Preview: Takom's 350th Project 1123 Moskva-Class Aviation Cruiser

Takom's 350th Project 1123 Moskva-Class Aviation Cruiser is their latest seaborne release – we check out the details to see the features & a little on the real ships in our preview...

Preview: Takom's 350th Project 1123 Moskva-Class Aviation Cruiser

Project 1123 Moskva Class Aviation Cruiser

From Takom

Kit No. 6019

54cm long

1/350th scale

Photo Etch included

The Subject: Project 1123 Moskva Class Aviation Cruiser

The Project 1123 Moskva class represented a radical departure for the Soviet Navy, effectively serving as a hybrid experiment that merged the heavy firepower of a missile cruiser with the utility of an aviation deck. Born out of a desperate need to counter the burgeoning threat of NATO’s nuclear ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), these "aviation cruisers" were designed to act as the centrepiece of an anti-submarine task force. Their distinct silhouette—bristling with missiles on the forward half while opening into a wide flight deck at the rear—made them some of the most visually striking and strategically unique vessels of the Cold War era.

Moskva-class helicopter carrier (Pr.1123 Kondor). The Moskvas did not carry any fixed-wing aircraft; they were helicopter carriers.

Operating primarily in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, the Moskva and her sister ship Leningrad functioned as mobile airbases for a swarm of Kamov Ka-25 "Hormone" helicopters. This concentrated aerial presence allowed the Soviet Navy to cast a wide net, using dipping sonar and sonobuoys to hunt for deep-diving Western submarines. However, the ships were notoriously difficult to handle; their top-heavy design and unique hull shape led to significant stability issues in heavy seas, often resulting in "wet" decks that hindered flight operations and made life aboard physically demanding for the crew.

 

A drawing of the Kondor/Moskva-class cruiser.

Ultimately, the Moskva class served as a vital evolutionary bridge in Soviet naval doctrine. While they never saw combat and were eventually outpaced by the increasing range of submarine-launched ballistic missiles, the lessons learned from their operation directly informed the development of the much larger Kyiv-class carriers. By proving that the Soviet industry could successfully integrate complex aviation facilities into a heavily armed surface combatant, the Project 1123 ships paved the way for the USSR to transition from a coastal defence force into a true blue-water navy capable of global power projection.

The anti-submarine cruiser Leningrad – the second vessel of the Soviet Project 1123 Kondor class – in June 1980 on the Neva River. These ships were purpose-built to hunt NATO submarines.

The kit: Takom's 350th Project 1123 Moskva-Class Aviation Cruiser

This new 1/350th scale kit from Takom 

The CAD images of the kit show us a little more. Coming in at 54 centimetres when complete, this kit could well be a large project, taking some time and effort to make up, but we think it would be an impressive piece once finished!

The internal helicopter hangars under the rear deck are included, giving the modeller an option to show these open or closed.

The ship is offered either as a waterline or a complete hulled ship with two small stand pylons included; there are also eight units of her air wing included in the kit.

For the finer parts of this kit photo-etch is included to make the kit scale accurate.

That is all we have on this kit for now—keep tuned for more info on the kit soon....

That is all we know about this release for now. You can see more about Takom's kits on their website or on their Facebook page.