ya-gabor

Getting back to the question of Real Natural Metal finish with a clear varnish cote in comparison with the Varnish + Aluminium paste surface. It seems that this debate periodically resurfaces. Had a look in my archive and exactly 10 years ago here on ARC in another forum the same question was the topic of the day. At the time I made some comparison photos of placing big chunks of metal next to each other so they are under same light condition and show well the difference. The surface with clear varnish protection has a very distinct shine to it! In areas

Hi Dai Phan, I am just another modeller as any other on forums. Why should they listen to me? Apart from speaking to them (AMMO reps) at this years Moson show, I have absolutely no connection to them. So why would they listen to comments? I have sent to them my remarks through a friend. There are companies who know me very well and I have good personal relation with some of them, in most cases they do not listen either. They have their own experts with in company (or long term outside contributors) who help them in design and development. I don’t have any sleeples

Hi Dai Phan, AMMO did publish separately a small booklet on the MiG-17. It could have some answers to the cockpit colour question. It is possible that one of the aircraft somewhere, maybe in a museum did have such a light blue cockpit. I don’t know. Which is the right colour? Doing an internet search would in most cases bring up some recently taken photo of a cockpit, like those in museum which have been repainted or the ones which are flying in US and also had a complete repaint. So the authenticity of those colours is questionable. This is where the light blue shade of AMMO

Unfortunately no! I have spoken to Red Fox and they prepared the colour in accordance with request of AMMO. Since they (AMMO) have decided on a colour for the cockpit which is shown in the instructions. I have sent to them samples to show the real colour from the real MiG-17 ejection seats I have. But there was no response. : ( : ( If you look at the box top artwork it also shows a strange colour for the interior. It is known that different factories produced their aircraft with slightly different internal cockpit colours. But none of them was this light blue shade

Hi Dai Phan, Yes, you are absolutely right to share your experiences!!! I did the same in having a look inside the box on that video. There is a problem with fitting the cockpit side walls (Parts B20 & B38) but the instruction on page 6 draws the attention to this. One has to cut those surface wire/tube imitations to get a proper fit! If one builds the cockpit as it is, will not be able to close up fuselage sides properly, there will be a gap!!! So please make a note of this! On my example those 3D printed MARS pods had broken parts/ s

Hi Dai Phan, Few pages ago I did share here a link to a video I made of the extras included in the Limited edition. Did mention that the 3D printed parts look “strange” to me. I think it was a subcontractor who did it, designed, produced the 3D printed parts. Did raise a question about the authenticity of some parts (ladder, helmet) but also of quality and strange design ideas. Have a look at the depth of the lines on the tire running surface or the visible 3D print layers . . . The fit of parts is good in some places while in others there is very little to go by. I don

How bright a natural metal surface on a Soviet made aircraft when it is really natural metal? As a journalist and aviation photographer throughout decades I have followed several general overhauls of different aircraft and helicopters from the initial landing, all the way through the overhaul to the very end of painting and the given airframe departing back to its fighter unit. In initial stage of overhaul ALL paint was stripped chemically from the surfaces going back to bare metal! In the coming mouths this remained throughout system integration, testing and the first test flight

You are welcome to believe in whatever you want to. As I have said before you don’t have to believe in what I know. All I can do is to share my experiences and show to fellow modellers what I have seen in the past decades. First, the clear Varnish mixed with the Aluminium powder (actually it is a paste) creates a dull Aluminum colour paint which covers perfectly the surface under it! It will not be transparent! If it is transparent you are not doing your work correctly! : ) How do I know? Been in the aircraft factory paint shop when it was mixed and surface p

Just one point in getting back to the argument about Natural Metal finish. I did mention earlier that originally MiG-17’s out of factory had a pure natural metal finish with bare metal surface which was covered with transparent varnish. Museum aircraft can be either painted authentically or at will of the given museum paint shop (that is any colour and scheme they like). So museum aircraft could be very misleading. This is why one should try to go back in time as much as possible. Look at period photos! The Japanese Koku Fan had a very exciting article way back during the Vie

Hi Dai Phan, Thanks! I am sure it would be a lot of help to some building the MiG-17 kit/kits. Just as the photos from Yufei. So now you have 2 "plain" version AMMO and 2 Limited with the extras ? Best regards Gabor

Hi Curt B, As far as I know at Nellis there is (at least) one Polish made “Red 547” (overall grey with false North Korean markings retaining the original Polish a/c number) in front of the Threat Training Facility in the “Petting Zoo”. As far as I can see it has been moved around in the past. The one Guuugle image I have shows it inside an “area” along with many other “things”. It is about 200 metres to the South from Simons gate at the Southern end of the base. What is more fascinating is an original Red Eagles ex-Indonesian MiG-21F-13 (a/c 64) near a turn in front of Green Flag b

