gregair Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 1/48 Esci Mig-23 as Angolan Mig-23ML…How “NOT†to do it! Firstly some history: This Mig-23ML arrived in Angola in 1984 and was used against Unita and South African forces by Angolan crews until about 1986 when it was taken into service by a Cuban manned squadron for the same purposes. Ironically in the early 1990’s this same aircraft was flown by a number of ex South African Air Force Mirage pilots while employed by Executive Outcomes! I added the very nice Neomega cockpit set which I made such a mess of it that I eventually decided to add a pilot and close the canopy. I trimmed the tail fin fillet to resemble the ML’s profile I rescribed the panel lines (A first for me) using the Tamiya scriber, I used the kit panel lines as a guide (I know they are not accurate but decided to let them be) These aircraft were mainly housed in revetments with no roof and became very weathered, faded and some showed a quite “patchy†effect. However I decided to go for an “in between†finish with moderate weathering (by Angolan standards) as possibly seen in the 1986-1988 period. I gave it a coat of Tamiya primer (from spray can) and pre-shaded using pale grey and black for a patchy effect. So far so good! The Eduard cockpit masks work very nicely. Then the trouble started… Firstly, like a fool, I did the pre-shade using Humbrol Acrylics thinned with water and let it dry. Then the cammo over it using Tamiya acrylics thinned with lacquer thinners. This caused bubbles and wrinkles all over the place and led to a lot of sanding and re-spraying! Then I couldn’t get the colours right…particularly the green. I re-sprayed the Mig six times…yes six times (mainly the green) and still was not happy with the result. A disaster with the presstik sausages left this mess on the first attempt….. Second attempt..green too bright Third..not too bad but I later made a mess trying to weather it! Fourth…too green Fifth… BUT at that stage I decided to alter the nose profile and added a quick boost Mig-29 nose and sanded to fit which required a touch up of paint in the nose area...Doh! After that….would you believe it…I then chose to correct the windshield and canopy profiles!!!!!! I filled in the cockpit “sills†that the canopy rests on, this made the top of the canopy level with the spine which is closer to the real thing. I then adjusted the windshield to match the canopy position and filled the resulting gap between the bottom of the windshield and the fuselage with “clear fix†Not perfect but a fair improvement. Having done that, another touch up of green was needed. And here we are at the moment During the course of these lunatic maneuverings, I had a go at pulling small sections of the red “bort†numbers of using masking tape. This worked quite well to give the effect of the numbers wearing off in pieces / patches that were common to these aircraft in Angola. I need to clean up the canopy sills, add some details, wheel doors etc, finish up some painting, nose randome etc, gloss coat, a little more weathering, dirty wash and then matt / semi matt clear coat to finish I intend to arm it with two UB-32 rocket pods, one under each wing glove and a belly drop tank. Or possibly armed with two S-24 rockets which were tested in Angola but not used in operational missions. This is where I am at with this kit, I am now at sea for five weeks and will use the time to ponder the future of C-434…….I am still not happy with the green, I think it needs to be lighter, maybe when I get home I will sand her down and start again with a different Angolan Mig-23 scheme…..there were so many! Criticisms, suggestions and hilarious giggles are welcome. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
KursadA Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 I really like how you corrected the windshield/canopy profile. I think one of the biggest problems in the old Esci kit is the "squished" look of the windshield. Great work so far! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
vesthepes Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Very nice, a like your choice of markings. Also good approach on the windshield. Can you tell me how you fixed the nose? here's my build if you want to check it. http://s362974870.onlinehome.us/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=237303&st=0&p=2261665&fromsearch=1entry2261665 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gregair Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 Thanks guys. KursadA, Thanks, I agree, if the canopy windshield were better then it would improve the kit quite a lot. Vesthepes, your Mig is outstanding, I got the idea for the Mig-29 nose from your build, I never had a Mig-29 handy so I bought the "Quick Boost" Mig-29 nose. I used a "quick Boost" Mig-29 nose and thickened the top of the kit nose a little to make it "blend" better. On the photo showing the windscreen / canopy profiles you can see the white area that I thickened to meet the new nose. I still think the green sould be much "softer/lighter" like a pale leaf green? This is more the Light Green tone that I am trying for....maybe I give it one more try! When this is finished I have another 1/48 Italeri Mig-23...I will try another one as I really learned a lot with this one. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
