MATCHBOX 1:72 MIKOYAN GUREVICH MIG-21

 

Reviewer: Paulo Ivo Teixeira (rec.models.scale)
Kit Review submitted:  6 January 2007

Kit Details:

Matchbox Mikoyan MiG-21 1/72 scale, kit # PK-19, from 1973. Very small top-opening box (in excellent condition apart from a couple of small tape marks), just big enough for the sprues - a far cry from the modern trend for ever more expansive (and expensive) packaging. Doesn't say anywhere which MiG-21 subtype this is, however some quick research suggests it's a first-generation MiG-21P or PF. From e-Bay for 4.80 GB pounds incl. p&p.

Aircraft History:

Well I don't know whether anybody really needs another potted history of such a classic aircraft as the Mikoyan MiG-21, but just in case here it is. It was designed as a light and simple fighter in the 18 months that followed the end of the Korean War. Sophistication, endurance and firepower were sacrificed in favour of outright performance, as was the case with its US contemporary the F-104 Starfighter, which also drew on the lessons of the same conflict. The first MiG-21 prototype made its maiden flight on 14 February 1955. The first full production version, the MiG-21F, NATO codename `Fishbed-C', had a narrow-chord vertical tail fin, narrow spine, and a forward-hinged, one-piece canopy. Fixed armament consisted of one 30 mm cannon, with underwing pylons for two AAMs or rocket pods. The next version the MiG-21P `Fishbed-D' dispensed with the cannon armament and introduced a modified fuselage with a longer nose and larger inlet centrebody to house a more advanced radar. The canopy and spine were also modified, with a distinctive bulge immediately aft of the cockpit narrowing to the standard early spine farther aft, which allowed an increase in internal fuel capacity. The last two first-generation subtypes were the MiG-21PF and PFM with the pitot probe relocated to the top of the nose (where it has stayed ever since) and more powerful engines; the MiG-21PFM was the first to have a two-piece canopy with fixed windscreen. 

Second-generation variants gained more internal fuel, heavier armament and increasingly sophisticated avionics. These include the MiG-21R reconnaissance version, and the MiG-21S, SM, M, MF, MT and MFT fighters, all of which had four underwing pylons. The third-generation MiG-21bis was the most advanced variant to enter production: it was developed as a multi-role fighter, with a completely redesigned dorsal spine holding extra fuel, improved radar, and better combat and ground-attack capability. Early versions of the MiG-21bis were allocated the NATO reporting names `Fishbed-L' and `Fishbed-N'. Two-seat trainer versions (from 1960 onwards) include the MiG-21U `Mongol-A', US and UM. China developed its own much-improved version of the MiG-21, known as the J-7. The J-7 continues in production, and the F-7 export model is also extremely popular.

The MiG-21 is perhaps the most mass-produced jet fighter of the 20th century, with over 11,000 built. It was flown by all former East Bloc air forces, plus those of Soviet allies/clients, including Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh (J-7), Bulgaria, Burma, Cambodia, China (J-7), Congo, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Egypt, Ethiopia, Finland, Guinea, Hungary, India, Iran (F-7), Iraq, Laos, Lybia, Madagascar, Mali, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan (F-7, J-7), Poland, Romania, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. After the breakup of the Soviet Union and of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, it remained on the inventory of many of the nations that emerged from these two former countries.

What made the design so successful was its extremely light weight and manoeuvrability, coupled with exceptional reliability, high sortie-rate, and low cost of operation. However, in common with all early jets, the MiG-21 suffered from limited internal fuel capacity, which greatly restricted its range and endurance. There was also not much room for weaponry on such a small airframe, and its combat record has been mixed. Still it remains, IMHO, perhaps the most elegant warplane ever designed. 

The Kit:

31 injection-moulded parts on two sprues, one dark green, one orange yellow, plus one-piece canopy, all floating freely in box (but no scratches). All parts still on sprues despite age of kit. Very little if any flash. Some ejector pin marks, but most are on the insides of parts and won't be visible after assembly. A mixture of raised and recessed panel lines/control surfaces, none of which appear overdone (despite Matchbox's notoriety on this score). Main fuselage split vertically, one-piece wings. Cockpit consists of pilot and a hugely oversized ejection seat. No wheel bay detail, some nice detail on gear legs. No stores, apart from a centreline fuel tank. Display stand provided (!), of the traditional Matchbox ball-in-socket variety.

Instructions:

Small, 3-colour fold-out sheet with history of aircraft in English, French and German; general instructions and explanation of symbols; special instructions concerning use of display stand, undercarriage and weapons options (though there are none of the latter in this particular kit!). Eight clear construction steps, last one comprising sections A-F.

Painting and decalling guide showing 3-views of aircraft on back of box, detail painting instructions on box sides.

Colour Schemes:

Two natural metal aircraft, one Soviet, one Czech, neither identified. 

Options:

Wheels up or down and that's it really, unless you decide not to use the ventral fuel tank.

Construction:

I started by painting a number of parts while still on sprues: undercarriage legs, bays and inside of bay doors were painted US Light Ghost Grey FS36375 (Hu 127); intake shock-cone, wheel hubs and dielectric panels on tail fin and leading edge of ventral fin US Medium Green FS34102 (Hu 117); tyres, inside of intake around cone and inside of exhaust Matt Black (Hu 33); cockpit and inside of front fuselage a turquoise blue colour (Hawk Turquoise 61-37 from the Citadel Colour range, manufactured by the Games Workshop, England) which seems a good approximation to what I've seen in photos of Soviet-era fighters, perhaps a touch too dark. The pilot's seat was also painted Light Ghost Grey, with cream (Hu 103) cushions; seat belts were added, made from masking tape and painted Light Ghost Grey with silver (Hu 11) buckles.

