Jump to content

Recommended Posts

I don't dare to show the cockpit to the real modelers in this forum: it's non-existent.

Let's say I'm using this OOB build as a trainer for when I'll build a real MiG-31...

DSCN4266s.jpg

The MiG-21 is the one I should have finished for the Wings of the Red Star group build: it's there just for size comparison

DSCN4268s.jpg

DSCN4269s.jpg

DSCN4271s.jpg

DSCN4275.jpg

The panel lines of this kit are very nice, and the breakdown of parts is clever (in principle): but the fit is not so good.

Davide

Edited by davetur
Link to post
Share on other sites
Beautifull start! Im allready sick to death of all those MIG's-21 :woo: . This is the real deal!

Primož

Thanks for the encouragement, but wait to see the end result! (If ever I manage to meet the deadline....) :D :yahoo:

The only improvement I'll make will be two Pavla K-36 seats.

And putting red covers on the intakes and exhausts, it would take ages just to fix those.

Davide

Link to post
Share on other sites

Pavla is most of the time WAY cheaper than NeOmega.

I don't think he wants to spend big money on AM-stuff, he's building this Mig-31 as a practice for this next Mig-31.

But don't know for sure, though...

BTW: Your build is looking very nice, Davetur!

Link to post
Share on other sites
Why Pavla, not NeOmega?

I also recommend Begemot full stencil decal

As Flyingraptor has rightly imagined, I'm not going to spend a lot for aftermarket.. and the Pavla seats are OK and will look the part: especially when the canopy will be closed!

I have done a bit of progress (intakes, nosecone and puttying), will post photos over the weekend.

Davide

Link to post
Share on other sites

Intakes added and a lot of spots puttied...

DSCN4276.jpg

This area on both sides of the aircraft is particularly nasty... as if someone had "carved" a panel: I had to fill it with multiple layers of putty.

DSCN4279.jpg

DSCN4280.jpg

.... and after sanding:

DSCN4284.jpg

DSCN4277.jpg

Another difficult area:

DSCN4287.jpg

DSCN4288.jpg

although you can notice a detail missing in the Zvezda ki: the small, narrow fixed part of the stabilator on the side of the fuselage.

Next step will be adding seats, closing the canopy and painting.

bye

Davide

Link to post
Share on other sites

I love MiG-31. It is really mean beast that was basically build around one purpose and radar. It is just concentrated, and supposed to do one job, and do it well.

You have done a good job so far. :cheers: Not sure if you have said it, but what scheme will it be? Something is really fishy about this gb, so it is a nice break to see -31.

although you can notice a detail missing in the Zvezda ki: the small, narrow fixed part of the stabilator on the side of the fuselage.

bye

Davide

This area doesn't look perfect here either tbh. IIRC, the fixed part should be flater, and follow whole length of the stabilisator. Here it is just short and thick, so i guess stabilisator have a "dogtooth"?

Link to post
Share on other sites
You have done a good job so far. :wacko: Not sure if you have said it, but what scheme will it be? Something is really fishy about this gb, so it is a nice break to see -31.

I'll use the stock decal of this box, which are for a '31 of the 174 GIAP Monchegorsk, the one with the "Boris Safonov" signs on the intakes.

This area doesn't look perfect here either tbh. IIRC, the fixed part should be flater, and follow whole length of the stabilisator. Here it is just short and thick, so i guess stabilisator have a "dogtooth"?

You are right, maybe I'll do something to fix: although my main aim is to see how this kit looks when built and compare it with the Zvezda one.

I have also bought (online) the "new" ICM kit, but instead of the revised and corrected Zvezda I have got another copy of this same kit I'm building..... damn.

Link to post
Share on other sites
I have also bought (online) the "new" ICM kit, but instead of the revised and corrected Zvezda I have got another copy of this same kit I'm building..... damn.

Yeah, it is same issue with their MiG-29 9.13. Same boxing, different kits. One old, one new. So the best way is to buy in a shop...But i still haven't seen that new ICM -31 "live". Tbh, Zvezda kit is fine. The two main areas are the exhaust and that step for stabs. Panellines are a bit heavy, but that can be fixed with some sanding.

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...

Not a lot of progress last week: I've been almost always been away from home.

