Boeing 747-8i model kit

[richellis]

Boeing 747-8i

1:144 Injection moulded kit from Zvezda.

The Boeing 747-8i is the newest version of the Jumbo jet, re-engineered with all new wings, engines and a longer fuselage. The 747-8 first took to the air in February 2010 as a freighter, the passenger Intercontinental version as depicted in this kit, with its longer upper deck taking to the sky a little over a year later in March 2011.

Lifting the lid on this kit will present you with a surprise, another lid! The kit comes in a very sturdy cardboard box, with the more common flimsy lid with the illustrations on. I note on the review kit the clear sprue is loose so you may want to wrap it separately to protect it before it goes in the stash as the kit does rattle around the box!

The fuselage comes in the usual 2 parts. The plastic is as expected from Zvezda being the rough grey plastic, but I can report that the quality is there and the panel lines are very fine. I have shown a close-up shot to show this detail.

All the windows are open and there is a clear sprue with the flight deck and cabin windows on.

There is no flash on these parts, and the flight deck windows have some fine marks to help you mask should you want clear windows.

The wings come over 3 parts and are to the same quality with fine engraved lines for the flaps and slats. The upper wing sections include the trailing edges and the wing tips to allow your model to have realistic thin edges and tips.

The undercarriage bays have no detail and are bare. I know most doors will be shut even when on the ground but you may want to add some detail in there.

The rear stabs are on this sprue and each one is made up from 2 parts, and the upper part has the trailing edge to allow the thin edge. Also on this sprue are the engine pods, and undercarriage. There is no flash and the detail on the parts very good with engraved lines.

You get 2 of the above sprues. They carry the main engine parts, and are fantastic! They carry the same level of detail as the Zvezda 787 kit. I wish more companies would do kit engines like these!

They now include a core to alleviate the empty look of the 787 parts. The kit depicts the General Electric GEnx engines and to my eye they look spot on! A close up of the detail on some of the parts is shown below

A stand is included in the kit should you want an in-flight model, you will need to open up a slot in the underside of the model if you want to mount your jumbo on the stand, this is shown in the instructions.

The kit includes decals for one of the test aircraft, with its complex sweeping orange and white livery.

They look nice and more comprehensive than previous Zvezda decal sheets and they carry some good detail, but not as fine as other companies. I give it a few weeks until some aftermarket companies get some sheets on the market!

The instructions are a black and white multi-lingual sheet with diagrams covering the 7 steps to build the kit. There are 2 options to build, wheels up on the stand, or wheels down on the ground.

All easy to understand and follow with paints referenced back to the Model Master range.

Conclusion

This is a welcome addition to the range of Jumbo kits available in 1:144, up to the usual high standard we expect from Zvezda. Some work on the upper deck will allow you to convert the kit to the freighter version.

I look forward to getting this on the bench!

Review sample courtesy of

[AndyC]

The Boring 747-8i is the newest version of the Jumbo jet

I'm sure you didn't mean this Freudian slip (funny to a non-airliner type like me!). Great review otherwise!

Andy

[richellis]

damn that auto correct!

[JohnHull]

Great review rich

She's a beaut of a kit, I've got the 767 and 787 zvezda kits in addition to two of these and I've not been disappointed by any. Looking forward to building a cargo version of this one

[Julien]

That looks a monster of a kit.

Julien

[woody37]

This does look great, that red scheme is Yummy !