then, I cut them to = precise length, and formed the nose to shape with some wet sanding. The = whole missile still had an empty space in it, which had to be filled. I = decided to use the parts that I cut off from the end of the body, and = put them in the fuselage one at a time. I glued them in, and let it dry. = Unfortunately, all this glue made the plastic really soft and it took = almost 3 weeks for it to fully dry. It was the puttied up so the back = would normal. I sanded down the back into correct shape, and I just = noticed that I turned a complete childish build of an AIM-54 into a = smooth AS-4 fuselage. The fins were cut into shape, then glued on. The = top fin was made of styrene sheet, because none of the fins I had were = long enough. I glued, them on, puttied, and they were ready to go. My = first scratchbuilding projects were completed. After all of this, the model was primed for the painting process. = The cockpit glass was first masked with Micro Mask, but this system was = very bad because it was really hard to cut the right pieces. I then = masked it with Tamiya Tape, which was much easier, even though it took = more time. I put Future on the mask before priming to seal it in. Click on images below to see larger images =20 Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo = 06.jpg here. Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized = version of photo 06.jpg=20 Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo = 07.jpg here. Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized = version of photo 07.jpg=20 Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo = 08.jpg here. Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized = version of photo 08.jpg=20 =20 Painting:=20 Painting was pretty simple for this model, as it always is for my = military aircraft. I started out with mixing 80% Tamiya Sky Grey with = 20% Tamiya Flat White, and then some thinner added. I sprayed that on = with my Badger 250 airbrush, and waited for it to dry. Then, I started = masking for the bottom white. I had several references to help me with = this, and they surely did pay off. After masking the whole top of the = aircraft in masking tape, and the white areas in the tail, it was time = for painting. But before painting, I had to seal in the masking tape so = no paint would leak through. I did this by putting Future on the edges = of the masking tape, which was suggested by my good friend MadMike fro = the OZ. I sprayed on a mix of 90% Tamiya Flat White and 10% Thinner, = since the paint was already pretty milky. When I sprayed this on, I let = it dry, and in 2 days I took off the mask. I was just amazed!!!!! Every = line was absolutely perfect! No leaks or crooked lines! You guys = seriously have to try this technique out!=20 With all of the major painting done, it was time for the small = parts. The part on the tail that seems black was painted with a mix of = black and silver. I do not know the percentage, but I just mixed it = until I was satisfied with the color. The silver on the tail was masked = and painted with Tamiya Aluminum. The aluminum on the front of the wings = was painted with Tamiya Aluminum too.=20 Click on images below to see larger images =20 Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo = 09.jpg here. Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized = version of photo 09.jpg=20 Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo = 10.jpg here. Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized = version of photo 10.jpg=20 Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo = 11.jpg here. Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized = version of photo 11.jpg=20 =20 This was just part of the whole build. Look out for Part Two = coming later on ARC. Dmitriy Photos and text =A9 2004 by Dmitriy Shapiro ------=_NextPart_000_02B9_01C4A93F.C9A53DE0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Hi Dmitriy,
I just wanted to let you = know your=20 article went on ARC today.  Thanks for sending it in.  =20
 
Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource = Center
http://www.aircraftresourc= ecenter.com
 
Live=20 like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work = like you=20 don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like = nobody's=20 listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.
----- Original Message -----
From:=20 ayshapiro2
To: steve@s102164210.onlinehom= e.us=20
Sent: Thursday, August 12, 2004 = 7:58=20 PM
Subject: 1/144 Minicraft = Tu-22M3 Backfire=20 Part 1

  Hey=20 Steve,
   
    This is = my newly=20 completed 1/144 Tu-22M3. This is one of the two parts. The second one = will be=20 sent in when I finish it, which should be in a couple of days. There = is one=20 thing that you might want to fix in the Templates section. At the = bottom of=20 each article, it says Photos and text =A9=20 2003. It's already 2004 so I = suggest you=20 change that.
 
