Jump to content

1:72 Zvezda MiG-21bis Hungarian Air Force circa 1983


Recommended Posts

Hi fellow modellers,

 

Just in the nick of 2016, I’m able to post these images of my latest completion.

 

31980413945_f61696f0ce_c.jpg

 

It’s the 1:72 Zvezda MiG-21bis built up as an izdelie 75AP in Hungarian Air Force colours in the early half of the 1980s, just before the camouflage pattern was standardised throughout the MiG-21 fleet.

 

31140231724_a9c43cc9cb_c.jpg

 

I took this kit out of my stash completely contrary to my initial plan, which was to build something Phantom-ish. But I went with it and here it is.

 

31607215920_8b6a9b5086_c.jpg

 

31980439855_cf6e51ed07_c.jpg

 

After market stuff: Kuivalainen (Eduard) MiG-21bis PE cockpit set, True Detail’s KM-1 seat, and two HAD models decal sheets with MiG-21 stencilling and generic Hungarian markings. I also used a length of copper tubing both as an exhaust can and as a way to forcibly deepen the aft fuselage, to make it more in line with what I saw in pictures. Gaps were filled with plastic and filler.

 

31140225154_d39bd9b613_c.jpg

 

31171190243_ea52d4244b_c.jpg

 

Paints used: Gunze Sangyo Mr Hobby, different colours, all mixed to approximate photographic info. I wanted to reproduce a weathered finish. Especially the green used for the camouflage faded quickly; this is -approximately!- what I was going for:

 

Mikojan-Gurjevics-MiG-21-6264-1.jpg

 

The kit as a kit is fairly nice. Parts fit together quite well, and if I had avoided modifications this would have been a comparably quick build.

 

31832420832_74127bf396_c.jpg

 

The plastic too is quite good overall - not too thick which pleased me. Especially the wings and horizontal tail look suitably thin. The wings are molded as one piece and the main gear leg housing is molded in the plastic; which is where the ejector pin marks are located. Filling these is difficult without damaging the surrounding surfaces but the marks can be hidden by overlapping added detail.

 

31863701131_cd94d5f46b_c.jpg

 

However I discovered most of the panel lines on the kit were either misplaced or completely fictional; the tail fin in particular being a tableau of criss-crossing lines to nowhere. I always thought later MiG-21’s fins looked fairly distinctive, in part because of the big vertical panels in the centre. Remedy: filling, rescribing.

 

31943312206_6925023fd4_c.jpg

 

The wheel chock was made with plasticard using the HADmodel PE part as a template.

 

Thanks for looking! Have a nice 2017!

 

Jay

 

Edited by Mountain goat
  • Like 48
Link to comment
Share on other sites

50 minutes ago, Vultures1 said:

That's lovely work - I think you have got the finish just right.  Well done!!

 

27 minutes ago, modelling minion said:

A superb job on your Fishbed.

The weathering and paint work look just right to my eye.

Very well done.

 

Craig.

 

Thanks for the feedback guys, kind of a relief - I worked on getting that scheme right for so long I came to a point I couldn't tell if it looked good or bad.

 

37 minutes ago, David_DFN said:

Very nice build. Any In progress ? :)

 

Cheers and yes David, though I'll have to find where I left the pics.

 

28 minutes ago, Alpha Delta 210 said:

Brilliant result in a rarely-seen scheme. 

 

Thanks, I found the scheme on this site -nice reference for those interested.

 

31 minutes ago, Parabat said:

Superb work, I could easily believe that's 1/48 if I'd not seen it in your hand! Excellent.

 

10 minutes ago, exdraken said:

:):)

 

fantastic model!

 

really looks bigger than 1/72!

 

Cheers... great to hear. I have to give credit to my trusty magnifying lamp though ;)

 

Jay

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Crikey that is brilliant, I think the best Zvezda Mig-21 I've seen yet! The weathering combined with the really sharp details totally throw off it is only 1/72. The first picture, I swear if it had a concrete base I wouldn't be able to tell is it was a model, the overall weathering on it is that good, seriously well done. 

