EE 14450 Ракета-носитель (Р-7) "Спутник" 1/144

Excellent kit: parts are included for Sputnik 1, Lunik (Luna)1, and Vostok 1. The box art shows the Lunik (Luna) version. The instuctions are pictorial but virtually useless. Building the Sputnik launcher: the top 6mm of parts A1 & A2 should be removed down to the inside line and the control conduit top filed to match the discarded piece. The layout of the booster frame and the core stage verniers cannot be guessed from the intructions. The booster tips mate to the release clamps about 3/4 of the way up the core stage and the verniers mate to the base of the core stage adjacent to each of the booster bases: forming a "cross" with the boosters as the arms and the core as the centre. (The booster frame can be left to rotate into the correct position before glueing) Despite the cutting and filing needed to complete the kit, it makes a very impressive, and surprisingly sturdy model The assortment of additional parts make it possible to scratch build stages to create Voskhod and Molniya launchers or even Soyuz and Progress with a bit more work