Mosambique Deserter

[reini]

Mosambique Deserter 

 

 

This is the kit, there's couple of these flying around in this GB so should be quite familiar already 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's few shots of the box contents anyway. 

 

 

 

Aftermarket stuff. Wheels and nose landing gear strut is a good upgrade for this kit. PE not necessarily but I felt like tinkering a bit more after building one of these OOB already. Masks, because why not.

 

 

 

This is my subject, Mosambique MiG-17 "Fresco-A". And as the Airfix kit is MiG-17F "Fresco-C" we need to do some backdating. @RidgeRunner is showing is how to do it in his West African Aggressor build (here) - I thought I'd try to approach it by modifying the existing kit. If it goes well, fine. If not, I'll just follow up on RidgeRunner's build even more closely and get another kit  Main differences are the airbrakes and the exhaust - but we will have to keep our eyes open for small details and possible imperfections with the Airfix kit that needs changing, removing or adding.

 

This specific plane apparently desterted to South Africa July 8th 1981. Despite the colour scheme suggested by the decal sheet - it seems it's all around light blue instead of a grey belly.

 

 

Not entirely happy with the decals, the yellow details are not really visible on the insignia. Should look more like this:

 

 

I'll have to see if I can enhance them a bit by painting or look for other options.

 

And finally, couple reference pics:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RidgeRunner]

1 hour ago, reini said:

Despite the colour scheme suggested by the decal sheet - it seems it's all around light blue instead of a grey belly.

another member for the Fresco team  
 

Correct, Reini :). Good luck with this one :). Remember to check the correct canopy (periscope or no periscope). Also the Fresco-A had different main wheels (thanks @Wez) and a different access panel on the port side of the fin. If you are bothered there are a few tweaks to improve the kit - small aux pitot on upper starboard nose, trim tab on wings, IFF antennas, T-antennas under the wings, wheels down indicator ahead of the windscreen. Also check which seat she had - KK-1 or 2. 
 

Martin 

[Wez]

It's easy to tell whether the seat is a KK--1 or a KK-2, if it has a large head box, it's a KK-2, if it has what just looks like a padded headrest it's a KK-1.

[reini]

4 hours ago, Wez said:

It's easy to tell whether the seat is a KK--1 or a KK-2, if it has a large head box, it's a KK-2, if it has what just looks like a padded headrest it's a KK-1.

 

Yeah I have KK-2 as aftermarket item but it seems I wont get to use it with this build

[Avgas]

Very interesting subject! I remember this being reported on the SABC News when I was a kid. 

 

Interesting story surrounding the 'defection' and the possibility the pilot was recruited to defect with a Mig-21. Something got lost in translation and instead he arrived with the Mig-17, serial number 21..

 

It's all here, on the SAAF forum :

http://www.saairforce.co.za/forum/viewtopic.php?t=938

 

Wonder how much truth is contained in that story? 

Edited May 1, 2021 by Avgas

[reini]

@Avgas Interesting story, thanks for sharing

[Col.]

A popular subject choice Reini but with good reason. Best of luck with the conversion.

[reini]

 

Let's start with a ... fail...

 

 

So the rear end is the big deal with this thing, trying to make Fresco-A from a Fresco-C. Airbrake shape and size is different as can be seen and also the tail shape is different, the exhaust nozzle is hidden inside the fuselage.

 

 

 

I glued the airbrakes on and sanded them flat.

 

 

It was pretty good but round two of sprue goo was needed for some small imperfections.

 

 

 

I was thinking what would be the best approach to extend the tail shape and I thought about cutting the tail straight and adding the shape with plasticard. Well I the plasticard needed some forcing into shape and it still wasn't perfect but I thought it would be good enough.

 

 

 

It was pretty tough to get into place...

 

 

 

And in the end, it looked like it's just not gonna work. It didn't sit right and the shape was off it was not round enough and I thought it would just be easier trying to recreate the whole rear section from Green Stuff. Atleast I can try but these abominations had to come off and I'll have to start over. 

