1/48 Academy MiG 29A - NATO Fulcrums

Gallery Article by Said on July 6 2003

 

These are my 4th and 5th ACA MiG29As (2116). These have been modified somewhat to depict a MiG 29 “G”, or “German NATO” version of the Fulcrum. Once more I used Aires resin cockpit sets, resin exhausts and decals are from Hi-Decal MiG 29A/B/G Fulcrum (Prod # 48-013). There are about 12 decals per jet on this sheet, plus stencils from the kit’s decals. Paint is Model Master Enamels and Acrylics used to depict modern NATO Camouflage. Silver details are Testors square bottle silver, grey is Tamiya dark gray.  

 

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This is the MiG29G 1st Squadron, 73rd Fighter Wing “Steinhof”, German LW, based at Laage AB. The colors and markings are for a jet that made the 1999 Island Hoping on the first ever visit by the Luftwaffe to America.  They came via Scotland, Iceland and Canada. The pylons have been modified to accommodate extra gas tanks (taken from a SU25UBK), which have been modified with new winglets and other detail. The jet has been extensively weathered because it has just crossed the Atlantic .

Since then the LW Fulcrums have visited Florida and upstate New York again. Once they complete their current trip to America they will be retired. Germany has decided to ground their Fulcrums in favor of the EF 2000 and they were sold to Poland for 1 Eurodollar each.

Engine exhausts are resin. Weathering was oil washes with dark umber and burnt sienna, and a mixture of dust and Future. Scratch built tubing and oleos for the wheel wells and landing gear. Please note lights on top of jet and on bottom of port engine. The antennas on the Polish jet have scratch built from thin copper plate to look like their modern Fulcrums. There are 2 blade antennas on the hump and those under the chin are nonstandard, modified for Polish jets only.  

The second jet is a Polish Fulcrum after overhaul, wearing new NATO colors, antennas and English stencils. This is Red 66, MiG29G, 1st Fighter Regiment, Warsawa” Polish AF, based at Minsk Mazowiecki AB, 1999. These Fulcrums went into operation in 1999 and were to be joined by the LW Fulcrums after they returned from overhaul in Russia . However, since then plans have changed a lot. Poland has now bought F16C’s which will begin to be delivered soon. The future of their Fulcrums is unclear but it seems like they will be returned to Russia for good this time

This is a good example of how this world is changing. When I began this build I meant to show the LW Fulcrums now and in the near future. Now this build represents two birds that flew but whose time has come to pass. Both will soon get their wings clipped and probably be scrapped.

And this is the MiG Alley. 5 pro-built Fulcrum A’s.

Next up is Wile E. Coyote’s MiG21Bis Gee-Bee Racer and about 10 other ongoing projects. I’ll build me some more Fulcrums soon, but for now am taking a break from this my favorite jet.

Thank you for watching!  

Said, aka The Mexican Shark.

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Photos and text © by Said