vesthepes Posted January 12, 2012 Share Posted January 12, 2012 Oh, great that you used the fulcrum nose, your QB looks definitely better than my academy. I'm glad you like my flogger it was one was my first biggest "surgery" project, but I don't like how I painted it too. Too much over-spray but let's leave that... You get kudos just for messing with it and yours is made very good, we all now the kit is very very problematic and under-detailed. If you don't like your green I think you should just use a bit lighter shade and spray it panel like or sth and a little of that sand all over to kill the contrast, you know those African migs look rugged and worn but than again your green doesn't look bad at all to me... Anyway keep up the good work, when I was building it I said I'll never mess with it again, but now I'm like I gotta make a new one :D Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Exhausted Posted January 17, 2012 Share Posted January 17, 2012 Even if you chose to seal the bird and add the last details I'd say it looks very convincing. The green doesn't look bad on my end, but I understand you wanting to have a more faded green. Nice job. Which Esci kit was this? MS I take it? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gregair Posted August 8, 2012 Author Share Posted August 8, 2012 Thanks for the comments guys. So I was still not happy with the colours, sanded it down, had some new decals made and gave her a whole new Identity and colour scheme. And behold...first attempt and....I am happy!!!!! :shock: Despite a self induced silvering problem with the decals because I did not gloss coat the Mig properly: Then I sprayed the Tamiya clear matt ....... ](*,) :smt009 :smt010 :smt013 So its official...I finally quit on this project! :toimonster: I will get one of the new 1/48 Trumpeter Mig-23s instead and at least I know what colours to use!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MIG Mikkel Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Hello! Looks very good!! what decals did you use?? they look great! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dmanton300 Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Thanks guys. KursadA, Thanks, I agree, if the canopy windshield were better then it would improve the kit quite a lot. Vesthepes, your Mig is outstanding, I got the idea for the Mig-29 nose from your build, I never had a Mig-29 handy so I bought the "Quick Boost" Mig-29 nose. I used a "quick Boost" Mig-29 nose and thickened the top of the kit nose a little to make it "blend" better. On the photo showing the windscreen / canopy profiles you can see the white area that I thickened to meet the new nose. I still think the green sould be much "softer/lighter" like a pale leaf green? This is more the Light Green tone that I am trying for....maybe I give it one more try! When this is finished I have another 1/48 Italeri Mig-23...I will try another one as I really learned a lot with this one. Hey! That's a piece of my Mig-21SM! Don't be shy, use the whole pic! ;) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gregair Posted August 8, 2012 Author Share Posted August 8, 2012 (edited) Hey! That's a piece of my Mig-21SM! Don't be shy, use the whole pic! ;) Thanks "vesthepes", can't wait to get the new Trumpeter Mig-23 Thanks "MIG Mikkel" I was fairly happy with it until the clear matt debacle! Haaa haa "Dmanton300" I tried so hard to contact you to ask what colours you used on your "Mig-21 SM" It looks ssssooooo awsome, and thats the light green I was looking for for the earlier efforts on this Mig-23, what green did you use there?I even joined your website and asked about the colours. I will do this same scheme when I get the new Trumpeter Mig-23...It should go a bit better!!!! Edited August 8, 2012 by gregair Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dmanton300 Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Thanks "vesthepes", can't wait to get the new Trumpeter Mig-23 Thanks "MIG Mikkel" I was fairly happy with it until the clear matt debacle! Haaa haa "Dmanton300" I tried so hard to contact you to ask what colours you used on your "Mig-21 SM" It looks ssssooooo awsome, and thats the light green I was looking for for the earlier efforts on this Mig-23, what green did you use there?I even joined your website and asked about the colours. I will do this same scheme when I get the new Trumpeter Mig-23...It should go a bit better!!!! YOu know, I couldn't be specific about the colours used, I had an empty paint pot, started with a good glug of Tamiya XF-67 NATO green (oh! The irony!) and just went from there adding white, yellow and grey. I was trying to preserve at least a little of the "apple" green while fading it out some, but honestly I just add a bit, stir, test, add a bit more, stir, test. I have a couple hundred pots of Tamiya paint, and probably a quarter of them have been adulterated in one way or another to achieve a colour I was looking for. Apologies for the trouble getting hold of me, I don't pay much attention to my forum as it never really gets my traffic worth speaking of. But now you know who I am you can message me on here or elsewhere! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gregair Posted September 7, 2012 Author Share Posted September 7, 2012 YOu know, I couldn't be specific about the colours used, I had an empty paint pot, started with a good glug of Tamiya XF-67 NATO green (oh! The irony!) and just went from there adding white, yellow and grey. I was trying to preserve at least a little of the "apple" green while fading it out some, but honestly I just add a bit, stir, test, add a bit more, stir, test. I have a couple hundred pots of Tamiya paint, and probably a quarter of them have been adulterated in one way or another to achieve a colour I was looking for. Apologies for the trouble getting hold of me, I don't pay much attention to my forum as it never really gets my traffic worth speaking of. But now you know who I am you can message me on here or elsewhere! No problem, I just really liked the colours you had used on your Mig Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gregair Posted September 7, 2012 Author Share Posted September 7, 2012 Well here she is, this is as far as I am going to go with this one, other than replace the pitot tube on the nose which I broke just before the photos were taken. What a drama this kit was and a lot of the troubles were of my own doing. The last thing I did was modify the kits horrible R-23/R-24 missiles to look a little better, clipped the main fins, re-profiled the nose and made new fins for the front of the missile, it does make some improvement. The rest of the photos are posted in the display gallery. The real aircraft...Mig-23 ML C-401 Angola 1986 The missile modifications The result of my toils!!! And a touch of photoshop to edit out my hand on the rear of the aircraft.. Low level near Menongue looking for those pesky South Africans! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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