 

 

 

I cleaned off the tail again, there is not much point on trying to recreate the tail before the fuselage halves are together so I will continue with adding the airbrakes. Before that some of the details had to be removed & added. I removed the signal flare launchers from the tail, to be added to the fuselage and also removed the small vent, same as on the other side.

 

So, that didn't work but I hope my Green Stuff skills are up to the task.

 

[RidgeRunner]

1 hour ago, reini said:

I cleaned off the tail again, there is not much point on trying to recreate the tail before the fuselage halves are together so I will continue with adding the airbrakes. Before that some of the details had to be removed & added. I removed the signal flare launchers from the tail, to be added to the fuselage and also removed the small vent, same as on the other side.

I’m sorry about your failed attempt, mate. Fingers crossed it’ll work out for you. 
 

You mention the flare tubes. We’re they different on the -A? Also, I didn’t know about removing that access panel!

 

Good luck!

 

Martin

[reini]

4 hours ago, RidgeRunner said:

You mention the flare tubes. We’re they different on the -A? 

 

In a different location, yeah:

 

 

This is my main source material:

 

[RidgeRunner]

8 hours ago, reini said:

In a different location, yeah:

 

 

Thanks a lot, Reini

 

Martin

[reini]

@RidgeRunner No problem  

 

BTW do you know about the windows on the bottom rear of the plane? 

 

 

They are present on the Airfix kit but not on the Zvezda/Dragon kit. I wonder if it's something that needs removing?

[RidgeRunner]

1 hour ago, reini said:

@RidgeRunner No problem  

 

BTW do you know about the windows on the bottom rear of the plane? 

 

 

They are present on the Airfix kit but not on the Zvezda/Dragon kit. I wonder if it's something that needs removing?

They are on all my drawings of the Fresco-A, Reini 

[RidgeRunner]

@reini Reini, Dont forget the T-antennas under the wings and the small "aux pitot" on the upper starboard nose , Martin

[reini]

@RidgeRunner Yeah, T-pitots I added to my last (almost) OOB Airfix build but I have to check the small pitot, thanks 👍

[RidgeRunner]

Reini @reini, does your refernce show anythig about the underwing pylons that these fighter bombers carried? Tom Cooper says they carried either bombs (SAB-250s?) or OTO-57K rockpet pods. It was carried very close to the outer edge of the undercarriage well but then also very close to the wing tanks. One reference I have - Yefim Gordon - says that when rockets were carried the wing tanks had to be left off! So it was an either/or situation. I had hoped to have both on my model but they clearly dont fit!

 

Martin

 

[reini]

@RidgeRunner MiG-17 Fresco in Action by Squadron Signal says the following in the MiG-17 Fresco-A entry:

 

"The MiG-17 could carry under-wing weapons on a D4-50 bomb rack which was mounted in place of the usual under-wing fuel tanks. This rack could carry various types of bombs including 100, 220 and 551 pound weapons. The under-wing pylon could also carry two 212mm ARS-212 or four 190mm TRS-190 unguided rockets. The TRS-190 weighed 46kg (101 pounds) with a 10kg (22 pound) warhead, while the ARS-212 weighed 116kg (226 pounds) with a blast radius of 22 meters (72 feet). The TRS-190 and ARS-212 could be fired singally or in salvos.

Additionally, the MiG-17 could carry the OROK-57K seven shot rocket pod armed with S-5 57mm unguided rockets. There were two different types of S-5's: the S-5M for air-to-air engagements and the S-5K for air-to-ground attacks. Carrying either the TRS-190, ARS 212 or OROK-57K pod reduced the top speed of the MiG-17 by 20km/h (12,4mph) and the service ceiling by 650m (2123 feet)." 

 

So it would seem that it's either or - tanks or extra weapons.

