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Eduard MiG-21PFM Pure Plastic version


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Pure plastic.

 

A very quick test build of the new Eduard MiG-21PFM 1/72 nd scale kit.

 

This is the kit to be released in January next.

 

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This is a PP version, a Pure Plastic kit, straight out of box. Just to see what the finished kit would look like. Find pitfalls for my other “full colour” build of this new kit. Do some testing.

 

Here is the fully built kit on a MiG-21HUD glass. (OK I know the PFM did not have this HUD version but still. . . )

 

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Nothing added, just the kit as it is, no detailing, no extras, not a drop of paint. Just glue and the pure plastic kit.

 

I was interested to see what can one do in few days from the plastic parts. The only work carried out – apart from gluing all the parts together – was the cleaning of all the parts after cutting them from the sprues. Not easy to make the position of sprue gates invisible due to plastic flow in these places. But as much as possible they were sanded and polished to make them “invisible”. Under normal conditions the first layer of primer paint would hide almost all of them. But here . . . 

 

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Although there is no flash on the parts but still a very thin line is visible where the two sided injection moulding tools meet. The lines were lightly sanded and polished to get rid of them.

Tried to avoid any glue marks to be able to show the plastic parts in their pure beauty.

 

Details of the Gp-9 gun pack

 

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This is all. The kit can be built in few hours straight out of box (OK in a weekend), it took me few days only because I left some drying time for liquid cement and the extra cleaning as well as doing some other traditional things like sleeping, eating . . .

 

Some more photos of this kit soon.

 

 

Best regards

Gabor

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So beautiful! Pure plastic - pure fun. Just like in the old days. 

 

I've done builds like these for my son who's now seven. Some years ago a Tamiya (not Italeri reboxing) 1/72 jet and much recently some tanks to go with traditional plastic soldiers. I have to say it's very different from the usual model making and so very relaxing. No need for reference photos from the internet or books, no mixing the right shades for painting, no filling, no decaling. Just slamming the plastic together with minimal sanding! Pure joy!

 

 

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Several things have been modified in comparison with the first 72nd scale MiG-21MF kits. One of the them is that the not so perfect nose cone of the first MF versions was redesigned on common sprue D. It now has a “sharp” lip which is a much closer representation of the real aircraft. During construction I had to slightly adjust the diameter of the fuselage joint to the ring. It was very slightly bigger and since no colour is applied to this PP version it was visible more than what I desired. On a painted kit I think the slight difference will not be visible due to the contrasting colour of the intake ring from the rest of the fuselage. Fuselage adjacent to the ring was sanded to give a perfect fit and polished to the same sheen as the rest of the fuselage.

 

 

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The new "sharp" nose ring

 

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I believe the nose cone was also altered as its tip is almost dangerously sharp. I did nothing to it on this kit, it is a pointing in the kit as visible on photos.

 

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Here is also some of the parts which are not really visible on the finished kit. Here is the cockpit.

 

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Best regards

Gabor

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Some more photos of the Pure Plastic version built and how it got to this final stage.

 

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Also showing some of the new things on this kit which makes it better than the first batch of MF kit. For example all the panel lines near the joint line (under the cockpit but also in other places) are more clear and defined in comparison with the MF kits. On the MF kit they disappeared into the void and one had to rescribe them all. Here no need for this.

 

I7RwJTO.jpg

 

The wing offers a great chance for cross kitting and producing versions which I don’t believe will be in Eduards range. For example add the wing to an MF fuselage and you get the exclusively Russian operated early gun-less MiG-21S version. One only needs to add a second set of pylons to the wing and you have it.

   

VFSPsBA.jpg

 

 

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Best regards

Gabor

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Thanks Janman and Habu2!!

 

It was great fun building this kit. I hope others will also enjoy it in the future just as much as I did. To do a Pure Plastic version took only 2 days but it was fun all the way. Really easy, no need for any extra work, no force needed in putting parts together, all parts fit together well, basically no filler needed. . .   Only few adjustments were required during building.

 

Here are the new frames for the PFM. I dont believe they have been shown in this "traditional" way until now.

 

 

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It was just 2 days but the second PFM (Mk.2 version) takes a little bit more time, it will be painted and detailed the way I like it. So it is a longer build. Have been doing it for 3 weeks now and still a lot to go. Will show as I go along.

 

gW1Q0Nu.jpg

 

 

Best regards

Gabor

Edited by ya-gabor
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16 minutes ago, Tomcat Trebor said:

Is there no Russian markings in this kit as the original schemes showed a Russian example.

 

Regards

Robert

No, they have changed it at the last moment to a Czech a 4410 with fancy Czech scheme.  : (  : (

 

Actually that Russian a/c which was in the plans, that “105” was the same as used in 48th scale kit and for me a bit boring! There were so many camo schemes in different training units, so plenty to choose from. Actually they were all individual, so to say custom design! Of some there are good photos even if no real walk around showing every aspect of the scheme.

 

But it is not a real problem in my opinion as there are so many aftermarket decals and some excellent Begemot sheets available. If I can say there is one drawback to this Edu kit. They have changed to in-house printing of ALL decals. And they are actually printed on a colour printing machine and not screen printed. In my opinion it still lacks the quality of traditional screen printing although there is a plus side to it, since it is all printed at once there is no registration problems like on screen printed decals with colours printed one by one.

But the colours of this printing are not so strong, saturation is not perfect, fine detail are not jet as one would expect. On this decal there are instances where detail is lost completely which was clear and beautiful on Cartograf sheets.

