MiG-21SMT colors

[11bee]

The Eduard instructions give you the option of painting landing gear bays either light grey or interior green. For a mid-80's SMT, would either color be more likely? Not sure if one color was phased in after the other or they were used interchangeably?

Also, is there a good Modelmasters match for the light grey called out in the instructions?

[Jennings]

Stuff like that was all over the map on Soviet aircraft. There is no one right answer. It depends on the specific airplane and the specific time period in question. And basically, unless you happened to have someone shoot a walk-around of a nuke bird SMT based in East Germany or Poland when they were in service *without* getting shot, there's pretty much no way anyone on the planet is going to be able to tell you absolutely one way or the other.

[gibo2016]

Hi guys. So I'm in the process of selecting a scheme for a Mig-21SM/MF (has to be soviet/USSR or Russian) and I've narrowed it downed to a few. My top choices are these. First the earth brown camo from the academy 1/48MF http://www.scaleworkshop.com/gallery/mig21jfh_1.htm which I have no prob with since I can just easily follow the camo pattern.

But this takes the cake for me.

I dunno if I'm allowed to post this. Please kindly inform me if not. I've no prob deleting it. I just want to know if it exists. And I need help with the camo pattern from the other side and the top part. Also as you can see both choices are 2 tone brown. I dunno if they used different shades or if they the same. Are there existing pics showing mig-21s in this colors

And oh yah. I just miraculously came across this awesome scheme from a flight sim blog. So there's really no info of this bird around. From the drawing it looks something like that from those art drawings from the wp.sp site or something. But I searched it there and...no dice

Edited February 12, 2016 by gibo2016

[Jennings]

The profile you posted is suspect (in my book) because for one, the drawing of the airplane itself is awful. You can't tell if that's supposed to be a MiG-21M/SM/MF or a bis (very different airplanes). And without a photograph to back up their interpretation of the colors and markings, it's even more suspect. Not saying it never happened, but there is so much garbage out there when it comes to Soviet aircraft, it's hard to take any of it seriously.

Here's a profile I did for the old Afterburner MiG-21 sheet of a similar looking airplane. This one *is* backed up by photos, and it's a MiG-21bis. What is impossible to say with 100% certainty is what the colors were. I've seen this same photograph described as tan and brown (as I've shown it), and I've also seen it described as the standard MiG-21 export scheme of sand, olive green, and light blue. Which one is correct? I have no idea.

Edited February 12, 2016 by Jennings

[boom175]

The Eduard instructions give you the option of painting landing gear bays either light grey or interior green. For a mid-80's SMT, would either color be more likely? Not sure if one color was phased in after the other or they were used interchangeably?

Also, is there a good Modelmasters match for the light grey called out in the instructions?

I would go with a grey green similar to RLM 02 with a touch more grey. The inside of the gear doors I would paint the underside camo color.IMHO

[Linden Hill]

Here's a photo I took in 2009 of a derelict MiG-21MT in what was once the Central Asian camo scheme.

The answer to your question, based on this airframe, is 'neither'. The landing gear bays were natural metal.

The upper surface camo scheme should be three-tone.

HTH

[azzaob]

I do not know if this is what you are after, but here is the best pic I have managed to track down of what I think is an in-service SMT?

Aaron

[azzaob]

Here is another, but the wheel bays are not visible.

[gibo2016]

The profile you posted is suspect (in my book) because for one, the drawing of the airplane itself is awful. You can't tell if that's supposed to be a MiG-21M/SM/MF or a bis (very different airplanes). And without a photograph to back up their interpretation of the colors and markings, it's even more suspect. Not saying it never happened, but there is so much garbage out there when it comes to Soviet aircraft, it's hard to take any of it seriously.

Here's a profile I did for the old Afterburner MiG-21 sheet of a similar looking airplane. This one *is* backed up by photos, and it's a MiG-21bis. What is impossible to say with 100% certainty is what the colors were. I've seen this same photograph described as tan and brown (as I've shown it), and I've also seen it described as the standard MiG-21 export scheme of sand, olive green, and light blue. Which one is correct? I have no idea.

Thanks for the help. I'll model my colors to reflect your drawing. I know you said there's really no telling of it's brown or the olive green but it's alright. I won't lose sleep over it.

[Superheat]

The Eduard instructions give you the option of painting landing gear bays either light grey or interior green. For a mid-80's SMT, would either color be more likely? Not sure if one color was phased in after the other or they were used interchangeably?

Also, is there a good Modelmasters match for the light grey called out in the instructions?

I shot an SMT in Moscow in 1995 which had been there for a while, and I suspect was in its in-service paint and its wheel wells were painted silver, while the struts appear to be in the underside blue, but could be gray. Those photos are here on ARC in the walkaround section. I also have some other photos, not mine, of ex-Soviet SMTs that also are silver in the wells with struts that match the underside color. The only green in any of these is the wheels.

HTH,

Tom

[Jennings]

Note that the one I posted is not an SMT, it's a bis. Totally different airplane, different mission, different time period, different theater of operations.