Jump to content

Mistercraft Su-22m4R, Iraqi Air Force, 1990, when the going got tough...


Recommended Posts

Here's my next...I think this is one of the aircraft that "defected" to Iran in 1990. The supplied profile says '1989' so that fits the timeline at least.  "Defected"...yes....they ran away.  

50910725501_882855fdd7_c_d.jpg

 

The sprue looks good.  Short on internal detail but the exterior panel lines look pretty good.  Note that the rocket pods on the box art are not in the kit.  I might use some that I have laying about unless someone corrects me along the way.  There are plenty of whiz-bangs supplied with the kit.

 

50946662642_e5ff41113d_o_d.jpg

 

The decals look alright. They are a little bit off-register but I think they will pass the 75cm test.

 

50946662287_9ae7547627_c_d.jpg

 

And this is the aircraft...

 

50946557406_1b36972889_c_d.jpg

 

I'll get into it tonight after a bit of online research regarding cockpit colours.  Weather report for Paros...cold, high winds from the north, periods of rain throughout the week, some quite heavy.  Perfect modelling weather.  

 

--John

 

 

 

 

  • Like 9
Link to comment
Share on other sites

nice!

"defected" - "run away"  - they were ordered to evacuate to Iran... not sure why Saddam though that the country he was at war with 2 years earlier would give them back actually!

:wall:

which by the way they did partly (Su-25 are documented at least!), but way later and under totally different circumstances! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And here I go...Step 1...the swing wing...

 

50949283591_4b56be3eda_c_d.jpg

 

The plastic quality is quite good and the panel detail subtle.  The pieces required a little bit of cleaning up but not much.

 

50949382902_e3e21b44bb_c_d.jpg

 

Et voila!

 

50949283631_f0818e7e7b_c_d.jpg

 

Step 2 was the exhaust nozzle.  Hmmm...not so great but there it is.  There is flash inside the tube...and I hate these internal 'X' moulding lugs.  They are a pain to remove cleanly.   

 

50949283526_8d348cfa63_c_d.jpg

 

But it looked alright in the end...no pun intended!  😆

 

50949382837_03136078d5_c_d.jpg

 

Step 3...the K-36DM ejection seat on the instructions looks really nice--super detailed, etc...

 

50948578523_2bee10017a_c_d.jpg

 

The reality is much more basic.  I will improve it a bit but this build will be a closed canopy aircraft, so no need to go crazy.  It will suffice.

 

50949382862_18c42e3ee1_c_d.jpg

 

More to come!

 

--John

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Like 7
  • Haha 1
  • Sad 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

and here you go ahead!

 

great work on the wings! th nozzle indeed leaves a bit to be desired.... :(

 

seat: paint it black! and dry bush the edges....

if you want more detail, I'd work on the stabilization tubes and the headrest only....probably add a cushion and important, red ejection handles!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

31 minutes ago, exdraken said:

great work on the wings! th nozzle indeed leaves a bit to be desired.... :(

Thanks @exdraken.  Not to worry.

 

Here's some fun.  Leftover decal IP from the Warthog...

 

50949279313_784b04670b_c_d.jpg

 

Easily cut up into little pieces...

 

50949984431_1b3deb4a4a_c_d.jpg

 

And then attached to the cockpit area...I like it!  From beneath the glass, it'll look alright.  I'll add a bit of harness to the seat.  Ejection handles?

Hmmm...maybe.

 

50950082032_90c16ec0f5_c_d.jpg

 

 

And this is fun.  This goes into the fuselage beneath the dorsal spine and connects to the wings inside the aircraft.  I think it allows for swing but keeps the wings swinging at the same time.  Interesting bit of modelling engineering!

 

50949279198_97cc04e351_c_d.jpg

 

It'll all get closed up tonight...

 

--John

 

 

 

 

 

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is all coming together rather quickly.  A Eduard kit it is not, but that's ok.  

 

I did this, and then a little bit layer I did the wings with their swingy thingy...

