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  1. Number two of my builds of high altitude planes, following on from the HobbyBoss 1/72 Lockheed U-2C - a great model to build albeit lacking detail: Myasishchev's M-55 The M-55 is an updated and greatly changed M-17. The Mi-17 was initially planned as a counter to US ultra high altitude reconnaissance balloons (history sure does rhyme sometimes), development of which started in 1962. The M-17 first flew in May 1982, and had been demilitarised. The M-17 used a single RD-36-51-B engine, the A version being used in the supersonic Tu-144 passenger plane. The M-55 was quite different using two D-30-V12 engines which are from a family used in things as diverse as Tu-154 passenger planes, Il-76 heavy lift planes, Mig-31 high altitude interceptors and the M-55 a high altitude research plane. The M-55 took flight in August 1988, has set and I believe still holds 15 FAI records. After the collapse of the Soviet Union it has been used for research, I can't find any information about what has happened post 2022. Flankerman's excellent build thread below will be heavily borrowed from but shows how good the moulding looks, but I have good hopes for this. It looks a great model even if the number of pieces to make the seat looks daunting (26 - Flankerman's build thread has photos of the build instructions for it). This website has photos of the plane in 1999 https://www.drewexmachina.com/2021/05/31/a-glimpse-of-the-russian-m-55-geophysica-high-altitude-aircraft-may-1999/ The box art looks fantastic, it is my first time of building Modelsvit.
  2. Hello After a Mirage IIIC I have finished this 1/72 Modelsvit Mirage 2000-5F. This one could be said easier to assemble but as there are many tiny pieces it required a lot of time. But it was a real pleasure. This is one of the Mirage on line in the Escadron de Chasse 01/002 Cigogne around 2010s when based at Dijon AB. I chose a light load with just the big tanks, a IR and a SARH Mica missiles. The grey comes from Gunze Barley Grey and the blue is an old USN 1940s blue-grey with some parts of white. Patrick
  3. Hi everybody, this is my first aircraft completion of 2023 - A 1/72 Modelsvit Mirage IIIO built in the Marcel Bloch/Dassault Aviation Group Build. The build thread is here: The finish is Model Master Metalizer brushed/polished on - the details of the technique are in the build thread. As usual, it's difficult to capture how a metal finish looks in photos, so I tried to take these RFI photos in many varying lighting setups. I really enjoyed the Modelsvit kit and have their Mirage 2000-5 and Mirage 4000 in the stash, so I think I may just keep building them!
  4. Three weeks to go and he's starting another one!!! Well, this time I know I'm unlikely to finish it in time. It's just that I'm in a Mirage frenzy at the moment. However, I have a lot of other GB-related irons in the fire and I know if I build it as an independent, it will get lost in the GB madness. At least this GB will give me structure for the first part of the build. I've never been too keen on the Mirage 2000. The 2000C has a weird sit-up-and-beg vibe which doesn't seem to fit its role as a warplane. But the 2000N and 2000D are a different kettle of fish. The canopy seems to be lower, giving the aircraft a broad-shouldered look. The tactical camouflage scheme makes it look very purposeful, almost as though it's a small Mirage IV. Hardly surprising as that's exactly what it was designed to be. This is the brand new Dream Model kit of the Mirage 2000N. Although the box top says "2000N", there are additional parts for the 2000D, which is the version that I shall be building.
  5. Hi all, I've been overly influenced by all the Mirage goodness in this GB and have impulsively started a Modelsvit Mirage IIIO. My modelling mojo has been pretty low recently, and so I have two completely incompatible goals for this build; a quick, fun out of the box build, and a natural metal finish. We'll see how it goes! I've been following @Andwil's Mirage IIIO in this GB, and it has helped me avoid several pitfalls already - thanks AW! I've been working on this one since last weekend, and here the progress from the first week: I didn't use any of the include PE, and just applied the cockpit decals to the painted plastic. Overall, the kit is pretty complex, but goes together really well considering the large number of parts.
  6. At least... that's the plan. The ModelsVit Mirage IIIC has received competition from SH but for now, this is the only one with SAAF in the box. Nicely detailed, and typical of MV - trees are smaller in size but crammed with plenty of small parts. Good clear parts, with mask set (Vinyl though) and etch set. Going for the 2 Sqn SAAF one. Lots of stencils too...
