1/72 Hobby Boss MiG-15bis

by Josip Žagar

--------------------

  Czech National Day 2008 

 

This is my latest and last creation for this year. Hobby Boss labels it an "easy kit" but aside from a single piece wing and a spartan cockpit, there really isn't anything that would set this kit aside from any other plastic injection model kit. The main parts are packed in a sort of a tray with a conventional sprue tree hidden beneath. There are more parts altogether than in a typical Hasegawa kit of similar size. One gets a choice of 2 different types of drop tanks and decals for a single Chinese or a Soviet airplane. Also it's really cheap. I bought this one for less than 6 Euros from a local dealer. With this price and ease of assembly one could build himself a squadron of these planes, including UTI twoseaters which share the same parts with this kit.

A modeler who builds this kit will need skill and patience as there are some glitches and fit issues; namely the wing to fuselage fit and fuselage halves. Those areas needed puttying. Also there are problems with the canopy which lacks defined frame lines on the windshield area. Therefore I painted those freehand!

Click on images below to see larger images

  

  

  

As I really hate boring bare metal and am really fed up with Korean war MiGs I decided to make something unique. A Czechoslowak AF acrobat from 1950s. I scrounged some decals from my friend and went to work. Weathering was kept modest as this plane was probably well cared for.

Also let me use this opportunity to point out how great this site really is. It doesn't just allow you to admire the work of other modelers and display yours, but can also help building friendships and bring together people who in normal circumstances would never had met.

It was through this site that I, a modeler from Slovenia, got to know a modeler from Mexico, Fernando I. Moreno Villa. We kept in touch via e-mail and began exchanging knowledge and tips. It was nice but it was also just virtual. However, this autumn (while he and his wife were honeymooning in Europe) we arranged a meeting in person in one of Europe's prettiest jewels; Venezzia. It was a story worth of Ian Fleming but since Fernando will be posting his stuff here pretty soon, I'll let him to finish the story:-)

Thank you Steve Bamford!

Josip

Click on images below to see larger images

Photos and text © by Josip Žagar