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1/72 - Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F & Lim-5 "Fresco-C" by Airfix - released - new boxing in August 2024


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1 hour ago, 71chally said:

Absolutely agree with Dave on this, it's the lack of consistency with Airfix's surface detail that is frustrating.

And not just the surface detailing - after the lovely cockpit detailing of their 1/72nd Harrier GR.7A/9 (that little gem is still one of my favourite New Airfix kits!), the step backward to decals only, although understandable from a financial point of view, was a bit of a letdown in the next kits.

 

If Airfix could do it perfectly well in 2011...

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

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6 hours ago, Tsrjoe said:

I see it and it seems significant in the link, but then I look at the build of the new Airfix MiG-17 and the photographs of the real thing on the following pages and I don’t see it. Must be real but not all that significant. I’m still pleased to be getting what I anticipate will be the closest thing to a 1/72 MiG-17 yet.

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Box art and more

Source: https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/news/workbench/phantom-down-and-hellcats-little-brother

 

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(...) As confirmed by the spectacular image above, we begin by marking the impending release of the newly tooled 1/72nd scale Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F ‘Fresco’, before moving on to feature the latest build project undertaken by regular contributor and accomplished modeller Andreas Fey.

 

Again marking the impending arrival of a trio of classic Airfix kits, we also feature box artwork which will be familiar to millions of people, particularly if they have ever built a collection of scale model representations of some of the most interesting military vehicles of the Second World War. We end with something of a Telford Teaser, where we confirm details of how everyone can keep abreast of announcement developments at Scale ModelWorld as they are happening, whether you are at the show or not. We have much to inform you about, so let’s make a start.

 

The mount of a North Vietnamese ‘Ace’

 

b_soviet_cold_war_classic_mig-17_fresco_

Original picture of MiG-17F (Shenyang J-5) ‘3020’, which was flown by North Vietnamese Air Force fighter ace Le Hai – was this the aircraft shot down by the US Navy pairing of Cunningham and Driscoll on 10th May 1972?

 

Certain to become a popular addition to our 1/72nd scale kit range, the new Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F ‘Fresco’ tooling A03091 marks one of the most distinctive early jet fighters of the post war period and one which was tasked with engaging in combat with the latest US aircraft during the Vietnam War, aircraft which were considered significantly superior in both design and combat effectiveness. Using machine guns rather than the air-to-air rockets used by their opposition, airmen of the North Vietnamese Air Force were only too aware that they were operating technologically inferior aircraft, but quickly learned how best to use their fighters in this deadly aerial duel of classic jet aircraft.

 

Initially exploiting rather limiting US rules of engagement and radar coverage which did not extend as far as their operating bases, the aggressive tactics adopted by North Vietnamese pilots proved to be a rude awakening for US airmen, who were ill prepared for these slash and run, close quarters dogfights. Utilising the excellent manoeuvrability of the MiG 17 and avoiding exposing its technological weaknesses, they quickly began to score air combat victories against the very latest American aircraft, actions which would result in no fewer than 17 North Vietnamese fighter pilots achieving the coveted status of air ‘Ace’. In stark contrast to this figure, only 5 US airmen would achieve the same status during the Vietnam War.

 

The dramatic box artwork which will be used to mark the first release from this newly tooled kit has only recently been revealed and features a striking aircraft flown by Vietnam People’s Air Force ace pilot Le Hai, one of the two scheme options to be included with the kit. Officially credited with six air to air victories, including two against F-4 Phantoms, Le Hai’s aircraft was finished in an impressive, if rather sinister looking ‘snake’ camouflage scheme, which must have made for a fearsome sight if it ended up on your tail during a dogfight. Despite the prominent red 3020 nose markings applied to this aircraft, its eventual fate is unclear, with some sources claiming it was destroyed in combat with a US Navy Phantom, whilst others have it still on display in a Vietnamese military museum.

c_soviet_cold_war_classic_mig-17_fresco_

 

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Launching Operation Linebacker in 1972, US forces in the Far East intended to inflict a crushing defeat on their North Vietnamese adversaries, by bringing the full weight of their awesome air power and advanced technology to bear. Supporting a sizeable bombing mission against the Hai Dong rail yards on 10th May 1972, successful US Navy pilot/navigator team Lt. Randy Cunningham and William Driscoll were flying their faithful F-4J Phantom, when the force came under attack by a large number of enemy MiG-17 fighters. As graduates of the US Navy’s Top Gun fighter school, the American duo had already scored victories during their Vietnam tour, but this would turn out to be by far their most eventful day in theatre and result in the pair achieving ‘Ace’ status.

 

Turning into a strong attacking force of MiGs, Cunningham quickly destroyed one of the fighters with a Sidewinder missile, immediately looking for his next target – he saw that his wingman was being pursued by several enemy fighters, each one seemingly looking to score an easy Phantom kill. He positioned his own aircraft behind the pursuing enemy fighters, but could not fire a missile for fear it would lock on the huge engines of his squadron mate. Calmly telling his wingman to break, he was now clear to fire his missile, which took out a second MiG and immediately force the others to break off the engagement.

