1/48 Iraqi Mig-25 PDS - Final pictures page 5

[Matt Walker]

MoFo,

That looks great! Please keep us updated as to when this will be available. I will certainly take one!!

Thank you!

Matthew

[rom]

Thanks mofo!

Very nice work :)/>

I used another scale plan and my radome is a bit bigger: diameter 27, lentgh 68mm.

But proportion are the same: diam/length=0,4 :)

Edited December 2, 2015 by rom

[rom]

Hello,

here is some news about this build!

I added Eduard photoetch parts in the wheel bays.

Front bay:

And some lead wire:

Main bays:

For the painting, I started with a black coat:

Then I tried the new Vallejo Acrylic metal range:

And this is a gret paint!

I even mixed it with gunze grey.

Washes are done with oil and AK engine oil mixed together:

And after assembly:

[rom]

After some fitting test, we can close the front fuselage.

Cockpit must be adjusted to the wheel bay:

And...

Then the inner exhausts!

KH made their right engine fan blades rotating in the wrong way.

A friend of mine made a copy of the left part.

Afterburner rings are also shaped in the wrong way.

Eduard is a great help here:

Afterburner cans are first painted black. The drybrushed and sprayed with tan streaks.

Brown washes are also applied.

Fan blades and AB rings are glued:

And cans set in place in the lower fuselage:

Some adjustments are needed before gluing.

Next, we close the main fuselage!

Cheers

Romain

[11bee]

Outstanding work on those wheel wells.

Can't believe you took the time to address that reversed fan blade. Modeling OCD at it's finest! :)

[rom]

Thanks!

Actualy, I wouldnt have done this correctiin... but a friend did it for me, so... :)

[dragan_mig31]

Looks awesome

[jester292]

Wow I had no idea that much aftermarket existed for this.

[TomCooper]

One tipp for your beautiful build: when you're so far to apply decals, try to make it '25221'.

That was the MiG-25PDS that clashed with a pair of USAF F-15s on 30 January 1991 - and came as far as to fire an R-40 at one of Eagles...

[rom]

Thanks guys!

Ok Tom!

I'll keep it in mind ;^)

Thanks you again for all the precious help you gave ;^)

[GazzaS]

Very nice detailing. Impresive, even!

[TomCooper]

Another point: don't install any R-60s on an Iraqi MiG-25s.

Iraqis quickly realized that the MiG-25 lacks the turning ability necessary to acquire the target with that missile. So, their load was always 2x SARH and 2x IR-homing R-40.

[rom]

Thanks gazza! :)

Ok Tom,

you have already warned me:

Another point: don't install any R-60s on an Iraqi MiG-25s.

You mean R-73?

You said:

And yes, they were carrying R-60MKs too (no R-73s on MiG-25 ever!). As usually, on double launcher installed under outboard pylons.

Oh, actually, 4x R-40 (2x R-40RD and 2x R-40TD) was a more usual combination.

For example, the MiG-25 that has shot down Speicher was configured that way (4x R-40).

But, if you build 25221 - the MiG-25 that engaged two F-15s on 30 January, and narrowly missed one (with R-40) - then 2x R-40 + 4x R-60 would be your configuration.

I got the R-40RD an R-40TD from plus model.

I thought plugging the 4 four of them under the wing.

But some R-60 would me attractive as well...

Again, Tom, thank you for your precious help :)

Romain

[11bee]

One tipp for your beautiful build: when you're so far to apply decals, try to make it '25221'.

That was the MiG-25PDS that clashed with a pair of USAF F-15s on 30 January 1991 - and came as far as to fire an R-40 at one of Eagles...

Do they know the ID of the MiG-25 that shot down that F/A-18?

[MoFo]

Rom, you have a PM. :)

[TomCooper]

Do they know the ID of the MiG-25 that shot down that F/A-18?

If with 'they', you mean me: nope. I've been told it was 25211, but the source in question proved not that reliable (at least his info was not as reliable as that from the pilot that downed Speicher, sporadic contact to whom was established only a few weeks ago).

Mind: it's extremely hard to talk with Iraqi participants, because they're hunted by killer-squads of the Iranian IRGC, Syrian and Jordanian 'intelligence' services etc. So, unless all of them escape to the EU or at least Egypt, one can't maintain reliable connection and can't get answers to all the questions.

The MiG-25 vs F-15 story is different, because that pilot is 'well outside the ME', and he helped a lot in research for this volume, which is going to contain even his photo.

