Italeri – 1440 – Tu-22M2 Backfire-B

Description:

Unassembled plastic model kit in 1/72 scale of a Soviet Tupolev Tu-22M medium bomber, a supersonic and variable-sweep wing long-range strategic bomber (nuclear capable) developed from the earlier Tu-22 and introduced in the early 70s.

Tu-22M2 was the first major production variant (1972), NATO reporting name Backfire-B. Tu-22M2 sported longer wings and a sleek, area-ruled fuselage, bumping the crew count up to four. Powered by twin NK-22 engines delivering a hefty 215 kN of thrust each, these engines came with distinctive intake ramps. The undercarriage got a makeover too, with the main landing gear now housed in the wing glove instead of those bulky pods. A total of 211 Tu-22M2s were crafted between 1972 and 1983. This bad boy could hit a top speed of Mach 1.65 and was typically armed to the teeth with long-range cruise missiles or anti-ship missiles, often packing one or two Raduga Kh-22 anti-ship missiles.

The kit itself is an old well known ESCI Tu-22M kit, tooled in 1989 (ESCI/Ertl era) and already issued under Italeri brand in 2003 (Italeri 1238 Tu-22M Backfire C). Originally ESCI released 3 variants of the set, adding different payload options as well as intakes for a Backfire B or Backfire C variants, Italeri has summarized here the payload options as the kit offers the Kh-22 missile of the naval variant (issued in the Backfire C version) or 4 bombs for under wings pylons.

At the time the kit had a very good consideration, has some vague accuracy as expected on the time, where brands just worked with limited reference material and some areas are simplified as ESCI (and every other brand) usually did, in particular cockpit or under-carriage are little detailed for nowadays good kits. The kit was supersede by Trumpeter Tu-22M.

Regarding the decal sheet, this new issue offers three markings, two Soviet markings dated in the 80s and one later Ukrainian markings (from a museum aircraft, dated 2010).