MiG-28bis

[Mak_the_Knife]

“After its disastrous showing during the SS Leyton incident, the once lucrative export market for the MiG-28 dried up overnight. To increase confidence in the type, the Red Air Force ordered over one hundred of an improved MiG-28; which included an upgraded avionics package, support for newer Soviet ordinance options, increased pylon capacity as well as an IRST sensor. “—Jane’s, probably.

 

I’ve been out of the hobby for awhile and have been getting the itch to get back to it. Looking through my stash, I decided I wanted something quick and easy to shake the dust off with. So, I decided on the HobbyBoss F-5E in 1/72.

 

 

Looking over the marking options, I settled on the blue aggressor scheme. But that got me thinking about the ol’ MiG-28 from Top Gun and how fun it would be to—NO, remember “quick and easy”.

 

I started assembly but kept coming back to doing a MiG.  Speaking to a couple friends, they encouraged my depravity and mentioned I should do one with an Exocet. It was settled, MiG-28 it was.

Never one to shy away from wasting time at work—and always putting my cart before the horse —I fired up Fusion360 and decided to model an Exocet to print.  I scaled it properly, but when I’m 3D modeling, I kind of get divorced from the numbers—probably because I’m so zoomed in, everything looks huge anyways. After printing, I realized just how darned big it was.  I know it won’t fit on the center pylon, which would be the only pylon remotely able to carry it, so I’m not sure what I’ll do there.

 

I also wanted to swap out the “totally not a Sidewinder” AA-2 for something a little more Soviet looking so I settled on the AA-8 Aphid, which I also modeled and printed. However, I’m now not convinced it will look ok on the wingtip rail. Oh well, I’m sure I can find a use for them.

 

Back to the kit!

I had already started the cockpit when I decided to switch to the MiG route—so I had used the included seat. In hindsight I would have printed out a K36 ejection seat and slapped it in there.  Eager to get more progress in, I decided to try to make an approximation of the Soviet interior turquoise using a recipe I found online. Approximation is a very, very generous description.  

 

Compared to:

 

It’s fine, it works as a base coat, and I can do a mist coat of a better match.

 

I also started on the landing gear and got the wheel wells painted white, which I don’t think is Soviet standard, but I like it, so…

This week I would like to get most of the construction done so I can figure out the ordinance situation and work on building an IRST. I’m thinking it will be easier to build the mount/fairing with epoxy putty and find a glass ball for the actual sensor.

[Procopius]

I still say you should put Exocets on the Sidewinder...I mean, Atoll... rails.

[Mak_the_Knife]

2 minutes ago, Procopius said:

I still say you should put Exocets on the Sidewinder...I mean, Atoll... rails.

Superglue does allow a certian lattitude of gluing things together... 

[Mak_the_Knife]

Well, looks like my ADHD addled (adhd-dled?) concept of time has struck again, as it's been a *bit* longer than a week. 

 

To be fairrrrr, I did get the 'vid (fairly mildly at least) and my day job and side business are swampped. 

 

I did re-paint the cockpit using a VMC color I had on the rack, Turquoise is my assumption, but I'd have to look again. 

It's a much better match:

 

I also could no longer deal with the generic seat so I pryed it out, re-leveled the platform as best I could, re-printed the generic-ish K-36 seat. 

 

 

 

I also managed to get the fuelsalage glued together. The new seat stuck up a bit more than the stock one, but looking at F-5s online, their seats seemed to stick up as well.  I did set the canopy on, just to make sure everything fit and that all looks good. 

 

 

 

 

Hopefully I can make some more progress this week. 

 

[Mak_the_Knife]

Progress! 

It's actually starting to look like a plane!

 

I've got the vert stab on and did some filling. Next up will be a preliminary primer coat to gauge things. 

 

 

This is also where the universe reminded me that it's easier to deepen an exisiting panel line, then having to cut it again. It didn't help I couldn't find my normal scrribing tool so I had to use a saw. Worse comes to worse, I can re-fill and rescribe. 

 

 

 I also tried out some new stuff. 

 

The first is Greenstuff World putty that is supposed to work like Perfect Plastic Putty. Seems ok. I think I still like 3P better. 

I also tried that black CA I've seen used as a filler. I do like that, makes seeing to sand much, much easier. 

 

I was going to try t o get a "Top Gun" decal sheet for this and my Fujimi F-14, but honestly the markings for this look pretty simple, I'l probably just use the wife's cricut to cut out masks. 

