Minicraft (Hasagawa) Mig-17, ca. 1979...

[John Masters]

With all the other interesting kits here, we must have a Mig-17.  This will be from the Indonesian Air Force, right OOB.  I checked.  All the bits are there.  I also checked with Scalemates regarding provenance.  It was first released in '73.  This particular box is from '79.  

The decals look alright, but if they go south, I'll scavenge.

 

 

Here's the profile.

 

 

I actually have a dearth of Classic Japanese kits so this might be my only build here.  I'll see.  

 

--John

 

 

 

 

[JOCKNEY]

Great stuff John

 

I love the shape of the Mig-17 it looks like it's going really fast even when standing still.

Best of luck with this one 

 

Cheers Pat 

[John Masters]

9 hours ago, JOCKNEY said:

Great stuff John

 

I love the shape of the Mig-17 it looks like it's going really fast even when standing still.

Best of luck with this one 

 

Cheers Pat 

Thanks Pat.  I only have two other possibles, one is the Finemolds Type 90 biplane and the other is the Hasagawa E7Ki Type 94 seaplane with the catapult.  I might have to build the Alf with the slingshot! 😄

 

Note:  while the Alf kit goes way back into the dawn of time, the catapult seems to be a newer addition, sometime between 1980 and 1991.  Scalemates doesn't seem to be precise.  Also the Type 90 is from 1990, so that might be out.  I'd like a ruling on the catapult please.

[JOCKNEY]

2 hours ago, John Masters said:

 I'd like a ruling on the catapult please.

 

Definitely in, from me after all it's like a diorama for the Alf which they have kindly provided you with. 

 

Cheers Pat 

[Grandboof]

Great choice of kit and markings 

Martin H

[stevej60]

Nice one John one of my favourite kits too,shout out if the decal's fall short sure to have some spare's from my recent Mig fest.

[PeterB]

On 2/14/2023 at 4:44 PM, John Masters said:

Thanks Pat.  I only have two other possibles, one is the Finemolds Type 90 biplane and the other is the Hasagawa E7Ki Type 94 seaplane with the catapult.  I might have to build the Alf with the slingshot! 😄

 

Note:  while the Alf kit goes way back into the dawn of time, the catapult seems to be a newer addition, sometime between 1980 and 1991.  Scalemates doesn't seem to be precise.  Also the Type 90 is from 1990, so that might be out.  I'd like a ruling on the catapult please.

Hi John,

 

I have read that, frustrated with the lack of catapult kits, a modeller, presumably Japanese, made his own and gave away/sold some. Hasegawa liked what they saw and acquired the rights to it, putting it in a limited number of boxings of their Alf and Kate. If that is correct then you are right about the catapult being a later addition to an existing older kit - pity they did not get round to selling them separately as I could certainly do with one.

 

Pete

Edited February 19, 2023 by PeterB

[John Masters]

15 hours ago, PeterB said:

I have read that, frustrated with the lack of catapult kits, a modeller, presumably Japanese, made his own and gave away/sold some. Hasegawa liked what they saw and acquired the rights to it, putting it in a limited number of boxings of their Alf and Kate. If that is correct then you are right about the catapult being a later addition to an existing older kit - pity they did not get round to selling them separately as I could certainly do with one.

 

Fascinating story Peter.  Thank you.  Yes...I could do with a separate one too, as I will have, if finished, two Alfs (one's on the shelf) and one catapult.  😄

 

On 2/18/2023 at 11:51 AM, stevej60 said:

Nice one John one of my favourite kits too,shout out if the decal's fall short sure to have some spare's from my recent Mig fest.

Thank you Steve.  I'll keep it in mind.

 

On 2/15/2023 at 8:38 AM, Grandboof said:

Great choice of kit and markings 

Thank you Martin.  

On 2/14/2023 at 9:07 PM, JOCKNEY said:

it's like a diorama for the Alf

Thanks Pat.

[John Masters]

Ok.  Here we go.  A quick look around tells me I have a set of these decals...very nice.  Bit if a shark mouth there...

 

 

And here is a good shot of an old kit, complete with the contact for the distributor in California.

 

 

And a re-inventory of the parts in the box revealed that I am missing that all-important PF nose.  I must have cannabalized it in the past.  So I searched the stash.  It turns out the SMER (ex-KP) Mig-17PF nose fits like a glove.  So I need a ruling on this:

 

 

May I use the SMER/KP nose and consider it as an 'after-market' replacement?  @JOCKNEY...I won't continue until I am given the green light. 

 

Thanks fellows.

 

--John

[JOCKNEY]

Hi John 

 

No problem with your new nose, at least it didn't involve a botox injection !

