iambrb
Well-known member
OK so I was digging away where I keep my tiny stash of models, and out popped a 1/72 scale Mig-29! I thought "I bought this? I wonder when?" Then it hit me, I got this for a whopping $5 at the little show in Spartanburg SC earlier this year. Well I thought this would be a neat little break from campign schedules, so here it is, an older kit of the Fulcrum from Revell!
Although the Mig-29 is a beloved jet, it's combat record is less than enviable, I think due more to training (or lack thereof) than the plane itself. The early versions wete really lacking in true capabilities as compared to fighters of that time frame, but continued improvements along with the Russian and Indian governments efforts to develop it into a multi-role aircraft for air superiority, ground attack, and even naval use means it will be in service for a long time to come
So...some online research showed that this was not the best kit out there, this is really an early version and per the rivet counters, it is missing alot. I looked it over and it seemd OK to me, though. The shape appears about right. As you can see, the instructions are one sheet, and the kit comprises only about 75 parts total. Actually the only real issue is the lack of any real interior, basically a seat and tub, no decals for the cockpit instruments...not even a part to make up as an instrument face! I have for the moment painted it all black, I am actually thinking that a little 1/72 scale pilot from another kit may fit in there, not sure how I am going in the end though. So here is what I saw upon opening it up:
And here it is after only about 3 hours work. The upper and lower fuselage halves went together very easily and the only issue in all the tails & wing surfaces was due to my gluing, not the kit
The hardest part were the intakes that were just plain out of shape. They had no reference indents or anything to locate them, so they left some big seams for sanding, but the recently acquired felxi-file really helped out alot on this. If you look in at the wheel wells you can see directly into the body, the end result of a $5 kit, I know, but I am enjoying it
As this is an early version, I am going to go with an early camo paint. The Russians are known for some of the prettiest paint schemes to be sure, and I think I am going to go with this
Question - Does the underside on this look like a dull white, or the light pale blue they sometimes painted thier aircraft with?
Although the Mig-29 is a beloved jet, it's combat record is less than enviable, I think due more to training (or lack thereof) than the plane itself. The early versions wete really lacking in true capabilities as compared to fighters of that time frame, but continued improvements along with the Russian and Indian governments efforts to develop it into a multi-role aircraft for air superiority, ground attack, and even naval use means it will be in service for a long time to come
So...some online research showed that this was not the best kit out there, this is really an early version and per the rivet counters, it is missing alot. I looked it over and it seemd OK to me, though. The shape appears about right. As you can see, the instructions are one sheet, and the kit comprises only about 75 parts total. Actually the only real issue is the lack of any real interior, basically a seat and tub, no decals for the cockpit instruments...not even a part to make up as an instrument face! I have for the moment painted it all black, I am actually thinking that a little 1/72 scale pilot from another kit may fit in there, not sure how I am going in the end though. So here is what I saw upon opening it up:
And here it is after only about 3 hours work. The upper and lower fuselage halves went together very easily and the only issue in all the tails & wing surfaces was due to my gluing, not the kit
The hardest part were the intakes that were just plain out of shape. They had no reference indents or anything to locate them, so they left some big seams for sanding, but the recently acquired felxi-file really helped out alot on this. If you look in at the wheel wells you can see directly into the body, the end result of a $5 kit, I know, but I am enjoying it
As this is an early version, I am going to go with an early camo paint. The Russians are known for some of the prettiest paint schemes to be sure, and I think I am going to go with this
Question - Does the underside on this look like a dull white, or the light pale blue they sometimes painted thier aircraft with?
Sand fill....repeat.
...btw,excelent references!