 

[Mak_the_Knife]

Two posts in a week? 

 

Threw some primer on the rescribed  sections. Not too bad, but a little clean up is necessary. But oy! those intakes... 

Those will be this weeks project. 

 

 

[Hook]

Scrubbing up nicely! I'm still a bit intimidated by the whole 

On 11/1/2022 at 9:20 PM, Mak_the_Knife said:

I fired up Fusion360 and decided to model an Exocet to print

thing...

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[Mak_the_Knife]

5 hours ago, Hook said:

Scrubbing up nicely! I'm still a bit intimidated by the whole 

thing...

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

Thanks!

I've been tooling around on Fusion for like 4 or five years now. I'm still a rank amature but some things I can manage ok with. I do a lot of 3D printing and design work for miniatures games,  so this is a logical out growth of that. And its fun. 

[Hook]

Amateur..? That stuff looks amazing!

[Mak_the_Knife]

On 1/24/2023 at 2:54 AM, Hook said:

Amateur..? That stuff looks amazing!

Thank you! 

 

Some more work on the ersatz Mig. 

 

Bodywork is like 85% I'd say, just some small areas left to clean up before painting. 

 

 

I think I settled on what to put on the wingtip rails, some R3R, which is the SARH version of the R-3/AA-2/AIM-9B. Figure that's a nice compromise between looking correctly Soviet while sticking with the base Sidewinder chassis. 

[Bonehammer]

I have a word in my mind, and it's: escapism. You're doing fine, keep up the good work! 

Yes, those air intakes need some TLC.

[k5054nz]

I always enjoy seeing a MiG-28 - a fellow What Iffer in the US once did a whole history of the type with attendant models! - and this is shaping up very nicely indeed.

[Jackman]

 

Wow, you really did a good job on those intakes.  I have that kit and after test-fitting it, I always put the kit back in the box 😫

[Mak_the_Knife]

18 hours ago, Bonehammer said:

I have a word in my mind, and it's: escapism. You're doing fine, keep up the good work! 

Yes, those air intakes need some TLC.

 

10 hours ago, Jackman said:

 

Wow, you really did a good job on those intakes.  I have that kit and after test-fitting it, I always put the kit back in the box 😫

Thanks, and yea, took a few different goes. First used black CA and then Tamiya Putty. Still some deep scratches and such that I'm going to try some Mr. Dissolved Putty on. Nothing hard, and thankfully no re-scribing is needed on the side, just some time with some sandpaper. 

I actually have another on order to do a Mexican AF one. 

 

17 hours ago, k5054nz said:

I always enjoy seeing a MiG-28 - a fellow What Iffer in the US once did a whole history of the type with attendant models! - and this is shaping up very nicely indeed.

Thanks! Its been fun so far, A nice "breaking in" kit for sure. 

 

 

Here is a render of t he R3Rs for the wingtip launchers:

Not a lot of great images out there for it, so some artistic license was taken. 

Not sure what I'll do for the rest of the pylons, maybe some bombs or some AGMs/Rocket Pods. 

Edited February 16, 2023 by Mak_the_Knife

[Mak_the_Knife]

Still working on the old girl—just swamped with the RL.  I'm calling filling and sanding done and it's now going to be ready for primer. Coloring is going to be tricky. Obviously, I know it's black, but with the scale effect and wanting to actually see some of the details, I'm going to have to do some research. I have a MiG-37 kit that I'll paint the same way. 

 

I did finish up ordnance I think. 

Wingtips will get the R3R above. 

 

Will get some B8M rocket pods: 

And some FAB-250-M62 Bombs:

 

 

[Mak_the_Knife]

Eh, only a bit more than two months since the last update. 

Not much else done, but I did design, print, and mount an IRST that was very, very inspired by the one on the MiG-29. 

 

Hoping to final prime and prep for paint this weekend.

 

[Mak_the_Knife]

Progress!

 

Got the thing primed, and tried not to worry about all the little issues that I saw, and started preshading. I went for lighter greys on top, a bit darker on the sides and darker yet on the bottom. Kinda a zenithal pre-shade but with no predetermined lightsource. 

I also mixed some blue to the panels to give some variation. That said, the shade difference really isn't that noticeable so I'll either try more contrasty mixes next time, or just stick to one color all over the model. Next will be very thin coats of Tamiya NATO black mixed a bit lighter to build up the black color. 

Oh, and find the canopy...