Just picked up the Zvezda 1/144 Tu-160 Blackjack kit, and man-o-man, does it look like a nice kit! Crisp, clean moldings...fine, sharp recessed panel lines...a good-looking sheet of decals...overall, it looks like a great kit as it sits in the box. I hope it goes together as well as it looks !

I've been debating for a while whether or not to get the big 1/72 Trumpeter Tu-160, but even at only half that size, the Zvezda kit is still a pretty darn big kit (37.5cm long, 38.5cm wingspan, wings extended). So, at a fraction of the big Trump Blackjack price (Zvezda: $16 USD vs Trump: $116 USD), and taking up only half the space, Zvezda wins!

Of course, if you want a gigantic Blackjack, Trump's the way to go! That, or the $400 USD A-Model 1/72 kit...no thanks!

I was surprised to find this great Zvezda kit on the shelves here in Japan...I hadn't heard any release news beforehand. Is it a new kit? The box indicates a 2005 release.
Anybody built one yet?