1/72 Airfix MiG-29

[Master Zen]

Yeah I know, I bash Airfix like I bash piñatas (yes, I'm actually Mexican). But given how they've improved their molds enormously over the past few months, I'm really drooling over the possibility of a new 1/72 MiG-29, which just so happens to be my favorite modern jet.

So is it a new tool? And is it, as I assume a Fulcrum-A? Anything that has better fit and finer panel lines than Italeri (in both cases the standard has been set so low it can't be that hard) will be a huge improvement

http://www.newmodellersshop.co.uk/airfix/a..._29_fulcrum.htm

[Jennings Heilig]

I've heard nothing to indicate that Airfix were doing a new tool MiG-29...

[GreenDragon]

Pretty sure it's the same old Airfix tool with engraved panel lines and IIRC it was more accurate than Fujimi, Hasegawa and Italeri's because Airfix got a good look at the real thing at the Farnbourgh Air Show in 1988.

I've got one in the stash but haven't built it so can't comment on fit but it looks pretty good.

Paul Harrison

[stevehnz]

Reissue, possibly ex heller. See here, same item number.

Steve.

[techniquest]

I built one a year or two ago and although it is by no means a simple build, with perseverance, patience and a clear head it turns out real nice. It is way better than the Fujimi and Hasegawa versions and a touch better than the Italeri, though the latter is an easier build. Below is my Airfix MiG-29 with Kopro decals.

[Master Zen]

If the Italeri is an "easier" build, I'm not too hopeful then... it has sh*t fit

[techniquest]

If the Italeri is an "easier" build, I'm not too hopeful then... it has sh*t fit

You have yet to experience the Airfix.....

[Spad]

I'm currently in the throes of doing an Airfix "Hi-Tech" edition and, so far, the fit doesn't seem all that bad. Not a Tamiya or even modern-day kit standard of fit but certainly wouldn't describe it as s**t! Engraved panel line were a bit of a surprise considering the age of the kit, a nice one tho' they are a little soft, but not too bad.

I'll post pics when she's done.

cheers

Rick

[Laurent]

Pretty sure it's the same old Airfix tool with engraved panel lines and IIRC it was more accurate than Fujimi, Hasegawa and Italeri's because Airfix got a good look at the real thing at the Farnbourgh Air Show in 1988.

Hi Paul.

The Airfix kit has a dimensional problem. The wing chord is way too big. Italeri vs Airfix.

Edited June 2, 2012 by Laurent

[hacker]

then who makes the better Mig 29 in 1/72?

[aerofan]

then who makes the better Mig 29 in 1/72?

I'd like to know too. Is the Condor, ICM or Zvezda one better?

[Petr]

The best is version 9-13 made by ICM...regarding 9-12, it could by combination of Airfix 9-12 and ICM 9-13 (wings)....

I'd like to know too. Is the Condor, ICM or Zvezda one better?

[madcop]

AFAIAC the best from all the bad MiG-29 and the most complete is the ICM MIG 29 C ( 9-13 ) FULCRUM ( Ref 72142).

There is NO good MiG-29 on the market ( 1/32 - 1/48 or 1/72).

The recurent problem with MiG 29 is the canopy-nose contour. This part (and the sole you may use and adapt ) is best portrayed by the plastic blob called Condor.

ZVEZDA-BILEK and ITALERI are all the same crap.

I still can't understand why Eduard , MPM, or SWORD who have all the necessary material next to their doors are still waiting for the chinese to model one !.

My only hope is that ZVEZDA could produce their own mould with the same standard as their Mi-24 Hind

For now , the best way to model one is to kitbash the ICM kit and Condor one .

Madcop

[techniquest]

ZVEZDA-BILEK and ITALERI are all the same crap.

Does this considered and objective observation apply to the UB version too?

[madcop]

Hello Techniquest

Yes , It does I am afraid.

But the UB version has not this nose-canopy contour. The problem is " I Don't like the UB version ! ".

I bought the UB version from Zvezda back in 2000 for about 9 euro. At the time ZVEZDA produced kits from Italeri and hadn't yet developped their own production. ( Sometimes it was written " for USSR market only " " May not be sold outside USSR ". Very funny cause these kits could be found everywhere ....