The seat was then cemented to the left fuselage half and the two halves were cemented together. Fit was very good, just a little sanding required to even out the seams. The nose portion fore of the cockpit is in two halves: the insides having been painted turquoise, I placed around 7 g noseweight (lead chippings encased in plasticine) inside one of the halves and glued the two together. When dry, this assembly was cemented to the fuselage. Fit left a lot to be desired: there was a gap AND a very noticeable step, the nose piece being wider than the fuselage. Out came the Revell putty and sandpaper: I could get a smooth transition in the end, but if you run your finger across the joint you can still tell the fuselage pinches a little there.

Tail fin and ventral fin went on with few problems, just a little white glue was used to fill minor gaps where they join the fuselage; allow it plenty of time to dry (this may be several days!) before you attempt to sand it smooth. Next the wings were cemented to the fuselage: again white glue was used to fill minor (but visible) gaps along the wingroots.

Instructions tell you to cement the nose ring such that the pitot tube goes under the nose. Now only the two earliest MiG-21 variants, F and P, had the pitot tube in that position. On the other hand, the tail fin clearly features a brake parachute housing, which was introduced with the next variant the MiG-21PF. So the easiest way out is just to glue the nose ring upside down (it fits perfectly) so that the pitot tube goes on top of the nose, and voila! you have a MiG-21PF.

The kit comes without any stores except for a centreline fuel tank. I decided I would add some weaponry. Two spare underwing pylons were donated by an Airfix MiG-23, and two Sidewinders (standing in for AA-2 Atolls) came from a derelict Airfix OV-10A Bronco: this is a typical load for a MiG-21. The missiles were painted satin white (Hu 130) with a gloss red (Hu 19) tip and dark (almost black) metalliser stripes.

The nose ring was glued on, then all pre-painted areas and the exhaust area were masked off and it was time to do some serious painting. The airframe and centreline fuel tank (not yet affixed) were sprayed with Tamiya TS-30 Silver Leaf. As usual, several re-sprayings were needed to get a smooth uniform finish, the yellow plastic proving notoriously hard to cover. I did not use a base coat, in order to keep all surfaces as smooth as possible. Masks were then removed and painting touched up with Revell aluminium (Re 99) (NOT Humbrol aluminium (Hu 56), which is noticeably darker and duller). The rear part of the fuselage around the exhaust was painted gunmetal (Hu 53). 

In the meantime the canopy framing, dorsal antenna and pitot tube were painted aluminium (Re 99). I had some trouble cementing the tailplanes - but maybe I just wasn't using enough glue, for fear of staining the metallic finish: a couple of small gaps resulted, so more white glue to the rescue (I just love the stuff). The cockpit was notoriously bare, so I just added some thickish dots of gloss black (Hu 21) to the blank plate in front of the pilot and dirtied them with satin white (Hu 130), to simulate meters: no attempt at accuracy here, in this scale it looks more or less like an instrument panel and that's good enough for me! 

I then affixed the undercarriage, undercarriage bay doors, the two missiles, the dorsal antenna, and the canopy (in this order). I didn't affix the pitot tube until after decalling, lest it detach. The main undercarriage is rather weak, handle with care. Fit of the canopy was the best of my latest 4-5 builds, just a little white glue required at the front, around the windscreen part (plus sanding and touching-up). Lastly, the tip of the intake cone was painted silver (Hu 11), as suggested in a review on the Modeling Madness website. 

Build completed!


© Paulo Ivo Teixeira 2007

Decals:

Small, basic decal sheet with just national insignias and aircraft numbers, no stencilling whatsoever. Slightly yellowed with age but looked usable.

However, I elected to do a Polish Air Force machine instead: spare Polish insignias were donated by a Trumpeter Ilyushin Il-28. The aircraft number, to go on both sides of the nose, presented a problem: all Polish AF MiG-21PF I could find photos of sported four-digit RED numbers, usually in the 2000s.

Now I didn't have enough red digits of about the right size or style in my spares box: the kit's decal sheet did contain a four-digit number for the Czech version, but it was black, and some preliminary experiments convinced me it couldn't easily be painted over. As luck would have it, I had in the meantime purchased another (later) copy of the same kit (well it's officially a MiG-21bis, but it sure looks much the same!), and this came with Finnish and East German decals; the East German aircraft numbers were red, of the right size - and THREE-digit! Still, I reckoned it was a better option than robbing the Il-28 of its TWO-digit red numbers. True, the shades of red are not identical: the red on the Trumpeter Polish insignias is actually scarlet (which defeated my attempt at combining digits from both sheets  to produce a four-digit number), but since the insignia goes on the tail and under the wings, and the numbers on the nose, this isn't too obvious. :-)

Also note that Polish AF MiG-21s don't appear to have worn insignias on the uppersides of wings.

Accuracy:

Definitely looks like a MiG-21 to me! :-)


© Paulo Ivo Teixeira 2007

Conclusion:

A very simple, easy-to build kit of reasonable accuracy. Not up to today's standards of course, but highly enjoyable nonetheless.

References:


© Paulo Ivo Teixeira 2007

 

SMAKR Home  |  What's New  |  Submissions  | Information Requests |  News  |  Links  |  Reference Corner  |  Site Info 
1/72 Reviews  |  1/48 Reviews  |  INBOX Reviews