Zvezda 1/350 K-266 Oryol Nuclear Submarine

By Michael Benolkin

History

If you're wondering if this submarine looks vaguely familiar, it should - you watched one being raised from the ocean floor after a tragic accident caused a complete loss of boat and crew. Designated as Oscar II by NATO, the K-266 is one of ten submarines in this class:

  • K-148 - Krasnodar
  • K-119 - Voronezh
  • K-410 - Smolensk
  • K-266 - Oryol
  • K-186 - Omsk
  • K-132 - Belgorod
  • K-172 - Chelyabinsk
  • K-442 - Tomsk
  • K-456 - Kasatka

and of course:

  • K-141 - Kursk

Designed as a ship-killer, these vessels were equipped with deadly anti-ship missiles that could be launched from underwater. If you're a battlegroup commander, this is one submarine you don't want anywhere near your ships (like there is a good type of adversary submarine...)!

The Kit

Zvezda has released the Oscar II in 1/350 scale so as to be compatible in scale with many of the DML and other surface combatant and submarine models on the market.

Molded in black styrene, this kit is about as simple a build as they make - two hull halves, the conning tower parts, missile bay doors, fins and propellers. Nevertheless, the model has more significance given the Kursk tragedy as well as the ominous reminder that there are another nine Oscar IIs available.

The kit of the hull halves is great, just make sure the mating surfaces are clear and flash-free. The conning tower will also go together smartly with a little sanding and dry fitting before gluing.

Conclusions

I can recommend this kit to builders of all ages and skill levels.

My sincere thanks to Squadron for this review sample.

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