Bilek did the same.

The Italeri kit is beginning to date now .

The ICM kit I am talking about could be based on it but much more refined and dates from 2007.

All what has been done in the cottage industry has been made for the Italeri kit but can be adapted on the ICM kit , except for EDMODELS.RU who produced not so long ago a very nice coloured photoetched cockpit set ( ref.72.002) for the ICM Kit. Nobody has ever tried to produce a new nose section !.

I forgot to mention that Condor produced a SMT (Hunchback ) variant with the specific armement. ( No ref on the box ! ).

You could use some parts of it also.

Be warned if you buy the ICM kit. The reference must be 72142, because they produced the same box art with the Condor kit inside ( ref 72141 )! :shithappens:

I hope this has been for some help to you .

PS-For me I am still waiting for the "defnitive " MiG-29 , but as you know as well as me , that never happens so I try to be happy with what I have !

PS2-Never trust "Plans" , trust your eyes !

Madcop

[Laurent]

For now , the best way to model one is to kitbash the ICM kit and Condor one .

As far as I remember it isn't easy to do. The Condor canopy is quit wider thant the Italeri canopy.

ZVEZDA-BILEK and ITALERI are all the same crap.

Thz Zvezda single-seater is different crap unless the situation has changed. It's a rebox of the Nakotne (company from Latvia) kit. A waist of styrene.

Edited June 6, 2012 by Laurent

[techniquest]

Hi madcop. Thanks for the info, that's really useful stuff.

I don't think I've ever built a model that doesn't have something not quite right with it; I really do have to 'trust my eyes not the plans' as it's me (mostly) that has to look at the model. Italeri often gets quite a bad deal on model fora (except for some of the 1/72 scale helicopters),l so I was interested to discover if the Italeri kit of the Mig-29UB really is awful enough to be called 'crap', or whether it simply has the same kinds of errors as most other kits of most other subjects.

[madcop]

As far as I remember it isn't easy to do. The Condor canopy is quit wider thant the Italeri canopy.

Thz Zvezda single-seater is different crap unless the situation has changed. It's a rebox of the Nakotne (company from Latvia) kit. A waist of styrene.

Hey Laurent

1-You are right.What I did is a little bit tricky as I only used the windscreen and modified is emplacement on the ICM Kit. I didn't use the Condor canopy as I intend to have my ICM with open canopy , so I used my ICM one.

Why ? Just because I invested money on this AIRES cockpit set ! (Stupid me ! ).

2-I was talking about my hope to see a "New Mould " Zvezda MiG-29 with the same qualities as their MiG-21Bis-Mi 24 Series , and even as this beautiful little snaptite Yak-3.

I agree with you that for the moment the Zvezda-Italeri single seater is a crap . As my box is somewhere between other plus minus 3999 boxes down in the basement or up under the roof, I can't check wether it's a Nakotne or Italeri reboxing. I may be wrong but I think it's an Italeri original kit .The reference of my Box is 7208 ( single seater) and 7209 (UB ).

I'll have to put my helmet and go down to the cellar and have a check. Your remark trew a doubt in my souvenirs.

I'll keep you posted.

Madcop

[madcop]

Hi madcop. Thanks for the info, that's really useful stuff.

I don't think I've ever built a model that doesn't have something not quite right with it; I really do have to 'trust my eyes not the plans' as it's me (mostly) that has to look at the model. Italeri often gets quite a bad deal on model fora (except for some of the 1/72 scale helicopters),l so I was interested to discover if the Italeri kit of the Mig-29UB really is awful enough to be called 'crap', or whether it simply has the same kinds of errors as most other kits of most other subjects.

Hey Techniquest...

I did it with pleasure.

You are right about Italeri.

I wish they could do Helicopters only ! [ but it looks like they are really improving lately (Hurricane 1/48 and Alenia C-27J Spartan ) ]

"I don't think I've ever built a model that doesn't have something not quite right with it;".

The same for me except for the Petr Buchar ( Spitfire's pope !) CMR resin kits , absolutely jewels ( the price is according to ! ). But for a reason that I ignore , nobody is talking about these kits !