  7. A timely delivery in today's mail - my Modelsvit Mirage 2000-5F. I was planning to build Modelsvit's Mirage IIIO in this GB (and hopefully I may still) but after the encouragement and endorsement of @Wez and @Col. in the GB chat, I'll join with this most modern of Mirages! This kit was only released last December. I ordered mine almost as soon as I could in January from the official Modelsvit website, and barely three weeks after its despatch from Bulgaria, here it is, just in time for the opening weekend of this GB. There was lots of plastic-y goodness tightly packed into that little zip lock bag - perhaps too tightly packed. The decal sheet, masks and PE were also inserted inside the bag and the masks have a few marks on them from being compressed against the plastic. The decals look to be fine though, thankfully. There are nine grey and one clear sprues, including a new 2000-5 specific sprue (bottom right) with the the -5's vertical tail and pitot probe-less nose (which I've just realised means removing the existing nose from the fuselage halves...😧). Apart from that small challenge though, it looks a beautiful kit. Gorgeous details. I'll probably build mine in this EC 1/2 special scheme from 2019 marking 10 years of Mirage 2000-5 operations - I'm quite taken by the tail art with the double Mirage profiles - a little more arresting than EC 1/2's traditional (albeit historic) stork (cigogne) emblem. I'm excited for this one. It is a beautiful kit and I can tell this will be a fun GB to be a part of. Bonne chance à tous! (And Slava Ukraini!) Gerard
  8. A teaser in the Modelsvit catalogue 2023. In 1/48th scale with ref. 4822 To be followed. V.P.
  9. My entry in the GB will be the Modelsvit Mirage III O in RAAF Butterworth based 75 sqdn markings with big yellow triangles on the wings. It says two kits on the box but I’m only planning to build one (sorry Enzo! too many other GB commitments). I “accidentally” ordered two of these and put them both into one box to save stash space. AW
  10. Hello fellow modelers, Finally I am glad to present my recent finished kit, The Mirage III EA. For more pictures and details I would be glad if you visit my full article here: https://72insight.com/en/mirage-iii-ea-1-72-modelsvit/ Any comments or suggestions are welcome. Also some highlights from the build are in my continuous thread here on BM: David´s highlights from the workbench - Mirage III EA
  11. Bf.109Z-I Zwilling (4809) 1:4 A&A Models by Modelsvit As the tide of war turned against the Nazis during WWII, a need for powerful and heavily armed interceptors was identified, and in order to shorten development time, it was decided that an existing type should be the basis from which to develop a new aircraft. The Germans already had experience of creating Zwilling or Twin aircraft by mating two airframes together, using a straight centre-wing section, which would also be a useful load-carrying area into the bargain. The 109Z was essentially two Bf.109Fs joined by the aforementioned centre wing section, a single elevator panel suspended between the two rudders, and the pilot in the port cockpit, the starboard aperture faired over for aerodynamics, and IIRC it could also hold additional fuel. An initial prototype was completed in 1943, but this was damaged during an Allied air raid, which led to the project being cancelled in 1944 to concentrate scarce resources on other projects that were considered more worthy by the higher echelons. The twin Mustang created by North American in the USA was basically proof that the concept had some validity, although it kept two cockpits to split the workload between the pilot and radar operator, and it had a relatively short career thanks to the advances being made in jet-engine technology. Incidentally, there is a kit of the F-82 from Modelsvit in 1:48 scale. The Kit This is a new tool from A&A Models/Modelsvit, although it may share a few sprues with their other Bf.109 kits in this scale, but I don’t have any of those, so can’t say definitively. It arrives in a top-opening box, and inside are a surprising thirteen sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue, a sheet of pre-cut vinyl masks for the canopy and wheels, decal sheet plus another small instrument dial decal sheet, and a portrait A4 instruction booklet with spot colour on glossy paper. This is a short-to-medium run kit, and as such the sprue runners are slightly utilitarian, and there is a little flash here and there. You also can’t expect the same level of detail from these types of kits, as they aren’t able to use the advanced production methods available to larger companies. That