Tamiya 60705 - 1:72 Mil Mi-24 Hind

Plastic model kit of the Mil Mi-24 Hind attack helicopter in 1:72 scale

Tamiya 60705 depicts the Mi-24 Hind – one of the world's most recognisable combat helicopters. The machine is unusual in combining the role of a heavily armed gunship with the ability to carry a small squad of troops. Its armoured fuselage, tandem crew cockpit and extensive armament earned the Hind its 'flying tank' nickname.

The kit is based on Italeri tooling offered under the Tamiya catalogue in the War Bird Collection. It captures the helicopter's distinctive silhouette with its tandem cockpit and underside weapons turret, and includes pylons with underwing stores, clear glazing parts and waterslide decals.

What's in the box:

• Plastic sprues with fuselage, rotor and undercarriage parts
• Pylons with underwing stores
• Clear cockpit glazing parts
• Waterslide decal sheet to complete the marking options
• Illustrated assembly instructions

Model specifications:

• Scale: 1:72
• Item number: 60705
• Manufacturer: Tamiya
• Assembled fuselage length: approx. 243 mm
• Skill level: beginner/intermediate

Note: glue, paints and modelling tools are not included. The model is intended for self-assembly.

Building the model:

Assembly is approachable, though this older tooling needs dry-fitting of the fuselage halves, the cockpit glazing and the rotor parts. Paint the tandem cockpit interior before closing the fuselage and fit the clear glazing last, after painting.

Mi-24s usually wore multi-tone green-and-brown camouflage. Lay the decals over a gloss coat to prevent silvering, then finish with the matt varnish typical of military machines. The instructions provide paint references for the schemes.

Tools you'll need:

• Modelling nippers for removing parts from the sprues
• Hobby knife or scalpel
• Files and sandpaper for cleaning up sprue-gate marks
• Plastic cement (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement)
• Brushes of various sizes and modelling paints (acrylic or enamel)
• Panel-line wash to emphasise detail and recesses
• Gloss varnish for the decals and a satin coat to finish
• Optional: self-adhesive canopy masks

About the aircraft – Mil Mi-24 Hind:

The Mi-24 was developed by the Mil design bureau in the late 1960s to meet a Soviet army requirement for a helicopter combining firepower with troop-carrying capability. First flown in 1969, it entered service in the early 1970s and quickly became one of the symbols of Soviet military aviation.

An armoured fuselage protected the crew and key systems, while extensive armament – from machine guns, through unguided rockets, to anti-tank guided missiles – made the Hind a formidable support machine. The helicopter was exported to many countries and used in numerous conflicts around the world.

Original aircraft specifications (Mi-24 Hind):

• Fuselage length: approx. 17.5 m
• Main rotor diameter: 17.3 m
• Height: approx. 6.5 m
• Max take-off weight: approx. 12,000 kg
• Powerplant: 2 Isotov TV3-117 turboshafts, approx. 2,200 hp each
• Max speed: approx. 335 km/h
• Armament: depending on version – a multi-barrel machine gun in the underside turret, unguided rocket pods, anti-tank guided missiles
• Crew: 2 + up to 8 troops
• First flight: 1969, in service: from 1972

About the manufacturer – Tamiya:

Tamiya Corporation is a Japanese model company founded in 1946 in Shizuoka, regarded as the heart of Japan's model-making industry. It launched its first injection-moulded plastic kit in 1960 and over time became one of the most recognisable brands in the hobby, known for precise tooling and a broad range of accessories: paints, glues, tools and brushes. During the 1990s, alongside its own-tooled models, Tamiya offered a range of 1:72 aircraft and helicopters in its War Bird Collection based on Italeri tooling – this kit belongs to that group. Today the company operates in dozens of countries and remains a benchmark for the whole of scale modelling.