John Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 Available from Airfix.com now - get 'em while they're fresh! http://www.airfix.com/airfix-products/new-...&sortorder= I've ordered mine John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vladan Dugaric Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 (edited) The kit is similar in quality to other recent Airfix releases (Spitfire Mk.IXc, Spitfire PR.XIX, Sea Harrier FRS.1, Sea Harrier FA.2). Nice kit, a little basic, heavy and wide panel lines, nice decals. The only obvious error is the shape of the windshield which is too wide, it does not taper toward the lower edge (plus it lacks the metal strips that cover the lower edge of the side panels of windshield), and the lack of the longitudinal frame member down the centreline of the sliding canopy. The plastic has satin texture (no orange peel effect). The intake has about 1 cm in depth and looks the part. The main gear wells have texture which is a little simplified but busy enough. Nose gear well is shallow but again has some detail to make it busy. Cockpit looks OK, but the sidewalls are flat (they should be curved - outside walls of the cockpit are the inside walls of the intake). The instrument panel and side consoles are given as decals, but they look convincing. Ejection seat is simple but nice. Exhaust is a bit crude with thick walls and could be either thinned or replaced with a longer tube. Decals are very nice, thin, crisply printed, with saturated colours and in perfect register. They look like either Cartograf or some other Italian decal company printed it (they are just like current Revell or Italeri offerings), but the decal printing company is not mentioned anywhere on the decal sheet. Edited December 13, 2009 by Vladan Dugaric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vladan Dugaric Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 (edited) The kit shows similarity to the old (and very good but crude) KP kit. KP has much more surface detail (raised) which looks accurate and convincing if only slightly overscale (but still fine). However, early Soviet/Russian jets were not left in bare metal - they were painted silver (similar to British high speed silver), and they were flush riveted and puttied so rivets would not be visible anyway. In this respect, Airfix kit is correct. Edited December 13, 2009 by Vladan Dugaric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted December 13, 2009 Author Share Posted December 13, 2009 Excellent review Vladan, many thanks. I'm waiting for mine to arrive with baited breath as the MiG-15 has long been one of my favourite aircraft. Looking at the parts breakdown, a 2-seater could be a possibility in the future. It looks like I'll be able to swap over my MiG and Spitfire pilots too! John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FalkeEins Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 ..thanks for the comprehensive overview ..will have to do a couple at least.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreenDragon Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Many thanks for the review Vladan, and for telling me the centre member of the canopy is missing. I've been looking at the boxart since they first posted it and thinking somethings not right but I couldn't figure out what! Paul Harrison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Millman Posted December 13, 2009 Share Posted December 13, 2009 Very useful review, thankyou. Airfix inconsistent approach to interior detail and pilots making my head spin! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The wooksta V2.0 Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 has anyone checked it against a set of reputable plans? A mate checked his against the 4+ plans and the kit was overscale! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cvrle Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 Thanks for the review! Glad I nabbed it, now only for it to make the trip across half of Europe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fea Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 (edited) Ayup All... Apart from thinning the IP 'flaps' massively to get them to key into their respective slots, and breaking the rear 'Parcel shelf' off, trying to get the dry fitted IP out, whilst trying to sort the dodgy fit, Things do fit quite well and snug when sandwiched together. but too much work, IMO because it affects the Cockpit tub alignment. Adding lead shot in PVA for nosewheel weight should shore up this arrangement further too. The Decal for the Starboard IP shelf switches quickly curled up upon itself and became a roll of unusable , and so I'll be forced to use the spare out of my other kit. Airfix, your Decals are Get my Drift... ? That's why I'll have to spend extra on some reliable A/M chinese or N Korean ones... One Day, Airfix will sort their poo-poo out... I wish... Edited December 15, 2009 by Fea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAC Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 Fea, You must have different decals to me, but mine went on without any bother at all. Weird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fea Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 Ayup Bri... Well, that's all i can report. I didn't do anything out of the ordinary. Or use any different materials to what i do normally. It just curled and twisted and that was it. I tried to unravel it in my Decal water in a deep bowl, but it stayed stuck. The replacement went on with no trouble at all. and the Tub is installed... I'm ready to add lead shot after dinner... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BAC Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 I hoe Cartograph decals arn't going downhill! That's what comes in the box (ooh err misses) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fea Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 Ayup Bri... Who Knows...? But I can always E-Mail Airfix for another set of IP/Cockpit Decals when I build the other one... And at least I can use the stars for (what will be now) a N.Korean NMF Mig. I've found some lovely pics of a Defectors N Korean Mig 15 in a Museum. All I need now are some red Bars ! And I've also found some Colourful Chinese lettered ones, so one of those'll be on the cards (hopefully) when Mick Grant can take a commission or two next year... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoine Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 Great!!!! A MiG-15 with Russian and North Korean markings!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fea Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 Ayup Bri... Just checked out my Mig... I can't ! A/M all the way then...apart maybe apart from the stencils... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Posted December 20, 2009 Author Share Posted December 20, 2009 Anyone got any thoughts on the slipper tanks? They look a bit anemic to me. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hacker Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 Hmmm this one or the Eduard one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 Apparently, the Eduard is better... but I'm not an MiG-15-Expert. Alex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giorgio N Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 Hmmm this one or the Eduard one? Airfix: basic kit, heavy panel lines, crude details, suspect shapes. Costs around £8 Eduard: nicely detailed and moulded kit, delicate panel lines, nice details, good shapes. Costs around £9.50 in its basic weekend edition box To be honest I would have no doubt in leaving the Airfix kit on the shelves. Actually I'd probably buy even the Hobbyboss kit over the Airfix one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cvrle Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 I've had both and can attest that the Eduard one is the best. This one came out just before Airfix hit their stride... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotorheadtx Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 Airfix: basic kit, heavy panel lines, crude details, suspect shapes. Costs around £8 Eduard: nicely detailed and moulded kit, delicate panel lines, nice details, good shapes. Costs around £9.50 in its basic weekend edition box To be honest I would have no doubt in leaving the Airfix kit on the shelves. Actually I'd probably buy even the Hobbyboss kit over the Airfix one I've had two copies of the HB MiG-15, the bis and the UTI; in both cases the vertical tail was badly warped/bowed due to how the kit parts are snapped into the plastic retainer-pan. Fixable, yes, but still very irritating - their Sabres don't seem to come with built-in fin issues. (Rant over) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Maas Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 Apparently, the Eduard is better... but I'm not an MiG-15-Expert. Alex The Eduard depicts a MiG-15. The Airfix kit does not. Not even close. It's not a case of suspect shapes, it's a case of 1.5cm or so of extra fuselage. The Airfix Fuselage is the length that the fuselage + tail should be. In other words, it's wildly mishapen and is in a lot of ways closer to a MiG-17 than a MiG-15. A pity since they did a good job everywhere else and it's inexpensive. If you want a cheap MiG-15, the HobbyBoss Easykit is actually pretty decent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Maas Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 I've had two copies of the HB MiG-15, the bis and the UTI; in both cases the vertical tail was badly warped/bowed due to how the kit parts are snapped into the plastic retainer-pan. Fixable, yes, but still very irritating - their Sabres don't seem to come with built-in fin issues. (Rant over) Neither my UTI or my bis kit had any warped tail issues. Could well be different runs as that could be caused by not letting the moldings cool properly before removal. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tempestfan Posted April 15, 2015 Share Posted April 15, 2015 Has the jury reached a unanimous verdict which are the best (most accurate) drawings of the -15 ? I am aware of - in approximate order of appearance - Ron Moulton's for Aeromodeller, Rainer Gliss' for AvNews, Ace, 4+ (which I don't have) and those in Yefim Gordon's Aerofax book. The first two are ancient and possibly mix features of suffixless, bis's and licenced versions. Generally I'd go for drawings produced in a country where the actual hardware was built and/or used, so the latter three fit (certainly there have been a huge number I haven't mentioned from Russia, Poland and elsewhere). While they are apparently well researched, the drawings in the Gordon book somehow leave me cool - no datum lines, some slight "kinks" in outline, very few detail drawings. From my recollections, the Ace drawings are similar in some aspects of execution. Any suggestions ? (I tried both google and site search but apparently both Mig-15 and MiG 15 are too short as search terms). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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