said, the detail is quite impressive, and with the inclusion of engines, bombs and a well-appointed cockpit there is plenty to go at, and if you want to improve on what’s there, there’s a good foundation to work upon. Construction begins with a choice of whether to pose the engine cowlings open (Version 2) or closed (Version 1), which will mean some changes to the cockpit and the engines, which will have more detail added to it, plus some alterations to the fuselage halves. Speaking of the cockpit, it is the first assembly to be made, starting with the seat, which bears a passing resemblance to a modern racing seat, with two sides added to the base. A double trim-wheel is mounted on its base, and the two rudder pedals are placed on another base, as is the control column. The floor of the cockpit has two notches cut from it for version 2, with spacing and size given in a scrap diagram before the sub-assemblies are mounted on it, followed by a small instrument bundle on the floor, the rear bulkhead, fuel line and the seat. A blank cockpit floor is also created for the faired over fuselage as part of the process. The gunsight has a clear glass part glued to it, and it is glued into the front of the instrument panel, using either the part with moulded-in details or a flat panel with decal. I’d be inclined to try the decal over the engraved panel to maximise the detail. The cockpit sidewalls are moulded into the fuselage halves, and are augmented by more small parts and a decal for a sloped box with twin dials on it. The engines are next, and whether you choose Version 1 or 2, you’ll still need to make up two engines, just with different parts. The closed cowlings require the minimal number of parts to fill the area, while the exposed engines are much more detailed with many more parts, including the supercharger “conch”, oil tank, engine mounts, and ancillaries behind the block. All the engines have separately moulded exhaust stubs, although they don’t have hollow tips, so black paint would be a wise move to create the illusion of depth. The section of the fuselage in front of the cockpit is a separate insert to which the instrument panel is mated, using a different part depending on whether you are exposing the engines or not. With all the sub-assemblies built and painted, the fuselages can be closed up around the cockpit, floor of the covered cockpit and the two engines, with the occupied cockpit also having an insert placed behind the pilot’s head. The closed cowlings are fitted with a horseshoe-shaped oil reservoir and a plate behind the spinner, then the supercharger intake can be added to both fuselages, the fairing is added over the empty cockpit, and the sills and instrument panel are fitted to the full cockpit. For the open cowlings, you must first remove the forward section of each fuselage half according to the scrap diagrams, then close them up around the two cockpits and insert the detailed engine at the front. Both versions have the rudder inserted in the tail fin, which appears to have some leeway for offsetting should the urge take you. Incidentally, the elevator is moulded into its panel, but scoring a line along the hinge-point should allow you to offset it if you wish. The lower wing is a single part that spans both fuselages, and has the bay walls added to it before the three upper wing segments are glued over it, the fuselages are inserted into the gaps, and the elevator panel is slotted in between the two fuselages by the usual slot-and-tab method, although it will be easier to do before the fuselages are mounted on the wings. From here on in, the instruction steps get more complex, as there is two of almost every sub-assembly, starting with the radiator housings and their cooling flaps under the wings, which have the cores made up first, placed in the recesses and then faired over with separate intake and outlet flaps. The ailerons, leading-edge slats and the flaps with their separate radiator sections are also glued to the wings at this point, then the cockpit glazing is fixed, with a choice of two styles of windscreen, head armour inside the canopy opener, and the fixed rear that has a hole for the aerial mast. The clear parts are sufficient for the job, but they are a little distorted near the edge of the panes, although they should look better after a dip in some Klear/Future or its equivalent. Moving back to the underside, the cannon gondolas under each wing are made up from two halves plus a barrel each, and are slotted into the wings outboard of the gear bays, then in the centre a short pylon to carry the included bomb is fitted on a slightly raised fairing that