Mikoyan MiG 21 Matchbox 2022 Group build , Retro-modelling

Roy McKay
Love it. I have both versions of the Matchbox Mig21 in the stash, this and the MF. Missing canopies on both. 😞

Julian Herrero aka Yuri
Me too ,,, I also have the MF/bis ,,, the kit with finish decoration in the box. Let's hope I can manage to solve the nose issue.

Alberto
I built this Matchbox Mig-21 just after getting back into the hobby 4 years ago, also brush painted like in the 80s. I had also had previously a bad experience with glue melting the plastic and since then I use modeling clay for the nose weight

Alberto
Love your reference books by the way

Julian Herrero aka Yuri
Thanks Alberto ,,, usually I don't put so much weight ,,,, The clay sometimes pours thru the joints ,,, Anyway ... thanks ,,, As far as I can I'll try to keep those old books ... just for nostalgia

Julian Herrero aka Yuri
Roy ,,, I build those kits long long time ago ... I'll check if I still have the canopies in my spare-parts box.

Julian Herrero aka Yuri
Roy ,,, I'm affarid I don't have those canopies ... and is rather strange as I have canopies from older models .... In case you want, I have a set of Pavla canopies that includes 7 versions of Fishbeds. You can send me a private message

Jorge Ferreira
Julian. Are you sure it was the super glue ? I`ve had some issues with old plastics when using tamiya cement or any other . Old plastics have strange reactions with new glues.

Łukasz Gliński
Good to see another of your nostalgic projects 👍
This is actually a combo of PF (canopy) & PFM (tail) versions.
Unfortunately CA glues react with lead, either in short or long term, in particular when there is no air access.

Roy McKay
For nose weight I've been using car/moto wheel balance weights designed for alloy wheels. They come with a self adhesive and just stick on like sellotape. If you can still get lead ones they are easy to cut into smaller bits.

Julian Herrero aka Yuri
Jorge Ferreira ,,, yes ,,, it's super-glue + activator ... I'm affraid the problem is the activator ... it seems that it heats the glue.

Julian Herrero aka Yuri
Thanks for the tip , Łukasz ... I never had problems with super-glue ... but may be it's because of the activator and the lack of air. BTW ,,,, the weights are not made of lead but of steel from a broken sellotape dispenser.. Any way thanks for the tip.

Julian Herrero aka Yuri
Roy McKay , thanks for the tip .... that's a good idea .... I should have thouhgt about that because I'm using that on my slot cars ... Thanks to all for your help.

Julian Herrero aka Yuri
Łukasz Gliński ...
I know that's a mix of versions but being faithful to the retro philosophy ... at that time I din't know (as most of the average western modellers ) about Mig-21 sub-versions.
😉
Thanks anyway

Łukasz Gliński
You're welcome, didn't know it's steel - must be the activator then 👍

Julian Herrero aka Yuri
Łukasz Gliński ,.,,, as I guess you're a Mig-21 fan ...... there's a question for you , or any one else that can help me ... I'm planning to paint it as the Indian tiger striped C 992
[img1]
,,,, The issue is about the base colour ,,, My guess is a slightly greenish silver coat ,,, what do you think ?

Łukasz Gliński
Well, there were almost 600 of then in use here, so it's hard to be lame 😉
Not an expert on Indian Fishbeds, but perhaps it's NMF actually:
planespotters.net/ph..an-gurevich-mig-21fl
[img1].html
The second link states it was black striped on a NMF:

Julian Herrero aka Yuri
Thanks a lot Łukasz , that's wat I thought a faded silver varnish ,,,, I'll try some mixes ... now I have to find the gun,

Łukasz Gliński
No probs at all. Looks like KP released (or is to release?) lately this camo option too:
kovozavody.cz/produkt/mig-21fl/
I start to think Matchbox is actually some sort of the FL variant indeed

Julian Herrero aka Yuri
Łukasz Gliński ,,, I agree .... U must check how "true" the bis kit .is

Simon Nagorsnik
Hu, nice, like these old kits!

Bernhard Pethe
This is a MiG-21PFM. If you put Indian national emblems on it, it becomes a MiG-21FL.
Interesting project, enjoy watching. 👍🙂

Julian Herrero aka Yuri
Thanks for the info Bernhard ,,, I can see you're a Mig-21 fan too

Villiers de Vos
Very nice work.