 

David.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jay,

 

Yet another smashing job!  Very well done!

 

I've wavered from buying the Zvezda kit, I'm hanging out for the forthcoming Eduard kits (just as well I'm in no rush).

 

Happy New Year to you.

 

Regards

 

Wez

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, Andrew D Jolly Rogers guy said:

STUNNING finish!!! :o

 

17 hours ago, russ c said:

Excellent MiG, looks bigger than `72nd, great job

 

Thanks guys, I appreciate it!

 

4 hours ago, mirageiv said:

Crikey that is brilliant, I think the best Zvezda Mig-21 I've seen yet! The weathering combined with the really sharp details totally throw off it is only 1/72. The first picture, I swear if it had a concrete base I wouldn't be able to tell is it was a model, the overall weathering on it is that good, seriously well done. 

 

David.

 

Cheers David, glad to hear that - I would have done outside photography with a base like I did with the Rhodesian Vampire but not in this weather... :) 

 

4 hours ago, Wez said:

Jay,

 

Yet another smashing job!  Very well done!

 

I've wavered from buying the Zvezda kit, I'm hanging out for the forthcoming Eduard kits (just as well I'm in no rush).

 

Happy New Year to you.

 

Regards

 

Wez

 

Thank you Wez - I found two of these very cheap and somehow my hands were building this one before I knew what was happening. I'm looking forward to the Eduard kits as well; there's a place waiting for them in the stash. 

 

2 hours ago, Plastikschrottler said:

Happy New Year!

 

Lovely Fishbed. Would really like to see some in progress pics of it.

Smashing job!

:thumbsup:

 

Cheers,

Joerg

 

Thanks Joerg - pics coming up very soon, I promise. Only of the rear fuselage though, have none of rest of the build.

 

2 hours ago, Phantome said:

Awesome build. I see you also added extensive rivetting since like all modern Zvezda kits, there is none

 

Cheers Phantome, yes, true that - I've experimented a little with different techniques on this build, but still I'm not convinced it works. Might do pencil-only in the future.

 

2 hours ago, ForestFan said:

Excellent! I wouldn't believe it was 1/72 if it weren't for the photo with your hand in shot!

 

1 hour ago, IGKent said:

Congratulation! Great job Jay! Nice MIG! :speak_cool: :thumbsup2: 

Happy New Year, colleagues!

Cheers!

  Reveal hidden contents

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

 

Thanks ForestFan for your compliment и большое спасибо Igor!

 

Happy New Year all! Jay

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, loloskymaster said:

Wow, what a nice Hungarian MiG-21 bis! Colors are very close to the real one. :clap2:

 

Great!:analintruder:

 

Lolo

 

Cheers Lolo!

 

11 hours ago, Darren Rhodes said:

Hi Jay, an exceptional build and photography, very impressive! :goodjob:    :thumbsup: 

 

And another 'must build' model that I have in my stash! So many models, so little time... ;) 

 

Darren

 

Thank you - good to know the photography worked a bit. Yeah time - as a kid we couldn't even have imagined time would actually become a luxury no?

 

21 hours ago, Plastikschrottler said:

Would really like to see some in progress pics of it.

 

On 31/12/2016 at 5:53 PM, David_DFN said:

Any In progress ? :)

 

Here ya go:

 

Fitting the exhaust can (brass tubing with exhaust part grafted onto it) into the fuselage. I made two incisions in the top part of the rear fuselage -that' s the area circled in red:

 

32045289745_fbc1310da8_c.jpg

 

31897201652_05c0caf460_c.jpg

 

Here the fuselage is closed up and the gaps on top of the fuselage and under are filled with plastic rod, plastic sheet and Mr Dissolved Putty. Lots of the area will be covered by the spine and several small intakes, but still I wanted to get it as smooth as possible.

 

32006303816_271e904023_c.jpg

 

Jay

 

 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...