MiG-37

[noxioux]

Okay, I've been waiting for this one to show up on ARC, but I guess it's more appropriate for this place.  I finished this project probably about 2 weeks before I finished the Black Thud.

It's a MiG-37 decked out as a hunter-killer.  I have an okay back story on this one, but it comes down to a similarity with the Ka-50, which is primarily an assault helo whose main purpose is taking out other assault helos.  My Ferret is decked out to hunt and kill other aircraft.  I figure it would be sneaking around at late twilight looking for enemy bombers and support aircraft to shoot down.

I lengthened and tapered the nose, and rescribed the panel lines, adding several new ones.  I wanted to put a pop-up FLIR sensor on it, but it never happened.  Next time, I will.  I did scribe the panel for it, though.  The brown panels in front of the intakes were supposed to be clean, uncoated composite material.  I figured since the Russians were always broke, they wouldn't bother painting an area that would probably be abraded clean anyway.

I was especially proud of my stealthy GSh-23 gunpod, which was made from stretched sprue, one of the stealth nukes in the Testors kit.  I had some sparrows, but there was no way to fit them into the forward weapon bay.  I didn't have any Aphids, or I might've used those.  I really hate the stealth missiles that came with the kit.  I just don't see the point in making a short/medium range AAM stealthy.  Unfortunately, that's all I had this time.  So in they went.

Sorry the pics are so bad.  I'm going to switch to my K1000, and start shooting slides and scanning them.  These point-and shoot digital cams are ka-ka.

[Swamphen]

     

[Aircav]

Very nice Mig        
(mental note, must do something with my two)
BTW what kind SUV is that fitted with the rotor blades ?  

[Davey B]

Now THAT is impressive!

Just crying out to lose those fins, Klingon Bird-of-prey style cannons on the wingtips -- sorry, off on one for a minute!

[Hobbes]

BTW what kind SUV is that fitted with the rotor blades ?  

Duh, that's a stealth version of the Fairey Rotodyne.  

[TsrJoe]

cool modelling...heres a review on the 37 i did ages ago for ipms mag which never appeared..!


AIRCRAFT TYPE; "MIG 37 FERRET" (FICTIONAL)
SCALE; 1/72 (@ 19.5 cm. LONG, @ 14 cm. SPAN)
MANUFACTURER; "TESTORS / ITALERI"

Released in both 1/48 and 1/72 scales during 1987, not long after the infamous 'Testors/Italeri' F.19, and still widely avaliable, the fictional "MiG 37B Ferret E", as it was termed, was one of the first depictions of facetted stealth to enter the public domain, indeed this model has been likened to an hybrid between an 'F.117' with an 'F.23' planform.

Around 50 pieces go into the construction of this 1/72 scale design, with assembly being a little unusual due to the model's configuration. After assembling the laterally split fuselage halves, one then adds the canted tail surfaces and wings. Due no doubt to the models breakdown, a number of slight problem areas arose at this point. When I fitted the starboard tail fin to the box fuselage, this required judicious sanding and some filler to blend the fin in with the surrounding flat surface, as I was building two of these models at once, (the problem arising on both) I modified the assembly sequence, dealing with this problem area before fitting the wings on my second example. Some touches of filler were also required around the upper intake panel and lower wing joints, as well as to a few nasty sink marks on one or two components, notably the undercarriage doors.

I replaced the kit's reasonably well moulded seat with a suitable 'Aeroclub' item, which also helped provide some nose weight, also adding a few extra details in the cockpit from spare etchings, etc. Small actuating rams for the nicely detailed undercarriage and weapons bay doors were added from partially stripped telephone wire and half round sprue (very effective).

Once filled and primed the model was ready for painting. Two alternative schemes are suggested in the kit, one in a Soviet version of the old US. Navy style gull grey and white (a la Su.24 Fencer), the other, overall black, the colour more usually associated with this genre of model. Markings for both being provided.

An impressively extensive decal fit is supplied, although to be honest, I found most of the stencilling to be more trouble than its worth, due to extensive silvering experienced on application, requiring encapsulation with 'Johnson's Clear' to seal them. I finished my models in the suggested black scheme, in keeping with its 'stealth' theme, and applied the minimum of markings using very few stencils, which seemed to suit the model quite well.

Although a little less justifiable than some of the other 'fictional stealth' subjects that have been produced over the years, the model when completed has a certain charm, and sits well beside the others of its genre on my modelling shelf. (Now who'll be first to model a hypothetical 'British stealth' aircraft ?!)

Joe. Cherrie, IPMS. Research & Development SIG.

[elmayerle]

*CHuckle*  Joe, I think there's a good reason a certain resemblance to the YF-23 is there.  I've heard that the chief designer for the YF-23 did some consulting work for Testor's and for the "Firefox" movie.

[Swamphen]

Thanks for the review Joe; I'll keep it handy for when I build the '37 what's in my stash.

Davey - I'm planning to build it as an aerospace fighter w/wingtip pulse lasers (but keeping the fins).  "Grape minds stink alike"!  B)

Evan - Is there any way that you could build an a/c so that it could 'fly' underwater? Seems fairly straightforwards to me (if it's space-proofed it should be somewhat waterproof) aside from the engines and - more importantly - figuring out some way to 'dive' without going splat...    

[noxioux]

Very nice Mig        
(mental note, must do something with my two)
BTW what kind SUV is that fitted with the rotor blades ?  

It's my top secret VTOL Pathfinder.  Now the guys at Nissan are going to kill us both. . .  

[Ollie]

Very nice MiG Noxious!!

       

[NARSES2]

Evan - Is there any way that you could build an a/c so that it could 'fly' underwater? Seems fairly straightforwards to me (if it's space-proofed it should be somewhat waterproof) aside from the engines and - more importantly - figuring out some way to 'dive' without going splat...  

There have been flying submarine proposals. Unicraft have one planed in their future projects + there's a thread on site somewhere about it. I think it's something Tophe was mentioning.

Chris

[Swamphen]

Yeah, but I'm wondering can you dive straight in while flying or will that cause the dreaded bug-on-windshield effect?  

[elmayerle]

Yeah, but I'm wondering can you dive straight in while flying or will that cause the dreaded bug-on-windshield effect?

the old Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea TV show to teh contrary, you'd hae to do it at a carefully controlled agnle and speed.  Too shallow an angle and you get eh "skipped rock" effect; too sharp an angle or too high a speed and you get the "bug-on-the-windshield" effect.

Now, you could do a submersible that was a negatively boyant design and relied on appropirate "wings" and speed to surface.  Martin Caidin had something like this in The Last Fathom and Scott Carpenter had a smiliar idea in Steel Albatros and its sequel.  As to integrating the two, perhaps with a subsonic design, but I'm not too sure a supersonic one cold be made that would make successful transitions.

[Hobbes]

If you want a sub that can reach any depth at all, you're going to end up with a design that's way too heavy to fly. The wings are also a problem: they generate a huge amount of drag underwater, and have much more area than you need for underwater maneuvering.  

[Joe C-P]

The US and Soviets both planned flying submersibles. The Soviets even designed one; the image has appeared here before. It was a monoplane that could dive to attack or scout. Not a true flying sub, but they considered it possible.

As for the MiG-37 being similar to the F-23, that helps me on the Soviet carrier build, if I can find a 1/700 F-23.  

JoeP