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Mig-23 Floggers in 1/72 scale


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Been sniffing around the ARC forum & seen pics of the RV Resin kit (The Hell Fighter version). It looks nice. A little pricey though. But I like that for that price you get the data stencil sheet + photoetch set + optional tail versions, etc.

Then there's also talk of Trumpeter downsizing their 1/32 kit (by way of HobbyBoss?) to the 1/72 version.

Should I get the RV kit now (before it goes the way of the STREEM Su-24 kit & disappears forever) or should I wait for Trump/Hobbyboss?

Also, can the Hell Fighter boxing be made into an Soviet bird in the Afghan war?

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If you have other projects to keep you busy, I'd wait for Trumpeter or Hobbyboss to release a kit.

In the meantime, if you want a MiG-23 in your collection, these two threads should help discern between the Hasegawa and Italeri kits.

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=103112

http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=212545

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Also, can the Hell Fighter boxing be made into an Soviet bird in the Afghan war?

The kit comes with parts to do any single seater. The instruction sheet isn't specific either.This probably means that further RV kits will just come with different decals and nothing else. The modeler will have to rescribe the version characteristic panel lines (and by doing this, ruin the riveting) if they care for such detalis.

Edited by Laurent
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I actually picked up a few of the RV kits to start carrying them over here, they are a bit on the pricey side (no more so than a Trumpeter down-scale I might add), but the quality is superb. I sold out the first batch (quickly), and will have some reports soon on how they fit and what the general feel is beyond the in-box impressions.

I should have another batch soon, and will let everyone know when they arrive. In fact, if anyone wants to pre-order one, let me know ahead of time, and I'll up my order accordingly. Just drop me a PM.

Interestingly enough, while the first release (the Hellfighter kit) is labeled as a MiG-23MF, it does have the plastic included for the ML and MLD. They have those versions announced, but the decals and boxes aren't produced yet.

Nice kit, if it wasn't 1/72, I'd be all over it.

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This year Zvezda is going to reproduce their MiG-27.

Reproduce = reissue without any modification ? Perhaps the global shape of the kit is good but the nose and transparencies are a joke.

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In the meantime, if you want a MiG-23 in your collection, these two threads should help discern between the Hasegawa and Italeri kits.

There was a kit of MiG-23 made by Zvezda. It's an old model but it is better than Academy kits of MiG-23/27.

I actually have the Academy (Hasegawa reboxed with rescribed panel lines) kit as well as the Zvezda kit. I'll probably use the Acad ones to built the Middle-Eastern "export" birds with the smaller nose...or I might make a copy of the Zvezda nose and graft it into the Acad ones to make Eastern Bloc aircraft. May have to rescribe the inaccurate airbrakes though. As for the intakes, I don't think I can do anything much about that so I'll have to forgo accuracy. I don't quite like the Zvezda canopy because it looks squashed.

The kit comes with parts to do any single seater. The instruction sheet isn't specific either.This probably means that further RV kits will just come with different decals and nothing else.

Interestingly enough, while the first release (the Hellfighter kit) is labeled as a MiG-23MF, it does have the plastic included for the ML and MLD.

That's good news. I might be able to make copies of the different parts & mix & match with the old Acad kits. When it comes to kit accuracy, I'm usually in the middle-ground. It doesn't have to be an EXACT replica of the real thing but then it cannot have too many discrepancies. Eg, I'd never touch a Starfix Zero or a Starfix F-5 Tiger but the acceptable Academy Zero (despite it's fiddly engine cowling & canopy flaws) and the Minihobby F-5E Tiger ( copy of Italeri F-5 with trenchlike panel lines) are actually ok with me.

So I think I'll just get one copy of the Hell Fighter & see how it goes from there. Too bad about the price. I wish I could afford more. Thanks all :cheers:

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Jack, I just got my RV, and the cheapest place I've found it from where I'm at is a UK-based ebay seller. Just got it 2 weeks ago, and it is superb. I'd say it's pretty much what we've dreamed of for decades.

