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Desert Adversaries - Airfix MiG-17F "Fresco-C" Mali and Burkina Faso 1/72 - 17may21 see the last post


RidgeRunner

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Following on from Wez's @Wez post, I am also submitting a couple of Frescos. I stand a fair chance of finishing these in time (viz my LeO in the Heller GB :( )!

 

As Wez has posted the box and sprues I wont repeat that but will post a couple of images of the decals and aftermarket a little later. I will be using Xtradecal for the Burkinabe machine. The Malian (TZ-339) will be marked using drawn serials (by Giorgio @Giorgio N) and Blue Rider Bolivian roundels (they are the same!). After market will be brass pitots and cannons. 

 

Back soon :)

 

Martin

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  • RidgeRunner changed the title to Desert Adversaries - Airfix MiG-17F "Fresco-C" Mali and Burkina Faso 1/72
  • RidgeRunner changed the title to Desert Adversaries - Airfix MiG-17F "Fresco-C" Mali and Burkina Faso 1/72 - 15feb21 intro and images
  • RidgeRunner changed the title to Desert Adversaries - Airfix MiG-17F "Fresco-C" Mali and Burkina Faso 1/72 - 15feb21 intro and images

Adding a shot of the decals I propose to use. As you can see, the Burkinabe set is within the Xtradecal set of the Fresco. For the Malian machine, being different ;) as much as I can,  I am building a machine that wasn't in the blue and grey camouflage scheme. TZ-339, as you can see above, was in a sand (?) and green scheme. For me to do this Giorgio @Giorgio N drew up and printed the serials for me on his laser printer. The roundels will come from the Blue Rider set that you can see. The quality of these, togther with size options, offers a better final result. The proportions and colours are the same as the Malian ones. There are Mali decals out there (in the AZ kit, for example) but these are either the wrong size or poor production. As oyou can see, I have a lot of these decals! Some went on to my FAB Mustang. Others on my Mali UTI MiG-15 and MiG-21UM. 

 

 

Decals

 

I have a third kit and so I need to decide what I will build with that, in the GB or not. I have an idea but I have parked it for now. ;) I wont be using the Xtradecal Bulgaria, Ethiopia, DDR, China, Vietnam, Albania, Soviet, Polish, North Korea marks so if they are of use to any of you please let me know. Free of charge :)

 

Martin

 

 

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  • RidgeRunner changed the title to Desert Adversaries - Airfix MiG-17F "Fresco-C" Mali and Burkina Faso 1/72 - 16feb21 decals
On 2/16/2021 at 6:55 PM, Smudge said:

Nice subjects there, Martin. Very colourful, just the ticket.

 

Looking forward to following along.

Like everyone, mate, you are very welcome :).

 

If my two builds go well and I am on time  I will contribute a third Fresco, possibly a Nile Valley Egyptian machine. :)
 

I originally had another build in mind for this GB - a twin engine prop. It was to be a further Malian machine, a KP LET L-200 Morava :)

 

Martin

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12 hours ago, RidgeRunner said:

After a little thought I want another “true” African and so it will be a Guinea Conakry Fresco-A :), courtesy of Wez :) @Wez 👍

An appeal for help! The only photo I am aware of showing a Guinee Conakry MiG-17 is in Tom Cooper’s “African MiGs, Vol 1”. It shows the aircraft in a shelter and the caption claims a green upper side and RLB lower. However, my interpretation is that the aircraft is RLB overall.  See how the light paint appears to run around the intake and the way the 513 serial shows up against the background.

 

image

credit Tom Cooper’s African MiGs Vol 1

 

If anyone knows of any other photos can they please let me know. Thank you. By the way, Berna Decals claim the green uppers too but this is possibly info they have from Tom Cooper’s book.
 

Martin

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Having now cheewed this over I think that "513" could have been green upper and grey/blue-grey lower. The cannon fairing, which would sit within the lower painted area, looks different to the intake etc. I think I'll go with the green and grey :), my favoured option.  I am, though, now wondering about the variant. The sources I have found, apart from Tom Cooper's book, all state that Guinea received MiG-17Fs from the Soviet Union. Apart from the speed brakes, which you cant see easily here, are there any other tell-tale features that I could use to prove this was a Fresco-A? Thanks everyone.

 

@Wez @lasermonkey @Stilwell @Linescriber and any other MiG experts?

 

Martin

 

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MY take on 513 is that it's a Fresco A.

 

Although it's a poor photo it's good enough to pick out the relevant difference between the A and the C, notably the airbrake but particularly the actuator fairings.

 

If you look at a Fresco C, the actuator fairings are quite high up on the rear fuselage, roughly in line with the base of the fairing above the exhaust.

 

On the Fresco A, the air brakes are smaller and lower down on the fuselage.

 

You can't see the fairings on the upper rear fuselage, I would suggest that the fairings are hidden from view by the wing which would suggest they're lower down on the fuselage thus making this a Fresco A.

 

That's my interpretation at least.

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Two days in and I've broken plastic and started a Fresco! Being inspired by Wez's posts @Wez I've taken the plunge!  I've opted to build just one kit to start so that I get to know it’s foibles. I'm following the instruction sheet and already have come across some options. All good. First, though, the cockpit needs to go together. Before assembly I will get it painted and the various instrument panel decals applied. Thereafter it will be cemented together.

 

fresco1

 

I have a Pavla KK-2 seat. It is nicely detailed and will work fine.

 

Fresco4

 

Next is the jet pipe. The kit offers two options - speed brakes closed or open - presenting a different two-piece set for either. The open version is nicely detailed. I will, however be going with closed as I believe closed was the standard for parked machines unless they were retired/stored and the hydraulics were down.  The jetpipe is a four part piece

 

fresco5

 

After this the wings needed the holes drilled out to take the mounting frames of the drop tanks. 

