Aeroflot Don | Ilyushin Il-86 | RA-86110 | JC Wings

I regularly bemoan the decision making at JC Wings, a company that has so much potential but frankly doesn't seem to have many aims other than to hold on to marketshare by releasing sales blocker releases whenever a competitor has a new mould. They should be making a wider range of interesting and unusual models using their best moulds, especially ones where there is no competition, but the JC team instead seems to too often to focus on bland modern releases others are doing better. Then again, they do sometimes get it right and the 2022 reappearance of the Il-86 by Yu ModeL has spurred JC into a small number of releases, of which this is the latest, and the most unique.

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FORMAT

​Each review is to split into three key areas:

• The model mould
• The paint and livery reproduction
• Printing and quality control

Each section can get a maximum score of 10 for a maximum combined score of 30

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MOULD

There have now been 14 official Il-86 releases, 9 of which are by JC Wings. Four have been since the end of 2022 when prior to that there hadn't been any since 2012, albeit typically three of those recent models have been re-releases of schemes previously made. 

None of that changes the fact that this 2009 released mould is one of the finest in 400 scale. ​The shape of the fuselage and squared off cockpit, moving down to the short sharp nosecone are accurate. The mould is new enough to be a slot in wings rather than cradle mount and so there is no seamline.

​The wings are solid and strongly detailed. The engines hang suitably low from the unusual pylons that attach well to the wing. At the rear the vertical stabiliser shows really nice detailing. The rudder form at the fuselage join is lovely and the accuracy follows up to the tailtop where the spiky projection from it is present. So is a small light on the upper margin.

The undercarriage is well formed, highly detailed and suitably short. The complex main gear is particularly nice with very fine gear doors and all three gear trucks that pivot nicely.

The Yu ModeL release, presumably made at about the same time as this one despite the more than a year between the releases (I know this as I saw pictures of this release at that time prior to announcement) featured two underside aerials. None of the JC Wings versions have had them, but that is correct for this example as when you look at this model in real photos there are no obvious aerials.

The only criticism I can mount to this mould is that the rear underside dome (is it a tailbumper?) is not moulded in to the aircraft. Overall it is a fabulous mould and one I hope to see used again, although JC seem shy to use it for more diverse and lesser known operators. I've given this mould a 9 before but frankly I can't really see anything that would mean it shouldn't get full marks.

SCORE - 10

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PAINT & LIVERY

English: Aleksandr MarkinРусский: Александр Маркин, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

The Aeroflot Il-86 releases have been useful for custom models (see my DT Customs Il-86s here) but even though this scheme from Aeroflot Don is similar it isn't the same since it comes with the grey tail, worn by several 86s in the 2000s. That makes it useful for some other customs but of itself it is great to see some more diversity in the small number of Il-86 releases.

Aeroflot Don (prior to 2000 and from 2009 until its merger into Rossiya in 2016 known as Donavia) took on 6 Il-86s from Aeroflot 2006, of which this was the first. The airline's scheme on the 86s was basically the classy Aeroflot 1973 scheme with extra titles and the grey tail. Photos show that this frame had a white tail in 1993 but by 1995 had taken on the grey.

JC Wings have mastered this scheme. The colours are vibrant and look great. All the placement and details are good and the registration is on both surfaces of the wings. Topnotch, no problems.

SCORE - 10

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PRINTING & QUALITY CONTROL

The printwork on the livery and base template here is fabulous with a lot of fine detailing. I particularly like the thrust reversers coloured on the engines, the red tips to the wings and stabs plus the red light on the tailtop.

Less impressive in closeup are some overpaint issues admittedly really only noticeable at magnification. These are visible at the nosecone and a line that runs along the grey belly, presumably where the grey overpaints the white. You could also argue the white part of the Russian flag on the tail is too grey, no doubt once again caused by overprinting.

The model is generally really well put together but once again in close-up a couple of minor issues present themselves. On the inner engines the fan rims don't seem to fit the engine nacelles well and there is also a small nick on the rightside inner engine. 

SCORE - 8

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SUMMARY

I love these Il-86s and if you haven't already get out there and buy some so that JC Wings make some more (I'd heard sales haven't been great of the Aeroflot standard ones, which is a massive shame)! Stop wasting your money on modern Airbuses and buy the first Airbus instead - ha ha. Seriously, the 86 is a great looking jet and this is a topnotch release on a cracking mould. I know I'm probably shouting into the wind but this is the kind of diversity I want to see in 400 scale and I'd love JC Wings to realise the potential that they are sitting on more often than they do.

FINAL SCORE - 28/30