Thanks,=20
Dmitriy   

1/144 Minicraft=20 Tu-22M3 Backfire Part 1 

by Dmitriy Shapiro
--------------------

Steve Bamford=20 will insert full=20 sized version of photo 01.jpg = here
 
 
History:
   =
    One of the greatest = bombers in=20 the Soviet Air Force, and now the Russian Air Force, the Tu-22M was = actually=20 know as the Tu-26. The aircraft, which was originally know to = NATO as the=20 "Backfire" was identified by the Soviet Union as the Tu-22M. It began = as=20 a new concept from the Tu-22 with a swing-wing design, and a = whole=20 new body. The new swept wing of the Tu-22M was especially made=20 for high performance, and it offered a far better solution. = Development of the=20 aircraft started in 1966, but there were reports from the United = States that=20 Tu-22 parts were converted into new prototypes. These statements were=20 absolutely false. These newly produced aircraft were specified as = "Backfire=20 A", and were built to a completely new design, but still kept some = Tu-22=20 Blinder features. After the Tu-22M0, M1, and M2, came the last = version, the=20 M3. The Tu-22M3 had two new Kuznetsov NK-25 engines that produced = 25,000 Kg of=20 thrust each. The new aircraft had some new visible changes. The most=20 significant were the new ramp-type engine intakes, the "Down-Beat" = tail radar,=20 the tail guns, and exhaust holders. The nose was also completely = changed, and=20 it carried a rotary launcher in the bomb bay. This new bird had the = NATO name=20 of "Backfire C." About 350 are estimated to be in service right now. = The first=20 flight of the Tu-22M3 was on June 20, 1977, but it was deployed 4 = years after,=20 in 1981. It has a maximum speed of 2,300 Km/h, but travels at a = cruising speed=20 of only 900. The Tu-22M3 can carry one to three H-22 missiles, six to = ten H-15=20 missiles, 24,000 Kg of free falling missiles, and one double barreled = GSH-23=20 gun located in the tail. One of the greatest bombers in Soviet history = is=20 still serving in Russia, Ukraine, and = India.
 

Click on images=20 below to see larger images

Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller = version of=20 photo 03.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo = will bring=20 up the full sized version of photo 03.jpg=20

<= /A>

  Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller = version of=20 photo 04.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo = will bring=20 up the full sized version of photo 04.jpg=20

<= /A>

 Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller = version of=20 photo 05.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo = will bring=20 up the full sized version of photo 05.jpg=20

<= /A>

The = Kit:

    This = is the=20 Minicraft kit has a long history. My father bought this kit back in = Russia,=20 and did not let me do it until my skills were really good, and then = one day he=20 told me to make it. This tooling was developed by Minicraft and = Academy, as it=20 says so on the box. This is the same exact kit as the 1/144 Tu-22M2, = except=20 the nose and the intakes are different. It comes with rescribed panel = lines,=20 average detail, and white plastic. The wheel bays have no detail, = landing gear=20 has barely are detail, and the cockpit has some chairs and that's it. = There=20 are many things needed to be done to make it an actual M3, and not an = M2 with=20 a different nose and intakes. Looks like Minicraft just wanted a cheap = way to=20 make a new model. Overall, the kit is pretty nice, but a lot more = detail could=20 be used. Even though it is in 1/144, the model is still pretty=20 big.

 =20
Steve Bamford=20 will insert full sized version of photo 02.jpg here =
 

Construction:

    Construction=20 started out like it always does. First came the fuselage halves, which = included the fuselage itself and the tail. I put several lead nose = weights in=20 the front of the aircraft to keep it from falling on its tail with all = the=20 weapons it will have. The cockpit was simple, and since it's = really=20 small, I didn't do much detail. Then, one of the most complicated = and=20 most important parts of the construction came, which was the wings. On = the=20 Tu-22M, the wings can move in different positions, just like on the = F-14=20 Tomcat. Minicraft developed a special way to simulate this. The wings = have=20 long stick coming out of them with a hole on the end of each. In the = middle of=20 the fuselage, there is a place where you can hook up a long piece = of=20 plastic that has 2 bumps on the sides. This moves so that when you put = the=20 holes on the ends of the wings onto the bumps, they move = simultaneously. The=20 wings are held up on little bums that are almost at the start of = the real=20 wing. These had to be sanded down for a comfortable fit. When the = whole wing=20 assembly was done, this was glued on the bottom of the fuselage. All = of the=20 sanding and filling was done, and I must say it was not a pretty = sight. The=20 wing joints and the bottom fuselage joints required a lot. The intakes = had no=20 problem, except with the join of the fuselage, which took several = putty=20 applications. Then, the windshield was dipped in Future, masked with = Tamiya=20 Masking Tape, and another coat of Future to stop the paint from = leaking=20 through.