Edited December 10, 2015 by TomCooper

[TomCooper]

You mean R-73?

Nope, I mean R-60 (i.e. 'R-60MK' by its full designation for export variant; ASCC-code 'AA-8 Aphid')

With other words: don't arm it like the Libyans did, which is what can be seen here:

- because that would be 'non-authentic' for Iraqis, but with a 'full load' of R-40s.

Now, the only thing I'm not 100% sure any more (had this discussed extensively during the work on that Osprey book, but I simply can't find my references any more)... I think it was R-40RDs (SARH variant) always on outboards, and R-40TDs (IRH variant) on inboards.

I got the R-40RD an R-40TD from plus model.

Very good. That's all you need.

Just take care to paint their wings in 'dirty titanium', that's something like 'dark steel, but with a good blue touch'.

(And nothing to thank for: very much my pleasure!)

[rom]

Full R-40! I got it!

[11bee]

The MiG-25 vs F-15 story is different, because that pilot is 'well outside the ME', and he helped a lot in research for this volume, which is going to contain even his photo.

Looks to be an interesting book. Thanks for the heads up.

[rom]

Hi,

Here are some news!

After cockpit, wheel bays and exhausts are being glued in the fuselage, we can now close it.

The major issue with upper and lower fuselage part is that they do not dryfit at all.

Some warping may be the cause.

So, to deal with it, I first glued the starboard side, let it dry a few minute, add some cyano, let dry again...

... before doing the other side.

Finally, glued in force, the two halves show minor steps that need to be sanded:

After sanding, I did some scribing work:

On the upper side, at he rear, KH provides something that could be an airbrake.

The problem is that the part leaves pretty huge gaps that need to be filled with plastic strips:

Then we can plug the forward fuselage section to the body.

The positioning is done with only two little horizontal strips on the top, and two more on the bottom.

If it was the only way to attach the two big fuselage section together, it would certainly be not strong enough.

But, the huge air intakes will secure the assembly.

So, with tamiya thin cement first I glued the two pats. Be careful with the alignement!

Then I strengthen it with cynao drops.

I had to fill a gap on the rounded section at the top. I used plasticard and Cyano + silica dust (you can also use talc):

Now we can add the big Intakes!

I first dis some modifications.

Some rivet lines are added, and I did not followed the instructions concerning the big plate that block the duct.

I did as Gary Wickham did:

My link

at

http://www.scalespot.com/onthebench/mig25/build.htm

Then, with dryfit testing, I saw that intakes width was smaller than the space left for them.

So 2 solutions:

- A: stick the intake on the the front fuselage and fill the huge gap on the outer wall

- B: do a perfect alignement on the outer intake wall, and leave a huge gap between front fuselage and the intake.

I chose plan B, but the inner gap is first filled with plastic strips as shown:

After drying and some sanding, we got pretty descent fit:

Then the wings!

KH provides two types of wing tip. One for interceptor, another for recce/bomber variant.

Surprise! The fit is not good. And instead of using existing panel lines for joining, KH designed some "crenels", that needs more filling and sanding.

Moreover, the tips are thicker than the wing... a looot of sanding again.

Without speaking of complete scribing of this area... :bandhead2:/>

To finish, the main wing parts show some shrinkage on the surface. I will be visible under paint coat.

So it is filled fil several layer of alclad surfacer then sanded smooth.

And we can now plug the wing!

And the fit is good here :thumbsup:/>

And that's all for now.

the mig is in standby to carry out a new project.

thanks for watching!

cheers

Romain

[TomCooper]

Some rivet lines are added...

Please be careful with 'rivet lines' on MiG-25s: they've got very few of these.

Most of 'rivet lines' are actually lines of welding spots.

KH provides two types of wing tip. One for interceptor, another for recce/bomber variant...

...and right so. AFAIK, shorter ones are for P/PD/PDS. Edited December 11, 2015 by TomCooper

[Aigore]

Nice, a whole lot of sanding and filling but you're cominv up with some smart solutions :D

[rom]

Thanks Guys,

And yes Aigore, the kit requires a lot of dryfit, method and reflection before gluing the parts together...

cheers

ROmain

[JMan]

What a great way to treat one of the meanest looking aircraft ever to fly the not so friendly skies of the world. Great job Rom, cant wait to see more!

[rom]

Thanks Jman!

As I said, I put the mean Mig on standby.

But actually, I spent an evening this week on gluing the vertical fins and assembling resin r-40 missiles from PlusModel.

I hope to finish it this spring ;^)

Cheers

Romain