covers the leading-edge, and has separate anti-sway braces. The landing gear is standard Bf.109, although their positions were changed slightly to cope with the different angles of joining two aircraft together. The four gear legs are made in pairs and are a single strut with separate oleo-scissor, captive bay door, and two-part wheel, while the tail wheels are a single part that are trapped between the two halves of their yoke. All the gear legs are inserted into sockets in their gear bays, and a small door is inserted between the two paired main gear legs after cutting the part in half as per the scrap diagram. The closed cowling version has the oil cooler under the chins made up from a three-part radiator that is inserted inside the fairing, which is then placed in the lower cowling and glued into the fuselage. A number of small intakes are added round the cowlings, the rear spinner plate is slipped over the prop-shaft, followed by the three-blade props and a cap that is glued in place to allow the blades to spin if you wish. The spinner is added over the top to complete the nose. For the open cowling, a support is placed between the bulkhead and oil reservoir cowling over the engine, then the separate cowling parts are detailed with intakes and supercharger intake, then fitted with bracing struts and glued to the centreline, while the lower cowling with the chin intake is glued underneath hanging by one of its sides. The props are built in the same way for both options, as is the pitot probe on the port wingtip, both tips also having clear lights on the sprue. Markings There was only one real example of a Zwilling Bf.109, so your only historically accurate choice is to paint your model in RLM02, but then you could always go off-book and make up your own scheme for a speculative in-service machine, based on real schemes, or covered in polka-dots if you prefer. The decal sheet allows you to depict the real machine, and any other option is up to you. Decals are well-printed with good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin matt carrier film cut close to the printed areas, and various instrument decals on the sheet, plus another on the small sheet that accompanies it. The Swastikas for the tail are printed in halves for you to use or leave off as you see fit, or as your local laws dictate. There are a substantial number of stencils included for you to use too. The masking sheet includes masks for the wheels and the canopy, with the individual pane numbers called out at the bottom of the profiles on the back page. Conclusion The Bf.109Z is an interesting dead-end project that appeals to this modeller, and it’s nice to be able to build one in injection moulded styrene at long last, but bear in mind that it won’t be shake-and-bake. Regardless, every home should have one! Highly recommended. Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd. Review sample courtesy of
  12. Modelsvit is to re-release its 1/72nd Antonov An-124 Ruslan/"Condor" kit - ref. 7201 - with new 3D designed parts. Source: https://www.facebook.com/modelsvit/posts/pfbid02Xbgutxf7H77JPvWXBs7Zy7NDW2zKx8wSARhKYW5M71YmZRzS9bvsohmKzVAJBhYbl V.P.
  13. Here is my Mirage 2000EG of Hellenic Air Force in 1:72. Modelsvit kit 72073, made almost "out of the box", except for resin AM39 Exocet missiles (Eduard), metal Pitot tube and tip of refueling probe (Master) and pylons for Exocets (scratch). Painted with Gunze Mr.Hobby C series. Thank for watching!
  14. Hello Here is my prototype Dassault Mirage 4000 built in 1/72 from a Modelsvit kit. This one is not so easy than their last Mirage IIIB but at least I have finished it. This Mirage 4000 was as seen in 1987 with fake AA missiles under the wings and camouflaged to tease Middle Eastern rich countries. In the end this one stayed a one off partly because France did not buy any. But the design was useful for the next Dassault project : Rafale. The build is here : https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235096406-modelsvit-dassault-mirage-4000-172/ Patrick
  15. My second entry is this - it models one of the two MiG-21s modifed for use as a testbed for the Tu-144 (Concordski) wing design. First time building a Modelsvit kit - I couldn't find any exact masking set for the kit, I'm hopeful that the Eduard mask kit for the Modelsvit MiG-21F is a close enough match to either use directly or if not an easy modification with some minor chopping and changing. Other than that I plan on just doing a straight OOB build, another attempt at NMF. Progress will begin once my Bomber/Ground Attack GB Catalina is finished and literally out of the way on the workbench!