 

Cheers Pat 

 

 

 

 

 

[John Masters]

23 minutes ago, JOCKNEY said:

No problem with your new nose, at least it didn't involve a botox injection !

Thanks Pat.  I’ll press on! 

[John Masters]

And here we go.  I forgot how much I enjoy the Mig Family.  

 

Cockpit tub, exhaust and the Polish nose...

 

 

Why not use the pilot?  He's been primed.  And I have scratched a small IP for the supplied IP decal, or maybe I'll hand paint it.

 

 

Wings to be assembled.

 

 

And here we sit for the night.  Fuel pods done too.  

 

 

I wish I had two of these kits.

 

--John

[John Masters]

On 2/20/2023 at 8:37 AM, John Masters said:

Thank you Martin.  

Unfortunately the profile for the aftermarket decals only show the side view.  It seems there is a black 'sharklike' paint job along the top.  

 

I found another modellers build of this aircraft and the profiles are perfect for my needs.

[PeterB]

Hi John,

 

Nice to hear that the SMER nose ring fits - I had a vague recollection that like their Mig 21 the Hasegawa Mig 17 was not quite 1/72 scale, not that it makes a noticeable difference.

 

Pete

[John]

2 hours ago, PeterB said:

Hi John,

 

Nice to hear that the SMER nose ring fits - I had a vague recollection that like their Mig 21 the Hasegawa Mig 17 was not quite 1/72 scale, not that it makes a noticeable difference.

 

Pete

That rings a bell, certainly the MiG-21's quite a bit over-scale and I seem to remember that the -17 was bigger compared to the KP kit. I think the A4 Skyhawk was a bit on the large side as well. Not sure about any of the others. 

John 

[John Masters]

On 2/23/2023 at 5:27 PM, PeterB said:

Nice to hear that the SMER nose ring fits

It does, but there is a .5mm step on the underside of the ring.  Easily adjusted.

 

I painted up our Indonesian pilot, just enough to give him a bit of something.  He'll be under glass, after all.  He's the driver's seat...

 

 

And the two halves come together without issue.  Thee are a few modelling companies that could take a lesson from this simple joy.

 

 

--John

[John Masters]

I attached the wings, stabilizers and nose last night.  All in on go, so I I didn't get around to taking many pictures.  It looks very much like a Mig-17 now.

 

 

I looked into the Indonesian Mig-17 a bit.  It seems that many of them were actually Polish built Lim-6.  So my Czech nose job is not far off...🤣

I'll post a better picture of the nose today so you can see what I will have to do to make it a perfect fit.  And there is a small step on one area of the port wing root that needs adjustment.  But all in all, the fit of all the wings was tight and clean with no complaints.

 

--John

[John Masters]

As you see, the nose isn't a perfect fit.

 

 

Some plastic strip and putty will be required.

 

 

It looks better but will need a bit more shaping tone right.

 

 

--John

[John Masters]

Nose all smooth and the canopy masked and attached.  

 

 

--John

[Luke1199]

Lovely work so far John, its coming along very nicely!

[John Masters]

2 hours ago, Luke1199 said:

Lovely work so far John, its coming along very nicely!

Thank you Luke.  It's a simple, basic kit that does the job.

[Grandboof]

Nice nose job . And no Botox great plastic surgery 

Martin H

[John Masters]

On 3/1/2023 at 12:02 PM, Grandboof said:

Nice nose job . And no Botox great plastic surgery 

Thank you Martin.  My skills are well known at clinics in the Beverly Hills area...🤣

 

I have filled in the small gaps, attached the guns, the rocket hard points and given the remaining pieces a dose of grey primer.

That seam on the underside is not actually there, btw.  It's quite smooth.  

 

 

 

Thinking ahead, since I am closing in on 'time to paint'....the shark design is quite interesting.  I found some profiles of top, bottom and sides...

I forget where I got this from but it is very good and I am extremely thankful for the modeller who posted it online.

 

 

I am tempted, after priming, to paint the black sharky bits first, mask them fully, then add the shiny metal finish.  I think if I apply the black over the silver I may have an issue with crackling.  Thoughts?

 

--John

 

 

[Jinxman]

14 hours ago, John Masters said:

I am tempted, after priming, to paint the black sharky bits first, mask them fully, then add the shiny metal finish.  I think if I apply the black over the silver I may have an issue with crackling.  Thoughts?

That's how I would approach it, and leave the silver until the end - good luck with it!

[John Masters]

23 hours ago, Jinxman said:

That's how I would approach it

Yes.  Thank you for the input. 👍