Begemot 1/48 Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker Family Part 2 Decal First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

Begemot Decals is an interesting decal company from Rostov-on-Don, Russia that offers a nice array of markings for Russian-built aircraft. In this release, they've tackled a subject that has received little coverage by other decal manufacturers. This set is the second of a series of sheets featuring the Su-27 Flanker family.

This set addresses 24 aircraft from a variety of assignments. These include:

• Su-27P, Red 32, 2 AEh/941 IAP, Kilp-Yavr AB, Kola Penninsula, mid 1990s
• Su-27P, Blue 34, 641 GIAP, Rogachevo AB, Novaya Zemlya Island, mid 1990s (white polar bear on tail)
• Su-27P, Blue 34, 9 GIAP, Kilp-Yavr AB, 2005
• P-42, formerly T10-15, record-setting airframe
• Su-27UBK, Red 8521, 370 Ftr Div/Vietnamese AF, Phan Rang AB, Vietnam, late 1990s
• Su-27SK, Red 6006, 370 Ftr Div/Vietnamese AF, Phan Rang AB, Vietnam, late 1990s
• Su-27P, Red 11, 1 AEh/529 IAP, Bombora AB, Abkhazia, 1993
• Su-27S, Blue 06, 62 FR/Ukrainian AF, Belbek AB, Crimea, 1993
• Su-27UB, Red 17, 968 IISAP, Lipetsk AB, early 2000
• Su-27P, Red 47, 61 FR/Belarus AF, Baranovich AB, Belarus, late 1990s
• Su-27UB, Yellow 44, 47 GIAP, Golden Valley AB, Far East MD, mid 1990s
• Su-27M, Red 88, 929 GLITs, NII, Akhtoubinsk
• Su-27P, Red 35, 177 IAP, Lodeynoe Pole AB, Saint Petersburg, 2004
• Su-27P, Blue 08, 831 IAP, Ukrainian AF, airshow bird, 2004
• Su-30MK, TS-3001, 11 AS, Indonesian AF, 2005
• Su-27SK, TS-2702, 11 AS, Indonesian AF, 2004
• Su-27SM, Red 82, 23 IAP, Dzemgi AB, Komsomolk-on-Amur AB, 2003
• Su-27S, Yellow 05, 604 AB/Kazakhstan AF, Takdy-Kurgan AB, 2006
• Su-27UB, Black 62, 61 AB/Belarus AF, Baranovich AB, Belarus, 2006
• Su-27S, Black 26, 61 AB/Belarus AF, Baranovich AB, Belarus, 2006
• Su-27SK, 1804, 1 FS/1 AR, Ethiopian AF, Debre-Zeit AB, Adis-Abeba, 2000
• Su-27P, White 57, 831 IAP/Ukrainian AF, Fairford Air Tatoo, 1997
• Su-27P, Blue 57, 831 IAP/Ukrainian AF, SIAD 2002 airshow
• Su-30, Blue 53, 54th GIAP/Ukrainian AF, Savasleyka AB, 1996

The decal printing is perfectly in register. The instructions are printed on four sheets that provide not only decal placement for each aircraft, but also a nice color reference for each aircraft as well. Decals include the distinctive aircraft markings as well as appropriate national markings. In this set, Begemot provides a large sheet of masks to help apply some of the colorful bands that were applied to some of the airshow aircraft.

For more information about this set and the other releases from Begemot Decals, visit their website at http://www.begemotdecals.ru.

My sincere thanks to Begemot Decals for this review sample!