The R-73 (NATO designation AA-11 Archer) was designed as a replacement for the R-60 (AA-8 Aphid) close-in dogfight missile. The R-73 is an infrared homing missile with thrust vectoring and has been exported to a number of air forces around the world.

As a follow-on to its previous release of the R-60/AA-8 Aphid missile set, Eduard has now released the R-73/AA-11 Archer. The set includes parts for 4 missiles, including seeker caps and engine covers as well as 4 P-72 missile rails. A nice touch by Eduard is that in addition to the missile rails, the set is designed in a modular fashion, much like the actual rails, so you can construct the appropriate pylons for both the MiG-29 and the Su-27 simply by installing different pylon mounts. The set includes enough of the pylon mounts for you to construct four of either type. I elected to construct two of each for illustration purposes.

Tomasz J. Kopański authors the latest in Mushroom Model Publications’ series of aircraft used in the Polish Air Force. Tomasz has done several volumes in the Polish Wings series, including Volumes 3, 7, and 17 in addition to several other Mushroom Model Publication books. This includes MMP’s Barbarossa Victims: Luftwaffe Kills in the East (2001), Kosciuszko Squadron 1919-1921: American Volunteers against the Bolsheviks (2003), PZL P23 Karas (2004), PZL P.11c (2013). He has also worked with Kagero, writing the Legends of Aviation 3D on Fokker D.VII: The Lethal Weapon (2012).

Janusz Światłoń, a native of Krakow Poland, is an aviation history enthusiast and military modeler. He has retired for the Polish military after serving with the 6^th Airborne Brigade. He has a long history of being published as an illustrator and as an author for many magazines and books from publishing houses as Osprey, Kagero, AF Editores, Chevron, and Mushroom Model Publications.