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CONDOR 1:72 MIG-31 FOXHOUND
Reviewer:
Paul Wherran
(rec.models.scale)
Kit Review submitted:
8 September 2002
Condor kit number 7206 and one of a small number of MiG-31 kits released in short time of each other, which included Zvezda, Condor and ICM (the latter reboxing this kit), other kits to appear include Zhengdefu reviewed elsewhere on this site and Eastern Express (who reboxed the ICM reboxing!). There are just over 100 light grey injection molded parts on two sprues and about half a dozen clear parts on one sprue. Panel lines are recessed and very fine and typical of eastern European short run kits. The decal sheet is small and provides for two examples.
A3 sized and folded to make an A4 booklet providing the usual things you would expect from a reasonably furnished set of instructions; including brief history, five-stage assembly drawings, sprue diagram and the decal placement and painting schemes. The instructions are bi-lingual, in Russian and poorly translated English. Colour information is provided in generic names and no reference to any standards or paint ranges
A sparsely detailed cockpit is provided that is best summed up in that the bare essentials are there, the instrument and sidewall surfaces have no detail at all. There is an aftermarket etched set by Part obtained through Aeroclub, made for the Zvezda kit but suits this kit fine as well. Seat belts, instrument panel console, sidewall console and the usual throttle detail are the main parts of the set and spruce up what would otherwise be a very bland interior – plus of course some rear cockpit detail. The cockpit section fits inside the lower fuselage half, which suffers from ejector pin marks and some minor flash. Once cleaned the cockpit combination fits in well and the rest of the assembly can commence.
The main fuselage halves are split horizontally which makes for a pretty heavy set of pieces, in a number of senses of that phrase. Particularly when it comes to gluing the two halves together. Both halves suffer from a bit of flash and mold imperfections, all requiring removal and cleaning before assembly can proceed. The upper half includes the first sections of the wings which are supposedly there to strengthen the join, as they certainly aren’t there for much else. Once the fuselage halves are together they will need some clamping in various parts to keep from separating.
The intakes are next, added to the fuselage sides in two main parts and are a poor fit. Resulting gaps are large and need filling, and the whole section needs a fair deal of sanding to blend the intakes into the fuselage. This becomes the standard state of play throughout the assembly process so no real need to go through a comprehensive set of sub-assembly details, just highlight the major areas that need attention. Continuous filling and sanding leads to a reduction in surface detail, so it is handy at the end of the assembly process to go over the whole model and rescribed the detail.
Here are the main areas of concern during assembly, each of these being poor fit, needing filling and subsequent sanding:
· The main wing assembly results in several large gaps around both the wing-root-join and from the “stub” wing sections already molded onto the upper fuselage half.
· The tailplanes have small locating pegs that need a touch trimming and the fuselage section needs a fair amount of sanding so the tailplanes are flush against the surface, particularly if angled down.
· The twin tail booms do not fit flush against the mold of the top of the fuselage and need filler to smooth the join and plug up the gaps.
· The nosecone is a poor fit, without adding in a lump of filler and sanding smooth to blend into the fuselage, a noticeable step will result.
· The canopies require a tonne of patience combined with a fair bit of dry fit testing before being secured in place. I had to use tissue paper to assist in the assembly as it was unavoidable having to press them into place with fingers.
Undercarriage assembly is more confusing than it is problematic as far as fit is concerned. There are some small parts which are difficult to detach from the sprue without breaking them and add to the complexity of construction here. Some additional stretched sprue on hand will probably need to be utilised and the instruction sheet confuses the assembly somewhat. Best advice is to read the instructions and match the parts against any reference photos you can find – there are some really good pictures on the Net particularly at Ken Duffey’s site as noted below.
One of the pluses for the kit is the selection of stores you are supplied with including different pairs of large missiles and drop tanks, allowing you basically any combination of each type (eg: all missiles, half tanks/half missiles etc).
The remainder of the construction process is generally hassle free with the kit providing only a small array of external antennae to put on I believe there is also an external brass set for this aircraft from the same manufacturer noted in the cockpit section above, however, I thought the sets were one in the same – except one for a different variant, and did not get hold of one. In hindsight, one might find the exterior set also handy for this kit even though it was produced for the Zvezda version.
The decal sheet provides for two options, Blue 51 or Red 08 with the latter also sporting a small horizontal streak design on the intake. The nose was painted in dark grey and a medium grey was used overall on the model itself, again, using the pictures from Ken Duffey’s site you can match up the right shades. The decals are well printed but carry an excessive amount of carrier film and need trimming. Once they are applied though they conform to the model surface very well.
It’s hard to comment fully on the accuracy of the kit other than the basic profile and measurements as compared to the reference sources one can find on the net or in print. In both these cases the kit comes out very well and certainly acceptable in this scale. However, it appears to me that the fins are slightly inaccurate in profile and the nosecone is also incorrectly shaped.
Really a kit for experienced modellers only, it suffers from a plethora of fit problems and you will need a full tube of filler and a ready supply of sandpaper alongside you throughout the project. For those who are not put off by the fit problems and the excessive filling and sanding; can also undertake a bit of rescribing work; and of course are a fan of the MiG-31 then this kit would certainly be highly recommended to those of you. It is a large model and you certainly get an appreciation for the size of this aircraft. I certainly found the project a bit frustrating at times but in the end I also believe the ends justified the means as the kit turned out to be a winner!
Recommend for MiG-31 buffs and those with a fair degree of modelling experience, and patience.
Ken Duffey's site regarding Soviet aircraft, has some walk around pictures of the MIG-31 which were utilised through my project : http://www.flankers.co.uk/
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