„Osa“ – the Soviet large missile cutter

Project 205 “Mosquito” missile cutter, according to the NATO classification – “Osa”-class missile cutter - a series of Soviet missile cutters. Project of naval ships (cutters) of the USSR Armed Forces. In 2020 ships are still in operation: Cuba, Egypt, Syria. The project was developed at the “Almaz” Central Design Bureau in accordance with the tactical and technical tasks of the USSR Armed Forces in 1956. Chief designer E. I. Juchin. The new cutter differed from the previously produced ships of the project 183R in a steel hull (unified with the torpedo cutter of the project 206), reinforced armament and improved seaworthiness. An interesting feature of the boat's construction is the rounded corners of the superstructures and the specific shape of the deck, which ensures better washing in case of radioactive contamination. The unique 42-cylinder 6-row star-shaped M503 diesel engines of the “Voroshilov” Machine Plant in Leningrad were also used. Project 205 "Mosquito" missile cutters entered service in the Soviet Navy in 1960. These ships were built in large series until the 1970s. In 1961 SKB-5 developed the 205U cutter project. It was armed with improved “P-15U” missiles, the wing of which deployed automatically, when missile ejected from the container. The ships were also armed with two twin-barreled 30 mm AK-230 automatic turrets and their control systems. Also in the mid-1960s, the project 205P patrol boat was created on the hull of the project 205 cutter of the “Almaz” Central Design Bureau. Project 205 boats served in the Naval Forces of the People's Republic of Poland and were also in the armament of the Maritime Brigade of Border Ships of the Border Guard (part of the Polish Navy since 1971). OP-301 "Gdynia", OP-302 "Szczecin" and OP-303 "Elbląg" served in this brigade.

A small, simple, slightly simplistic ship model, suitable for modelers of all experience. Working under the supervision of a more experienced colleague, this model can be glued by a less experienced modeler, but haste and carelessness should be avoided. This model is one of those, that a beginning modeler can choose as one of the first models of increased complexity. Antiquarian publication.