    After the=20 main construction, there were several modifications that had to be = made. Since=20 the kit is just a remake of the M2 with different intakes, there was a = lot of=20 stuff to be done. I just changed the most noticeable things, and now = the small=20 issues, like moving the whole wing section back or forth. First of = all, I had=20 to shorten down the back radar, because it was way shorter, and had a=20 different shape on the Tu-22M3. Then, the back guns had to be totally = changed.=20 I cut off the actual guns and saved them. Then, I sanded down the = sides of the=20 area where everything was stored. I sanded the front part to get the = right=20 shape, and then put the guns back on. The tail had to be sanded down = to be=20 thinner so the new modifications would not be too small. These were = glued on=20 later.

    For the = weapons, there=20 was an AS-6 included, which was pretty accurate. After posting my = In-Progress=20 pics on the discussion board, my good friend Raymond gave me a = suggestion. He=20 gave me a suggestion to build some AS-4 missiles. It was my first=20 scratchbuilding project, but I decided to go for it. I found some 1/48 = AIM-54=20 missiles in my spare box from my F-14 kit that I threw away. They were = built=20 poorly, so I had to cut off all of the fins and smooth out the = fuselage. Then,=20 I cut them to precise length, and formed the nose to shape with some = wet=20 sanding. The whole missile still had an empty space in it, which had = to be=20 filled. I decided to use the parts that I cut off from the end of the = body,=20 and put them in the fuselage one at a time. I glued them in, and let = it dry.=20 Unfortunately, all this glue made the plastic really soft and it took = almost 3=20 weeks for it to fully dry. It was the puttied up so the back would = normal. I=20 sanded down the back into correct shape, and I just noticed that I = turned a=20 complete childish build of an AIM-54 into a smooth AS-4 fuselage. The = fins=20 were cut into shape, then glued on. The top fin was made of styrene = sheet,=20 because none of the fins I had were long enough. I glued, them on, = puttied,=20 and they were ready to go. My first scratchbuilding projects were=20 completed.

    After all of=20 this, the model was primed for the painting process. The cockpit glass = was=20 first masked with Micro Mask, but this system was very bad because it = was=20 really hard to cut the right pieces. I then masked it with Tamiya = Tape, which=20 was much easier, even though it took more time. I put Future on the = mask=20 before priming to seal it in.

Click on images=20 below to see larger images

Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller = version of=20 photo 06.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo = will bring=20 up the full sized version of photo 06.jpg=20

<= /A>

  Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller = version of=20 photo 07.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo = will bring=20 up the full sized version of photo 07.jpg=20

<= /A>

 Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller = version of=20 photo 08.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo = will bring=20 up the full sized version of photo 08.jpg=20

<= /A> 

 Painting:

    Painting was=20 pretty simple for this model, as it always is for my military = aircraft. I=20 started out with mixing 80% Tamiya Sky Grey with 20% Tamiya Flat = White, and=20 then some thinner added. I sprayed that on with my Badger 250 = airbrush, and=20 waited for it to dry. Then, I started masking for the bottom white. I = had=20 several references to help me with this, and they surely did pay off. = After=20 masking the whole top of the aircraft in masking tape, and the white = areas in=20 the tail, it was time for painting. But before painting, I had to seal = in the=20 masking tape so no paint would leak through. I did this by putting = Future on=20 the edges of the masking tape, which was suggested by my good friend = MadMike=20 fro the OZ. I sprayed on a mix of 90% Tamiya Flat White and 10% = Thinner, since=20 the paint was already pretty milky. When I sprayed this on, I let it = dry, and=20 in 2 days I took off the mask. I was just amazed!!!!! Every line was=20 absolutely perfect! No leaks or crooked lines! You guys seriously have = to try=20 this technique out!

    With all of = the major=20 painting done, it was time for the small parts. The part on the tail = that=20 seems black was painted with a mix of black and silver. I do not know = the=20 percentage, but I just mixed it until I was satisfied with the color. = The=20 silver on the tail was masked and painted with Tamiya Aluminum. The = aluminum=20 on the front of the wings was painted with Tamiya Aluminum too.=20

Click on images=20 below to see larger images

Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller = version of=20 photo 09.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo = will bring=20 up the full sized version of photo 09.jpg

<= /A>

 Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version = of photo=20 10.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will = bring up=20 the full sized version of photo 10.jpg=20

<= /A> 

 Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller=20 version=20 of photo 11.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will = bring up=20 the full sized version of photo 11.jpg=20

<= /A>

    This=20 was just part of the whole build. Look out for Part Two coming = later=20 on ARC.

 Dmitriy

Photos = and text =A9 2004=20 by Dmitriy Shapiro

 

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