So we'd better wait for a "nearly" definitive MiG-29A-C-UB., or build the ICM one and live with the nose.

Madcop

PS. I just send a mail to RES-IM asking him to produce something for these MiG-29 noses , but I am still waiting for an answer.

>I'll keep you posted.

[Laurent]

If the intakes aren't separate parts, then it's the Nakotne: http://frantisek.valka.cz/viewtopic.php?f=...start=0#p466861

PS. I just send a mail to RES-IM asking him to produce something for these MiG-29 noses , but I am still waiting for an answer.

What I'd like to see is a whole front fuselage for the Italeri/ICM kit which would correct:

- the nose area which is complex in shape (the drawings of the following links look pretty good when compared with photos of the real thing: http://airwar.ru/other/draw/mig29.html or http://airwar.ru/other/draw/mig29-2.html)

- the windscreen+canopy

- the auxiliary intakes that should be closed if the engines aren't running (or if the springs aren't damaged)

... and while we're at it an SMT 9.19/9.20 conversion ("half-spine SMT")

Edited June 6, 2012 by Laurent

[madcop]

If the intakes aren't separate parts, then it's the Nakotne: http://frantisek.valka.cz/viewtopic.php?f=...start=0#p466861

What I'd like to see is a whole front fuselage for the Italeri/ICM kit which would correct:

- the nose area which is complex in shape (the drawings of the following links look pretty good when compared with photos of the real thing: http://airwar.ru/other/draw/mig29.html or http://airwar.ru/other/draw/mig29-2.html)

- the windscreen+canopy

- the auxiliary intakes that should be closed if the engines aren't running (or if the springs aren't damaged)

... and while we're at it an SMT 9.19/9.20 conversion ("half-spine SMT")

Hey Laurent

Bad news... 1-R.V. Aircraft shouldn't release a new mould MiG-29 ( I sell it for the price I've got it! )

2-Next RES-IM project ( already busy ) is for the BILEK 1/48 Yak-23. No MiG-29 in sight ...

Your hopes and desires are exactly the same as mine except for "the auxiliary intakes that should be closed if the engines aren't running (or if the springs aren't damaged)". That's quite easy to do and doesn't really need a conversion set .

.

I still have to check for the Zvezda MiG-29 UB.

Madcop

[Laurent]

Bad news... 1-R.V. Aircraft shouldn't release a new mould MiG-29 ( I sell it for the price I've got it! )

2-Next RES-IM project ( already busy ) is for the BILEK 1/48 Yak-23. No MiG-29 in sight ...

I'm hardly surprised. Most aftermarket companies (Eduard, Aires, Pavla...) make detail sets, not correction sets (like Neomega or Props & Jets do). I'm not sure why. Perhaps that:

- 90% of the modellers don't care too much about shape accuracy but are mostly interested by recessed panel lines and detailing (even if they don't correspond to an existing feature)... "if the kit or set is nicely detailed, then it must be pretty accurate"...

- integrating a correction set is often a pain to do since you have to saw things (resin casting blocks and styrene)

- a kit is like a sieve, the inaccuracies being the holes... the correction set cannot fill up all the holes so making a correction set is perhaps somewhat frustrating

Your hopes and desires are exactly the same as mine except for "the auxiliary intakes that should be closed if the engines aren't running (or if the springs aren't damaged)". That's quite easy to do and doesn't really need a conversion set .

Yes but filling up requires putty or milliput which can be messy to scribe.

I still have to check for the Zvezda MiG-29 UB.

The UB is a Italeri rebox. Nakotne didn't do a UB AFAIK.

The Italeri/Bilek Su-17/22 and Su-25 also need fixes but the discussion is out of scope...

Edited June 6, 2012 by Laurent

[techniquest]

Just a thought - Heller used to do a 1/72 UB. Anyone know the lineage of that kit?

[Giorgio N]

Just a thought - Heller used to do a 1/72 UB. Anyone know the lineage of that kit?

A two seat version of the airfix kit

[Adam Maas]

A two seat version of the airfix kit

To be more exact, this one dates from the days when Heller and Airfix shared the same ownership, the kit was developed with the UB option, Heller boxed the UB and Airfix boxed the single-seater.