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AML Decals' 1/72 Ilyushin Il-4

By Chris Banyai-Riepl

This is a small decal sheet, only offering a pair of Il-4s, but boy, are they interesting planes!  The first example has an interesting camouflage consisting of AMT-4 green and AMT-12 black over AMT-7 light blue.  This fairly simple scheme is then accented by the addition of a thin red lightning bolt running from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail.  Stretched across the fuselage above the wing is one large Russian phrase, while curving up just ahead of the tailplane is another Russian phrase.  Not speaking Russian I don’t know what these say, but they are painted in red and outlined in white.  A white 48 is on the rudder, and red stars are on the vertical fin and lower wing surfaces.  This plane is listed as being of the 3rd Guard Long-Range Bomber Regiment, flown by V. K. Kuzminitsh from Ostafyeno airfield in April of 1943

The second example is more interesting, at least to me.  It’s finished in AMT-1 sand, AMT-4 green and AMT-12 black, with the entire undersurfaces being painted in black.  The red stars are present only on the undersides of the wings and the vertical fin, but these aren’t normal as they’re outlined in silver.  Also in silver is the fin tip, while the spinners are painted yellow.  There is a large slogan running from the end of the pilot’s canopy back past the rear turret, painted in silver lettering outlined in red.  This plane is also from the 3rd Guard Long-Range Bomber Regiment, flown by Captain Sergey D. Kumlik, commander of the 3rd squadron.

The decals are very well printed and are in excellent register.  The outlines around the lettering is both thin and constant, not an easy task.  The lightning bolt for the first scheme is broken up in to three parts, so you’ll have to take some care in getting them aligned both between the segments and between the sides, but it’ll be easier to do that than try to apply it as one long, thin decal.  The recommended kits are the ICM, Revell and VEB Plasticard kits, and these choices should add some interesting schemes to your VVS collection.