 

Another positive side to this printing is that you can do beautiful changes / overflows / gradient of colour, like where any traditional aircraft artwork, flames or Pin Up Girl is reproduced in decal. Screen printing is not good for this so decal makers had to resort to traditional printing technique but it was expensive. This sort of printing can do this but there is still some rasterization visible.    

 

Best regards

Gabor

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Hi Gene K,

 

You are welcome! Thanks for dropping in!

 

I am glad if it is of any help to fellow modellers. All I can do is to show the kit as it is, either as I build it or simply opening a box.

 

This time it is as naked as you can get, just the Pure Plastic. A lot of mistakes, corrections can be covered over with paint and hidden from viewers but with Pure Plastic . . .

 

Here I had to make a minimal adjustment to the fuselage around nose ring as described above. I don’t know if Eduard will make any adjustments to Sprue F which is the only part where had to do a little more cleaning of joint lines due to few microns of misalignment of two sides of production tool which is only really visible on the top fuselage fuel tank and fin. Had to do some sanding here but it can be done in about 15 minutes. Basically all the rest is as it comes in the box.

 

It seems that one (I mean a kit producer) needs to have few goes before getting it exactly right and this kit is much better than the two 72 nd MF versions were. So next will be the PF. Many parts are already here on joint PF / PFM sprue H.

 

 

Now I am feverishly searching the PFM sprues for the new trend, compulsory Oil drum to support the tail section. Not sure if the kit is buildable without an Oil Barrel.  : )   : )   : )

 

 

Best regards

Gabor

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Some views of the building process. It was very fast so I did not really take too many photos while putting the kit together. Still some impressions. As usual did some dry runs to see where we are getting to.

 

Nice details on the wing surface

 

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This is one of the things which differenciates this kit from the previous MF kits. A new brake down of the wing with which the nasty shrink marks are avoided. Excellent correction. 

 

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And here is the finished kit showing its scale. It is not big at all, well it is after all a 72nd scale replica.

 

VKwQsuJ.jpg

 

 

Best regards

Gabor

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  • 5 weeks later...

It’s on sale at Sprue Brothers today and I’m pulling the trigger- I can’t resist a good deal and this review has convinced me.  I will finish it in the Czech Red/White/Blue tail flash scheme.   Thanks for all the detailed shot Gabor!
 

Regards,

 

Steve

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Hi Steve,

 

Glad you like it!   : )  : )

As always all I can do is to show the kit, in this particular case in its pure naked reality. I don’t really do it this way but it was great fun to build without constraints, including any push by deadlines. Can only recommend it to anyone.

 

Pure plastic, pure fun!

 

One important note to go with this kit is that the corrected Sprue D (with the sharp nose cone and redesigned and sharpened intake ring) is not only in this PFM boxing. From now on all the new packaging of the older MiG-21MF kits will also have this redesigned sprue.

 

Next I look forward to the MiG-21PF version to come very shortly this year.

 

Best regards

Gabor

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Interesting stuff, Gabor! :thumbsup:

 

Do some of the parts marked "not for use" make up the Polish Monsun adapter to mount two R-3S missiles? Parts 11&13 and 41&42, specifically?

 

Also looking forward to the PF kit.

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Hi ChernayaAkula,

 

I believe those parts are for that unique double missile rail. Have no more information on it as it is completely out of my interest as we did not have this version.

 

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Parts on sprue H in the PFM kit have a lot of parts for the future PF kit and they do look really nice. I like the fine details for the cockpit panels and the details of the SK ejection seat. All this in 72nd scale!

 

 

1UoXSWi.jpg

 

 

 

zrozuci.jpg

 

 

 

Best regards

Gabor

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Thanks for info Gabor... to me looks that panel lines are deeper than mine in MF, and what is your opinion about inside diameter of nose?  And very nice details in cockpit too!! Also it looks that they improved assembling ant joints are better than on mine MF!

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With the inside diameter of the intake there is nothing one can do. Very simple on the real aircraft the intake wall is a one piece sheet aluminium of 3.5mm in thickness. Now it is impossible to authentically reproduce this thickness in 72 nd scale or for that matter in any scale. Simply injection moulded plastic needs a minimal thickness somewhere around 1 mm. We have to live with the inside diameter just as with the thickness of the intake ring. At least it has now been changed and has a very sharp edge to it.

 

 

I don’t see any change on engraved panel lines. Just put side by side the MF and the PFM wing panels and compared them under magnification and they look the same.

As I have already noted before the PFM has advantage in better, far better rivet/fast lock details. They are much nicer recessed rivets/locks in comparison with positive ones on the MF version. I had to cut them all one by one, sand down and drill for my kit to make them more authentic. Not something that one is doing out of happiness. : )   : )

 

 

Few more views of my PP version finished Pure Plastic PFM.

 

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Best regards

Gabor

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Hi Mario Krijan,

 

No, my big camera is a Nikon but that is for real aircraft, but in real life dont really use it now days, only take a small handy Nikon which is perfect for close-up of details and getting into undercarriage bays, service panels at air shows or museums and at modelshows.

 

But I keep an age old, but also one of the best to this day Sony cameras a F717 with a sensational Carl Zeiss lens which is simply fantastic for Macro. They dont make it that good any more. : (  : (

It is really fun to work with it! Hats off to Sony!!!

 

Best regards

Gabor

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