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This is an Aurora Moscow Russian Missile / Helicopter Carrier model.
When I was a kid in the 1970s I used to get models in the mail. Some were Aurora. Some I believe were Revell kits.
One of the kits I recieved was this ship. I really liked the model and I remember the design - a ship with helicopters - really appealed to me as a kid.
Over the years I looked for another one of these model kits. Most of them I came across were very expensive. I knew they were rare kits so I could understand why. And since Aurora was long out of business, it was very unlikely the kit would ever be reissued again.
After decades of searching and biding my time, I came across one at a model event. The seller was only asking $ 30.00 - a very fair price and far lower than any I had ever seen.
I checked out the box and it appeared everything was there, including the instructions sheet and the decals. Even the box was in perfect shape! This is that kit - and now I could build another one, much better version than the first one I built as a kid.
The model is somewhat simplistic, not surprising since the model fromt from the late 1960s / early 1970s. The bay doors on the hanger are posable for an open or closed position. Several helicopters are included (more than I used on the deck).
I painted the main hull and upper structures a Testors enamel gray. The forward deck is a Vallejo brown color, the rear landing deck is a Vallejo green color.
Looking up images online there seemed to be some variations on the deck colors. Not surprisingly since I have read the Soviet / Russian Navy would sometimes use whatever color they had on hand at the time. Regardless of any Navy standard that might have been in place (if at all).
The lower part of the hull is Tamiya Hull Red. Other various colors were used to pick out details, from the helicopters to the lifeboats.
I didn't have any fitment issues. The main hull is two parts that have to be joind, but the seam was not that bad, and some applied putty quickly took care of that.
The model includes a display stand. One side of the stand has molded in details with the name of the ship - the other side is flat so you can use the supplied MOSCVA decal.
I was lucky with all the decals as they were in great condition, and all of them worked without falling apart. (considering the model kit is around 50 years old - whew!).
The model is 1:600 scale, and it's around 13 inches long.
I am very happy to have found one of these kits in such great condistion, and I enjoyed revisiting the first build of the kit I did as a kid.
CLICK HERE to see a much larger image of the model. |
