Don Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 Hello all, I was looking at close up pictures of the Mig-29 intake doors in the closed position in an attempt to fix the ill-fitting doors on my Airfix 1/72 Mig-29 kit. I came across these photos (taken from Flevo Aviation Hobby website): It clearly shows a Mig-29 with soft covers placed over the intakes. I am NO expert or even really all that up to speed on ANYTHING modern Russian aircraft wise so perhaps you folks who are can help me out. Why does the Mig-29 need soft FOD covers when it has intake doors? How common is using soft covers? Lastly, does anyone have any additional photos or links to photo's of -29's with soft covers in place? I have searched and only found those posted above (and one other from the same site) so it must not be SOP to use soft covers I would think or else we would see more. Yes? I am thinking of putting soft covers on my Mig-29 as it would be both different from other Mig-29 models and save me the hassle of fixing the Airfix doors ;) . Thanks all! Don. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
janman Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 Looks like an Hungarian color scheme. You might want to do some googling on Hungarian Fulcrums and probably you'll find more photos. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Posted February 21, 2016 Author Share Posted February 21, 2016 Thanks Janman I will do that. The aircraft that I am doing is a Polish bird in the grey scheme (second markings option in the Airfix kit). I just...like 4 minutes ago...watched a video on Youtube about a Polish female Mig-29 pilot and towards the later part of the video you can see soft exhaust covers covering a Mig-29's exhaust nozzles (in a really cool desert type camo!) which I will be adding to my Mig (2:09 minute mark): Now, if I could find a photo of a Polish -29 with matching soft intake covers THAT would be totally cool and I would be set! Thanks again Janman...much appreciated ! Cheers! Don. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
janman Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 Nice video! Thanks for posting. I really like the Polish colours, so thumbs up for your choice! I've seen a Polish Fulcrum live here in Finland some years ago and I've wanted to do a model of it ever since. I also took a lot photos, maybe I'll check out if the planes had soft covers on them! What comes to Hungarian Fulcrums (eventhough not what you were planning to do) Hunavia.hu is, by the way, a very good source for detailed walkaround photos for several MiGs and many other Soviet types. Highly recommended! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Posted February 21, 2016 Author Share Posted February 21, 2016 Again thank you Janman! I appreciate the link, opinions, and advice. Honestly the Airfix kit has been fun to build thus far. The fit is not at all like more modern kits and it takes a great deal of work to get everything all lined up. The cockpit is sparse, but I intend on having the canopy closed anyway. But it LOOKS like a fairly good representation of the Mig-29 to this novice Mig builder. How accurate it is I have no idea. My young Son bought me two of the Airfix Mig-29 kits a few weeks back thinking that they looked "cool" and that I should build them. So the first one got jumped to the head of the line. I am learning a LOT for the second one. Thanks again! Don. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
janman Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 Well, it's not so bad kit. I built one as a kid, in my teens actually, and I guess at that time it was a fairly modern kit - in fact arguably the most modern kit I had ever built! When compared to 1/72 Matchbox or some older Airfix kits (not to mention Revell's 1/144 teen fighters) it had a rather detailed pit. But times change! The main problems lie in the cockpit section that is a bit too slim (as is the canopy) and in the wings that are simply too large in area (chord too long). Still, it manages to look like a Fulcrum! Which is a beautiful aircraft, isn't it! :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Posted February 21, 2016 Author Share Posted February 21, 2016 Yes its certainly a pleasing aircraft to look at. Nice lines, neat features and quite a few camouflage and markings options. Any idea what the most accurate 1/72 Mig-29 would be? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
janman Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 (edited) Italeri used to be the best 9-12 model MiG-29 (the basic Fulcrum). Airfix is pretty nice, but has its problems. I suppose the new Trumpeter MiG-29 9-12 kit is the best you can get - at the moment. The reason I'm not so sure about it is because I really haven't bothered to do further research on it. Zvezda has released a new 9-13 ("hunchback" with a bigger spine but basically still the original Fulcrum) and I - like many others - have been waiting for that and the very probable 9-12 that will follow later. Zvezda's should the best there is. Edited February 21, 2016 by janman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Posted February 21, 2016 Author Share Posted February 21, 2016 Good to know. I will have to check out both the Trumpeters and Zevzda's offerings. Thanks! Don Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Marv Posted February 23, 2016 Share Posted February 23, 2016 (edited) You can find many pix of Hungarian MiG-29's on the "Hunavia" site; this is an underappreciated