  16. For context see the 8th post below and ignore the Polish references Hi all, This week I am also launching my slow build of a Polish Su-20 '6252'. The kit will be Modelsvit with a supporting cast from the Mistercraft kit, which will provide the serial number and unit badges. The kit is this: while the Mistercraft is this: The Mistercraft serial, badges, script decals I will use - assuming they stay in one piece when I get them close to water - are these: In addition I will use a little aftermarket in the form of 1) tanks, 2) a Su-22 pitot set (assuming it is compatible) and possibly a Su-22 cockpit set if it matches the Su-20 in any way. If not I will keep it for my Su-17 . The latter might not give the right detail but I will try. My references will be these plus - of course - the internet So, a placeholder, and a build I will start soon Martin
  17. This aircraft, which is sometimes categorized as a Caspian sea monster, is indeed a monster. The only larger models I own in 1/72nd scale are an Avro Vulcan and a Lockheed AC-130. It depicts the VVA-14, which first flew in 1972, in its early incarnation before the fuselage was lengthened and another pair of engines added, among other modifications. It is not literally a space ship, of course, it just looks like one. It is a surface effect craft that could also fly at altitude when required. The parts have no pins and sockets, so lining things up is more tricky than with a conventional western-made kit. Because of that, I found that I often left the model for a day to let the glue dry. Handling it, it was too easy to knock things out of whack when they are held in place just by a small glued area. The tailplanes and ventral fins are examples. In contrast, the wings, tailplanes, and outrigger wheel pods (on the hull sides beneath the wings) are ‘plugged in’ Airfix style and are therefore more robust. Parts fit varies from good to OK, with some exceptions described later. The ejector seats are highly detailed. I omitted everything from the back cockpit because you cannot see any of it through the side windows. The kit does not include crew, but I put a jet pilot (Airfix I think) in the front cockpit. Black and white film of the crew boarding the real thing shows them in light colored flight suits. I used flight test orange. Construction of the side sponsons (whatever they are called) is tricky in that their two halves meet only at their ends for a short bit of gluing. What is more, one half has to bow outward (under compression) which puts the glued contact areas under sheer. I found it best to glue one end and tape it up, then the other end. Then the upper halves of the sponson bases go on. These go the other way up to my first instinct. The clear instruction diagrams are a great help with that. The lower halves of those long plates that form the undersides of the sponsons are almost symmetrical, but they differ slightly, so take care to get each on the correct side. Tip: Do not glue the engine assembly to the body until after painting and decaling (applying the transfers). Painting and decaling the engines is tricky otherwise, only partly because of the fins in the way. On the other hand, the whole thing is such a weird shape that I found the engine block — glued to the body — was an indispensable handle with which to hold the model when painting it… I used some filler on the gear doors, which I built closed. The outrigger doors are very fiddly and I used much filler. However, I expect that if you build it wheels-down, all would be OK. Also I used filler on the join of the nose cone (crew compartments) to the main body and various other places. Canopy paint masks are included with the kit. The canopy, which consists of three transparent parts, needed some filling and filing to obtain anything approximating to a smooth contour with the fuselage. The wings seem to me to have too much dihedral when compared to photos of the real thing. Bending them down a bit before the glue set solved that, then fill in the resulting gap… Some photos of the real thing show it with the ventral fins, some without. I lost one when it broke off unnoticed by me. It must be in my room still, but I know I will never see it again. I brush-painted it in acrylics. To highlight panel lines, I used pencil on the matt grey and Flory Models ‘dark dirt’ on the gloss white. I then coated the whole thing in satin varnish.
  18. Instantly recognisable as a member of the MiG-21 family, the Ye-166 was a fictitious designation for the Ye-152-1 in order to register the speed records without disclosing the real designation. I've built a few MiG-21s but this seemed more like 1/48 than 1/72 and was a lot bigger than I expected. Built straight from the box but care is needed to work out the exact configuration to be modelled as there are a few options and the instructions are a bit confused/confusing. With the Ye-50 to show the size difference Thanks for looking. Steve
  19. Salutations, Today I would like to present the largest model I've ever made! It is a Be-12PS in Ukrainian Naval Aviation markings. The build spanned 4 months of occasional work due to my constant flux of motivation to continue assembling these parts which fought me at pretty much every step of the way. However after liberal application of filler putty and careful sanding, I got the joins looking smooth enough to paint. I have to say that landing gear door and support assembly was one of the most complex subassemblies I've put together so far and it was a true test of my modelling mettle. The kit came with masks which behaved well. I feel accomplished for seeing this project to the end and giving it a suitably grimy and well used aura! These aircraft have been in service since the 1970s and reportedly, Ukraine still has 2 in service. The rest had to be left behind when Russia annexed the Crimea in 2014. As you can see, this beast takes up a whole half of the top of my drawer display area! I've placed it next to my PB4Y-2 and Revell Arizona tucked off in the corner. 😀 I have plans to make a seascape base for my next floatplane... Thanks for looking and I hope you like it!