 

50950491731_a95d3fa3f5_c_d.jpg

 

Swung back...

 

50950587017_8b5266def8_c_d.jpg

 

Swung forward...

 

50950586977_b49ec50775_c_d.jpg

 

The stabilizers have a swing thing too, which allows one to position them.

 

50949783383_42ba5096c9_c_d.jpg

 

I am leaving them pointing straight/horizontal.

 

50950586847_ffaf562bcb_c_d.jpg

 

 

I will let that all set up for the night and tomorrow I will tackle the rather large gaps in the wing roots. Milliput to the rescue!

 

--John

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Like 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, Vultures1 said:

That swingy-thingy is a novel piece of model engineering. 

Thanks Vultures1.

 

I am impressed by its simplicity which is why it probably works.  It will give me a chance to really make it work.  I have seen images that show the hidden section that swings in is NMF.  Fun painting.

Unfortunately,  I think I need to reposition the wings in an anhedral droop, like the Mig-19.  That's easy enough to do.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm liking the look of this John, I've one of Mistercrafts Su-17s in stock, same plastic I think, originally from a company called Pantera, whoever they were/are, according to Scalemates. They go pretty cheap on t'Bay & the schemes they wore are pretty neat so I might grab another 1 or 2. :)

Steve.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don't you know...I forgot the 10g of lead...

 

50951551093_18f26574fa_c_d.jpg

 

So out comes the Dremel and I drill out the nose-wheel bay.  I can easily replace this with some plastic card.

 

50952349962_3640410e09_c_d.jpg

 

And I smash down some lead sinkers so I can cut them up into strips and shove them into the space...

 

50952349947_f042b9c2ba_c_d.jpg

 

And secure them with some school glue so the don't rattle about...

 

50952252286_c42136d999_c_d.jpg

 

OK.  Tragedy narrowly averted!

 

--John

 

 

 

 

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, desert falcon said:

You are certainly making good progress

Thanks!  There are not too many pieces, really, so it comes together quickly.  Trying to interpret the instructions and match them up with the parts on the sprue is the hardest part.  

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After having packed what seemed like about 10 kilos of PPP into the cracks and crevasses of this bird and masked the canopy, I am ready to let to dry overnight.  I will attache the canopy tomorrow and give it some primer.  Then see where else I need to fill!  Just kidding.  It feels ok at the moment.

 

50959708921_fec584b360_c_d.jpg

 

--John

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have one of these produced by Hobbycraft in 1989, which may make it the earliest "normal" injection moulded version to be produced in 1/72. It is basic but not too bad. Yours looks like it will be a better kit John.

 

Pete

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, PeterB said:

produced by Hobbycraft in 1989

Thanks Pete...It might be the same kit.  Check Scalemates.  This one is pretty basic too.

 

I checked...not the same but I get the impression that moulds have been shared over the years.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Had the Ural Guardian boxing in the stash for last 2 years having been too chicken to build it in case of issues, so watching along, a heads up though on the only other mistercraft kit I’ve purchased and built the decals disintegrated so a coat of varnish on them probably should be in order 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, John Masters said:

Thanks Pete...It might be the same kit.  Check Scalemates.  This one is pretty basic too.

 

I checked...not the same but I get the impression that moulds have been shared over the years.

Thanks John,

 

Yes a lot of the "Former Eastern Bloc" companies seem to have come and gone quite frequently but the moulds seem to have survived by changing hands.  For example, the current KP company is only a distant relation to the original "Prostejov Metal Works" one I believe, having gone through numerous "iterations" as it were.

 

Pete

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, PhantomBigStu said:

the only other mistercraft kit I’ve purchased and built

Thanks PhantomBigStu.  The only other one of these I built was a Hawker Hunter a few years ago,  Egads, what project that turned out to be!  This is a better kit, but it retains a sense of that line of quality.

8 hours ago, PeterB said:

"Prostejov Metal Works"

Wow!  I never knew that...

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...