Breaker Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 Whilst I waiting for bits on my RN Phantom, I started this one as I fancied a break. Got the wheel wells painted. They're a touch dark for the MiG but I quite liked the look with a wash in there so I left them alone. Then got the cockpit sorted. The ejector seat was a bit of a bugger to put together and I messed up the PE harness but with the canopy on, I'm happy with it. Fit is lovely however I've started the intakes and they're being a bit of a bugger! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skids Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 Nice start, will be watching with interest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD tiger 1 Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 Same here love the Mig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger331 Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 Good start but there are some challenges ahead…..you have already hinted at one !. I can confirm that the intake trunking is one such issue. I ended up posing the intake ramps closed to hide the problems with intake seams and the fit of the intakes to the lower fuselage was not easy. I would definitely recommend putting the lower fuselage/intake trunking together BEFORE joining the upper fuselage. Personally, I think the full engines actually hinder the fit of the intakes and are , of course, totally hidden (a real waste since they are very nice pieces of model engineering) The fit of other parts, however, is a dream….the small P/E parts that fit on the upper fuselage intake grilles are superb and I had few issues with the cockpit tub either - I really enjoyed the 26 separate decals for the instrument panel !). You will need to watch out for the fin to fuselage join too when the time comes. No, this kit is definitely not of the 'shake and bake' variety that has been intimated in several well respected reviewers' articles (bit of a surprise that they omitted or avoided this, unless of course I got a 'rogue' kit ?) but it is still a lovely kit that is streets ahead of the opposition (another surprise given that it originates from one of the countries that makes up the Axis of Inaccuracy and Unbuildability). Anyway, enjoy and I will watch this build with interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breaker Posted June 4, 2014 Author Share Posted June 4, 2014 Tiger, I think I've just about cracked the intakes. Basically on the intakes and the engine covers, remove all the locating pins and be really diligent in removing the mold flaws on the mating surfaces! I've gone with the FOD screens up as I wanted the secondary intakes closed. I'll bear the fins in mind, it's a shame as the instructions make it look like it'll be a nice easy way to get them to fit. If needs be I'll CA glue them and use a kicker to set them! The instrument panel did take a while but once they're all on, matted down and washed it does make an awesome looking cockpit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chipmunk Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 I will watch this one for sure! Great start! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breaker Posted June 4, 2014 Author Share Posted June 4, 2014 So these are the intakes in question... Glued up, they look pretty naff internally. So I dremelled out the alignment tabs and used some deluxe putty to fill the seam. then liberally applied Alclad primer over the seam till it was filled. Not flawless but much better than before. Also managed to get them attached without massive gaps, with the help of Superglue. This is NOT a job for plastic cement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer Posted June 4, 2014 Share Posted June 4, 2014 Do love the MiG-29!! Looks like your intakes were far worse than the Buccaneer I'm building and a test tube replacement won't remedy that!! The pictures show a good finish so well done for that! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 great start Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaintsPhil Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Nice! I'll watch this as got one tucked away, which boxing is it? Are you going with the OOB markings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breaker Posted June 5, 2014 Author Share Posted June 5, 2014 It's the later version Phil 9-13 I think. Yeah, although I might omit the shark mouth. Not sure yet! Kinda tempted to weather it fairly heavily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S5 modeller Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Looking good so far. Will be watching with interest, as I have an academy version, but the ub twin seat model. Is that the kit cockpit? If so, it looks nicely detailed. I have searched for a resin replacement for mine, but nobody seems to do a twin seat version. I presume it us in 1:48 scale? Matt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breaker Posted June 5, 2014 Author Share Posted June 5, 2014 Yes and Yes Kit cockpit is very nice, nicer than resin I think as it's made of parts than can be made separately rather than one piece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breaker Posted July 27, 2014 Author Share Posted July 27, 2014 I got slightly distracted on something else after my holiday... Not my fault these new airfix kits fall together! Back to the MiG - These holes need opening. There is no where in the instructions that say to drill the holes but you need them for the alignment of the rear tails! Stuck the engines together and dropped some paint on the intake turbine. The detail is lovely but I haven't bothered sticking on all the detail parts or painting the engine as it's a waste of paint and time as they won't be visible once completed. Dropping the engine covers on, I'd left the parts shown unglued from the fuselage to allow for alignment later on. Once it's all glued, it does leave some gaps - I'm leaving the glue to dry before I start attacking the gaps! Whilst it was all drying, I got some black on the tyres. The moulding on them is very nice. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger331 Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Looking good so far. Will be watching with interest, as I have an academy version, but the ub twin seat model. Is that the kit cockpit? If so, it looks nicely detailed. I have searched for a resin replacement for mine, but nobody seems to do a twin seat version. I presume it us in 1:48 scale? Matt. Matt, Just picked up this thread again. FYI, there is at least one resin/photoetched cockpit detail set available for the MiG-29UB. I recently bought the Karaya set (Item Reference U48004) from the 'Big H' which is specifically designed for the Academy/Eduard kit. IIRC this set was previously marketed by a Hungarian based company called 'FM Resin'. I have their single-seat MiG 29 set and it is identical to that now offered by Karaya. The MiG 29UB set gives you both tubs, sidewalls, instrument panels, internal canopy framing and, of course, the two K-36 seats. The resin may not be 'crisp' as that found on, say, an Aires or Eduard set but it is certainly an improvement over the kit items - Although the K-36s have a number of photo etched parts required to finish them off, it is nowhere near the number that you find in Aires sets….I don't get on particularly well with photo-etched and far prefer to paint/shadow fine resin detail, such as seat belts etc, then wrestle with putting photo-etched items on the seat. I seem to recall that Neomega also produce a MiG-29UB cockpit set but I find it quite difficult sourcing their products and the instruction sheets (unlike the Karaya set) are diabolical…..very small photographs only, which is fine if you are familiar with the subject….anyway, I digress….Good luck ! . Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger331 Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 I got slightly distracted on something else after my holiday... Not my fault these new airfix kits fall together! Back to the MiG - These holes need opening. There is no where in the instructions that say to drill the holes but you need them for the alignment of the rear tails! Stuck the engines together and dropped some paint on the intake turbine. The detail is lovely but I haven't bothered sticking on all the detail parts or painting the engine as it's a waste of paint and time as they won't be visible once completed. Dropping the engine covers on, I'd left the parts shown unglued from the fuselage to allow for alignment later on. Once it's all glued, it does leave some gaps - I'm leaving the glue to dry before I start attacking the gaps! Whilst it was all drying, I got some black on the tyres. The moulding on them is very nice. I was 'pleased' to see that it is not only me that has struggled with this kit. Don't get me wrong - I am not taking a perverse delight in seeing many of the issues I have faced re-emerging during your build but it does confirm my concern over the 'reliability' of some of our trusted reviewers to deliver an accurate and faithful review of a kit. I have now read at least three on-line or paper-based comprehensive reviews (including one in Italian) of this kit which gives it a glowing assessment and not ONE word on fit issues. At first I thought that I may have received a 'rogue' kit since it was one of the very early releases direct from the Far East (as were the review samples no doubt) but I have faced exactly the same issues with the intakes, engines and engine covers that you have experienced. I did seem to do marginally better with my fitment of the engine covers but there was a LOT of test fitting and adjusting done before I actually glued them in place. I will persevere since it is a fine kit with some exquisite detail which makes it far superior to the Academy single-seater, but it does not 'fall together' and I sense further challenges when I start on the fins. The afterburner 'cans' are superbly detailed and negate the requirement for resin replacements but, again, they need care with construction. I will continue to monitor your thread and compare notes hopefully for the benefit of others since I, quite coincidentally, also dusted this kit off this weekend after a long lay off from this project. I must admit the comparison between 'authoritative' reviews and my own experiences with the kit led to a general malaise which I must now address - I'm really keen to get this model finished using decals for one of those striking Polish Air Force specials from 2012. Thanks for sharing your updates with us. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breaker Posted July 27, 2014 Author Share Posted July 27, 2014 I actually allowed some gaps to form when putting my engine covers on. It's reduced the step between the two parts considerably, which allows me to just drop some putty and use a cotton bud to wipe it away and the gap is removed. The photo with the hook is with the covers just dropped in place, the gaps that are left are far smaller! I'm more bothered about the second to last photo with the gap between the covers and the engine whilst I need to look for references on to see if it's an actual airframe 'thing' or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snapper_city Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 Looking good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breaker Posted July 27, 2014 Author Share Posted July 27, 2014 These are the gaps I'm lift with Mark... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exdraken Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 looking already promising! (not only he Lynx of course!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger331 Posted July 27, 2014 Share Posted July 27, 2014 These are the gaps I'm lift with Mark... Matt, D'accor. I obviously have a different mark of MiG 29 to yours (IIRC you think there one you are building is the 9-13 ?) since there are small intakes already mounted on those 'plates' that appear close to the join line between the engine covers and air intake fairings. I managed to get the gap between the engine covers and the lower fuselage (close to the rear section of the undercarriage bays) much tighter than what appears in your photos but I do recall it took quite a bit of 'pushing and shoving' to get the gap to close (IIRC the engine installation did not help since the engines were pushing against the inside of the covers). I too, had some minor gaps/steps between the forward edge of the engine covers and air intake housing but I'm now a little less concerned about these. I was fortunate enough to gain very close access to one of the Polish MiGs that visited here not so long ago and was reminded of just how 'agriculture' this machine is for a modern(ish) jet fighter. There is little of the 'smoothness' associated with the surfaces of those 'plastic' (well, carbon fibre at least) jets of today, or even the F-15 or F-16. The Polish jets were clearly well-used 'metal' jets with gaps and uneven surfaces in abundance so I'm not going to burnish everything since this, I suspect, would ruin the effect. These 1980s era Russian fighters have a tendency to look good from a distance (particularly if they have had a recent paint job) but once you get up close, the ruggedness and utility of their design reveals itself. Its just started raining here so a good excuse for me to do a little more work on my own MiG !. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breaker Posted July 27, 2014 Author Share Posted July 27, 2014 -Who's Matt? Hmmm, I'll tidy it up and then if there are any little flaws left, I'll call them accurate modelling of the aircrafts flaws! Yes, this is the 9-13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles87 Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 It looks like a very nice kit, but I don't think I could justify (to myself) the cost now that I've bought all the add on/correction bit for my Academy version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger331 Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 It looks like a very nice kit, but I don't think I could justify (to myself) the cost now that I've bought all the add on/correction bit for my Academy version. Biggles, Could'nt agree more. I did just what you have done and then made the jump based on those early 'marvellous' reviews of the GWH kit. Don't get me wrong - if you are a real MiG-29 fan than the GWH kit is the way to go but you can produce an equally good replica from the Academy kit with some add ons. Obviously, the most important is the nose radome but the Eduard wheels and exhaust cans plus a resin cockpit set really set it off. The GWH kit does have the advantage of not needing any resin apart from maybe a replacement ejection seat. On reflection though, unless you are a real MIG nut the construction difficulties with the GWH kit leave some doubt over the balance between the two options. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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