For those of you keen to build a Kilo Class sub you are limited to two manufacturers who do both 1/700 and 1/350 scale boats. Looking at the larger scale kits they are obviously from the same mould but the Hobby Boss issue seems to be cleaner than the Zvesda.
The Russian Kilo Class submarines first entered into service in the early 1980s and were designed by the Rubin Central Maritime Design Bureau, St Petersburg. Later developments led to the current production versions, the Type 877EKM (kit) and most recently, the Type 636. The submarines were all constructed at the Admiralty Shipyard in St Petersburg. Twenty four Kilo Class submarines remain in service in the Russian Navy (most of the older designs) but Kilo’s have been exported to Iran, China, India, Poland, Romania and Algeria. China has two Type 877EKMs, Iran has three Type 877EKM and India has ten Type 877EKM (Sindughosh Class). The Type 877EKM is designed for anti-submarine (ASW) and anti-surface ship (ASuW) warfare. Iran’s deliveries (3) were hampered by the inconvenient ‘sinking’ of three somewhere south of the Bosphorus Straights under mysterious circumstances.
The submarine is a single-shaft vessel with a double hull. The bow planes are positioned as to improve the performance of the sonar. To reduce the submarine's acoustic signature, the flooding ports have been removed from the fore section. It also has a new gas-freeing system and the hull (export only?) is covered with rubber anti-sonar protection tiles to reduce the risk of detection.
Type 877EKM (kit) has a displacement of 2,300t surfaced and 3,950t submerged. Maximum diving depth is 300m. Speed is 10kt when surfaced and 17kt when submerged. Range is 6,000 miles when snorting at 7kt and 400 miles when submerged at 3kt.
The Type 877EKM has six 533mm torpedo tubes and carries 18 heavyweight torpedoes (six in the tubes and 12 on the racks), with an automatic loader. Two targets can be engaged simultaneously.
Two upper launch tubes can fire the TEST-71MKE TV electric homing torpedo, which has an active sonar homing system with TV guidance which allows the operator to manually switch to an alternative target, and can manoeuvre in two axes. It weighs 1,820kg with a 205kg explosive charge. The submarine is also fitted with UGST wake-homing torpedoes. This torpedo weighs 2,200kg with a 200kg explosive charge. It has a range of up to 40km, and a depth of search of up to 500m. These tubes are also capable of deploying 24 mines.
The Indian vessels are fitted with the Novator 3M-54E1 anti-ship missile as part of the Klub-S missile system. Range is 220km with 450kg high-explosive warhead. Ten Indian navy vessels are being retrofitted with the Novator 3M-14 land attack cruise missile, also part of the Klub-S system, which has a range of 275km and a 499kg warhead. If you model the Indian variant, two additional oval sonar bulges need to be added to the lower aft section. At 1/350 these are 3x1mm in size.
With all that to whet your appetites, let’s look at the kit. The small number of parts (25) makes this a relatively easy build – even more so than the Airfix Trafalgar submarine I displayed last week! There is one photo-etched four-piece assembly for the stand but I personally prefer to find a plastic or wood version. The main hull is split horizontally which makes it easy for you waterline people. Ample decals/stickers/gummy-bits/transfers (what is it with you people?) adhere well and on my one, there is no silvering – and really, that’s it! A good little model, one of several in both scales currently available and they fit in nicely with surface ships in any collection.
Happy Modelling!
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