ya-gabor Posted December 23, 2019 Author Share Posted December 23, 2019 I have a small question. Looking at the first images of sprues almost a year ago I suggested that parts B12 and B13 could be an oil drum. OK but want is it for? At Telford Airbrix confirmed that it is in fact an oil drum, just as the instruction sheet now is showing. It is suggested that you prop up the tail of the kit with this oil barrel. There are small problems with this whole thing: - I don’t know where the Airbrix people seen this idea of supporting the tail with an oil drum. The kit designers allegedly visited a real MiG-17 so they would have had the chance to see how low the tail is to the ground. - A standard oil barrel is 572 mm in diameter and 851 mm in height. It has been like this for ages. There are very small differences and of course you could have a drum with just 5 litre capacity instead of the standard 200-220, but . . . - The ground clearance under the tail of the MiG-17 is around 600 mm. - The MiG-17 (just as the MiG-15) is a tail heavy aircraft, but the designers at MiG OKB knew of this and so custom designed tail support was made for each and every aircraft and supplied along with other ground equipment. Ground crews used them, had to use them if they did not want the aircraft to tip over if batteries, guns, ammunition and of course the pilot was not in the cockpit during maintenance. Actually the MiG-17 was a little better in this respect. - The Russians are not as primitive morons as many Westerner would like to believe they are. They do have some strange solutions to some problems but to use an oil barrel as support the tail . . . To get an idea of how little room is there under the tail of the MiG-17 here is one aircraft with a technician under the tail. There is not much room to fit there a true scale replica of an oil barrel. I would recommend to forget parts B12 and B13 altogether from a build. Best regards Gabor Quote Link to post Share on other sites
madcop Posted December 24, 2019 Share Posted December 24, 2019 Aaaaaaaaaaaaah.... C'mon Gabor , it's just a good beer barrel to celebrate with You a merry Christmas and a very happy New Year ....... Madcop Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ya-gabor Posted December 24, 2019 Author Share Posted December 24, 2019 Hi Madcop, Best wishes to you also! Have fun! : ) : ) Gabor Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ya-gabor Posted January 19, 2020 Author Share Posted January 19, 2020 The question of the Airfakes MiG-17F kit has resurfaced in the past weeks again by Czech modellers with both pros and cons. It is interesting that they have pointed to the fact that the new MiG-17 kit is more expensive by about 40% in comparison to the Edu MiG-15 kit in the same scale. Some defended the kit by saying that it is positioned by the manufacturer as a mass product for kids, beginner modellers and it is going cheap in supermarkets. The price difference is not pointing in that direction, but of course I am sure there are places in the world where different taxes and shipping costs add considerably to the retail price of a kit so the ratio can change. Some argue that the reason for poor surface quality and detailing is that the manufacturer tried to save on tooling costs. Another interesting selling point to the kit is that: “it MUST BE better than any previous kit”. No comment really on this. One pro in my opinion is that it has open airbrakes. OK, but what are you going to do with a pair of airbrakes on their own. I understand that a Lancaster gunners turret from Wingnut Wings can stand on its own as a model but an airbrake? : ) : ) : ) Best regards Gabor Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pieter Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 You can easily roll an oil barrel with a diameter of 57 cm under the tail with 60 cm clearance, till you "hit" the plane. Small piece of wood to secure it from rolling back and job done. It does not have to stand up straight. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ya-gabor Posted January 19, 2020 Author Share Posted January 19, 2020 What is shown in the instruction by Airfox??? : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) Best regards Gabor Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pieter Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Gabor, I only gave a solution to solve this big big big mistake from Airfix Regards, Pieter Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ya-gabor Posted January 19, 2020 Author Share Posted January 19, 2020 Hi Pieter, As I have said before the barrel question is purely a joke by the manufacturer. A sad and pointless joke! It is not a problem of any sort, the kit on the other hand has all the ones described above. Now they are a problem. I know for some in the West "It looks like a MiG" and they would not need anything more than that. I hope they are just as forgiving with mistakes big or small on Western kit subjects. Best regards Gabor Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MoFo Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 On 1/19/2020 at 3:39 AM, ya-gabor said: Czech modellers... the new MiG-17 kit is more expensive by about 40% in comparison to the Edu MiG-15 kit in the same scale. That's not really a fair comparison, though. Eduard's regional pricing means that their kits are 50% cheaper in Czech Republic/Slovakia/Poland than they are in the rest of the world. (literally. their MSRP for the MiG-15 is the equivalent of $12 for the 'local' price, $24 for the 'global' price). At Hannants, the Airfix kit falls squarely between the Profipack and Weekend prices for the -15. At Lucky Model, the Airfix kit is cheaper than any of the Eduard -15s. So yeah, the Eduard MiG-15 is cheaper for Czech modellers, because Eduard subsidizes their Czech prices by over-charging modellers everywhere else in the world. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ya-gabor Posted January 21, 2020 Author Share Posted January 21, 2020 Yes, I think did say it all depends on the given market and local taxes. In person I cannot confirm what was said on that Czech forum, have to believe them. Haven’t had a look in our local shops and I don’t think I will waste time in searching for this kit either. I have been sent some comments from an obscure little-known British forum about arguments on a new Spitfire kit in 72nd and also the new Airfake category of “Beginners” kits. It seems that some native Brit modellers are not really “amused” with it. It seems that the “simple” MiG-17 kit is only the tip of the iceberg and there are others to follow it with similar simplified beginners quality. Oh well. If this is a considered and pre-planned company strategy then there is simply no point in wasting time on mistakes of any of their kits including this MiG. Best regards Gabor Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Marderkommandant Posted June 6, 2020 Share Posted June 6, 2020 This barrel is only a joke from airfix, for them who forget the 20 gr in the nose, making a tail sitter. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
longblack Posted February 4 Share Posted February 4 On 10/14/2019 at 1:52 AM, ya-gabor said: Hi Gene K, Sorry I have no idea! The best suggestion I can make is to build something else for the moment and not a MiG-17! The last ones I have built in 72nd were the prehistoric KP and the Hasegawa example (was it about 40 or so years ago). They were the only ones around then. Have been waiting for a good MiG-17 kit for some time, I think I will have to wait for a little longer. The same situation was with the MiG-15, there was nothing for so many years (decades) then eventually with the third go at it Eduard did manage to make one. It is pretty good although not what I would say “Mother of all MiG-15’s” but a good build (actually it is on my workbench at the moment). I think I have said it somewhere here before that I was really looking forward to this kit with the knowledge that Airfix is using some of the latest 3D scan technology which has some great potential in it. Sad, really sad!!! And I don’t really understand what went on at Airfix with this project. If I was to build one of those Polish Lim fighter bombers (which I will never) with missile blocks and pylons it is possible that I would consider buying this kit but only as a source of spare parts for those pylons and maybe the open airbrake but nothing more (it would be an expensive “spares box”). Add them to another manufacturers MiG-17 kit and you have the Polish version. Even then you will have to scratch build the typical Polish brake chute housing which is not included in the Airfix kit. Actually there is one puzzling thing in this kit. Parts 12 and 13 on Frame B. What is that? I could not fit them anywhere on the kit! They look like standard Oil drums. What are they for??? I am sure there is a very simple explanation for this (or the Airfix guys had one of Baldrick's very cunning plans behind this ) and only my stupidity prevents me from seeing it. 😊 Best regards Gabor Maybe it is an oil drum......in case one forgets the nose weight and need something to prop the tail up with......I'll get me coat. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.