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MiG-21MF Fishbed - 1:48 Trumpeter


Julien

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MiG-21MF Fishbed
1:48 Trumpeter


box.jpg


The MiG-21 has probably been produced in greater numbers than any other jet fighter. Over the years they have been many variants. The M in MF stands Modernizirovannyy or Modernised. The F standing for Forsirovannyy or Uprated Engine. In effect the MF was the export version of the MiG-21SM where the S referred to the Sapfir-21/RP-22 radar. As well as an uprated engine an internal 23mm Cannon was provided alongside a considerably updated avionics package. The SM & MF were called the Fishbed-J by NATO. The MF had a greater arsenal of weapons available including the R-60, and later R-60M IR seeking AAM (NATO Name AA-8 Aphid)

The Kit
It is quite surprising how much plastic Trumpeter manage to get in the smallish box this kit arrives in. There are 10 sprues of grey plastic, a clear sprue, a small sheet of PE and a set of rubber tyres. Construction starts without any surprise in the cockpit area. The ejection seat is built up. This comes as nine parts and builds into a very fair representation of the real thing. The front instrument coaming is built up and the instrument panel added. The ejection seat is added to the cockpit tub, then the sidewalls and rear bulkhead are fitted. The control column is added and the front coaming completes things.

sp1.JPG


Next up the wheel wells are built up. The front well is three parts and you have you add the front wheel/leg at this stage. The main wells are four part affairs and are built now as well. Following this the rear jet pipe is assembled. This has seven parts and again will build up to a good looking representation of the real thing. Once all of these subassemblies are complete they can be added into the main fuselage along with the nose radar bullet and the area in front of the cockpit. Once the main fuselage is closed up various intakes are added to both sides of the rear fuselage.

sp6.JPG


sp7.JPG


The engine exhaust nozzle can then be made up and added to the main fuselage. The separate one piece vertical fin is then added, along with it's separate rudder. The brake parachute housing can then be added. This is able to be modelled in the pen or closed position.

sp4.JPG


Moving on to the underside of the main fuselage the underside fin is added, along with the internal cannon. The main centre line air brake and two side front airbrakes are added. All the airbrakes can be modelled open. The main gear door on the fuselage are then added along with their retraction struts. The front gear bay doors are also added. A centre line pylon is provided if the modeller intends to use it. This can take either a large or small fuel tanks as supplied in the kit.

sp5.JPG


Construction then moves onto the wings. These are conventional upper/lower parts for each side. The wings are supplied with separate flaps. Two pylons and a landing light are added to each wing. Once the wings are built up they can be attached to the main fuselage. Two PE wing fences are supplied in the kit. The tailplanes are also added at this time.

sp2.JPG


sp3.JPG


The main landing gear is the next area for the modeller to concentrate on. Two hub parts sandwich the rubber tyres as supplied in the kit (no plastic alternatives are supplied). The prominent brake lines for main gear legs are also supplied. The main gear door which attached to the leg then needs to be fitted, this has to be bent to shape by the modeller. The main gear legs and their retraction struts can then be fitted.

sp10.JPG


The last items to be made up and fitted are the underwing armament. Twin fuel tanks are supplied for each type though I think the large one was only ever fitted on the centre line so the modeller has a spare. References would seem to indicate that if fuel tanks were carried on the wings they were carried on the outer pylons only. UB032 rocket pods are supplied if the modellers wants some air-to-ground weapons. If air-to air is needed then a pair of R-3R and R-3S missiles are included.

sp8.JPG


sp9.JPG


Markings
Here Trumpter have provided markings for six aircraft but provided absolutely NO information about the markings what so ever. The six are;
  • German Democratic Republic Bort #Red 511
  • USSR Bort #Blue 30
  • Poland Bort #Grey 6804
  • Czechoslovakia Bort #Black 8207
  • Iraqi Air Force - Unknown Aircraft Green/Sand Camo
  • Iraqi Air Force - Unknown Aircraft Brown/Sand Camo

decals.jpg


Conclusion
Whether it's another one to add to your brace of Cold War Soviet metal, or just an impulse buy, there's a lot of plastic in the box, and some nice detail. Highly recommended.

Review sample courtesy of
logo.gifUK Distributors for logo.jpg

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I am impressed by this kit. The detail is good and the parts count is not low. The Eduard kits I find have to many parts. This is slightly more simplified but not so as you would know. The cockpit looks good to my eyes but I am no MiG-21 expert. I would though rather build this one than the Eduard one.

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The Eduard kits I find have to many parts.

I got one from the Cosford show earlier this year and my gosh! The box had Tardis-esque properties! 0_0

Despite the vast array of parts, I ended up not feeling thoroughly pleased at the end, it was more of a slog rather than an enjoyable jaunt. I must confess that it didn't look that appealing either-considering the effort that I felt I had put in (although that might be the effect of using some fairly old tins of Humbrol enamel paint :P -I switched permanently to acryllic after that!)

Rather tempted to an East German one of these and put it next to my TSR-2 in a "what if" interception near the border, if we had been as brave risky foolish bold as the Russians were and currently are! :D

Sam

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  • 3 weeks later...

Eduard kit is with highly probability far better as Trumpy kit. When i saw first time photos of Trumpy "MF" i must say "Oh, this loooks straaaange". And MiG-21F in quarter scale is really strange.... (In czech model magazine Modelář was a time ago review from czech MiG expert and only way who make an accurate MiG-21F is cutting of Trumpy kit and one Eduard MiG - from Trumpy you must used a nose and from Eduard tail.... When you crossbred this two kits you have an accurate MiG-21F in collection. And i don´t believe a Trumpy MiG-21MF is better. In this case this begging for build and compare with Eduard MiG-21MF.

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Thanks Julien,

Shape/size differences between the two kits appart, it seems that there's an effort from trumpeter on the colour options, but still they're quite classic, and fall far behind Ed's kit that usually comes with many well researched options.

About the weapons load, trumpeter usually gives us plenty of everything... but not this time!

With only two type of R-3, an UB and no FAB, trumpeter is second again.

I'll wait to check the price, but un less it's around 15€, I think I'll always go for an Ed profipack kit, with colour PE and masks included.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I don't think anyone would ever suggest that the Trumpy MiG-21 would be 'better' or more accurate than the Eduard MiG-21 kits given the well-documented research that went into those:) I was hoping it might be a simpler build than the Eduard MiG-21 which, at least to me, are quite complex for a 48th kit IMHO. This release seems to have slipped under the radar as I guess it was always going to given Eduard's kits. Thanks for the review Julien.

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  • 1 month later...

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