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AMK MiG-31B/BS 1/48 February 2016


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Now i'm working about decal for all non-BM and BSM MiG-31s.

We have some photometric stripes in our 1\72 decal, it will rescale to 1\48.

Martin, please show me what exactly MiG-31 do you mean?

Edited by kotey
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I'm hadn't any information about MiG-31M, so sorry - we will'nt do decal for MiG-31M. And BTW - where Trumpeter will find MiG-31M dimensions and draw plans (i'm know only wery schematic from one of old model magazine).

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Gabor - could you annotate some photographs for us? I was aware of the exhaust nozzle difference, but not the intakes. Do you know what time period the changes to the later style exhausts and intakes took place? The only MiG-31 I'm interested in doing would be one from the late 1980s, although probably not a very, very early production machine. Petropavlovsk Kamchatskij (865th IAP) wasn't the first place to get Foxhounds...

Tks!

J

One of the most documented MiG-31 was white “374” which was the first one to be seen in the West at different shows. There were tons of photos of it published both in flight and on the ground and every minute detail of it was photographed at the airshows starting with Paris Le Bourget in 1989. 374 was a 01DZ type, that is it already had the inflight refuelling system but it had the old air intake. It was a “hunchback” with squared off edges and even the housing for the hydraulic actuator (just after the bleed air vent on top of the intake) of the variable cross section intake roof had a crude square appearance. One of the sensations of the time was that the Russians took off the nose cone and the Zaslon radar was shown for the very first time!!! You don’t see that even today!

The old exhaust which had all mowing outer ring of petals was replaced in production around 1987-88 and from then on the new fixed cross section “skirt” was used around the inner moving ring of petals. Even in mid in the first years of the new century some old engines were still around. One important note is that there are at least two versions of the “skirt” outer ring used on MiG-31’s today, there are even airframes where two different versions are used!

One more difference is the “sway braces” for the folding fins of the R-33 missiles (the third point mentioned by Kotey), they were different on the initial MiG-31’s, on later B models as well as on the BM versions. This design feature is completely ignored by all kit manufacturers.

Also of difference were most of the on board antennas. Completely different size and shape.

Of course the cockpit was also different, but little is seen of this. On the other hand the support structure in the second cockpit for the big panel right in front of the pilot was also different.

Why we have little photographic material of these early 31’s, very simple: mid 80’s was still a secretive times and since the 31 was in service with the PVO so even more secrecy surrounded it. Of course no digital cameras, no cell phones to take photos only very traditional cameras with film in it, and this is not something that was welcome at any PVO base or even near it!! Even if you had a chance to take a photo you had to develop it somewhere. Well in far away regions of Russia where the 31 was in service there was not much chance of this to do it without being noticed.

Fortunately there are many early examples exhibited all around the once was Soviet Union even today so there is a chance to have a closer look at it.

Best regards

Gabor

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One important note is that there are at least two versions of the “skirt” outer ring used on MiG-31’s today, there are even airframes where two different versions are used!

?

Any reference pics? What are the differences between the two styles?

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?

Any reference pics? What are the differences between the two styles?

Some nozzle shrouds have a rather small-segmented adapter ring.

Check out the starboard nozzle of the MiG-31 in the foreground. In contrast, the port nozzle shroud features the large-segmented adapter ring:

31_nozzle_variations_zpsr4cbgeme.jpg

31_nozzle_variations2_zpsctnw55ec.jpg

Edited by Airfixer
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Hi Airfixer,

Yes, they are the two styles of the new outer "skirt" of the exhausts.

On the top photo the airframe closer to the camera has two different ones, on the left with bigger segments while on the right the one with small segments.

Best regards

Gabor

Edited by ya-gabor
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No this is the "normal" intake of the versions now in operation. Have a look at the photo Kotey has posted or as I said before “white 374” was photographed extensively both in Paris and at later shows.

What you are looking at here (nice winter photo) is the curvature on the top of the intake which you are confusing with the "humpback", which is the normal shape and the same curvature was there on the early version too. Please have a look at the photo from Kotey or 374!

All aircraft till construction number 69700128706 had the old version of the intake. It was different in many ways not only the shape but also the service panels on it. From the current kits it is not possible to build them, well it is possible but you will need to rework the intake top completely as well as the housing of the actuator after it and scratch two new engine exhausts, and . . .

Best regards

Gabor

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No this is the "normal" intake of the versions now in operation. Have a look at the photo Kotey has posted or as I said before “white 374” was photographed extensively both in Paris and at later shows.

What you are looking at here (nice winter photo) is the curvature on the top of the intake which you are confusing with the "humpback", which is the normal shape and the same curvature was there on the early version too. Please have a look at the photo from Kotey or 374!

All aircraft till construction number 69700128706 had the old version of the intake. It was different in many ways not only the shape but also the service panels on it. From the current kits it is not possible to build them, well it is possible but you will need to rework the intake top completely as well as the housing of the actuator after it and scratch two new engine exhausts, and . . .

Best regards

Gabor

Thanks Gabor. Do you have any idea when 697....706 was built (year)??

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Thanks Gabor. Do you have any idea when 697....706 was built (year)??

Yee, sure. I also have all the measurements of the blond secretary with extremely long legs in the Sokol factory at the time when this airframe was manufactured! :woot.gif: :D

Seriously, there are Russian sites where a detailed list of the MiG-31’s is accessible with all the data. I never had an itching to go over the lists but if you want to then please do so.

Best regards

Gabor

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Link? Contrary to popular belief, Google doesn't give everyone on the planet the same search results. It depends where you are located as to what results you see.

Edited by Jennings
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Great shots! Any possibility of sharing them in better/higher resolution?

These were scanned from prints in my scrapbook. I will play with the scan settings and see if I can sharpen it up.

Never knew what we were missing in the analog age!😀

John

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Never knew what we were missing in the analog age!😀

John

The good old negatives have far more information on them than todays digital images!

Still prefer to use my analog big Nikon to the digital camera! The only problem is the cost. Although you can keep it down, I did all my Black and White work in my own lab and you could get tons of information from the standard 35 mm film.

Best regards

Gabor

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi all,

The new B/BS is not yet available to preorder for our distributors.

The Chinese New Year and making all your feedback adjustments to the kit have delayed the release a tad. As we said previously, we would prefer you’re happy with the product before release so we can concentrate on the next thing rather than keep revisiting past releases making them better.

Once New Year is over then we will have the kit for release to distributors. Of course, we cannot say when the distributor will order / pay / collect so we can only do so much.

Some choose to have us post / ship the kits out and these will always be the first kits delivered as they are normally by air express and this is the fastest method.

Some choose to collect the kits as “Ex-Works” from our factory. These take longer typically as the distributor is usually in no rush to do so as we don’t charge storage fees. They then ship in their own time and by their own couriers. Normally the slowest method.

Some choose to have an agent collect on their behalf and ship directly.

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