BTR-4E1 "Bucephalus" - Ukrainian armored transporter

BTR-4 "Bucephalus" - a family of Ukrainian armored vehicles. The BTR-4 is designed to transport personnel of motorized rifle units and provide fire support during combat. The armored transporter can be the main vehicle for special rapid reaction forces and marines. The armored fighting machine can conduct combat operations in a variety of conditions, including conditions, when the enemy uses weapons of mass destruction. It can perform assigned tasks both day and night, in various climatic conditions, on roads with different surfaces and in conditions of complete off-road. The operating ambient air temperature is from -40 to +55 °C, like other armored vehicles, manufactured in the USSR, Ukraine and Russia. The development of the armored vehicle was initiated in 2002 by the Kharkov Machine-Building Design Bureau on its own initiative, implementing the research and development project "Ladya". The demonstration prototype of the armored vehicle was first demonstrated at the "Aerosvet-XXI" exhibition in 2006. In late November 2008, work began on the first serial production of the BTR-4. In February 2009, the BTR-4 variant with the BM-7 "Parus" combat module was first presented at the "IDEX-2009" arms exhibition. By the end of 2014, 45% of Ukrainian-made parts, 45% of Russian-made parts, and 10% of imported parts from other foreign countries were used in the production of the BTR-4; in 2015, 35% of imported parts were used in the production of the BTR-4 (and Russian-made parts were no longer used). In 2017, 88% of Ukrainian and 12% of foreign-made parts were used in the production of the BTR-4. The start of the first serial production of the BTR-4 was at the end of November 2008. 13 enterprises of the 'Ukroboronprom" concern are involved in the production of the BTR-4. In 2016, in February 2016, it was announced, that the production facilities of the Kharkov 'Turboatom" plant would be used for the production of the BTR-4. In July 2016, it was announced, that the Kharkov 'Machine-Building Plant FED" began producing LED headlights for the BTR-4E (previously, such imported, foreign-made ones were installed on armored vehicles). One of the enterprises, required for the production of the BTR-4, is located in Crimea - the Feodosia "State Optics Plant". This enterprise produces the "Arkan" fire control system for all combat modules of the armored vehicle, differentials for the bridges of the combat vehicle, the armored vehicle laser radiation detection system and the "Linkey" automatic curtain deployment (which also allows the armored vehicle to determine the location of the laser radiation source). Before the war, it was exported to Iraq, Kazakhstan and Indonesia.

A small-scale, but quite substantial, well-designed and richly detailed model for medium-experienced and experienced modelers. The production of the model is greatly complicated by protective screens, which require special care and attention. Excellently detailed chassis, exterior detailing, protective screens. Excellent graphic instructions, consisting of a large number of classic three-dimensional drawings, there is no textual instruction, but it is not really needed. Templates for parts, made of other materials, are given next to the drawings, which explain the assembly and installation of these parts, which is already becoming a tradition in this publishing house. A very big plus is the numbering and arrangement of the drawings, according to the gluing sequence. There is a color reserve, several color photos of the test model.