I justify the price with 1) the 20-year wait (for me), and 2) the unlikely chance it will be around in great quantities for long. And, now that I've received one and "fondled" it firsthand, I have not regretted one single penny invested in it--and I'm usually a pretty frugal guy!

If I was single without kids I'd definitely find a way to scrape together enough for at least a couple more.

Do it!!

Edited by Andrew D. the Jolly Rogers guy
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Jack, I just got my RV, and the cheapest place I've found it from where I'm at is a UK-based ebay seller. Just got it 2 weeks ago, and it is superb. I'd say it's pretty much what we've dreamed of for decades.

I justify the price with 1) the 20-year wait (for me), and 2) the unlikely chance it will be around in great quantities for long. And, now that I've received one and "fondled" it firsthand, I have not regretted one single penny invested in it--and I'm usually a pretty frugal guy!

If I was single without kids I'd definitely find a way to scrape together enough for at least a couple more.

Do it!!

Thanks for the positive feedback on the kit, Andrew! Yeah, somehow the molding & the rivets of the RV kit reminded me of the now-extinct Streem Su-24 (which fortunately I was lucky enough to get my hands on) & I think you're probably right about it not being around for long. I'm definitely getting one now :)

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I took some close shots here for your information.

The detail is bit softer than Streem's Su-24, but still incredible in 1/72 scale.

R.V. Aircraft 1/72 MiG-23MF

What I'd like to say is that instead of waiting for something unsure, grab the existing things quite sure in front of your eyes while you can.

Cheers,

Yufei

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I took some close shots here for your information.

The detail is bit softer than Streem's Su-24, but still incredible in 1/72 scale.

R.V. Aircraft 1/72 MiG-23MF

What I'd like to say is that instead of waiting for something unsure, grab the existing things quite sure in front of your eyes while you can.

Cheers,

Yufei

Thanks for the pics, Yufei! Man, the details look fantastic! Ok, no more doubts now. I'm getting it :)

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I took some close shots here for your information.

The detail is bit softer than Streem's Su-24, but still incredible in 1/72 scale.

R.V. Aircraft 1/72 MiG-23MF

What I'd like to say is that instead of waiting for something unsure, grab the existing things quite sure in front of your eyes while you can.

Cheers,

Yufei

I'd actually disagree that the detail is softer than the Streem kit, as perhaps the panels aren't quite as crisp, but we're really splitting hairs there. The actual molding quality of the RV kit is far superior, the plastic is smooth and the detail is evenly applied. The Streem kit that I had back in the day had rough surface and while the panel lines were nice, they would have likely disappeared with all the surface prep that you had to do to even out the finish.

The RV moldings, are therefore, for my money, superior to the Streem kit. The good news is, RV resin has been around for a number of years, so I don't believe these kits will disappear any time soon.

Lots of interest in the kit as I've received more than a few PMs to pre-order from the next batch. Already contacted my supplier to send more over!

Paul

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Another vote for the RV Resin kit!

Although I have not waited as long as Andrew, I still have waited enough. I wasn't overly optimistic about the kit before it came out, not even when the first photos were released although everything seemed to be okay. Now that I finally bought it a couple of weeks ago, I can say it's worth the money - all the 30 euros I paid for it!

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Jack, I just got my RV, and the cheapest place I've found it from where I'm at is a UK-based ebay seller. Just got it 2 weeks ago, and it is superb. I'd say it's pretty much what we've dreamed of for decades.

I justify the price with 1) the 20-year wait (for me), and 2) the unlikely chance it will be around in great quantities for long. And, now that I've received one and "fondled" it firsthand, I have not regretted one single penny invested in it--and I'm usually a pretty frugal guy!

If I was single without kids I'd definitely find a way to scrape together enough for at least a couple more.

Do it!!

I also got mine from the same eBay seller (really nice guy to deal with I might add with fast shipping) and there is NO reason to wait for Trumpeter to do it as it will not approach the quality of what is in the RV box- PERIOD. As for some of the grumblings on an earlier thread as to the lineage of the drawings used, I don't care one bit as it looks the part. Just my 2 cents there.