  20. Here's another Mirage completed same time as my F1. What an absolutely fantastic kit this is by Modelsvit. No filler needed & the best surface detail I've ever seen (so far) on a 1/72 kit. Definitely worth the money as this is slightly more expensive than similar sized kits. Also comes with full etch set for cockpit & fuselage antennas plus canopy masking set. The engineering on this kit is perfection. If Modelsvit can do this then why can't everyone else? Decals from the Syhart "Last Flight Cambrai-Epinoy" sheet. Mirage 2000C 1/72 No.85 103-LK "ESTA 2E.012" Primed with Ammo Mig black primer, both greys from the Hataka Brazillian Mirage Redline set & the exhaust from the Vallejo Metal Colour range. Klear gloss, Mig B/B PLW then final coat of Xtracrylic matt. Found another Master Mirage 2000C pitot in the spares box, which is the only improvement needed to this kit. Thanks for looking. Martin
  21. Hi, We no longer present the Mirage IIIE, flagship of French aeronautics from the 60s to the 80s which equipped many air forces around the world. The plane presented here has a rather particular history because it is one of the two planes which took part in the operation Tamara in July 1973. This secret operation at the time consisted in dropping on the atoll of Mururoa on August 28, 1973 a 6KT nuclear bomb AN52. The decoration of the plane corresponds to the standard scheme of the time but with some markings specific to this event, in particular the pennant of the C46 on the left fin, emblem of the EM 85 "Loire" based in Mururoa. The model used is that of Modelsvit.. The decoration is also from the box. The model is excellent. Detailed in every nook and cranny with high quality engraving, even if some are skeptical about riveting. In addition to its extreme details, the model is also very precise with high quality of all the assemblies. The whole is at the price of a sometimes a little high complexity and an equally important number of parts. This is the brand's first Mirage III box. The few defects of this box (seal on the rudder, lower surface seal, fixed elevons, dimensions of some cans a bit too short) are all corrected in the following boxes. Well done to Modelsvit for this quality. Make way for photos. Complete set of photos can be find here and the work in progress there. Hope you will like it. Alain.
  22. Mirage IIICJ (72062) 1:72 ModelSvit Sacré bleu! If you have not heard of the Mirage III where have you been? The Mirage III is one of the most recognisable aircraft to emerge from the Dassault Aviation stable in post war France. The Mirage III grew out of French government studies for a light weight all weather interceptor able to reach 18,000 meter in altitude in Six minutes and able to reach mach 1.3 in level flight. The tail less delta combined the wing with an area ruled fuselage to achieve its speed. The Mirage IIIC would remain in French service from 1961 until 1988. The largest export customer for the Mirage III was Israel. This version being the Mirage IIICJ. Israel found these aircraft more than a match for anything her neighbours we able to field with the aircraft being a success in combat with Syrian, Jordanian and Egyptian aircraft. Israel then sold some of these aircraft to Argentina. Kit This is the eagerly awaited new kit from Modelsvit. The kit resembles a high quality shorter run kit with fine surface details. While the parts resemble some more main stream manufactures in appearance they will no doubt need more care in the assembly. In the box we get 7 sprues of grey plastic, a clear sprue, a PE fret, masks(not shown) , and a decal sheet.. Construction starts in the conventional way with the cockpit. The seat is built up from 7 parts with PE belts and handles. The tub is made up from the base, rear bulkhead, two sidewalls and the area behind the cockpit. The instrument panel with its PE faces goes in, and PE is supplied for the side consoles. The cockpit then goes into the fuselage. The coaming then goes on in front of the instrument panel. Next up the engine exhaust is made up. This is a three part tube with the engine end and burner ring at the front and the inner nozzle at the rear. Once the engine and cockpit are in the fuselage can be closed up. Construction then moves onto the wing, first up the wheel wells need to be fully boxed in. Holes need to be opened up for the underwing stores. The main fuselage can then be joined to the lower wing with the upper wings following as well as the vertical fin. At the rear of the main wing the separate flaps and flap tracks are fitted. Here there are parts for dropped or straight flaps. The intakes are then fitted to the main fuselage, and at the rear underside the ventral strake is fitted. Moving on to the landing gear, the legs are made up and the main wheels can be fitted to their gear legs, and these can be fitted, along with the noise wheel at the