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Ka-52 from Zvezda 1/48
Ka-52 Hokum/Alligator is among the most wanted kits for years when it comes down to helicopters. It is the latest generation of Russian Attack Helicopters. Combined with the Zvezda’s notoriety of producing the very best Mi-24 kits in 72nd and 48th scale, the combination between the theme and the producer seems to be devastating for our wallets. Just take a moment to imagine the possibilities…
Zvezda’s 2024 catalogue front page popped up recently online. And you can guess what’s on it. While we are waiting for KittyHawk’s promised Ka-52 to appear somewhere and from another succeeding manufacturer, Zvezda caught the Jetstream and finally we are about to get Kamov’s most famous in 48th scale.
There is no doubt about it – it can hardly get any better than that. Zvezda proved it over the years with their award winning Hind toolings both in 72nd and in 48th scale. Then on, they did it again with Mi-8/Mi-17. And finally the time came for Kamov’s attack helo, which if we have to speak frankly, modelers expected to get for at least two and a half decades already.
Zvezda’s catalogue features other interesting additions in it. Examples are airplanes like LAGG-3 and I-16. Both are especially interesting and important subjects for the Russian market, as well as probably for the most former Warsaw Pact countries. However, LAGG-3 was not exclusively famous for its abilities, while I-16 is the proto-egg-plane in scale modeling, although it was a real, flying thing. So none of those two will make our hearts pound too fast.
Therefore, Zvezda decided to leave nothing but awe, putting Ka-52 Alligator on the front of their booklet and leave us waiting impatiently. In 48th scale Ka-52 won’t be big, but it will be much more than the 72nd scale tooling already available. Adding to the bigger size is the constantly advertised performance of the attack helo in the War in Ukraine, where despite the arguments, it seems to perform rather well. That gives a lot more to think and work with, especially for our breed – modelers.
War hero or not, Ka-52 is a helicopter that we are longing for for some time now. In 48th scale it is probably not the best that we can squeeze out of it, considering the 35th scale theoretical probability, but it is the best we can get at the moment. Coming from Zvezda, this promises a lot of accuracy and good quality, which we are all hoping for. With what Zvezda gave us with their latest quarter scale Hind and Frogfoot, there’s nothing to have doubts about.
For 2024, it seems to be a promised hit. Year 24 hasn’t started yet and we are already looking further in it, to see what else the other companies have prepared for us. In the meantime, we look forward for more information and of course…plenty of aftermarket for the Alligator.
