Revell 72nd scale MiG-21 F-13 Fishbed-C

[Col.]

Dug Revell's early MiG-21 kit out of the stash last night and had a look at it while considering various options for the GB. Selection made. Looks to be a well detailled and straight-forward kit so just what I need to add something interesting and Soviet to the display cabinet. Will most likely go with the East German option due to the rather cool national insignia. I'll post up some photos later but, in the meantime,...

Onward to a glorious Socialist victory commrades!

[stevej60]

Good choice Col,I cosidered this kit myself.

[CliffB]

Nice one Col.  I like the slender look of the 'C'.

[Col.]

7 hours ago, stevej60 said:

Good choice Col,I cosidered this kit myself.

 

1 hour ago, CliffB said:

Nice one Col.  I like the slender look of the 'C'.

Thanks lads.

It certainly looks to be a nice kit and as this is the initial release it has options for 6 different machines from 3 different Air Forces, although only two are eligible for this GB, so no need to go hunting for any aftermarket decals (although I did see a Cuban example on at least one sheet if I ever come across another copy of the kit  ). I've heard the F-13 described as a "supersonic sports 'plane" and it certainly has a radical look about it that must have been rather futuristic when first seen at that time.

I was planning to go for a simple Out-Of-The-Box build with this one but now thinking about adding a pilot figure due to the unusual G-suit and full-face helmet they wore as a bit of extra interest. 

[Col.]

Right gang, proof of life, a virgin kit just full of potential...

 

 

still all snug and sleeping in its bag...

 

 

beside Revell's slightly disappointing old-style instructions and rather nice decal sheet...

 

 

There's a Spitfire close to completion on the workbench that needs my attention then I'll have a proper tidy up to make room for this one and get started.

Edited July 28, 2018 by Col.

[modelling minion]

That decal sheet looks typically Revell, being both well printed and very comprehensive.

Should be a cracking build Col.

[Col.]

Ah sod it, why wait, let's get this one de-bagged!

 

 

Plenty nice detail included on the various parts...

 

 

although there's also a bit of flash and a few mould flaws...

 

 

Not good to see on what was a brand new tooling at time of purchase.

Edited July 28, 2018 by Col.

[Col.]

3 minutes ago, modelling minion said:

That decal sheet looks typically Revell, being both well printed and very comprehensive.

Should be a cracking build Col.

The decal sheet claims it was "Printed in Italy for Revell" so I'm guessing that means Cartograph. Either way it's a work of art and they certainly didn't skrimp on the stencil data but there's a touch of mould spots around it and a small crease close to the upper left corner. Hopefully neither will affect their performance.

[Col.]

Been looking around for some colour detail to supplement the somewhat sparse instructions and in particular whether the cockpit was grey or turquoise. The answer is usually grey with only some very late service examples that had returned from factory overhaul in Russia being given the turquoise treatment. I've also found an interesting walkaround of a sectioned example showing a lot of internal detail;

 

http://www.repulomuzeum.hu/Egyebek/816/816.htm

 

as well as a small selection of useful images from BMs own walkaround page;

 

 

and this one from the Prime Portal site;

 

http://www.primeportal.net/hangar/isaac_gershman/mig-21f-13/index.php?Page=1

 

Near the bottom of this page there's also plenty external images provided by IPMS Netherlands of one in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center;

 

https://www.ipms.nl/walkarounds/walkaround-vliegtuigen-jets/1444-walkaround-mig-21.html

 

while buried in this thread there's a few good photos of areas such as the canopy and that snakes nest of pipework visible on the spine behind the cockpit;

 

https://www.modelforum.cz/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=50410&hilit=1%2F48+MiG+21+fishbed&start=2190

 

Hopefully that should be enough to get me started  

 

[Col.]

Given that the GB started yesterday I thought it fitting to celebrate the occasion by starting this kit   After about half an hour of test fitting, triming, re-checking the instructions, and eventually gluing bits of butchered tiny plastic parts together we end up with a nice rendition of the SK-1 ejection seat fitted to the early MiG-21 types;

 

 

Nice and although somewhat armchair-esq at least a good foundation for some extra detailling and the pilot figure.

