Jump to content

KoPro Mig-21BIS, Kuopio Air Base, Finland, 1980...


John Masters

Recommended Posts

Ok.  The results are in.  I am certifiable.  Really...I do have a job that I go to daily.  Really, I do have friends with whom I interact with face-to-face and in public.  This is the truth.

I'll start this Mig anyway just because.  

 

This is the KoPro "Mig-21BIS, part II", as it says on the box.  Nice looking artwork of the aircraft I'll be building on the box-top...

 

49540892958_c14c19e5f4_c_d.jpg

 

What's inside?

 

The decals look very nice and the Finnish roundels are in register.  That's always a deal breaker with me.  Out of register, out of luck!

 

49540892978_22d7c1caba_c_d.jpg

 

Now..the sprue.  The plastic.  The dark sea-grey plastic that reminds me very much of another Czech company of high regard.  And don't the highly detailed parts remind me of that company too?  Could the KoPro kit be made of Eduard after-trees?  Hmmm...probably not.

 

49540893078_500ea60661_c_d.jpg

 

49541615282_ff4ac29a0d_c_d.jpg

 

49540893033_475f8392c6_c_d.jpg

 

49541615172_4c25488783_c_d.jpg

 

According to the instructions, a fair amount of the pieces will not be used for this kit.  I'll get into it later tonight I think.

 

--John

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Like 15
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice one John. Was wondering if anyone would do a Finnish MiG-21 for this GB and here you have it :D 

Looks to be a good kit, certainly less parts than the Eduard one from what I can recall, the detail contained still seems to be good regardless of that though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This will be fun kit once I sort out the instructions.  Hmmm...I think these are meant for the MF kit or another.  Anyway...you'll see.  Nothing to panic about.

 

The cockpit tub looks better on the sheet than on the sprue.  The sheet has the two sides upright and part of the tub. This is not the case.  The sides are actually moulded to the interior of the fuselage halves.  It's ok.  I test fitted the tub and it looked good.  There are panel sections provided but they are supposedly 'not for use.'  Hmmm...I might just use them anyway.

 

49543962737_5cf599869b_c_d.jpg

 

49543739106_bc7d04b45b_c_d.jpg

 

So here is the cockpit, a bit wet still.  I'll give it a once over with some black wash later to give it some depth.  The exhaust nozzle is on the left, not yet fully assembled, to show you.

 

49543240458_048942f9c1_c_d.jpg

 

And I have painted the moulded panels just in case.

 

49543240308_731374c014_c_d.jpg

 

That's it for now!

 

--John

 

 

 

 

 

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

The decals look very nice and the Finnish roundels are in register.  That's always a deal breaker with me.  Out of register, out of luck!

 

49540892978_22d7c1caba_c_d.jpg

Hi John,

 

I'm sorry to spoil your luck with the decals but if you mind the roundels on top of the wings of Finnish Bisses where same size as on the nose. Only smaller ones were below the wing tips.  Serial is pretty accurate. Co-incidentally I was checking these decals some days ago.

 

Cheers,

 

AaCee

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

welcome along again Mad John who really doesn't go to work....he just builds models!! :D

 

Very nice to see one of these in the build.

 

As far as I can tell these models originate from R.V. Aircraft who are known for their resin ones. Plus by the looks of it produce every version of MiG-21 there is!

 

As long as you're having fun then keep building...i won't stop you :D, so good luck and see you in the gallery.

  • Like 2
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, trickyrich said:

who really doesn't go to work

I do go to work!  I am working this afternoon from 3 until 9...or maybe earlier.  It depends how much work I get done by 6...Ok...I'm self-employed, so that helps. 😁

 

8 hours ago, trickyrich said:

Plus by the looks of it produce every version of MiG-21 there is!

I think so too.  I think I have built this model before...Yes...NATO/Warsaw Pact GB a year and a half ago...Mig-21SM

 

 

 

 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Where to begin?  Here are some instructions.  The tail piece of the fuselage is for the fuselage part I am not supposed to use.  It has nice little rails for the exhaust nozzle to sit in quite comfortably. 

 

49546853252_69f3f2d423_c_d.jpg

 

Like this...this is not my fuselage.  My fuselage lacks these rails.  

 

49546623721_0ba3f4f8f1_c_d.jpg

 

So how to fit the exhaust nozzle?  Answer: plastic strip, CA, Dremel...fit by eye and hand.  I did this on both halves.

 

49546120338_d5ae95cdc8_c_d.jpg

 

And the fit is excellent especially when test fitted with the other half.  Snug, no gap.  It took some finesse (Dremel) but it worked out.  The nozzle os now secure and in place.

 

49546853222_3b479fea27_c_d.jpg

 

Another note...the instructions are still trying to tell me to build a different kit.  See the little nubbin the cone is supposed to attach too in the mall circle?  Not there...

 

49546623681_30ea99a15a_c_d.jpg

 

So I ended up attaching the nose-wheel bay first then carefully CA-ing the cone to it.  I will further secure it with more glue later.  And ballast.  I almost forgot!  

