It's only an old school Airfix MiG-15

[kitbasher]

I'm in, using the Mig half of a second hand Airfix Mirage/MiG-15 Dogfight Double that set me back a wallet burning £2 at last year's Milton Keynes show.

Imagine a world where the post-WW2 British Government did not agree the sale of British jet technology to the Soviet Union.

Building begins very soon.

[kitbasher]

So building has started, it's the 1958 Airfix Mig-15 kit and boy does its age show.  But hey, it's half of a Dogfight Double that cost two quid.  I know the current(ish) Airfix Mig-15 is not without its faults but in comparison it's the height of sophistication!

Hilarious raised panel lines of such magnitude that it looks as though the frame was outside the skin, not the other way round.  So panel lines scribed and a basic cockpit is being built up, leaving plenty of space for nose weights. 

The rear fuselage has been chopped up to make way for the power plant.  In the world where the post-WW2 British Government did not agree the sale of British jet technology to the Soviet Union, the Soviets have to rely (as they did for a brief while) on captured German jet technology.  Instead of having the Klimov RD-45 copy of the RR Nene to hand, Mikoyan instead had to rely on a pair of improved Jumo 004s fitted to an evolution of the MiG-9 that also drew upon captured plans and wind-tunnel models for the Focke-Wulf Ta183.




Check out those girders!

[DogfighterZen]

Very good idea!

[Tophe]

Wow!

[Snowtrooper]

Looks... very much like the late 40's Soviet prototypes. Somehow, the no-nonsense brutality of this design suits the 15 better than clean elegant lines

[The Rat]

Until I saw your pictures, I had forgotten how bad those raised panel lines were. Built one about 40 years ago. Nice idea, keep the reports coming!

[kerick]

Get out the grinder! At least it doesn't appear to have the raised lines outlining the position of the decals!
I'll be watching this one, looks like fun!

[ysi_maniac]

I like this idea

[Captain Canada]

That's pretty neat. Looks like it needs a carburetor lol

[kitbasher]

And more evidence of slow progress - update shows the fruits of a few brief spells over the last few weeks and after 4 hours this weekend:

Panel lines scribed, raised detail rubbed down and painted over with liquid cement to clear out the crud.  Cockpit interior almost built up - windscreen combing yet to be finished and control column still to be fitted.  I've a white metal seat that fits the bill - looks the right sort of shape but don't recall what it's supposed to be actually for!  And more evidence of scribing (the wing) and a glimpse of nose weights.




The rear fuselage may need some further cutting away to make space for the engines - it's not looking quite right when I hold them in place.  ¹/₈ of an inch I think is all that's needed.

[NARSES2]

Have to applaud the re-scribing, something I'm absolutely useless at.

[kitbasher]

Leap forward (O.K. stumble and trip) almost a year and the cockpit is edsentially done and the fuselage halves fitted.  Much splaying of the rear fuselage required behind the cockpit, pics to follow.

[ysi_maniac]

Waiting for pics.

[kitbasher]

Waiting for pics.

Very clear how much splaying at the back was needed.  Much packing and filling to follow, nose is packed with weight and there's a white metal seat to go in yet to make sure it's not a tail sitter.

Realised i'd not sanded down one of the fuselage halves but no matter, plenty more sanding to come so will do it then.  Some panel line rescribing will be necessary anyway.

[zenrat]

Nice.
Twin fins?