Atanasov Twin MiG-15 Project - Now Finished

[McGreig]

I was in two minds about posting this at this stage - the history of OKB McGreig suggests that posting pictures of work-in-progress is often the kiss of death for a project. However, I've done all the difficult kitbashing bits and I'm currently trying to get it finished for Telford, so I'll take the risk.



In late Fifties the Bulgarian Air Force had a number of obsolescent MiG-15s with only some 30% of their flying hours used. Dimitr Atanasov was the head of the Air Force's 149 Aircraft Repair Base and he came up with a proposal to create a twin jet fighter bomber by mating two MiG-15s together. This would allow the new aircraft to carry a 1500 kg bomb load and maintained performance, especially range and take-off/landing. Calculated performance figures for the twin MiG were even better than required by Air Force, so some armour could also be installed.



Sadly the twin MiG proposal was never built and the surplus MiG-15s were converted into two seat trainers, designated UMiG-15MT. They could be distinguished from the normal MiG-15 trainers by their large MiG-15bis style air brakes.

Details of Atanasov's proposal can be found at pages 368-369 of Yefim Gordon's MiG-15 book in Midland Counties "Famous Russian Aircraft" series and in issue 4-2010 of the Polish magazine Lotnictwo.



There is also a thread on Secret Projects Forum where, in their (sadly, rather typical) arrogant and elitist way, they have added this to a list of fake aircraft and projects and claim to have "debunked" it. However, if you read the so-called debunking thread all that you will find is a lot of girning about how they don't believe it and suspicion because it appeared in the April edition of the magazine. You will also find some reasonable points made by people who have read the original article and who point out that the twin MiG is mentioned in the middle of an long article covering all of Atanasov's (well documented and definitely not fake) aviation activities and that there is a custom in the Polish media that when a magazine publishes an April Fool's joke it will explain this in the next issue and that the following issues of the Lotnictwo magazine contain no such explanations. What you won't find is any evidence that the project was a hoax.



The model is based on two of the new Airfix MiG-15 kits. The fuselage is considerably over-scale but I don't think that this is as obvious in the twin version.

[Dizzyfugu]

I have seen that project, too, and also felt the urge to try it...

Looking very good, looking forward to see what becomes of it. 

[bearmatt]

 

Keep us posted, looking very good!

[Tophe]

Good project, good work!

[Dizzyfugu]

Any progress or results here? I recently stumbled (again) across this sick project in literature, and found that I have both a Hobby Boss singe-seater and trainer in my stash - I feel the urge to build the alternative (asymmetrical) layout with a tandem cockpit in one fuselage, and the other blank/faired over... 

[Captain Canada]

 

Now that's nice ! It would also look good if the entire section in between the fuselages was filled in...more lift, more fuel, more weapons ?

[McGreig]

Yes, after a year's delay, it was finished and put on the Soviet SIG stand at SMW, Telford, in November 2013.

I forgot that I hadn't updated this thread - I'll probably put up pictures tomorrow.

[Tophe]

Great news!
(please clock, hurry on for us to be tomorrow...)

[Dizzyfugu]

Yes, after a year's delay, it was finished and put on the Soviet SIG stand at SMW, Telford, in November 2013.

I forgot that I hadn't updated this thread - I'll probably put up pictures tomorrow.

Thanks a lot, that would be great! I seriously consider building one or the Anthony P memorial GB (it would suit there well), in early Bulgarian markings and with an odd (but real) paint scheme, seen on a MiG-17.

[McGreig]

I was in two minds about posting this at this stage - the history of OKB McGreig suggests that posting pictures of work-in-progress is often the kiss of death for a project.

Well, the model is now finished, so it wasn't exactly the kiss of death. More the "kiss of paralysis" or the "kiss of near-death-experience".

Not only was the Twin MiG not finished for the 2012 Scale ModelWorld at Telford, it went into deep hibernation and nothing happened for almost a year. It was then exhumed from the Stash of the Undead and finished in a panic stricken couple of weeks before SMW 2013.





In fact, finishing was so last minute that it was only after I put it on to the display table at Telford that I realised that I hadn't peeled the Maskol off the canopies.





You will also notice that it has Hungarian rather than Bulgarian stars. This was a direct result of the last minute rush to finish for SMW. The only Bulgarian stars that I could find quickly were printed off-centre. However, I didn't want to use Soviet stars as the whole point of the Twin MiG was that it wasn't an actual MiG project. So, as a compromise, I used the Hungarian markings that came with the Airfix kit. My idea is to replace the centres of the stars once I get hold of some decent Bulgarian examples.





I quite like the way that this has turned out (note - it's just been delivered from the workshops and hasn't had time to get weathered!) and I'm thinking about doing a similar MiG-17 conversion based on the Polish fighter bomber versions. In the meantime, if anybody else wants to have a go, be my guest - - -

[Tophe]

Hurrah!

[Captain Canada]

Oh that's gorgeous.....love the way the camo flows seamlessly between the 2 fuselages...great stuff ! Very well done, glad you stuck to her !

[Dizzyfugu]

Lovely, and thanks a lot for posting the pics! 

That puts the level pretty high! 

I always wondered what that "thing" under the mid wing could be - I see that you interpreted it as a single rocket launcher. Not certain what I will hang onto mine (once it gets started... ), maybe just some iron bombs, i got some Soviet specimen in the stash somewhere.

[lancer]

That is truely a work of art...Beautiful.

[PR19_Kit]

Oh yes, I DO like twins! 

What's that about the fuselages being over scale then?