Academy 1/72 Mig 23 Flogger (any good?)

[phat trev]

Had a good look around on google for reviws of the Academy Flogger and it looks quite a good model.

I made one when I was about 7y.o and at the time loved it but I am thinking of making a 'better', I hope go at it?

any pointers, or indeed anyone who might have one kicking around unloved?

[TonyGol]

May have one lurking in the stash will check tomorrow.

Tony

[Jennings Heilig]

It's a copy of the 1970s Hasegawa kit from Academy's early copycat days.

[Giorgio N]

It all depends on how you define good.

If you want an accurate MiG-23, then this is not good at all. And it's not a matter of rivet counting here, I'm talking of a fuselage wrong by more than 10 mm, of intake plates of totally wrong shape and thing like that. It looks like a MiG-23, as long as you don't look at any picture of a real MiG-23..

Being as Jennings said a copy of quite an old kit, the detail is very sparse, with the cockpit being almost non existant.

The kit features quite fine panel lines and a quick test fit showed good promises of an easy fitting kit.

Personally I have one yet to be built and I'm planning on correcting the major faults (not all of them, it would be too difficult...) and add some decals from the RV sheet (the one on the academy sheet are boring...).

If you're not interested in accuracy and can live with the little detail, it's a cheap and quick way to have a Flogger (or something resembling a Flogger) in the collection. I'd suggest the RV sheet as it contains markings for a lot of aircrafts from several countries, even if the decal sheet will likely cost more than the kit.

If you want an accurate and detailed 1/72 MiG-23, the RV is the best around even if it's expensive. Trumpeter has now scaled down the 1/32 kit to 1/48, they might follow at some point with a 1/72 kit, but unless this happens the best remains the RV kit.

[Panoz]

If you want an accurate and detailed 1/72 MiG-23, the RV is the best around even if it's expensive. Trumpeter has now scaled down the 1/32 kit to 1/48, they might follow at some point with a 1/72 kit, but unless this happens the best remains the RV kit.

There is also the Zvezda -MF which even with the messed up canopy (you could always pose it open and "camouflage" the shape errors) and raised panel lines is a far better option than the Academy kit.

Just a thought...

[aerofan]

Also the Academy copy of the Hasegawa Mig-23 has injection mold issues where there isn't enough pressure causing the intake blow in door areas to be lacking some plastic and the vertical stabilzer vents and gun pod aren't as crisp as the Hasegawa one. Beware there will be extra work for the sake of recessed panel lines. Remember this kit came out in the mid to late 70's so your definition of good depends on the level accuracy your looking for.

[phat trev]

Thanks all, I have purchased one from a vendor at a show.

looks pretty much as I remember it and has the small moulding flaws mentioned but I am sure a bit of filler and tlc will work on in.

thanks all.