 

fresco2

 

After that it was a matter of inserting the light under the port wing root and cementing the two halves together. Again, Airfix offer the option of closed doors at this stage if you want an airborne model. A nice option. As always I've gone for the gear down set up.

 

Fresco3

 

That's about it today. I have to get a bit of decalling done on the MiG-21 and LeO 453

 

Martin

 

Edit: I now have the cockpit (Humbrol 164), Instrument panel (Humbrol Matt Black) and Jet pipe (Humbrol Metalcote 27003 Steel) all painted. I painted both Fresco-C kit parts.

 

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  • RidgeRunner changed the title to Desert Adversaries - Airfix MiG-17F "Fresco-C" Mali and Burkina Faso 1/72 - 21feb21 one started!
4 hours ago, Wez said:

I've gone with the open airbrake option.

 

Glad to see you've started! :thumbsup:

Each to their own, mate :). In the end there will have been times when they were open while parked so both set ups are equally valid :).

 

Martin

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Hmmm .... I thought I was doing well today but .............

 

First thing was to get the cocpkit decals applied. This went perfectly, except for one small error! In my haste I put the instrument panel decal on upside down! :( I didnt realise until it had settled and dried after Microsol being applied. Bugger! My thought on the cockpit then changed to being closed to hide my faux pas. Aside from that it was ok

 

 

fresco11

 

I then got the respective cockpit parts together and cemented in to the fuselage. I remembered the weight too! However, it takes a lot and the 20g within the splitter just isnt possible. I therefore slip some more in her and there. Fingers crossed! The jet pipe went in and then the fuselage went together! 

 

I got the wings on too

 

fresco9

 

The construction of the fuselage is a bit weird. The cannon area is a separate part that seems to take an age to get settled correctly. I almost succeeded! 

 

fresco10

 

On the open aera above you lay the cover, which has an awful fit ... or it my hamfisted approach to it? Eventually, after a fair bit of cursing it went on.  The next step was to fit the nose ring. This is just appaulling and, for shows a large gap above the splitter. With everything now cemented and set my only rectification has been to insert a shim, as below:

 

fresco8

 

Have others had the same problem with this kit or it is just me? (quite possibly!)

 

Anyhow, she looks like a plane and soon I'll get that shim filled and shaped before getting the nose ring on.

 

I'vehad enough today!!!!!! :(

 

Martin

 

 

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  • RidgeRunner changed the title to Desert Adversaries - Airfix MiG-17F "Fresco-C" Mali and Burkina Faso 1/72 - 21feb21 not my best day! She does look like an aeroplane, though! ;)

Hey, that's coming together really quickly.

 

Much as I love Airfix and their new kit's, the fit of those parts doesn't look great. I find the new Airfix kit's need a lot of fettling to get a nice gap free fit. That said, still a nice kit and I'll be getting a few more.

 

I wonder if the separate part for the cannons is to allow for a future 'Fresco E' radar and missiles only version? (hope so :))

 

 

 

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21 minutes ago, Smudge said:

I wonder if the separate part for the cannons is to allow for a future 'Fresco E' radar and missiles only version? (hope so :))

Could be. Last workbench mentioned that they're doing the Vampire F.3 as it's the easiest to update to other versions so it's a feature of their thinking. Wonder what changes there are for the LIM-5 boxing as it has a new code not just a suffix for new decals.

 

Andy

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10 minutes ago, Foxbat said:

Could be. Last workbench mentioned that they're doing the Vampire F.3 as it's the easiest to update to other versions so it's a feature of their thinking. Wonder what changes there are for the LIM-5 boxing as it has a new code not just a suffix for new decals.

 

Andy

The Lim-5 is just a MiG-17F so no changes as such. Lim-5's were often configured for the ground attack role the ordnance for which is already in the box. So I expect it to be a case of new decals only.

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3 hours ago, RidgeRunner said:

Have others had the same problem with this kit or it is just me? (quite possibly!)

 

2 hours ago, RidgeRunner said:

I'm sure I'll get it sorted but it would be goo to know if others have had the same experience

 

I haven't got that far but I shall be keeping a beady eye out

 

2 hours ago, Smudge said:

Much as I love Airfix and their new kit's, the fit of those parts doesn't look great. I find the new Airfix kit's need a lot of fettling to get a nice gap free fit.

 

I've read it here that their tolerances are so tight that a burr or a coat of paint will throw things out, one thing for sure, I'll be being fastidious about masking and deburring.

 

The only major parts I've joined so far are the wing halves and they went together very well.

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5 hours ago, RidgeRunner said:

Hmmm ..... maybe mate. I was getting along nicely and then this shambles has darkened my afternoon :(. I'm sure I'll get it sorted but it would be goo to know if others have had the same experience - @Wez & @Sky Keg

Martin...........

 

The Airfix Mig-17 is definitely a challenge to put together but I would only recommend it to someone such as yourself with a higher degree of skill.  I too, had issues right where you have detailed along with cramming extra “plumbers putty” and ballast gravity inside the nose section in order to have the Fresco sit properly.  I also found that the landing gear is delicate and can be problematic if not careful.

 

All in all, while it is one of the better offerings in 72nd scale, it is by no means up to par with other modern tooled kits.  Sadly, I was disappointed with the kit as it did not meet the higher standard that Airfix is known for.

 

Keep me updated on your progress my friend. 

Mike

 

Here`s mine built mostly out fo the box ( added Master metal gun barrels and pitot tube )

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