MiG-21MF - Indian Air Force trainer C1500

[Roundels Everywhere]

For this, my first group build, I'm going to build the 1:72 Eduard models MiG-21MF in Indian Air Force colours. I've got the Bunny Fighter Club version of the kit, BFC094, which comes with some extra resin and photoetched parts, but otherwise looks much like the Eduard MiG-21MF Interceptor Profipack (70141) reviewed here: 

 

 

I'm basing this on a couple of images of C1500, which is aluminium with red and white stripes on the tail. 

 

Source: https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Galleries/Aircraft/Vintage/Fighters/MiG21M/MiG-21r.jpg.html

 

I want to try a couple of things for this build: firstly I'm relatively new to airbrushing and want to use this to try out the AK xtreme metal paints (although I've got chrome rather than aluminium - hopefully the difference won't be too huge!); the other thing I want to try (and this may be a non-starter, I would welcome any thoughts) is laser printing tail stripes as a decal using a sheet of Clear Laser from TransOurDream Tru-Waterslide Decal Paper. Other markings will be from the box or from Caracal Models markings (CD48156) for an Indian Dassault Rafale, which were the closest I could find.

 

I've started on the decal - to work out the size I need to print I'm using the following steps:

 - tape the fuselage halves and tail together

 - press kitchen foil onto the tail to get a sense for how much longer the shape will need to be to account for the curvature of the body

 - mark the foil, smooth it out and then cut out the foil shape

 

 

 - scan the foil shape and import into MS Word

 - trace the outline with line segment to get an outline

 

 - overlay this on a scan of the instructions, and resize this image to scale

 - clean up the image to merge the best of both of these images

 - add red and white lines

 

Hopefully I'm doing this right!

Edited February 8, 2022 by Roundels Everywhere
link to review

[modelling minion]

Welcome to the GB, especially as it is your first one.

What a great choice, Indian Fishbeds carried some very colourful markings at times and your candy striped one is one of the most colourful schemes.

Very much looking forward to seeing this come together, especially the stripes.

[franky boy]

Great choice of markings, I love an Indian Mig. 

 

Will follow with interest. 

 

James

[Roundels Everywhere]

17 hours ago, modelling minion said:

Welcome to the GB, especially as it is your first one.

What a great choice, Indian Fishbeds carried some very colourful markings at times and your candy striped one is one of the most colourful schemes.

Very much looking forward to seeing this come together, especially the stripes.

 

17 hours ago, franky boy said:

Great choice of markings, I love an Indian Mig. 

 

Will follow with interest. 

 

James

 

Thank you, both - a little more progress with the tail decal: firstly the fil outline resized and superimposed on a rescaled image of the tail from the kit.

 

..., then, after a little jiggery pokery, the prototype decal:

 

The blue lines are to cut it out once it's printed - it doesn't quite join up, but I'm not sure if I will cut it into two parts or try and wrap it over the tail.

Edited February 5, 2022 by Roundels Everywhere

[Roundels Everywhere]

..., and printed on plain paper to test the fit:

 

 

It looks a shade long, but I think the white band by the "C" is a little wider than need be, so I can push the front bars backwards a little.

Edited February 5, 2022 by Roundels Everywhere

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Welcome to your first group build, Im honored you chose one of mine. Your choice of subject is definitely good looking the stripes will help her stand out. 

[modelling minion]

Looks like your plan for the tail stripes is going to work very nicely.

[bianfuxia]

That's a gutsy approach to the tail marking! Impressive!

[Roundels Everywhere]

36 minutes ago, bianfuxia said:

That's a gutsy approach to the tail marking! Impressive!

Oh, I hope not *too* gutsy! I'm a little worried the decal will collapse and stick to itself, have printed three copies and will have my fingers crossed!

1 hour ago, modelling minion said:

Looks like your plan for the tail stripes is going to work very nicely.

I've rescaled the markings and they now fit, so have mirror printed them on the decal sheet. What could possibly go wrong?! I'd post an update pic, but my account has been blocked on the photo sharing site I used - any suggestions for a reliable, preferably free, platform?

1 hour ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Welcome to your first group build, Im honored you chose one of mine. Your choice of subject is definitely good looking the stripes will help her stand out. 

I'm really enjoying it so far!

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

8 minutes ago, Roundels Everywhere said:

Oh, I hope not *too* gutsy! I'm a little worried the decal will collapse and stick to itself, have printed three copies and will have my fingers crossed!

Worse comes to worse, use one of the decals as a guide to make tape masks. 

 

9 minutes ago, Roundels Everywhere said:

What could possibly go wrong?

Ive learned never to say these words or “whats the worst that can happen”? It inevitably always causes the worst things to show up and ruin your day. 

[modelling minion]

14 minutes ago, Roundels Everywhere said:

any suggestions for a reliable, preferably free, platform?

I use Flickr, but am limited to 1000 pics for free.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

17 minutes ago, Roundels Everywhere said:

I'd post an update pic, but my account has been blocked on the photo sharing site I used - any suggestions for a reliable, preferably free, platform?

Imgur, free and unlimited. Allows for both public or private viewing. Basically if a numpty like me can figure it out it HAS to be easy. They have both website and app. and I use the app pretty much all the time.

[Dansk]

what a great scheme. awesome.

could airbrushIng it be a good result do You think?

the indian orange white green and the red white stripes are all straight lines and relatively straightforward to mask. the code is perhaps best as a decal?

[Roundels Everywhere]

14 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Imgur, free and unlimited. Allows for both public or private viewing. Basically if a numpty like me can figure it out it HAS to be easy. They have both website and app. and I use the app pretty much all the time.

I've uploaded the earlier pics to imgur, and also taken a picture of the mirror image decal prints:

 

 

As well as flipping the shapes I also had to flip the code, I took the opportunity to change the typeface to something a little closer to the original.

[Roundels Everywhere]

1 minute ago, Dansk said:

could airbrushIng it be a good result do You think?

the indian orange white green and the red white stripes are all straight lines and relatively straightforward to mask. the code is perhaps best as a decal?

That's my fall-back option, yes - and I'll have to undercoat the decal area in white anyway because the printer doesn't print white! The stripes come out at pretty much 3mm, (which suggests a little under 15cm at full size,) and there is tape available in that width off the shelf, which should make masking comparatively easy.

[Dansk]

10 minutes ago, Roundels Everywhere said:

That's my fall-back option, yes - and I'll have to undercoat the decal area in white anyway because the printer doesn't print white! The stripes come out at pretty much 3mm, (which suggests a little under 15cm at full size,) and there is tape available in that width off the shelf, which should make masking comparatively easy.

could be a fun one to paint if the big decal prives to be tricky to settle down over all that area.

[RidgeRunner]

On 2/5/2022 at 12:32 PM, Dansk said:

tricky to settle down over all that area.

That would be my concern. I would have masked and painted it. I think that getting the decal around the curves of the rear fuselage will be tricky.

 

Martin