 

49546160443_c720aa1b37_c_d.jpg

 

And here we are (pre-ballast), looking good, and seemingly ready to close up the two fuselage halves and get on with it.

 

49546852932_f4d5b0613f_c_d.jpg

 

--John

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Like 10
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Col. said:

Those instructions look to be from a totaly different kit :blink2:

I think they are 'blanket' instructions that cover, more or less, all of the KoPro Mig-21 kits.  It requires a fair amount of patience and cross-referencing.  Luckily the kit is not that complex.

 

 

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The saga continues...

 

I would have liked to have added this piece to the fuselage, but it is for the other Mig-21 kits.  Mine is moulded as a simple shape.  You will see.  I have tried to make it a little better with some plastic bits.  I think it is part of the sight or something.

 

49548894933_b44b3f622f_c_d.jpg

 

The fuselage piece below os the extra from the kit and will need a ring attached.  My fuselage already had a ring moulded into it.  I tell you, that is 15 minutes I will never get back, figuring that out.  No matter.

 

49549394091_89891d2322_c_d.jpg

 

I think this is the pitot tube.  It snapped when I was trying to clean it.  So I made a new one from plastic rod and scrap.  

 

49548894808_fd0ec7e0ec_c_d.jpg

 

You can also see the makeshift gun-sight thingy in form too the cockpit...I might re-do the pitot tube wit a thinner piece of rod...

 

49548894438_87f0ac9a05_c_d.jpg

 

Here it is so far.  Pretty much the more difficult parts done.  Now I have to attach the wings, fix up the gear, party favours. etc...

 

49548894848_3b967408b0_c_d.jpg

 

 

--John

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That pitot tube was bugging me.  I felt it was too thick so I snipped it off and replaced it with a bit of stretched sprue...

 

49553860417_9bd270d2a6_c_d.jpg

 

Now, the wings.  The port wing fitted well in test fit, no real gap to worry about.  The starboard, however, was a different matter.  A largish gap running along the entire beam, like the moulding had bowed somehow.  I decided, instead of sanding, or glueing and filling, to add some plastic strip to the inside and fill the gap that way.  These are all techniques I learned here, btw...

 

49553125103_18ef349bc7_c_d.jpg

 

Two strips...

 

49553125113_02d98ef4f9_c_d.jpg

 

Cleaned up a bit...

 

49553124938_9ca41ca7d4_c_d.jpg

 

Yes fit looks alright...

 

49553619976_8d2c704ee2_c_d.jpg

 

Final fit...

 

49553860237_2c09179423_c_d.jpg

 

 

 

A bit of gap filling in the tail section after attachment...

 

49553662441_8fc32af449_c_d.jpg

 

49553662211_23a4ecee92_c_d.jpg

 

And the 'Balalaika' is coming into focus...or tuning up...errr...something like that.  You get the drift.

 

49553662466_6870c50f46_c_d.jpg

 

I'll leave it there until Saturday night or Sunday morning.

 

--John

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by John D.C. Masters
stufff
  • Like 9
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gee...but it's good to be back home...🎶

 

Took care of some of the underside of the MIg this afternoon: hard points, machine gun, dorsal fin.  As you'll see in the supplied instruction sheet, I will leave most of Step 10 until the end.  It seems to be mostly landing gear and air brakes.  That can wait.  

 

49569503891_8e96d3d4d2_c_d.jpg

 

I need some advice on armaments.  If this is a Soviet aircraft (1980) flown by a non=Soviet air force, what kind of rockets, etc...would it be carrying?  Russian made?  They are not a NATO member, so...

 

Please, experts, weigh in on this.

 

Here's the sheet, with a modification.  Note the red circles in Step 11.  These are the hard points and if attached as instructed, parts 93 and 94 would actually prevent the flaps from going down.  If I exchange 93/94 with 87/88, all is well.  So that's what I have done.  Funny diagrams.

 

49569003408_b673184015_c_d.jpg

 

--John

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by John D.C. Masters
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Rich.  

 

Here is a fascinating interview with one of the top Finnish Mig pilots, finest Finnish pilots anyway...over 1400 hours in the Mig-21 series, and also was the primary test pilot for the Finnish Air Force in the 1960s.  He says the Hawk is the best aircraft he has flown out of over 1000 aircraft.  He also answers my questions about armament.  Armed to the teeth, basically.

 

 

 

Edited by John D.C. Masters
  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here is small problem.  It required some scraping, sanding, a nip and tick here and there...

 

49574867223_bcebc92459_c_d.jpg

 

Then it settled into where it should be...mostly.  Putty will take care of the rest.

 

49575602222_233729b422_c_d.jpg

 

49574866988_80b689dda2_c_d.jpg

 

I think I might be ready for a final clean-up and then some primer.  

 

--John

 

 

Edited by John D.C. Masters
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So I am thinking about colour now.  The Youtube film had a good shot of the green and the underside colour in the Finnish Air Museum.  The green is fine...I have that. The underside is not blue at all (like the kit profile suggests), but rather closer to a Ghost Grey.  Do you all concur?

 

49580664827_e6459a0e93_c_d.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by John D.C. Masters
  • Like 1
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...