1/72 Hobbyboss Mi-4

Gallery Article by Kevin R. Ingraham on Aug 15 2014

India Independence Day

 

Mi-4 Indian Air Force 1962

This model represents the 107th Helicopter Unit of the Indian Air Force on duties in the Himalayas subsequent to the October 1962 Sino-Indian border war. The red cross markings were added for the prisoner exchange missions flown after the cease fire. The Mi-4 is an early-1950s Soviet assault transport helicopter that saw widespread service into the 1970s. It is the Soviet counterpart to the American Sikorsky H-19 in both era and mission. A novel feature is the gunner’s tub under the cargo area, presumably to provide suppressive fire during assaults into defended landing zones or as an observation position for search and rescue duties. Unlike the H-19, it can transport light vehicles and small artillery inside the cargo bay. India was one of the first export customers for the Mi-4 and it served well until replaced by the Mi-8/17 family. The Indians also purchased five H-19s—that the IAF chose to fulfill its rotary wing requirements with the Mi-4 speaks highly of the comparative capabilities of the two aircraft. 

 

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The kit is the 72d scale Hobbyboss rendition with Eduard’s excellent color photoetch “zoom” interior set. Kit detail is very nice and appropriate for the scale. The window parts are very clear and the frames are well defined. Pay close attention to the instructions when adding the cargo bay windows—there are subtle size differences. It built well without any difficulties other than with the rotor mast where I had some difficulty figuring out how it went together. Reference photos are a must for the rotor mast and for detailing the interior—especially the cargo bay. The Eduard “zoom” set provides the most necessary parts from their larger sets and in this case, provides only for the cockpit. While not a “must have” item, especially if you leave the crew windows closed, the set does provide several absent details and improves on others. I suggest leaving out the replacement instrument panel—you simply cannot see it well enough when complete to justify the effort even with the windows open. The kit offers the options of opening the cockpit windows, passenger doors and the rear ramp. If you choose to open the ramp, I recommend the larger Eduard set as the kit’s cargo area lacks detail. I chose a “middle of the road” effort in this area. The interior face of the passenger door is bare, while photos show easily rendered details which I added using styrene sheet and brass rod. I also added some cargo area detail that is visible through the open door. The Indian roundels and fin flashes came from the excellent Bright Spark decal line. Warning: this kit is a tail-setter! Make sure to include a “scale ton” of weight in the engine compartment unless you intend to use a display base, as I was forced to. 

Included are some Mi-4/H-19 comparative photos, using an Italeri H-19 model from my Korean War collection. The H-19, by the way, required no extra weight and is modeled “out of the box” other than the decals.

Many thanks, as always, are due to my friends in the Indian Scale Modelers Facebook group and in this case, to the Indian Aviation History Facebook group whose longtime cover photo inspired this build. Having been teased by this photo for almost a year (Thanks Jagan-Ji!), a Squadron Shop Hobbyboss sale meant I could no longer resist modeling the subject Mi-4. 

An excellent online resource for the Indian Air Force and its history, men and equipment is found at http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/ 

Respectfully Submitted,

Kevin R. Ingraham

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Photos and text © by Kevin R. Ingraham