[RidgeRunner]

40 minutes ago, reini said:

@RidgeRunner MiG-17 Fresco in Action by Squadron Signal says the following in the MiG-17 Fresco-A entry:

 

"The MiG-17 could carry under-wing weapons on a D4-50 bomb rack which was mounted in place of the usual under-wing fuel tanks. This rack could carry various types of bombs including 100, 220 and 551 pound weapons. The under-wing pylon could also carry two 212mm ARS-212 or four 190mm TRS-190 unguided rockets. The TRS-190 weighed 46kg (101 pounds) with a 10kg (22 pound) warhead, while the ARS-212 weighed 116kg (226 pounds) with a blast radius of 22 meters (72 feet). The TRS-190 and ARS-212 could be fired singally or in salvos.

Additionally, the MiG-17 could carry the OROK-57K seven shot rocket pod armed with S-5 57mm unguided rockets. There were two different types of S-5's: the S-5M for air-to-air engagements and the S-5K for air-to-ground attacks. Carrying either the TRS-190, ARS 212 or OROK-57K pod reduced the top speed of the MiG-17 by 20km/h (12,4mph) and the service ceiling by 650m (2123 feet)." 

 

So it would seem that it's either or - tanks or extra weapons.

I reckon so. Apart from the space issue there was, of course, a proximity issue! All those hot gases and fuel tanks!  What it does say is that the weapons pylone was "in place of" the tanks. Clearly the attachment points were different if you look at the photo in my first post of my Guinea build. You can see the pylon and thd the tank attachment points. 

[reini]

3 minutes ago, RidgeRunner said:

I reckon so. Apart from the space issue there was, of course, a proximity issue! All those hot gases and fuel tanks!

 

Well - it wouldn't be the first time rockets and fuel would be combined - looking at you F-89 Scorpion and your wingtip fuel tanks/rocket pods!  But it could also be weight issue, MiG-17 with full bombs and extra fuel (and without afterburner!) could be just too heavy.

[RidgeRunner]

True! 

[Col.]

For your non-reheated jetpipe I'd recommend grafting in a section of tube at the correct internal diameter and building on to that Reini. 

 

The underfuselage windows are, if I'm recalling correctly, clear inspection panels and should indeed be there.

[RidgeRunner]

On 5/7/2021 at 9:16 PM, Col. said:

The underfuselage windows are, if I'm recalling correctly, clear inspection panels and should indeed be there.

They are marker and nav aid windows 

[PeterB]

Martin refers to an "auxilliary pitot" on top of the starboard side of the nose - are you sure it is not the gun camera fairing? That is what I put on my F. It does look like the socket for a pitot but my books say it is definitely a camera, though of course it may be different for the Fresco A. I had to fit one as I started with a PM which did not have it!

 

Cheers

 

Pete

Edited May 9, 2021 by PeterB

[reini]

On 10/05/2021 at 01:16, PeterB said:

Martin refers to an "auxilliary pitot" on top of the starboard side of the nose - are you sure it is not the gun camera fairing? That is what I put on my F. It does look like the socket for a pitot but my books say it is definitely a camera, though of course it may be different for the Fresco A. I had to fit one as I started with a PM which did not have it!

 

 

An image to clarify we are talking about the same thing. It's 'Fresco-A' in the pic but I think those details should be the same with 'Fresco-C'. MiG-17PM has the gun camera on the right side of the nose as it's usual location is taken up by the radar.

 

 

On 07/05/2021 at 23:16, Col. said:

For your non-reheated jetpipe I'd recommend grafting in a section of tube at the correct internal diameter and building on to that Reini. 

 

That would have been the smart thing to do!

 

 

 

I found a tail (from a Skyhawk engined Super Mystere, maybe?) in my bit's box which looked roughly the right size.

 

 

 

So bit of a hack'n slash later it was forced into place.

 

 

 

And greenstuff to build up the shape. I know it looks super rough still but I left some extra material so I have something to work with. I'll let it dry and start sanding and cutting it into shape. Maybe we will see a 'Fresco-A' coming out of this build thread still, who knows  

 

 

 

[Col.]

That's looking better Reini

 

5 hours ago, reini said:

That would have been the smart thing to do!

I must have learned it from someone else in that case