1/72 Hobbyboss Mi-2 Hoplite

Gallery Article by Greg Kerry on May 21 2019

 

      

What an odd little subject, I hear people saying. Well, this is part of my ongoing project of using up old modelling bits and pieces.

First, I had the Trumpeter Chinese/Russian Fuel Truck. Then, I had a couple of figures (Zvezda heads/Hasegawa bodies) originally converted to go with the Zvezda Mi-24. So finally what I needed was a Russian chopper. Trusting to serendipity, I visited my local model shop and . . . only appropriate kit on the shelves was the Hoplite. I barely knew what it was but it seemed right for this kind of small diorama.

Click on images below to see larger images

It's a fairly unremarkable kit of an unremarkable plane.

Only comes with Polish markings though. Goes together pretty well. You just need to be careful of how the stowed door guns (with no facility of having them actually poking out) are fitted so as not to foul the rear seats.

Rotor blades as supplied are straight rather than drooped - and I didn't quite bend mine enough I think. All paint was Tamiya, all washing and drybrushing was tubed acrylics.

The two figures on the right, by the way, are from the old Airfix NATO set - two more odd items finally used after a thirty-year wait . . .

Greg Kerry

Photos and text © by Greg Kerry