Subject: Re: MiG-21 build
From: "Steve Bamford" <[email-masked]>
To: "Murphy, Thomas J" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 30 Dec 2002 12:20:50 -0800

Hi Thomas,
Thanks for resending your article.  I hope to have this on ARC tomorrow.
Thanks again for sending it in.

Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com

Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you have never been hurt; and
Dance like no one is watching!

----- Original Message -----
From: Murphy, Thomas J <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Sent: Monday, December 16, 2002 9:46 AM
Subject: MiG-21 build

> <>  <> Steve,
>   I'm sending this article again (originally sent 11/26), I assume it bit
the dust in you computer crash earlier this month.  It will be include some
follow up photos on e-mail.  I don't have any particular preference where
the photos go.
>
>                                                                THE
AIRCRAFT
>
>       Developed after the Korean War, the MiG-21 very much mirrored the
contemporary U.S. designed F-104.  It was a lightweight, point defense
interceptor that went on to perform a multi-role mission.  It still remains
in service in both its original build and in remanufactured versions.  While
not without its faults including poor armament and visibility, limited
avionics, and short endurance, it also had many good features.  Its small
size made it very hard to see in combat, and while it has a high airspeed
bleed off in a maneuvering fight, it retains the capability to point its
nose at very low airspeeds.  At least as important as those virtues, it was
easily maintainable; an important factor for the many third world nations
that flew it.  Egypt has a long history with the MiG-21, and still flies
them to this day.  While used primarily in the air defense role, they have
also served in ground attack and reconnaissance missions.  It was this last
type of aircraft that I dec!
> ided to model.  The MiG-21R (NATO designation) carried a centerline pod
mounting cameras or Elint equipment and which replaced the 23mm cannon.
While carrying this pod it was still able to retain a self defense
capability of AA-2 "Atolls" and carry the vital, and ever present, external
fuel tanks.  Reference sources indicate that at least some MiG-21R's also
carried wingtip mounted ECM pods.
>
>                                                                 THE KIT
>
>      The Fujimi series of MiG-21's have been around for quite a few years
now, and are, by far, the best kits of late model Fishbeds in 1/72 scale.
There have been negative comments made about the size and shape of the spine
and of the wheel well bulges, but these kits certainly look the part of a
late model MiG-21 when assembled.  Overall, these models have engraved
detail and assemble rather easily, due in large part to the real aircraft's
simple shape; even the separate spine goes on with no filling.  Turning to
this kit in particular, for a MiG-21R "peeping MiG" (as it's called on the
kit box top) it lacks the wingtip mounted ECM pods mentioned above.  The
pitot boom is also incorrect; the real thing lacks the vanes mounted on the
boom.  In addition the is incorrect in its radar scope placement and type of
gun sight.  The MiG-21R has the radar scope mounted at the top, center of
the instrument panel, and the gun sight is the smaller type used on the
MiG-25 and SU-15.  F!
> inally the Egyptian markings provided with the kit may in fact have
actually been applied to a Fishbed J (at least according to color profiles
I've seen).  In short the kit seems to be a Fishbed bis (due to the too
large spine) carrying a reconnaissance pod; whether that is possible in real
life is open to conjecture.  In any event, this kit was built well prior to
the outstanding 4+ book coming out, so most of these detail differences
weren't known to me when I built it, and I I just wanted to give the paint
scheme a try.  Construction started, as always, with the cockpit, which is
rather simplified compared to the real thing.  Real MiG's have a large
number of single function toggle switches placed all over the cockpit; these
were not present on the kit.  I reproduced these using decals and scrap
plastic, added a radar scope hood, and gun camera.  I also replaced the
kit's anemic seat with a True Details KM-1.  The rear bulkhead was detailed
with framing and ejection rails!
>  as was the inside of the canopy with Evergreen strips, then the whole
assembly was painted Soviet cockpit green from the now defunct Red Paint
line.  The seat was painted according to the instruction sheet that comes
with it and from what I've seen of the actual KM-1 seat.  Outside of that
the rest of the kit was done OOB with the exception of the missiles and
their rails.  The kit offers the option of dropped flaps and separate
ailerons.  I left the flaps up, and glued the ailerons on with a very slight
degree of deflection often seen on modern aircraft following engine
shutdown.  The AA-2D Atolls came from Hasegawa's Weapons Set III, and they
are actually AIM-9G's.  In real life both the basic and advanced versions of
the Atoll were copies of captured American Sidewinders, so I always use the
missiles (AIM-9B or G) from this set to replicate the Atoll.  Because the
AA-2D's were cooled missiles, the launch rails were different, so the kit
rails were replaced with ones that!
>  came from the spares box.
>
>                                                               PAINTING AND
DECALING
>
>     I went mostly by the kit instruction sheet for the paint scheme;
although, as I mentioned I have my doubts about its accuracy.  Given the
variations that occurred in Soviet schemes, and even more in Egypt's air
force getting totally accurate, verifiable info is problematic at best.  The
paints were all Gunze Sangyo, consisting of H55 (tan RLM-79), H306 (gray
FS#36270), and H64 (green RLM-71) for the topside, while H67 (light blue
RLM-65) was used on the underside.  The easiest way to paint this
complicated scheme is to work inside out.  The green was painted first, then
the gray, and finally the tan.  Paper masks held in place by rolled up tape
provided the soft edges to the patterns.  Once the topside was done the
bottom was painted again using paper masks.  The radome and dielectric areas
were masked and painted using Gunze H340 (green FS#34097) as were the wheel
hubs.  The instructions call for the wheel wells to be painted H336 (hemp).
I elected, instead, to use lig!
> ht gull gray (FS#36440) based on photos and real life MiG's I've seen.
It's hard to be dogmatic on wheel well colors for the MiG-21 given its
diversity of users with their varying standards for overhauls.  The landing
gear was also painted light gull gray again based on the same evidence.
Tamiya clear was used to provide a gloss coat, and the kit decals were used
along with some stenciling from an old Micro Scale sheet.  The matte coat is
highly thinned Testor's Dullcote which had been "doctored" by pouring off
some of the carrier fluid after the bottle had settled for a couple of
weeks; this provides an absolutely matte sheen.  The tailpipe section and
nose ring were masked off and sprayed with thinned Rub N' Buff.  While all
this was going on I painted the AIM-9G's that were to serve as the Atolls.
The base coat was matte white, and the nose was painted graphite with a
silver band at the extreme tip.  The forward fins were done in dark metallic
gray, and the rollerons i!
> n matte aluminum.  The TDD (fuse section) was painted matte black and the
seeker "glass" dark earth.  The missile rails were painted medium gray.
>
>                                                       FINISHING UP
>
>      The landing gear and doors were glued on using liquid cement for the
gear and CA for the doors; the AA-2's  were then added also using CA.  The
canopy was glued on, and the supporting wire added from stretched sprue.
Overall, this was a simple and satisfying project.  The Fujimi kit is
excellent in its basic fit and detail, and with a few aftermarket items, and
better looking missiles makes for a convincing replica of the MiG-21;
although, not the MiG-21R version listed on the box top.  Eventually I plan
on making an accurate MiG-21R using the 4+ book for references and parts
from the Eastern Express kit.
>