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MiG-29M '23rd AFB' - 1:72 Mistercraft


Paul A H

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MiG-29M '23rd AFB'

1:72 Mistercraft

 

mig-29_01.jpg


The Mikoyan MiG-29, known in the West by its NATO reporting name 'Fulcrum' is an air superiority fighter designed and built in the Soviet Union in the 1980s. As with other comparable aircraft of that period, such as the Su-27, F-16, F-15 and Panavia Tornado, it was produced in significant numbers and is still in fairly widespread service with air arms around the world. The MiG-29 was developed as a lighter, cheaper aircraft compared to the Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker, an aircraft with which it is broadly comparable in terms of layout and design, if not size and weight. As with the Su-27, the engines are spaced widely apart, with the area between the engines being used to generate lift and improve manoeuvrability. The MiG-29 is powered by two Klimov RD-33 Turbofans, each of which is capable of generating over 18,000lb of thrust in reheat. As with many Soviet types, the aircraft is well suited for use from rough airstrips, particularly as the engine air intakes can be closed completely when on the ground, allowing air to be drawn through louvers on the upper surfaces of the wing roots. Armament is covered by a combination of Vympel R-27 medium-range air-to-air missiles and R-73 or R-60 short-range air-to-air missiles, as well as a GSh-30-1 30mm cannon. The aircraft can be used in a range of roles and is capable of carrying bombs and rockets as well. The MiG-29 has been widely exported and is still in widespread use by a variety of air arms, including several NATO member states such as Poland.


There have been quite a few kits of the MiG-29 over the years, with many of the major manufacturers covering the type at one time or another. For many years, the best of the bunch were those released by Airfix and Italeri - although neither was without fault – followed by Hasegawa with a kit that is easy to build but not particularly accurate. All of that has changed over the last year, however, with both Trumpeter and Zvezda investing in brand new toolings of this important fighter. As a result, modellers may now choose from two ranges of modern, accurate and high-quality kits. So where, you might ask, does Mistercraft fit in to all this? The usually reliable Scalemates is rather circumspect about the origins of this particular kit. Some modellers say, however, that the moulds were discovered by Bedouin shepherds in a cave on the shores of the Dead Sea, tucked away behind some old scrolls. I could certainly believe that, but for the fact that the MiG-29 entered service in the early 1980s. Inside the compact top-opening box, complete with deceptively promising box art, are six sprues of plastic parts. The box states there are 60 of them, but it's hard to check this as every time I pick one of the sprues up, a part of the kit falls off. The kit sits at the basic end of the spectrum (or 'classic', if you wish to impart a positive spin), with prominent raised panel lines and fairly basic detail. Looking for positives, the instructions are absolutely first class. I mean really, really very good indeed.
 

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As you may expect of a kit with such a low part count, construction is very straightforward. If you wanted to build the whole thing unpainted, you could have it together in 30 minutes tops. Before joining the fuselage halves together, you just need to fit the cockpit. This is made up of 3 parts, but you can reduce that by a third if you omit the pilot. The fabulous instructions show a reasonably accurate looking pilot, but in the flesh/plastic, I reckon he looks more like a cross between a snooker referee and a First World War Tommy. See what you think. A similar situation exists with the K-36 ejection seat, which looks great in the instructions but... well, you know. Mistercraft have included intake covers, which is good as there is no detail inside the engine air intakes. 

 

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The instructions really are superlative.


The vertical tail and wings are each moulded in top and bottom/port and starboard halves, while the elevators are solid parts. The otherwise outstanding instructions are slightly confusing when it comes to the landing gear legs. This is because you are looking for a part that, when you finally locate it on the sprues, looks somewhat less impressive than they would have you believe. There is no nose gear bay at all, but on the positive side, the wheels are round. Things take an interesting twist when it comes to the finishing touches. The otherwise fantastic instructions show the addition of small parts such as the IFF and temperature probe which are not actually numbered. Presumably this is because they don't actually exist. R-27 and R-60 missiles are included. The canopy exists.

 

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Decals are a high point. You get a generous five options spread across three small sheets:

  • MiG-29A, 1st Regiment, Polish Air Force, Minks Mazowiecki AB, 1997;
  • MiG-29A, 73rd Jagd Geschwader, Lagge AB, Germany, 1997;
  • MiG-29A, Ukrainian Air Force, Ivano-Frankovsk AB, 1992;
  • MiG-29A, 1st Flight, 1st Fighter Regiment, Czech Air Force, Zatec AB, 1997; and
  • MiG-29A, Russian Air Force, Andreapol, 2002.


I really couldn't say how well the decals are likely to perform, but given the nature of the kit, I really wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

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Conclusion

 

It's a plastic model kit. It probably is the cheapest MiG-29 on the market, but for that bargain price, you must accept one or two compromises. The instructions are fabulous though.
 

Review sample courtesy of

logo.jpg UK distributors for logo.gif

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  • 4 weeks later...
On ‎19‎.‎01‎.‎2017 at 2:43 PM, ivand said:

Just out of curiosity, I wonder whose moulds they've knocked off this time to create this ... euhr... thing ... Or is this abomination all of their own making (or Plastyk's), such as their hideous F-84 Thunderjet?

Not knowing that kit, and having absolutely ***no*** Intention of changing this, there was a Polish copy of the Heller kit released sometime in the 80s, and I suspect that may be the provenance. As to the MiG-29 - well, honestly, I don't want to know really, even though I'm fairly keen on knowledge like that - there has to be a baseline somewhere. It Looks like early PM/Pioneer 2 kits in style to some extent, but that certainly is not the source. The clipping of the instructions evokes a sense of déjà vu - Looks very much like Monogram's classic 80s style.

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On 19/1/2017 at 3:43 PM, ivand said:

Just out of curiosity, I wonder whose moulds they've knocked off this time to create this ... euhr... thing ... 

 

Nakotne's:

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/165997-nakotne-mig-29

 

And if you wondered how this "kit" looks when built up:

https://www.scalemates.com/profiles/mate.php?id=23776&p=albums&album=27406

 

A steaming pile of :poop:

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On 25-1-2017 at 9:55 AM, tempestfan said:

I didn't want to Sound like the copy (which must have been by another cooperative as ZTS Plastyk kits were marketed as such) was to the Quality of the Heller kit.

 

I never meant to imply you did! It's just I'd seen this connection made a couple of times before.

 

4 hours ago, Panoz said:

 

Nakotne's:

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/165997-nakotne-mig-29

 

And if you wondered how this "kit" looks when built up:

https://www.scalemates.com/profiles/mate.php?id=23776&p=albums&album=27406

 

A steaming pile of :poop:

 

Isn't this forum incredible... thank you very much, Panoz. I can only whole-heartedly agree with your (steaming) conclusion!

 

Which begs the next question: why do people even bother to invest in such moulds? :wonder:

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...

I believe it looks a lot like the real thing, from a distance (preferably 10 miles or greater).

 

What a truly horrible-looking kit.  What market are they aiming for? The-under-fours?

 

Chris. 

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