Matchbox MiG-21

Łukasz Gliński
Oh man, what a project! You keep surprising us A. 😛 I have to follow that 👍

Julian Herrero aka Yuri
Following

Maciej Bellos
Watching!

Robert Podkoński
Interesting idea - I'm joining the party! 😉

Andy Ball Автор
Thanks all, I hope you appreciate this is a bit of a "polishing a turd" exercise?.....

Łukasz Gliński
I do it too sometimes 🙂

Cuajete
Great, Andy! 👍

Andy Ball Автор
@Ł..... "or you could roll it in glitter"

Andy Ball Автор
Thanks Cuajete, bit of an experiment (a side project if you will!)

Julian Herrero aka Yuri
It looks like it's a a PFM ... so que turquoise is correct , AFAIK

Łukasz Gliński
I have to admit I haven't thought of that 😄 😄 😄
A side project? And who's multitasking now, A.? 😛
@Yuri: The canopy says PF, the last version with the single-piece one. Still the colour is the same for both variants.

Andy Ball Автор
It may be a PFL (Lokator, for the N Vietnamese) 😉😂

Treehugger
Re. Vallejo primer. My airbrushing results are always nice after I started sifting my Vallejo paint, especially the primer paint. Even one bit of dried flaky paint will cause issues, but I haven't had any for a long while after I started sifting the paint. I also mix the paint in a tiny jar separately and then pour it over into the airbrush cup. The sift I used, was a sift used for loose weight tea, this tiny mesh.

I tend to thin the primer paint with a mix of thinner and flow enhancer. I never spray Vallejo primer out of the bottle with no thinning.

I have managed to use primer paint mainly to fill a seam on one of my models, but it takes a lot of paint, perhaps unsurprisingly.

A Vallejo trick is to airbrush on glossy black primer, and then fill the airbrush cup half with thinner, then add drops of Vallejo metallic paint, for a super thin metal paint. Has to be airbrushed on dry, and very thin, in multiple passes so that you don't wet the surface and create an uneven surface.

Andy Ball Автор
Thanks Treehugger, sounds like you've cracked it. I didn't like their flow-enhancer either when recently I used it too. I assume the polyurethane-based nature of their primers makes them tricky to spray. I feel I may need to try another, simpler, solution.
Their Model Air paints have performed well, though diluted to straight from the bottle.

Treehugger
I've had various results, if I airbrush a ship model with primer, I will want to go over with fine sand paper to make the surface more even. The glossy black primer should look smooth though. Non primer color paint seem finer and easier to spray I think.

Andy Ball Автор
Yes, I reckon that a fine sandpaper approach is something I've neglected to do, and given the unforgiving nature of good metallic paints need this would be prudent

Julian Herrero aka Yuri
Oups ..... Łukasz Gliński you're right .... one piece canoyp -> PF not PFM

Andy Ball Автор
Glad we've cleared that one up, gentlemen

Łukasz Gliński
I think canopy is just the main difference A.
On the other hand I recall reading somewhere, this kit is a mix of both PF & PFM features anyway 🙂

Andy Ball Автор
The tail is PFM for sure? And on the illustration on the box, the pitot suggests an older version!

Cuajete
An improvement over the previous job, 👍
Congrats!

Roy McKay
Stunning. Did you shorten the nose?

I've got both versions of the Matchbox Mig21 in the stash but both are missing canopies...
By the way, where can I get NVAF decals like those?

Andy Ball Автор
Thanks Cuajete- it was worth doing! We restart the 72nd Beaufort next….

Andy Ball Автор
Hi Roy, Modelmaker make a set of numbers and insignia for '21s. I think if you hunt around on here you will find some companies offering canopies. Nose not shortened, may have been resanded a little to take paint off though? Thanks for popping by!

Julian Herrero aka Yuri
Wll done

Andy Ball Автор
Thanks Julian, it's by no means perfect....but I think I've made it a little better than before. I'm quite surprised at the quality of Matchbox's material too.

Łukasz Gliński
I like it 👍 No clue why Matchbox never released it with the VietNam markings

Andy Ball Автор
Thanks again for your support Ł! I think the VPAF star and bar is an attractive option, and the irony of them looking so much like those on the adversary's aircraft!

Andy Ball Автор
Finals, landed, and moved to the hard standing

Andy Ball Автор
At Phúc Yên Air Base

Ludvík Kružík
Nice revival of the old kit, looks much better now. 👍

Just a short note on the MiG PF and PFM versions. Compared to the original F version, the PF and PFM versions (and all subsequent versions) had a larger diameter air inlet and a larger cone (due to the use of a more powerful and larger radar). At the same time, the hump between the cockpit cover and the rudder was enlarged and the built-in cannons disappeared on both versions.
A good identifying feature of the PF version is the large air inlet with a large cone, the one-piece cockpit cover hinged forward and the slender rudder without a parachute cover (the parachute was on the underside of the fuselage in a box to the left of the keel).
The upgraded PFM version had a two-piece cockpit cover hinged to the side with a fixed front section (it is possible that the first machines of this version still had a one-piece cover), the rudder was wider and the parachute cover was in its root section. Later production versions of the PFM had the option of carrying a special poudro with twin cannon instead of an additional fuel tank under the fuselage.
Both versions (PF and PFM) had only two wing hangers (one under each wing) designed to carry armament only.