Łukasz Gliński
It's not PFM, wrong canopy 😋

Bernhard Pethe
Die frühe PFM (Erzeugnis 77) hatte diese Cockpithaube. Die spätere PFM (Erzeugnis 94) bekam dann die seitlich klappbare Haube. 🤗

Julian Herrero aka Yuri
A far as I know early PF had narrow chord tail ... I thought that there were no broad chord tail PFMs with with one-piece canopy ,,, but , looking at the Belyakov book ... which should know quite a bit about Migs ,,,,
😉
I've just seen a couple of pictures of PFMs with broad chord tail and one-piece canopy. So the Matchbox kit represents an early PFM ... in my case an FL.
Thanks Bernhard

Łukasz Gliński
M might stand for some additional stuff in the hump
Point for you Bernhard! I'm not expert enough to question that 😁👍

Łukasz Gliński
Just wondering Bernhard, wasn't Izd.77 the FL version actually?
en.wikipedia.org/wik..o_(1961%E2%80%931966)
It's wiki, so I'm not keen to believe it completely 🙂

Bernhard Pethe
Hello Lukasz, I have to correct myself. The Matchbox model is not a PFM, it is a PFS, or it could be an FL. The issue with the MiG-21 variants is not easy. The PFM only started with the other cabin when the new KM-1 ejection seat was installed. 🙂

Julian Herrero aka Yuri
You're right Bernhard ... Mig-21 sub-variants are very very difficult to trace, Thanks anyway.

Łukasz Gliński
Oh wow, the PFS specs are complete mess when I read it, thx 👍
Go for the C992, it's a really cool camo 👍

Julian Herrero aka Yuri
Łukasz & Bernhard, I've checked the wikipedia link at it seems accurate to me ... Checking against the 4+ book , Wikipedia looks to be true… When I have the time I'll scan the 4+ book page that refers to PF, PFS & PFM which gives a good explanation of that sub-version.
So far I've brushed a couple of coats of a mix of Tamiya X11 and just a bit of XF76 but it looks too flat to me ,,, I'll add some gloss varnish and give it a try .

Roy McKay
It's looking stunning. Maybe the camouflage.... even as a 12 year old I didn't think this was one of their best efforts but you've made it look like a "real and serious" type kit.

Ludvík Kružík
Really nice model with interesting camouflage.

The Indian MiG variant is neither PF nor PFM. The correct designation of the Indian MiG is MiG-21FL. The MiG-21FL version has its origins in the MiG-21PF, which was modified to meet the requirements of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Differences from MiG-21PF (Fishbed D):
- Installation of the weaker 5,740 hp R-11F-300 engine in the removable rear fuselage instead of the 6,120 hp R-11F2-300 engine.
- installation of a modified vertical tailplane (SOP) with greater depth and area (5.20 m2 versus 3.80 m2) and a straight leading edge (no "leading wing") with a 61°27' arrow angle
- installation of a 19 m2 type PT-5285-62 braking parachute instead of a 16 m2 type PT-5759-58 braking parachute - its housing is also located inside a cigar-shaped cover cut into the root of the SOP trailing edge, directly below the rudder, while the MiG-21PF PT-5759-58 parachute housing is located inside the fuselage ventral shaft, located on the left side of the aft wing stabilization platform
- installation of a simplified export version of the RP-21/CD-30TP (Spin Scan) radar in the form of the R2L type, which has a shorter range and fewer modes of operation, inside the control cone of the forward circular air inlet
- a reduced range of underslung armament, which includes the RS-2US (AA-1 Alkali) short-range cruise missile and the S-24 240 mm anti-ship cruise missile.
- The absence of a data link between the Lazur navigation system and the SOD-57 (Cross Up) transponder.
- installation of the RSIU-5G radio station instead of the RSIU-5 radio station
- installation of a different type of "own-foreign" identification system.
- installation of a simplified ARK-10 type radio compass without a range module to the ground radio beacon.
- Installation of a more modern KSI-2 type compass (instead of the KSI type).
- expansion of the range of the suspension armament by adding a conformal GP-9 type suspension container with one 23mm GS-23 type double-barrelled gun with 200 rounds (located under the central part of the hull, in place of the PTB hinge) - this necessitated the replacement of the simple PKI-1 type collimator with an optical gunner's sight (this weapon was introduced into the weapon system of this model only later)
- installation of another, second pair of weapon hangers under the outer wing panels (a modification that was later introduced into the design of some production machines)

Read more here: ruslet.webnode.cz/te..mig-21fl-fishbed-f-/

Villiers de Vos
A very nice paint finish.

Julian Herrero aka Yuri
Thanks a lot Ludvik ,,,,,this is a really comprhensive site for soviet aircraft fans.

