MiG-21

[John Howling Mouse]

My first 1:48 MiG of any kind.  What a little hotrod this plane must be!
I thought the Skyhawk was a little Scooter----this thing is just tiny.

The Academy kit was outstanding as sub-assemblies but putting together the main parts revealed several gaps to be filled.  Funny, they're not so much "wide" as incredibly "deep."  Not really wide enough to get in with CA glue as a filler.

Once I had puttied the cracks, I realized just how hard it is going to be to wetsand the joins again, even using 400-grit wrapped tightly around an old plastic credit card (an IPMS membership card will work, too)  to get into the tight spots.

Oh, I also learned something ugly: while attaching the wings and tailplanes I did use CA glue which I hit with a shot of Zip-Kicker ™ accelerator spray.  Now, this accelerator has never crazed plastic for me before and it didn't this time, either.

But, thinking ahead, I had draped a strip of wide masking tape over the cockpit to protect the paint-job in there.

Let's just say that what the accelerator did to the adhesive under the masking tape was, well, interesting.  "Don't do this at home, kids!"

[Leigh]

I made the Academy Mig as one of the Pink planes for the girls for Christmas, (pics are somewhere else on the site or the link below to my webpage) and I will confirm what a sweet kit. Unlike you Baz I don't remember having to use any filler, the fit was perfect. The real test for me was that when it was almost finished and in my tired state, this was right before Christmas many way too late nights trying to get this and all the other stuff done in time, the plane took a tumble off the bench, bits flew everywhere. But the whole spine tail section went straight back on with no visible seam in a finished gloss paint job. I love Academy.
And she is tiny the  same length as a 1/72 Thunderchief  

So what's it gonna be? Royal Navy, NASA, Israeli?

[nev]

Mig-21s are cool  B)

So whats she gunna be?  As far as I can see there is no drastic plastic surgery....    

[Hobbes]

So, what's the pilot doing with that big ol' stick up his butt? Or are we better off not knowing?

[Radish]

Looking good. I built the PF too and found a bit of a ridge where the nose joined to aft part, but hid it all with bits and weathering on my Mick Coyne Mick 21 "Wicked Wizard" Wild Weasel of the Irish Air Corps.
Terrific.
Love MiGs and the idea is to build lots.....eventually.

What about RCAF Aggressor?  

[Ollie]

Lookin' good Barry.

Keep up the good work.

[cthulhu77]

So, what's the pilot doing with that big ol' stick up his butt? Or are we better off not knowing?

I think that he may be making a Wallachian Mig 21 Dracul...and of course, in the tradition of Vlad the impaler, pilots who failed in their missions....

  Nice kit, can hardly wait to see the end !

              greg

[John Howling Mouse]

Oh My Gort, Magic Muffin In The Sky and all, but this is one TOUGH kit to putty and sand!  Every connection point had some sort of gap or step-up and it seems as though every location requiring putty has some kind of sharp edge, engraved detail, and/or bubble shape right next to it.

These pics look okay but, in person, it's definitely the most difficult sanding job I've ever had to do.  And it's not nearly there yet, either.

I didn't even want a showroom style finish, either---was going to go with one of those natural metal finishes that really shows the aircraft's age and hard use.

But this is something else.  That's why I took so much time off it.

[John Howling Mouse]

Unfortunately, these pics got re-sized from Photobucket.com so even they don't clearly show how much puttying and sanding has been required.  There's many spots where I can't really get the wet sandpaper in, not even tightly wrapped around an old credit card.  So, I've resorted to scraping with riffler files and Xacto knives, etc.

[gunfighter]

I don´t like the Fishbed too much, but it would be interesting a Spain ´46 scheme: Regimiento de Caza 13, Torrejón air base 1970.

[John Howling Mouse]

I don´t like the Fishbed too much, but it would be interesting a Spain ´46 scheme: Regimiento de Caza 13, Torrejón air base 1970.

Do you have any pics of that available?

[K5054NZ]

You still haven't said what scheme she'll be, Baz. But good to see you start a jet.


BTW why oh why is the SBD under a bowl? WHY?  

[rallymodeller]

Unfortunately, these pics got re-sized from Photobucket.com so even they don't clearly show how much puttying and sanding has been required.  There's many spots where I can't really get the wet sandpaper in, not even tightly wrapped around an old credit card.  So, I've resorted to scraping with riffler files and Xacto knives, etc.

]

Ever build one of the OEZ MiG kits. JHM? The Academy has GOT to be a Hasegawa compared to that.

Seriously.

Three versions in the box -- what you actualy get are two extra spines and you have to cut the old spine off (and part of the tail for the -bis). And that plastic is about 1/8" thick. AND the wings...well, let's just say that it took me about an hour of flat sanding to get them to mate correctly. Not warped, just really, REALLY thick.

God help me, but I do love 'em anyway...



One of these days I really should dig that out and decal the other side.

[Leigh]

I'm really amazed Baz my Academy Mig 21 went together like a dream it's the kit that really turned me onto Academy as a quality manufacturer at a decent price.

[B777LR]

hmm, what if US and north vietnam swapped fighters? USAF mig 21 in south east asia sceme?