front. For under wing/fuselage stores a single Matra R530, 2 Shafrir-2, 2 AIM-9D sidewinders, 2 RP-62 1300L tanks, and 2 RP-18R 500L tanks are supplied. These and the appropriate pylons can be fitted. Finishing touches are fitting the gear doors, canopy (both a one part closed, and multi part open options are provided), lastly some aerials (where appropriate). Decals There are 5 schemes provided in the kit; the decals are well printed by Decograf with no obvious flaws. From the box you can build; Mirage IIICJ No. 103, 253 Sqn, Eitham Air Base, Israel 1981 (2 tone grey scheme) Mirage IIICJ No. 758, 101 Sqn, Harzor Air Base, Israel, 1974 (Brown, Green, Tan scheme) Mirage IIICJ No. 107, 117 Sqnm Ramat David Air Base, Israel, 1973 (Brown, Green, Tan scheme with large yellow recognition markings) Mirage IIICJ No. 159, Argentinian Air Force, seen at the IAF Museum 2004 (Green, Blue Scheme) Mirage IIICJ No. C-704 Argentinian Air Force, Base Aerea de Rio Gallegous, 1986 (Dark Earth, Sand scheme) Conclusion It is good to see a decent model of the Mirage IICJ available in 1.72, this should build up to make an eye catching model if care is taken with the build. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  23. Yakovlev Yak-9D Soviet Fighter (4809) 1:48 Modelsvit The Yak-9 was an evolution of the successful Yak-7 fighter, and was intended to retake the initiative from the Nazis new Fw.190 and improved Bf.109s, which it successfully did. Production started in late 1942, and by summer 1943 there were enough in service to make a difference, playing a part in the crucial Kursk battle, thanks to its agility in the thicker air at lower altitudes and the heavy armament it carried. It was made in a number of different variants with different intended uses, with the D fitted with additional fuel tanks for longer range, and the DD for longer range still. There were also other versions with a larger 37mm cannon in the nose, and even a 45mm cannon in one variant that had to be installed with a muzzle brake. Post war saw the continued development of the type, which involved the installation of a more powerful engine, and these were later hived off to Soviet-friendly satellite states at the end of the 40s, where they served into the 50s, although their unusual lubrication system saw accidents caused by engines seizing due to forgetful pilots neglecting the hand-cranked lubrication lever in the cockpit. Something that might not be top of your agenda during a hectic dog fight or tricky manoeuvre. The Kit This is a new tooling from our friends at Modelsvit, although they do have a DD in their catalogue that dates back to 2015. I can confirm that this boxing shares no sprues with that kit however, having perused both up close. It arrives in a modestly sized top-opening box, and inside you’ll find five rectangular sprues in grey styrene in a Ziploc bag, a clear sprue in its own bag, a sheet of Photo-Etch (PE), vinyl masking material and a small piece of pre-cut acetate sheet in its own bag, decal sheet in another Ziploc bag, and a glossy A4 instruction booklet with colour profiles to the back pages, plus a set of stencil diagrams on the rearmost page. The sprues give the initial impression of being shorter run, but when you look past the runners at the parts themselves, there’s absolutely nothing short-run about it. There is excellent detail throughout, and a good number of parts to make a realistic-looking model of this Soviet fighter. Construction begins with the cockpit, which is suspended within a framework so it’s built within the fuselage halves rather than as a tub. The seat is made of two parts and has four-point PE belts attached, the side frames are detailed with extra styrene and PE parts, with comprehensive painting instructions called out along the way, which is the case all the way through, incidentally. The underside of the nose is fitted out with the two sides of the oil-cooling radiator, a front cockpit bulkhead is put together, and the rear deck behind the pilot is glued together with a thick chunk of clear head armour, for which a mask is included for each side. Another small section with the gunsight attached is built, where one of the three punched-out acetate parts are glued in to represent the glass, then the instrument panel is fabricated on a rear panel, with decals and PE parts supplied to bring the detail up to a high standard. All these sub-assemblies are brought together in the fuselage halves, which have moulded-in ribs and had the frames glued in beforehand, after which you can close up the fuselage with a choice of small coamings depending on whether you are modelling an early or late version. The top cowling is separate, and this closes up the front fuselage along with the chin intake that was made up earlier. A scrap diagram helps with the layout of the cockpit. The wings are next, with the main radiator faces