 

With the US airmen at a significant numerical disadvantage, the Phantoms decided to disengage and hit the power for a high speed run for home, just as Cunningham noticed a MiG heading straight for him in a head on attack, firing its cannons as it came. The Phantom was not equipped with guns and if Cunningham was going to survive this dogfight, he would have to position his aircraft behind the MiG, before unleashing one of his missiles, however, his adversary was clearly no novice aviator and every move the US pilot made, it was countered by the Vietnamese airman, who by now was positioned on the Phantom’s tail.

 

In an encounter which lasted several frantic minutes, the aircraft passed close to each other on several occasions and Cunningham clearly recalled seeing the red number 3020 on the nose of the enemy fighter – as he was now engaged in combat with an extremely accomplished fighter pilot, could it be that they were facing the celebrated NVAF ace Le Hai? With neither airman giving any indication of breaking off the engagement, Cunningham attempted an extremely risky manoeuvre, cutting the throttles of his Phantom with the MiG still on his tail and moving in for the kill. The change of speed forced the Vietnamese fighter to speed past, but was initially too close to unleash a missile, however, this turning of the combat tables forced the MiG to dive for the ground at full speed, giving Cunningham the opportunity he had hoped for. One of his Sidewinder missiles struck home and sent the MiG plummeting to the ground. After claiming their third victory of the day, Cunningham and Driscoll set course for home, unaware that their eventful day was not over yet.

 

Just a short time after shooting down their third MiG of the day, their Phantom was hit by a surface to air missile, disabling their aircraft and setting it alight – nursing the aircraft back over the ocean, the pair managed to safely eject and were later picked up by a US Navy rescue helicopter and returned to their ship.

 

The unusual markings applied to Le Hai’s MiG and the fact that he was one of 17 North Vietnamese aces during the Vietnam War will ensure that this will be a popular choice with modellers following the release of our new MiG-17F kit, as it throws the modelling spotlight on this classic early Soviet jet design and its distinctive shape. A03091 is scheduled for a winter release and we will provide a more definitive arrival update as soon as we have shipping information available.

 

 

V.P.

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7 hours ago, Tsrjoe said:

Has it ever crossed anyone’s mind that all this negative commentary about the first Airfix Soviet subject since god knows when, may not exactly motivate them to produce another? Suits me, as I’d rather see them concentrate on subjects from their home market. Anyway.. just a thought! 
 

Cheers.. Dave

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The detailed criticism is fair enough, the faults are there as pointed out by somebody intimately familiar with the type, but not everyone is that familiar with the type.

 

The problem was that by the time the developed kit was available to see it was already too late to correct for these errors, but then no kit is perfect, all are compromises and none capture all of the subtle nuances of any type.

 

Unfortunately for Airfix and other manufacturers, there's not a database of knowledgeable engineers e.g. the maintainers who know all of these subtle nuances for every single type/subject, out there, that they can consult every time they're thinking of kitting a new subject.

 

So what do we have here? From my simple viewpoint, we have the best 1/72nd MiG-17 from a mainstream manufacturer, it will go together better than those which have preceded it from any manufacturer, mainstream or short run.

 

Is it perfect? No, plainly not but its a better starting point than anything else.

 

Thanks to a very knowledgeable individual I now know the errors, it's up to me to decide whether I want to do anything about them but given that too many of my builds stalled because I was trying to make that perfect kit, I might not bother or only bother with those I consider significant, it's taken me 50 years but I now realise I'm not that good a modeller!

 

I shall be buying multiples of this kit, hopefully it will encourage Airfix or another mainstream manufacturer to finally give us a decent MiG-19/Shenyang F-6 in 1/72nd!

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6 minutes ago, Wez said:

Unfortunately for Airfix and other manufacturers, there's not a database of knowledgeable engineers e.g. the maintainers who know all of these subtle nuances for every single type/subject, out there, that they can consult every time they're thinking of kitting a new subject.

Dragon used to hand out CAD export for validation. Kinetic and GWH have been doing the same for years. There's no need to have a particular expertise on the subject: playing the Game of Seven Errors is often enough to point out most bugs.

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It's been my observation that within quite a few Central and Eastern European modelling communities, there are a lot of very critical voices who desire accuracy over anything from manufacturers and spare no punches when criticising a new kit. Then again It's also been my observation others elsewhere dislike this attitude and want to emphasise the 'fun' aspect of the hobby by somehow discounting the harsh criticism. 

 

But I don't quite understand why these two attitudes (critical vs laissez-faire) cannot coexist at the same time. For those for whom accuracy is important, criticism can be most useful. Surely others should be able to put that criticism aside and start the build already. Personally I really appreciate the more vocal and negative critics because having someone pore over the details and pointing out the inaccuracies sure beats having to discover those (that are important to the builder) halfway during a build. Also, it's often a quick way to better get to know the subject you're building.

 

I don't think the inaccuracies in the Airfix kit are a dealbreaker for me nor for most other modellers. 

 

Just my 2c.

