1/72 RVHP Be-12 "Mail"

by P. W. Stantiford

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  May Day 2006 

 

For my first ARC article, here's my latest build, the RVHP Be-12 "Mail".  This is a resin kit with metal landing gear and vacuformed clear parts.  Quality of this kit is outstanding.  The only negative is that the clear vacuformed nose section is pulled so thin at the end the builder has to be extremely careful, as I found out the hard way.  Surface detail is recessed and raised where it needs to be and is as fine as any I've ever seen.  Decals are supplied for four aircraft, USSR, Ukraine, Egypt and Vietnam.

Click on images below to see larger images

The Be-12 was developed for the Soviet Navy as an ASW replacement for the piston engined Be-6 "Madge" in the late 1950's. First flight was in October, 1960 and deliveries to operational units began in 1967-68.  Following the collapse of the USSR in 1991, The type was slowly withdrawn in favor the the Ilyushin Il-38 "May".

Patrick 

Photos and text © by Patrick W. Stantiford