inserted into the gondola in the full-width lower half, then boxing it in with an insert and two small struts. The front half of the interior of the lower wing is then painted, and the main bays are boxed in with a long spar that has nice detail moulded-in, and several additional sections around the periphery. In the leading edge of the wing root, two small intakes with PE mesh screens are made up and inserted, after which the cockpit floor is assembled on a C-shaped raised platform, with rudder pedals, flare gun, a choice of early or late control column, and PE straps for the rudder pedals. The wings have separate ailerons that are made up from two halves each, and the elevator fins are made from two halves with additional control surfaces, allowing you to set them at any reasonable offset you like. The lower wing with integrated cockpit floor are mated, the upper wings are glued in with the ailerons, and again you have the option to offset them. The elevators are put in place, and under the fuselage another insert with detailed interior ribbing is added, with the tail wheel assembly fixed to the insert before it is put in place. Incidentally, the rudder is moulded into the fuselage halves, so if you want to mobilise that, you’ll need to cut it out yourself. Flipping over the almost complete airframe, a trio of ribs are added in each main gear bay, and a cooling flap is slotted into the rear of the oil-cooler, with a PE actuator fixed to the centre. The main gear legs are made from the strut, a captive bay door, and a retraction jack that fits between the bay roof and the leg, then each one is given a wheel that’s made from halves with radial tread moulded-in. The smaller inner bay doors are glued to the inside edges of the main bays, and each one has a PE actuator fitted, with scrap diagrams showing the completed structure. At the rear, a pair of clamshell doors are added to the tail wheel bay to complete that section. The prop is a three-blade unit that is provided as a single part, but has a spinner with hollow(ish) gun barrel moulded into the tip, a back plate, and behind that the front frame of the fuselage and a washer that is glued to the axle to allow it to continue spinning if you don’t flood it with glue. This assembly is glued to the front of the fuselage, and again you’ll need to be frugal with the glue to prevent it locking the prop in place forever. The final tasks are masking and fitting the single piece canopy, using the vinyl masks supplied, plus a little scrap tape or liquid mask to fill in the compound curves, and an antenna post that you will need to rig with two lengths from your own supplies. The wing tops have very little detail moulded-in by design because they were wooden skinned, but in the inner centre there are recesses for fuel gauges for the pilot to squint at, which are supplied as decals, clear lenses, and a vinyl mask to keep them covered during painting. At the end of the instructions, you’ll find a scrap diagram of the aerial lines, and the correct angle for the main gear legs with regard to the airframe. Markings There are five options in the instructions and on the decal sheet, two of them in green camo, and three in grey. As mentioned already, a separate set of drawings show the location of all the stencils to prevent cluttered drawings and repetition of effort. From the box you can build one of the following: 4 Fighter Regiment, piloted by I N Stepanenko, Orel area, July 1943 118 Detached Gunfire Spotting & Reconnaissance Regiment, piloted by A A Barsht, 1st Ukrainian Front, Autumn 1944 6 Guards Fighter Regiment, Black Sea Fleet Air Force, piloted by M I Grib, Crimea, May 1944 1st Detached Fighter Regiment “Normandy”, piloted by Leon Cuffaut, 1944 1st Detached Fighter Regiment “Normandy”, piloted by Marcel LeFevre, 1943 Decals are by Decograph, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin matt carrier film cut close to the printed areas. The colours are called out in Mr Color and AK Real Color shades, with the name or code of the colour within a rectangular swatch to help you choose your colours. If you’ve been to the Modelsvit site you may see that the fifth decal option is shown in grey, but on the box and in the instruction it is green. Conclusion Modelsvit have done a really nice job of this Soviet fighter, and as there is a spare spinner on one of the sprues, there’s probably going to be another variant down the line. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  24. After the abortive start that was the Mirage F1C (I didn't actually start just realised I didn't have all the bits) I have rooted through the stash and found this I have a particular interest in Argentinian planes and so will be building one of those schemes. I seemed to recall some fit issues but lets see. As always comments very welcome. Dave
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