Description BALLISTIC MISSILE LAUNCHER ‘TOPOL’ 1/72 Scale Kit We proudly present the world’s only plastic scale model of the Topol-M: More than three hundred parts which fit together perfectly, including realistic rubber-like wheels, perfectly recreated glazing cabin windows made of transparent plastic, and a perfectly recreation of the original missile launcher! You will fully enjoy the assembly process and the result. This model can be assembled in one of two ways: stowed for movement or deployed. This kit includes one unpainted plastic model of a Russian ballistic missile launcher. The assembled models measures 31 cm in length and includes 309 pieces. Model supplied unpainted. Some assembly required. Historical Notes: The RS-12M Topol (“Poplar Tree”) missile, designated the SS-25 “Sickle” by NATO, is a three-stage, solid fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that measures nearly 30 meters in length. It can deliver an 800 kiloton warhead up to 10,000 kilometers away, with an accuracy of 200 meters, and is equipped with decoys to evade enemy air defenses. The missile was designed in the 1970s and 1980s. Over 300 of these missiles were built, and many of them are still in operation today. The Topol missile was designed in response to the U.S. “Midgetman” road-mobile ICBM system under development at that time. The mobility offered by such a system would allow a country to redeploy their missiles quickly to avoid an enemy attack. In order to transport the Topol missile, a very heavy-duty seven-axle “14×12” truck, or “Transporter Erector Launcher” (TEL), was needed. These mobile launchers would be assembled in the Minsk Wheeled Truck-Tractor Manufacturing Plant, located in Belarus. The launcher included a system of hydraulic and pneumatic jacks to create a stable firing platform nearly anywhere.