Jan Peters
That's one nice polished turd Andy 👍🏻

Maciej Bellos
Turd or not, it looks good. Well done Andy!

Michael Kohl
Honestly - I never understood why people redo their ancient kits instead of building one of those excellent nice new ones and enjoy progress of machinery and personal skills. But, hey, who said I have to understand everything 😉 Anyway, I like your approach and the entertaining commentry. Keep it coming. 🙂 I will follow with pleasure.
(and learn a lot on the way by all the input here)

Łukasz Gliński
Referring once more to the mix of both versions - Ludvik is right: the canopy is PFish and the tail is definitely PFMish (and later) 👍

Andy Ball Автор
Hi Lukasz, I think it's a Frankenstein'21, Matchbox's box art suggests a 'F-13/'C - the canopy a PF- the tail an older version. I thought Vietnam exports were PFL's, a special edition for the glorious Indo-Chinese workers of the anti-fascist movement?

Andy Ball Автор
Hi Ludvík, some useful reference information there. I think there's a lot of artistic license going off with matchbox!

Andy Ball Автор
@Jan and Maciej, "you do the best with what you've got" springs to mind…

Andy Ball Автор
@Michael - completely agree with your sentiments. This was a "dress rehearsal" with both paints and techniques. I've got an Eduard MF in the stash, so will try those new technologies soon!

Ludvík Kružík
Hey, Andy. I understand that this build wasn't about making the model as accurate as possible. I also use old models to test new techniques on. 😉 My post was in response to a discussion about what version the model represents.
I wish you the MF Eduard build to be as good as you want it to be. 😎

Andy Ball Автор
@Ludvík, what puts me off the Ed'd MF are all those stencils!

Ludvík Kružík
It is true that there are a lot of templates on the surface of the MiG and it takes at least one afternoon to apply them to the model. The reward for the effort is a more authentic looking model. Especially on silver machines, stecils will brighten up a monochromatic surface. I think the extra work is worth it.
Here's an example of what stencils look like on a finished model: MiG-21PFM | Album by KLuK (1:48)

Andy Ball Автор
@Ludvik- exquisite in 48th!!, and as you say, "worth it"!

Ludvík Kružík
Andy, do you know what marking you will build your Mig-21MF in?

Andy Ball Автор
Hi Ludvík, not sure yet, will be NMF and possibly Czech. (Right answer?)😉😂

Ludvík Kružík
Yes, Andy, as a Czech I consider your answer to be correct 😄 😄 😄

I don't know if there was an NMF version. But if it was supposed to be the MFN version, then Czech colours are the only correct solution. The MFN version is only a Czech thing and was not used in any other country. These were 12 MiG-21MF aircraft whose radars and avionics were upgraded to NATO standards and were built as a short-term emergency solution to cover the transition period until the acquisition of new JAS-39 Gripen aircraft. The aircraft were powered by the Tumanskiy R-13-300 afterburner engine and carried the RP-22SMA Safir-21 radar. Armament consisted of a 23mm GS-23-2L cannon with a magazine for 200 rounds. A combination of FAB bombs of up to 500 kg calibre, UB-16-57U rocket launchers and R-3S, Ch-66 and R-60 missiles could be mounted on the racks. R-3S, Ch-66 and R-60 rockets were also carried on board. Also on board were bomb racks that were equipped with rocket launchers. R-3S, Ch-66 and R-60 rockets could also be carried on board. In practice, it was most often flown with a pair of R-60MKs (AA-8 Aphid) on the inner wing struts and a pair of fuel tanks on the outer wing struts.

The last letter -N- in the version name is neither New nor Navy, but stands for NATO.

Łukasz Gliński
Damn, I thought it was a naval variant 😋

Robert Podkoński
You mean: the carrier-based one, Łukasz? 😄

Łukasz Gliński
Vzduch je naše moře, you know 😄
Sorry for OT A. 😉

Andy Ball Автор
@Ludvík: I appreciate the historical input and the longer view on this model in those post-WarPac years. Eduard seem to have most of the ordinance covered in their offering- the Czech and Slovak Republics joining NATO was no doubt an excellent investment for freedom!

Andy Ball Автор
@Ł bez problemu.

Łukasz Gliński
Youmade my day A. LOL 😁

Andy Ball Автор
Thanks for calling, Neil!!