Laurent Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 Text is in French but the photographs are interesting as they show the shape differences. OOB for Eduard, Aires cockpit for Academy. http://fighters.forumactif.com/t47028p15-mig-21-mf-x2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ya-gabor Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 Hi Laurent, Nice comparison between the Academy and the Eduard kits. But was there ever a question which one is better. Or should I say which one is a scale replica of the real aircraft? I had the Academy kits for many years (before internet forums or any preview in modelling mags) but there was never a question of how bad it is. Just go out to a museum and compare it to the real aircraft! It is a base to start (thousaunds of work hours to make it good)from if there is nothing else around. But fortunately now we have the Eduard kit. The Eduard kit has its mistakes (which kit is perfect?) but until we have an even better or perfect kit in the shops, this is the best around. For me this is not a question: Academy v. Eduard. Best regards Gabor Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Laurent Posted September 12, 2011 Author Share Posted September 12, 2011 But was there ever a question which one is better. Some guys who own the Academy kit and who have heard about the Eduard kit may be interested by topics like the one I've given the link of. I had the Academy kits for many years (before internet forums or any preview in modelling mags) but there was never a question of how bad it is. Did Czechs and Poles think the same ? Did they notice canopy + spine inaccuracies at the time (and consider them not reasonably unfixable perhaps) ? Just go out to a museum and compare it to the real aircraft! Easy for you or Czechs or Poles. And just circling around an aircraft may not show its characteristic shapes. I've given some pointers in the 13th post of the topic (Hunavia pics links) Cheers. Laurent Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ya-gabor Posted September 12, 2011 Share Posted September 12, 2011 Hi Laurent, Nice comparison between the Academy and the Eduard kits. I can say only this once again! I still see Academy kits enetered in competitions and built by modellers. It is a kit to start from, but it is a long, very long way to a reasonable representation of a MiG-21, a scale replica of the real aircraft. "Did Czechs and Poles think the same ? Did they notice canopy + spine inaccuracies at the time (and consider them not reasonably unfixable perhaps) ?" Yes, most of the people saw that there were lots of mistakes, but for some it was just as good. Even today, I say that the Eduard kit has many mistakes but it is the best around and a lot of people building it. It could be that in a few years time another manufacture will present a new version of the MiG-21 and we will say it is much better than the Eduard kit! The same happend with the Academy ages ago when it was released! "Easy for you or Czechs or Poles." I know just of our aircraft, which were sent abroad to museums: there is one (at leaset one) in Austria (Linz maybe), in the Turkish AF museum, in Holland several, Hungarian AF commander donated one (MiG-21PF) to the RAF Benevolent Fund, there are examples in the US and in many other countries, not to speak of all the ex users of the aircraft. And this is not only Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary!!!!!! There are still some MF, bis and UM examples at Papa base and they are for sale! So there is plenty of real aircraft to look at! But if not a direct contact with the "aluminium" then there is the internet and lots of real books with excellent details! Modelling is about seeing the details not just looking at it. Even in a museum a lot of lessons can be learned, you dont need to disect in real time an aircraft. Although I like to see aircraft that end up in a scrap jards. A lot of details, shapes, forms, colours and previously unseen parts can show up things that can be used in building a real scale representation of the given aircraft! The French forum shown by you also shows some interesting details about the aproach to the same question by different manufacturers at different times. Best regards Gabor Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Laurent Posted September 12, 2011 Author Share Posted September 12, 2011 (edited) Hi Gabor. Nice comparison between the Academy and the Eduard kits.It indeed is. Theo (who isn't an ARC member AFAIK) has to be thanked for it. He's doing a great job.It is a kit to start from, but it is a long, very long way to a reasonable representation of a MiG-21, a scale replica of the real aircraft. Extremely difficult yes. The spine can be reshaped easily but then you have to make masters to vacuform new canopy and windscreen. And heavily rework the front fuselage so that the vacuformed part can be put put on them. It isn't worth the effort nowadays of course. I say that the Eduard kit has many mistakes but it is the best around and a lot of people building it. What are they and can you please illustrate so that the reader can decide if he can live the mistakes or not ? I know just of our aircraft, which were sent abroad to museums: there is one (at leaset one) in Austria (Linz maybe), in the Turkish AF museum, in Holland several, Hungarian AF commander donated one (MiG-21PF) to the RAF Benevolent Fund, there are examples in the US and in many other countries, not to speak of all the ex users of the aircraft. And this is not only Poland, Czech Republic and Hungary!!!!!! The only MiG-21 that is pretty easily accessible to me is a Czech F-13 at the Bourget museum. But if not a direct contact with the "aluminium" then there is the internet and lots of real books with excellent details! Like the Hunavia web site that shows how the canopy and spine looks like on real aircrafts. - Real MF: http://www.friweb.hu...tos/photo16.jpg - Real bis: http://www.friweb.hu...0301_fv_541.jpg Modelling is about seeing the details not just looking at it. Modelling is what the modeller wants it to be. The French forum shown by you also shows some interesting details about the aproach to the same question by different manufacturers at different times. Indeed. Cheers. Laurent Edited September 12, 2011 by Laurent Quote Link to post Share on other sites
necron99 Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Hi Laurent, Nice comparison between the Academy and the Eduard kits. But was there ever a question which one is better. Or should I say which one is a scale replica of the real aircraft? I had the Academy kits for many years (before internet forums or any preview in modelling mags) but there was never a question of how bad it is. Just go out to a museum and compare it to the real aircraft! It is a base to start (thousaunds of work hours to make it good)from if there is nothing else around. But fortunately now we have the Eduard kit. The Eduard kit has its mistakes (which kit is perfect?) but until we have an even better or perfect kit in the shops, this is the best around. For me this is not a question: Academy v. Eduard. Best regards Gabor Hi All I know I'm kinda late here but this is my take. The Academy kit is flawed no question. I was drooling over the Eduard kit's and will have some of them one day but noticed it too has problems as well. (SMT nose is off for starters) I also have a bunch of OEZ Mig 21's and a bunch of Academy one's also for all their warts. (plus the mandatory aftermarket goodies) But we are modellers after all building only representations of real AC. And I've seen some beautiful OEZ and Academy Mig 21's built up by many people here and elsewhere that "look" like Mig 21's While we all like models to be as accurate as possible, we are only building models after all not the real thing. As a a great modeller who is no longer with us (modeller Al) used to say "Build What You Want The Way You Want" I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm going to build my Academy MiG 21's and enjoy them fully and not worry. (after all the cutting and sanding that is lol) This is a hobby after all. I do want to thank all here for the information about whats wrong with these MiG's and will fix what I see and can fix and leave the rest. Meanwhile I'm slowly getting back to my Su 27 and finish that first. Allan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jennings Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 SMT nose is off for starters How so? The real SMT nose is the same as the MF nose, and the MF nose is fine. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Big Daddy Posted March 6, 2012 Share Posted March 6, 2012 Text is in French but the photographs are interesting as they show the shape differences. OOB for Eduard, Aires cockpit for Academy. http://fighters.forumactif.com/t47028p15-mig-21-mf-x2 Bonjour Laurent, That is a very interesting comparison. Thanks for posting the link. BTW, you wouldn't happen to be a guitar player as well as a modeller would you? BD Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Laurent Posted March 7, 2012 Author Share Posted March 7, 2012 BTW, you wouldn't happen to be a guitar player as well as a modeller would you? Er nope. It's sad to say but I don't play any musical instrument. And I'm hardly a modeler anymore Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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