Edited July 29, 2018 by Col.

[John Masters]

This'll be a nice looking Fished for sure!  Workers of the World Unite! 

[Col.]

On 8/3/2018 at 5:22 AM, John D.C. Masters said:

This'll be a nice looking Fished for sure!  Workers of the World Unite! 

Thank you John  Hopefully I can live up to your expectations.

 

Spent a bit of time modifying the seat to add a bit more detail;

 

 

 

Also splashed some paint around the cockpit as a foundation for later detail painting;

 

 

It would seem the early -21s had grey cockpits rather than the turquoise found on later machines so started with a coat of Humbrol 123 then a heavy dry-brush with Hu 230 and a lighter drybrushing of Hu64.

 

The bang seat was painted Hu 106 to give a contrast with the main cockpit and installed so I can start fitting a pilot figure;

 

Edited August 4, 2018 by Col.

[John Masters]

Very nice cockpit detail...I didn't know about the cockpit colour for early vs.later Mig-21's.  Good knowledge going forward.

 

...and thanks for the vote on the paint for the Fiat!

[Col.]

10 minutes ago, John D.C. Masters said:

Very nice cockpit detail...I didn't know about the cockpit colour for early vs.later Mig-21's.  Good knowledge going forward.

...and thanks for the vote on the paint for the Fiat!

Thanks John. One of the fun parts about modelling for me is discovering things about the subject during the research into it  Now I'll need to crack on with a later model -21 to illustrate the differences  

[modelling minion]

Good work on the cockpit Col, and yes the colours for the cockpits on early Migs (15 through to Mig-21 PF) were indeed grey rather than turquoise.

[John Masters]

29 minutes ago, modelling minion said:

the colours for the cockpits on early Migs (15 through to Mig-21 PF) were indeed grey rather than turquoise.

That is really good information.  What year did they shift to turquoise?

[exdraken]

Nice start of a nice kit!

Not my scale, so only limited knowledge...

The ingine exhaust atea aeems to be the only mediocre part of this kit.... wonder if an Eduard replacement one would be fittable?

Edited August 5, 2018 by exdraken

[modelling minion]

23 hours ago, John D.C. Masters said:

That is really good information.  What year did they shift to turquoise?

Thanks John, not sure what year they shifted colours but it was part way through the PF production as some/all the late PF's had the turquoise cockpits.

[Col.]

Minor progress after a mad week at work.

 

 

 

Still a bit to do and modify a head to suit but better than nothing I guess.

Edited August 11, 2018 by Col.

[John Masters]

I am not so sure...he could be a character from Washington Irving! 😉  The Lost Cold War Legend of Sleepy Hollow!

[Jabba]

A good start and nice detailing of the seat. You certainly have a lot more decal options than my kit, although mine still does say that it is printed in Italy.

[Col.]

On 8/11/2018 at 12:02 PM, John D.C. Masters said:

I am not so sure...he could be a character from Washington Irving! 😉  The Lost Cold War Legend of Sleepy Hollow!

Oooh a Cold War ghost story; Legend of the Headless MiG Pilot  

Fear not commrades for work has been ongoing to provide a suitable head for our glorious son of the Motherland;

 

 

Also done most of the detail painting on the pilot so fixed him into the cockpit. Still need to make the oxygen hose that attaches to the side of his helmet - having already made a good length of it using thick and thin wire I thought it was no more a task than cut a section and glue it in place but no. Silly boy here has gone and lost said length of wire so another will now need to be made so I can no doubt loose that in the near future as well.

On 8/11/2018 at 6:59 PM, Jabba said:

A good start and nice detailing of the seat. You certainly have a lot more decal options than my kit, although mine still does say that it is printed in Italy.

I think Revell must have cut back on the options to save some costs when this one was reissued. Shame as it was good value when first released.

Edited August 14, 2018 by Col.

[Col.]

Behold commrades, our hero is headless no more!

 

 

 

Edited August 18, 2018 by Col.

[John Masters]

That looks great!

[exdraken]

That comrad remote control looks rather nice!!