Łukasz Gliński
So we finally have found the Fishbed expert, haven't we? 😋👍
That's a really cool camo 👍

Julian Herrero aka Yuri
Hi Lukasz ,,, That what it seems ,,, what a pitty that this web is no in english ... it has a huge mass of information
Thanks again Ludvik

Ludvík Kružík
Julian, if it's in my power, I'm happy to help.

I don't consider myself an expert on MiGs. I focus on aircraft models of the Czechoslovak and now Czech Air Force from its beginnings to the present. Because the former Czechoslovakia was under the influence of the Soviet Union for a long time, the Czechoslovak army and air force used Soviet equipment. As far as the Migs are concerned, the Czechoslovak Air Force was successively armed with Mig-15, Mig-17, Mig-19, Mig-21, Mig-23 and Mig-29 aircraft, of which the Mig-15 and MiG-21 in the F-13 version were even produced in Czechoslovakia. Advanced versions of the MiG-21, as well as the MiG-23 and MiG-29, were already being purchased in the Soviet Union.
Therefore, my interest in MiG aircraft is limited to the operation of these machines in the Czechoslovak Air Force. However, in my search for information about these machines, I naturally also come across information outside my interest.

Unfortunately, the RUSLET website is really only in Czech. But I think one of the automatic translators might help. The automatic translations are not always 100%, but they are usually enough to understand the text. Moreover, automatic translators are constantly improving. For example, the Google translator has advanced a lot recently.

Julian Herrero aka Yuri
You're right ,,,, better this than nothing… Thanks to you and Lukasz this project
is about to be finished… Thanks mates

Bernhard Pethe
Die umfassende Erklärung von Ludvik hätte es nicht gebraucht, es war doch klar, das es eine MiG-21FL ist, was Julian hier baut.
Hier kann man jetzt eine perfekte sowjetische PFS sehen. Mit den indischen Kennzeichen würde es eine FL sein. 😉🙂MiG-21 PFS "121" | Album by neo (1:72)

Julian Herrero aka Yuri
Last minute build of the year 2022
Before you blame me for that ... I know thte pitot tube is in the wrong place ,,, but I build it per kit's intructions . I'll think abt changing its position ... what do you think ????

Łukasz Gliński
I'd correct it if it was me 🙂
But still v.decent progress 👍

Bernhard Pethe
... unbedingt! 😉
Warum macht Matchbox so falsche Bauanleitungen?

Julian Herrero aka Yuri
Well , I guess in 1974 there was not much information in the west… Anyway ,,,, it happened and still happens the same with many other kit manufacturers

Łukasz Gliński
They seem to have copied it from the first Fishbed generation, they used to have it there:
[img1]

Julian Herrero aka Yuri
I know,,,, thanks anyway Lukasz….I have allways been a Fishbed fan ,,,, and with this project I've learned an awful lot about this brid sub-variants,,,,
Thanks mates !!

Pierre Pierre
super project very interesting ! happy new year!

Łukasz Gliński
Yuri, I had the Egyptian boxing and well it was a bit more correct indeed.
Stiil, it was Matchbox, don't expect too much 😉
[img1]

Julian Herrero aka Yuri
Tks Lukasz ....
well ... Matchbox -> cheap , usually good fit , and easy build ,,,,, that's what I liked wen I was a teenager ,,, Let's go for another Matchbox for the group build .... Mig-21 , Strikemaster , two-seat Viggen or Starfighter ,,,,, I have to made my mind up ....
I also have a Do-18 ,,, but with this one I wan to detail the model as much as i can ... not a retro-build.

Ludvík Kružík
für Bernhard Pethe
Meine ausführliche Erklärung war wirklich nicht nötig. Aber vielleicht hat es jemandem geholfen, die Unterschiede zwischen den MiG-21-Versionen zu erkennen. Ich wollte niemanden damit belästigen. Falls jemand das so verstanden hat, bitte ich um Entschuldigung.

Ludvík Kružík
Beautiful MiG. The camouflage is very nice! 👍

Julian Herrero aka Yuri
Ludvík Kružík ... for me ... your explanation was very useful ,,, I don't think any one has been ofended ... thanks a lot for your help ,,, I've also serached abt the PFM , PF and PFS and it's rather easy to be mistaken ,... thanks again Ludvík

Ludvík Kružík
You're welcome 🙂

I wish you a successful 2023 and a lot of joy in building more models!

Julian Herrero aka Yuri
I whish all the best for the 2023 and lots of built models ,,,, 2022 the score has been 5 models and one that I did not finish ... let's hope this year I'll build some more .....