 

Jay

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16 hours ago, Patrick Martin said:

Is this not fixed by adding a plastic card strip and filler for a short portion of the leading edge?

 

It’s easier than that: material has to be removed from the underside of the leading edge inboard of the leading edge kink to make it sharper. A sanding stick should be all you need to make the correction.

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17 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said:

Has it ever crossed anyone’s mind that all this negative commentary about the first Airfix Soviet subject since god knows when, may not exactly motivate them to produce another? Suits me, as I’d rather see them concentrate on subjects from their home market. Anyway.. just a thought! 
 

Cheers.. Dave

I would hope it motivates Airfix to seek out subject matter experts to review their designs before they go to be tooled and nothing can be changed.

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On 26/10/2019 at 11:08, Laurent said:

There's no need to have a particular expertise on the subject: playing the Game of Seven Errors is often enough to point out most bugs.

Most bugs maybe, such as poor fit or maybe confusion between one sub-type and onother, but if you're not an expert then you aren't going to know or notice all of the subtle nuances such as those pointed out.

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22 hours ago, Wez said:

Most bugs maybe, such as poor fit or maybe confusion between one sub-type and onother, but if you're not an expert then you aren't going to know or notice all of the subtle nuances such as those pointed out.

Fit matters appear during tooling stage.

Being an expert on a subject is one thing, using the expertise to review a CAD export is another. The subject expert may not know how to overlay images or manipulate the CAD export beyond using standard views (port, starboard, top, bottom, front, rear) like verifying cross-sections. 

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Then again if it's your full-time job to do something perhaps you should know how to do it correctly :shrug:

There are many aspects of Airfix I like; the subjects, box art, ease of availability, for instance. These, however, do not off-set what are in my strictly personal opinion stupid mistakes. If LIDAR scanning is so wonderful as was claimed then human error must be responsible for missing the less than subtle neuances of that leading edge profile and making a mess of it. As a casual modeller and no expert on the MiG-17 I found it very easy to find photos that illustrated the shape change so why couldn't the professionals working on this project?

I'll buy the kit when it appears in my local model shop for the three reasons I stated in the last paragraph as well as a few others and also because I'm certain I can correct the error with some work but it's work I shouldn't have to do if someone else did their job to a higher standard in the first place. I'll also reserve the right to moan about it because I've spent my own money on the kit and don't think it is impossible for my meager skill set to produce a personally acceptable representation of the real machine. At some point I may even do a WiP thread to show my butchery attempts at fixing/building the kit for education and/or entertainment of anyone who cares to watch.

 

Please note; this is my own opinion and others are available :) 

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11 minutes ago, MarkoZG said:

There have been many excellent posts from Ya-Gabor pointing out all the problems this kit has. Am I already too senile thinking it was in this thread or are they somewhere else? I can't find them.

He removed his posts for whatever reason ? This is a quote from the top of page 4 post #76. 
 

“Sorry I have to remove my posts

 

Good Bye

Gabor   “

Edited by Corsairfoxfouruncle
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1 hour ago, MarkoZG said:

There have been many excellent posts from Ya-Gabor pointing out all the problems this kit has. Am I already too senile thinking it was in this thread or are they somewhere else? I can't find them.

Hopefully I'm not crossing any boundries here but his comments and pictures can still be found on the Aircraft Resource Center forum thread linked on @Tsrjoe's post #177 above.

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5 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

He removed his posts for whatever reason ? This is a quote from the top of page 4 post #76. 
 

“Sorry I have to remove my posts

 

Good Bye

Gabor   “

Ya-Gabor makes many good points if you can get past his slagging of Airfix, which I found gratuitous after a while. That said, none of the existing MiG-17 kits in any scale have the wing airfoil change so, if your model has to have that, then you’ll be left to figure out if the Airfix kit is the best starting point. I’m betting that in profile and in plan view it will be better than anything else out there. Supposedly there are some important panel lines missing for engine inspection panels; oh well, time to get out the scriber.

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38 minutes ago, VMA131Marine said:

That said, none of the existing MiG-17 kits in any scale have the wing airfoil change so, if your model has to have that, then you’ll be left to figure out if the Airfix kit is the best starting point. I’m betting that in profile and in plan view it will be better than anything else out there. 

Im not that hyper about details like the wing myself. I will add the missing panels, but most people will just see it as it is a Mig-17. I'm thinking thats pretty much what Airfix was going for.  

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5 hours ago, MarkoZG said:

Thanks. I must copy them to my PC fast, maybe they will vanish from there too.

I just copied them. Didn't bother with the text.

It is an extraordinary thread. It seems to demonstrate that Gabor has a passionate in-depth knowledge of the MiG-17 and that he is perhaps quite a little further along the spectrum than most modellers.

Despite the dramatic Gaston Marty-esque arrows and lines, the massive repetition and the seeming animus against the Airfix designer, he demonstrates there isn't really that much wrong with the kit. I'm planning to get one and I don't think I will have much trouble following his pictures to fix the errors which I consider are worth fixing.

I have been up close to a couple and have some walk-around pictures somewhere.

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