MiG 17. PDRV Republican Guard.

[zenrat]

MiG 17.  PDRV Republican Guard.

MiG 17 - 1 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

When the People's Democratic Republic of Victoria posted Republican Guard Fighter Advanced Training Squadron No.3 to Vū Quang in 1966 for combat experience they took with them their MiG 17s resplendent in a polished natural metal finish.  It soon became obvious that shiny metal aircraft stood out like a sore thumb among the valleys and mountains of Hà Tinh Province and an improvised camouflage scheme was applied to the upper surfaces.

MiG 17 - 7 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

MiG 17 - 13 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

MiG 17 - 4 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

FATS3 remained in Vietnam for the duration of the conflict providing valuable air combat experience for Guards and PVAF pilots.  As MiG 19s, and later 21s were brought into PDRV service the aircraft they replaced were transferred to the VPAF and the LPLAAF rather than be returned to Victoria.  As a result no aircraft that had seen combat were retained for posterity.
The example pictured here from the Dadswell Bridge People's Aviation Museum is one of three in their collection.  The two MiG 17Fs are former Syrian Air Force aircraft obtained from private collectors in the United States but this, a MiG 17PF is an aircraft which was delivered new to the PDRV and saw service solely with the PVAF, albeit not overseas.
Following restoration it was repainted in the colours of Blue 12, the aircraft with which Rod Warne claimed the first two of his seven air to air victories.

MiG 17 - 23 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

The Model

Hasegawa MiG 17PF/PM built OOB.  All raised detail sanded off.  Painted with Alclad Polished Aluminium and Vallejo acrylics.  Home made transfers.

MiG 17 - 18 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

MiG-17D/E by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

[Tophe]

zenrat, I wish you to receive replies (like I do here): my topic about MiG-21 received none, as did the one about MiG-23...

[Wardukw]

Lovely bit of work Fred 
One day ill have a try with Alclad paint but until then ill leave it up to you guys 
I do like the Mig 17 ..its just a bigger verison of a Mig 15 but it looks better being bigger ..love it matey 

[63cpe]

 

That's a nice and shiney mig-17 Fred! Well done!

David aka 63cpe

[Flyer]

Nice job Fred!

I do like the Mig 17 ..its just a bigger verison of a Mig 15 but it looks better being bigger

I'm the opposite, I know the 17 solved a few of the 15's deficiencies but I much prefer the stubby look of the 15.

[PR19_Kit]

An excellent 'off the wall' camo scheme there Fred. And a 'silk purse' job on that ancient Hase kit too. 

[Dizzyfugu]

I like that. Strangely, I have been channeling similar spirits... 

[Old Wombat]

It's got freckles!


Rod Warne's wingman, Shane Marsh, was also an "Ace".


RIP lads!

[NARSES2]

Come out very nicely Fred 

Those old Hasegawa boxings bring back memories of lunchtimes spent in Beatties at Holborn Circus when I was at the Pearl and not in the pub 

[zenrat]

Thanks folks.

Fitwise this went together well.  I have another, eastern block, 17 kit which I think won't be as good.  But it too has a radar nose.  I wonder if it could be fitted to a 15?

MiG 21 is my favourite.  A very dynamic looking aircraft.  I have more than a few in the stash.

[Flyer]

I have another, eastern block, 17 kit which I think won't be as good.  But it too has a radar nose.  I wonder if it could be fitted to a 15?

I actually had a similar thought directly after my reply above, wondering if the 15 could be fitted with the 17's radar, and also if it could be fitted out with missiles. It has the hardpoints for tanks so they could go there but it needs that fuel the tanks carry. Could they be fitted like on a Sabre or is the 15 too close to the ground?...

Edit: After looking at some pics of missile armed Sabres after typing that I retract that statement, they are under the wing's not on the forward fuselage as I was remembering.

[zenrat]

The missle armed 17s had four K-5 AAMs mounted on leading edge pylons.   The Hasegawa kit contains these.

MiG 15 was mid winged so there should be clearance.
According to wikipedia Czechoslovakia built one two seat 15 with radar for MiG 17 training.  No radar equipped single seat 15s as far as I can see though (with albeit minimal research).

[Wardukw]

Could partly explain why the 17 was longer than the 15..needed more space for the radar and electronics needed to run it and cause the wings on the 15 are short little buggers mounting 4 missiles on there might have been to tight.
Ive stood beside a Mig15..we had one here in NZ many yrs ago and yeah...big is not a word i could use anywhere here.
The dudes who brought the 15 here got rid of it for some reason or other ..then they scored a Mig 21..had it displayed at a place called Manukau City ..when they dismantled it they leaned the wings with its landing gear on the leading edge..twisting both wings..now it sits on top of a building in a place called Penrose..Church street i believe ..ill take a pic next time im in Auckland.
Im gonna hunt down the Eduard Pro Mig21 Fred..comes with some lovely AM bits 

[Scotaidh]

The Quonset Point Air Museum had a LiM-6 (MiG-17) in their line-up before the museum folded.  I wouldn't call one of those "large" either ...

[Wardukw]

Scotaidh ok then we'll go with a slight eeerr on the end huh ? 
Neither are big really compared to say a wheel barrow but hell even a slight increase in space .ohhh something just clicked..maybe they made the 17 bigger so they could fit radar to it just for that purpose..i had to make the engine bay bigger in a MK 5 Cortina to fit a 351 Cleveland V8 into it but not by a huge amount..i think by only 3.5ins in total.