So, just done with the sanding, I added the seats, masked the canopies and put them on.

DSCN4289.jpg

DSCN4290.jpg

DSCN4291.jpg

Next step painting

That's all (folks)!

Cheers

Davide

Link to post
Share on other sites

Painted the radome and the other dielectrics Humbrol 27, and the canopies Model Master 2135 (to have the "painted internally" effect)

DSCN4292.jpg

DSCN4293.jpg

I also tried to simulate the small fixed part of the stabilator with glued styrene:

DSCN4295.jpg

then thinned down with a sanding stick:

DSCN4307.jpg

Added the cannon (very poor representation):

DSCN4308.jpg

and then replaced the lower intake lips with sheet styrene, since the original were incompletely molded:

DSCN4309.jpg

DSCN4310.jpg

I used the original part of the actuator, sanded and glued to the styrene part.

Bye

Davide

Link to post
Share on other sites

Masked the antennas and radome, and painted the anti-glare areas (using Model Master 1593, which is a brownish black)

DSCN4363.jpg

DSCN4361.jpg

DSCN4360.jpg

And then masked the black areas, sprayed the light gray (Humbrol 127), and removed the masks (except transparents):

DSCN4364.jpg

DSCN4366.jpg

DSCN4367.jpg

DSCN4370.jpg

And as soon as I had finished cleaning the airbrush.... AAAAAAGH, a real beginner's mistake: I had left aside the other parts (stabilators, landing gear doors etc:) DAMN.

Although it is barely noticeable in this picture, there is a hint of how fine are the panel lines, which are almost invisible on the bare plastic:

DSCN4369.jpg

Cheers

Davide

Edited by davetur
Link to post
Share on other sites

I made a last (minimal) addition, the metal panel that join the two exhaust nozzles, which are missing from the kit, out of plastic sheet:

DSCN4374.jpg

and glued them to the nozzles, which were temporarily attached to the fuselage to get the alignment:

DSCN4375.jpg

DSCN4377.jpg

I had previously done some weathering with a "sludge wash" of acrylic black over the enamel, the result is not so great: the panel lines are so thin that they don't retain any paint when the wash is cleaned out.

I also applied the few decals, over a local spot of future to avoid silvering:

DSCN4378.jpg

DSCN4379.jpg

DSCN4382.jpg

I might even succeed to meet the deadline!

Cheers

Davide

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thank you, Sebastijan, you're too kind.

I have been trying to be nice to this kit, but I have to say a few things.

Pros:

as said previuosly, the parts breakdown is clever, and makes for a sturdy and self-aligned model;

panel lines are very delicate and thin: and more precise, I think, than Zvezda

BUT

Cons:

the fit is between OK to poor or very poor in places;

the shape resembles a MiG-31, but the separate nose cone creates a discontinuity of the nose lines when viewed from the side;

the cockpit transparencies create an odd, overly high shape, again when viewed from the side;

the exhausts' inner part has no detail and is far too shallow;

the air intakes are just a plain vertical wall just behind the compression ramps, the only solution is to hide them with a ground cover;

the bottom detail, especially in the area of the R-33 missile housings, is too soft;

the main landing gear is poorly detailed and is simply awful, and apart from the fact that I broke 75% of the thinner parts due brittle plastic, and I had to repair them, I had to work on it considerably to make it fit, the attachment references being simply unusable: basically the legs are now held together by massive use of super glue.

As a conclusion, though the Zvezda-Revell model is a bit heavy on the panel lines, by looking at the various built examples including the very nice, last-minute Jan Buick built model in this group build, it looks more like the real plane, has a very nice detail in the landing gear, and is generally OK in the areas where the ICM kit is lacking.

I had thought to use parts of this kit in a kitbash with the Zvezda to take advantage of the better detail, but I don't think it's such a good idea now.

So, as probably most of the more expert modelers in this forum already suspected or knew, stay away from the old ICM and MAC Distribution boxing, and check PERSONALLY the contents of the new ICM boxing because as said previously, you can find under the same kit number 72151, either the old kit (the one I built),which is bad, OR the revised-corrected Zvezda kit, which is good.

It was fun to build though, and at least I have a finished model on my shelf, and a kit less in my stash.

Cheers

Davide

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...