Fujimi vs Italeri 1/72 Mig-29UB

[kg4kpg]

So, I have the crappy old Revell kit but I can’t stand the canopy on it, among all its other issues. Between the Fujimi and Italeri kit, which builds up better? One write up I saw said something about the windscreen on the Italeri kit needed help. Thanks, Chris

[Quixote74]

Well as far as I'm aware Fujimi has never produced a 1/72 MiG-29UB (9.51, aka "Fulcrum B") - this is the two-seat training variant.  The first generation single seater is simply a MiG-29 (9.12, NATO "Fulcrum A"). 

 

Fujimi did one of the earliest kits of the 9.12, but it was based on photos taken from a significant distance and this suffered from some major shape errors. It builds very well and has a level of detail that is much better than many later, more accurate kits, but if you're unhappy with the Revell kit (also boxed by ACE and Tsukuda) you'll want to avoid Fujimi for sure.

 

Italeri did both the 9.12 and 9.51 after the types had made appearances at the Farnborough Airshow and been photographed extensively from up close and all angles.  While still not a perfect kit, it has been for many years the "least worst" of the post-Farnborough generation. 

 

The Trumpeter Fulcrum family is much more recent and benefits from both much more information being available and a couple of decades of progress in typical tooling processes. This usually comes with a significantly higher price tag, but it's up to you if the difference between Trumpeter and Italeri is worth it.  The Italeri kit was also reboxed by Testors (kit #661) just be mindful that you avoid an earlier rebox by the same company of the aforementioned Fujimi approximation (kit #343).

 

Also worth mentioning but only available (thus far) in the 9.13 "Fulcrum C" or post-Cold War SMT "hunchback" variants is the tooling from Zvezda. The detail on these isn't quite as fine as Trumpeter but accuracy is even better. Revell AG reboxed the 9.13 recently so that may be easier to find than the original Russian release.

[kg4kpg]

Thanks, very informative. I did see the Trumpeter kit last night and think I’m going that route. 

[Thadeus]

+1 on the Fujimi Fulcrum. The single seat was generally right up there with Hasegawa Fulcrum, i.e. get the Italeri instead. From afar they did not look "too" bad. Once You see the Italeri kit in the vicinity it really shows.

Right now I'd go the Trumpeter route. The Italeri Mig-29 canopy and windscreen look too squished to me. Windscreen is generally the weakest part for me. Not the panel lines, nor the stance issues with Italeri 29's. Nothing a bit of cutting on the gear struts can't handle. It's just not that comfortable to do. And I love the way Trumpeter did the exhaust cans. I'm still holding my breath for the Zvezda 9.51.