Regards,

Chris the cabbie

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I also got mine from the same eBay seller (really nice guy to deal with I might add with fast shipping)

Chris the cabbie

Which E-bay seller? Could you provide a link or a seller's name? Thanks in advance. I did a search on Ebay UK but the seller that the search engine found was based in Poland.

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I took some close shots here for your information.

The detail is bit softer than Streem's Su-24, but still incredible in 1/72 scale.

R.V. Aircraft 1/72 MiG-23MF

Wow, that's some heavy riveting, especially on the front fuselage below the cockpit. I don't seem to notice any comments on what the Trumpeter usually gets bashed for (and that's in in 1/32 scale, mind you).

Edited by ijozic
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Here's the guy I got it from, "heepdrutt." I looked and looked, and it was the best deal I could find, so far.

http://cgi.ebay.com/RV-Aircraft-1-72-Model-Kit-72001-Mig-23-MF-Flogger-/390303259346?pt=UK_ToysGames_ModelKits_ModelKits_JN&hash=item5adfe31ad2

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Wow, that's some heavy riveting, especially on the front fuselage below the cockpit. I don't seem to notice any comments on what the Trumpeter usually gets bashed for (and that's in in 1/32 scale, mind you).
It isn't heavy, it's dense. The rivets on the master were done with a Rosie wheel so they can't be deep. You shouldn't trust close-up photographs when it comes to evaluating riveting or panel lines depth but trust your eyes or the others eyes: you see with your brain, not with your eyes. Sight is subjective. Edited by Laurent
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I'd actually disagree that the detail is softer than the Streem kit, as perhaps the panels aren't quite as crisp, but we're really splitting hairs there. The actual molding quality of the RV kit is far superior, the plastic is smooth and the detail is evenly applied. The Streem kit that I had back in the day had rough surface and while the panel lines were nice, they would have likely disappeared with all the surface prep that you had to do to even out the finish.

The RV moldings, are therefore, for my money, superior to the Streem kit. The good news is, RV resin has been around for a number of years, so I don't believe these kits will disappear any time soon.

Lots of interest in the kit as I've received more than a few PMs to pre-order from the next batch. Already contacted my supplier to send more over!

Paul

Well, I guess maybe your Streem kit is the later batches with short run mold a bit damaged.

Mine is quite sharp indeed, and I love the rivets of different sizes and pattern on the Streem Su-24 kit than those on RV MiG-23's.

Su-24:

233826927_bbf6432ebe.jpg

233827036_262af42d93.jpg

233827474_95f24ecc16.jpg

MiG-23:

53426728201103312348559681443425988_032.jpg

Just my 2 cents,

Yufei

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Hi Everybody,some days ago i recive the RV MiG-23MF,the kit is awesome,so i have a doubt about the piece #49,really thats the double R-60 pylon launcher? If 49 piece is this double pylon,maybe really GREAT.

cheers

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Well these sprue shots raise the question on the MLD nose which was bigger (heck it looked bigger) and they are giving the ML/MLD fin as a bonus? So in the MLD boxing we should probably expect new front fuselage halves at least with a new radome and new larger nose wheels.

P.S. These RV migs are just gorgeous. I might get a few of these once the MLD is released.

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Yes, it will be reissueof Zvezda MiG-27. Info is from their catalog (also they will reissue IL-4T). And as I sad ZVEZDA MODEL IS THE BEST NOW! IT'S A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN ACADEMY.

Drat. I still think that...

zvezdaMiG27frontFuselage.jpg

... throws everything down the drain.

Well these sprue shots raise the question on the MLD nose which was bigger (heck it looked bigger) and they are giving the ML/MLD fin as a bonus? So in the MLD boxing we should probably expect new front fuselage halves at least with a new radome and new larger nose wheels.

The multi-versions instruction sheet and the presence of the optional parts of the sprues suggest that your expectencies won't be satisfied.

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