Hi Marc, In a way yes! The sets that Eduard is doing a missed opportunity in my opinion. A lot of obvious things are left unattended so to say. I know they say every time that Eduard is doing only DETAILING and not CORRECTING sets, but even in detailing a lot of obvious things are simply not included. Or instead something else is made which either has absolutely no value for a given kit or poorly researched, and/or is not relevant to the given kit. Sad, since photoetch is such a versatile technology and some extremely fine and delicate things could be made

Hi Marc, Well they are intended for the Soviet made kit, while Eduard has made separately sets for the Annetra and the Trump kits. So in principle the etched parts should fit exactly this kit. Is it any good? Real value for adding details to a kit? One has to make their own decisions on this. Somewhere on previous pages I did report on this set with some comments on it. Best regards Gabor

Hi Curt B, As mentioned earlier one has to differentiate between stages of life of a given airframe. Look at the work Airfix did with the brand new Seaking helicopter. While it is the one and the same airframe it had very different schemes and also level of equipment added on it in its years of service! The Migs also had several stages: 1. original factory finish in natural metal with clear varnish over it. (I personally like this the best!) Here you can see all the metal parts as they are, all the rivets. The machining of the surface was made in different ways s

I am sure this Tom Cooper (have no idea who he is) has done a lot of research into this, but the fact is that the Migs leaving factory in 1950’s had a true natural metal finish, they were coated with clear protecting varnish on almost the whole surface apart from few panels which were from different materials. Same applied all the way up to late Migs like MiG-21PF, MiG-21PFM and even MiG-21MF! Good quality period photos clearly show the “real” natural metal finish on these planes. One should not compare the polished Starfighters to any of the Migs. They are completely different stories!

The Natural Metal Migs were exactly natural metal! Anyone questioning this should take a look at manufacturers / maintenance manual for the Migs of that period. For corrosion protection the natural metal surfaces of the aircraft were covered with transparent varnish. Back in those days there were several varnish versions available to the aircraft factories (depending on the solvent type used in them). Very few parts of the aircraft were actually painted as such. For example on a MiG-15 the area around the front windshield. Here a thick rubbery textile sealant (black / very da

Hi Dai, Never studied the Chinese J-5 version but the AMMO kit should be close enough. There are some not to far away in Albania, but in the past did not have the chance to see them close up. One has to look at the subject he is building because the Spanish kit is very specific in areas like for example the ejection seat. In this set only the late “Curtain” type seat is included. Nice decal sheet!! Never heard of it. Best regards Gabor

Good luck with it! Which version will you do? Have fun! Best regards Gabor

It has been some time since news . . . In spring next year a Thunderbirds F-4E boxing should be released also with a F-4D to follow. Best regards Gabor

As it was possible to expect from the brake down of parts the two seater F-15 is to follow the first releases. Late this year there should be a modernized F-15DJ with a USAF F-15D close after that. But early next year a real F-15C should also be boxed. I know it should be in another topic but in spring next year a Thunderbirds F-4E should be released also with a F-4D to follow. Best regards Gabor

Hi Mfezi Thanks for the link and the information! Best regards Gabor

It will be interesting to see the result of the investigation! If it will be public in any form. Usually one only will see the news of the crash when it happens, but after that . . . Tried to follow any fresh news but the only comment few days latter was about a reported engine problem. There were some TV news reports, in one there weere images of the crashed tail section with the front of the engine. The first stage blades had minimal damage! How is the crew? What did they say? Best regards Gabor

It was an L-39 which lost its front canopy at the show. So this part of the statement is right! ? Did the MiG-23UB also have an issue with the canopy? Based on the above photos, yes it did! So it seems that a lot of veteran ex East European birds are losing canopies. : ) : ) : ) It is my bad, did not know about this, but seen the Albatros "shedding" the front canopy. They were very lucky in both cases! As for the accident at Thunder over Michingan. The canopy issue, if they had such before was certainly not part/cause of Sundays crash. The fact that the

It was an L-39 Albatros which "lost" its front canopy, it’s not part of Dan Filers fleet of aircraft. Best regards Gabor

It is interesting that in October a new version of the 49 1366 photoetch set will be released. It is a revision of the initial 49 1366 set which was released in the summer. This is the photoetch set for the AMMO new MiG-17F kit. What are the differences? Few pages ago I was writing about the problems with the original etching. Here are some of the solutions that the company came up with: 1. Well for start, that really stupid Part 42 was taken off from the fret. Obviously the designer had no idea what he was doing and added a MiG-15 canopy after part into