Ilyushin Il-62 in 1:400 Scale |
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Updated: September 2025
When it first flew in 1963 the Ilyushin Il-62 (NATO codename Classic) was the world's largest passenger jet, though it had a rather tortuous development period and didn't actually enter service until 1967. Despite a passing similarity to Vickers VC10 it is very much its own design and following the retirement of the huge Tupolev TU-114 it was the only Soviet long-haul jet airliner for over 20 years. In the end 292 aircraft were produced, the majority of which (193) were the improved Il-62M variant. Following the breakup of the Soviet Union the Il-62 found itself in service with several of the new CIS states as well as a host of Russian start-up airlines. Despite its relative inefficiency it wasn't until the economic crisis of 2008 that the Il-62 largely disappeared from Russian skies.
See my Aeroflot Il-62 blog post for more detail on the first Soviet long-haul jet.
See my Aeroflot Il-62 blog post for more detail on the first Soviet long-haul jet.
Il-62 in 1:400 Scale
There have surprisingly been 3 distinct moulds for the Il-62 (four if you split the Gemini into two variants). It is the Gemini mould that represented the majority of releases until 2025, but already the new Phoenix moulds are pushing close to being the most heavily used versions. The 3 older versions all represent the later Il-62M variant, while the Phoenix has moulds that represent both the original Il-62 'Basic' and the Il-62M.
The Real Thing
Although there are several variants of the Il-62 externally the two main versions are the Il-62 'Basic' and the Il-62M, distinguished primarily by the engines. The original Il-62 has the older less powerful Kuznetsov NK-8 turbofan engines rather than the IL-62M's Soloviev D-30KU turbofan engines. Visibly the difference is that the Kuznetsov's have internal cascade thrust reversers while the Soloviev's have clamshell reversers.
Below is the original Il-62 sometimes called the Il-62 'Basic':
Michel Gilliand (GFDL 1.2 or GFDL 1.2 ), via Wikimedia Commons
Here are some shots of the later Il-62M in action. Note deployed thrust reversers on the Russia State Transport example:
I, JuergenL, CC BY-SA 3.0
Aldo Bidini (GFDL 1.2 or GFDL 1.2 ), via Wikimedia Commons
Additionally all Il-62s are well known for having a retractable tail prop to stop the aircraft from tilting rearwards:
1:400 Il-62 Moulds
adp-Modelle (2004)
Text and images by Phantom II
Early in the 2000s adp-Modelle (some of you may know "Master Modelle" plastic kits) decided to venture into 1/400 scale with an Il-62M in colors of Interflug, registered DDR-SET, marketed under "Schaefer collection". After quite some problems and delays, the model finally hit the market in 2004. Sad enough, this release stayed the only one in this scale by adp/Schaefer and only 500 units were produced. Another (Soviet) mould that was in the works never saw the light of day. Quite interesting, the rumors about this release also set Gemini Jets on alert as they were also working on their Il-62 at the time. adp is known for doing limited edition cars and trucks of mostly Soviet/GDR types. They also have a 1/120 scale An-2 on offer.
The model was rather light weight as it did rely on plastic parts with the fuselage being either Al-cast or white metal, which is what adp usually used. The printing and detailing wasn't really up to par with models of some other makes - still it wasn't bad and a nice addition to many collections. Today mine shows rather severe yellowing on the tail sadly.
The model was rather light weight as it did rely on plastic parts with the fuselage being either Al-cast or white metal, which is what adp usually used. The printing and detailing wasn't really up to par with models of some other makes - still it wasn't bad and a nice addition to many collections. Today mine shows rather severe yellowing on the tail sadly.
Gemini Jets v1 & v2 (2006 - Still Available)
Gemini's own Il-62 didn't appear until 2006 and has been used sporadically ever since, with several modifications to update it. The original mould had a rather tall nosegear but that was resolved in later releases.
Gemini Jets slipped out the odd IL-62 between 2006 and 2009, but only a handful of models were made and the original print template for the cockpit wasn't great. Even so, all of these models were nice, perhaps with the exception of the 2008 cheatline scheme Air Koryo, which suffers from misplaced cockpit windows.
The 2009 Rossia shows off improved cockpit printing over the 2007 Aeroflot
It was 2011 when the next Il-62, in the colours of LOT, appeared and by then the mould had been updated with rolling gears. I typically call the models from this point the version 2 mould. The LOT release was not a total success as the nosegear was too short and it wasn't helped by some poor cockpit windows too. It was another two years, in 2013, before the mould reappeared with an excellent Aeroflot Soviet colours example with Moscow Olympics markings. The issues the LOT model showed had been fixed with this release, however it has subsequently become something of a zinc rotter.
The improved IL-62M (left) and the original version (right). Modifications relate to the undercarriage.
Given that Gemini tends to produce higher model volumes, which rules out a lot of lower selling more unusual options, it isn't surprising that the mould has not been used regularly by them. It is still available for use and Gemini seems to slip out a release every couple of years but clearly it won't get used for a particularly wide variety of airlines. JC Wings has also used the mould several times in recent years, but always for rather boring North Korean examples.
One of the Il-62's most characteristic features is the extendable rear landing gear strut under the tail used to stop the aircraft tipping backwards when unloaded and on the ground. Gemini has catered for this novel feature with a detachable strut which can be fixed in place to represent the gear lowered, or another piece which can be fitted inside the cavity to represent the gear raised. Its a nice touch though it can be tricky to fit sometimes.
In later releases the rear strut has been improved and is substantially thinner, however it now no longer properly fits the space for it and the tyre being used is much too small.
The Gemini Jets Il-62 has featured in reviews at the website here a couple of times:
Phoenix (2025)
Phoenix announced in early 2025 that they were close to completion of a pair of all new Il-62 moulds covering both the IL-62 'Basic' and the Il-62M. They released the below sample shots prior to the first announcements.
Since then they have announced 2 or 3 Il-62s each month with the first pair of models appearing in late August. The mould is very impressive and a definite upgrade on the old Gemini version. I have reviewed the first example here at the site:
