Polikarpov TIS (MA)
2nd Prototype, Summer 1944

Another piece from the treasure-trove that are obscure Soviet plane designs is the rather sleek looking attacker (formally "Heavy Escort Fighter") TIS (MA) designed by the famous Nikolai Polikarpov in 1940. It was a rather modern design for a twin engined, heavily armed aircraft using AM-37 engines and competed against a few other broadly similar desings. As the TIS was deemed promising, a first prototype was built and tested in 1941, however evacuations put an end to the efforts until 1942. The second prototype TIS (MA) with new AM-38F engines (in place of planned AM-39s) was finished in 1944 and flown in June that year. Again, efforts were short lived as after Polikarpov´s death in 1944 work on the project stopped and the design faded into obscurity.
The kit I will build is made by Valom from Czech Republic and was released in 2007. It has short-run type plastic, although I´ve seen worse and a vacuformed canopy, which will be a first for me. When I get to building it, I may place it on a runway scene and maybe add a few figures and a lend-lease Studebaker-based fuel truck for additional interest...