site that has a lot of pix of the various Soviet-era types used by the Hungarian Air Force. in the last pic, it is interesting to see that the intake doors can be deployed individually: http://hunavia.freeweb.hu/TYPE/MiG-29%20base/MiG29STAFF/photos/photo70.html http://hunavia.freeweb.hu/TYPE/MiG-29%20base/MiG29STAFF/photos/photo61.html http://hunavia.freeweb.hu/TYPE/MiG-29%20base/MiG29STAFF/photos/photo49.html Edited February 23, 2016 by Marv Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ya-gabor Posted February 23, 2016 Share Posted February 23, 2016 You can find many pix of Hungarian MiG-29's on the "Hunavia" site; this is an underappreciated site that has a lot of pix of the various Soviet-era types used by the Hungarian Air Force. There have been some copyright issues with Hunavia where the owner “borrowed” photos from people under the preteens “it is only for my use”, well after all it was only for his use, but on the site. Going back to the intake covers, all MiG-29 aircraft were supplied with a full set of airfield equipment including all the different covers. Have to say that with years of service (they have been around for few decades!!!), some often used covers will be damaged to a certain degree and in many cases to a level where they could not fulfil their original function. A replacement cover was made, and what would have been easier than to use a textile version. You will find that also on engine exhausts. The Luftwaffe Fulcrums did have some fancy textile intake covers as well as some really nice pilot helmet bags with embroidered MiG designs! So it is not only the Hungarian and Polish versions have textile covers. Best regards Gabor Quote Link to post Share on other sites
janman Posted February 23, 2016 Share Posted February 23, 2016 Okay, I too thought the textile covers were a field modification of some kind and why not, they seem to do the job just as well as the originals. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Posted February 23, 2016 Author Share Posted February 23, 2016 Okay, I too thought the textile covers were a field modification of some kind and why not, they seem to do the job just as well as the originals. And from a modeling perspective they are kind of unique in that I personally don't see many models with them on. Good stuff all! Don. P.S. in a moment of weakness I broke down and ordered Trumpeters new Mig-29 yesterday.... :D Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MiG-Mech Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Maybe I overlooked and the answer is already given. Short answer to the intake doors: the are closed, when engine is running. When you switch them off, doors open and you "need" the covers. So most model kits are wrong with closed intake doors and opend aux doors. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 Short answer to the intake doors: the are closed, when engine is running. ...... and the wheels are down !!! (or rather, when there is weight on the wheels.) Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Flankerman Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 FWIW, Su-30SM at Lipetsk with canvas bags..... http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/photos/3/8/9/2784983.jpg Ken Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MiG-Mech Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 ...... and the wheels are down !!! (or rather, when there is weight on the wheels.) Ken Yes, of course. It was the short answer. If you say weight on wheels, you have to add also velocity < 200 km/h. ;) Or you cheat with the switch in right main wheel well. :D Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kevan Vogler Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 I've seen the soft covers on Slovak Fulcrums: There's also this hard intake guard I saw on a Polish machine that might interest you: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
janman Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Damn, such a graceful looking aeroplane! I cannot but admire her beautiful lines everytime I see one. :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MiG-Mech Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 The red 4123 is the former german GT 29+25. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Posted February 29, 2016 Author Share Posted February 29, 2016 I've seen the soft covers on Slovak Fulcrums: Great pic thanks! I actually found another video showing the front of a Polish Mig-29 with the matching desert type camouflage soft intake covers as the exhaust covers I mentioned quite a ways above in a video I linked. So my plans are to depict my Mig-29 with matching camouflage soft intake and exhaust covers and scratch built red "hard" auxiliary intake door covers for the upper doors. Thanks all, great info ! Don. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andre Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 There's also this hard intake guard I saw on a Polish machine that might interest you: Zvezda's lovely new 9-13 comes with hard covers for both the intakes as well as the exhausts. I'm not sure how well these would fit the Airfix thingy, though - the exhaust covers are way too big for my Italeri MiG-29 nozzles, at any rate. HTH, Andre Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MiG-Mech Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Hard covers are also available as etched parts. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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