ON THE SHELF
AIRCRAFT KITS80 Airfi x Model World View more reviews online: http://www.airfi xmodelworld.com 81
HYBRID HEAVY INTERCEPTOR
Russian MiG-31M Foxhound
By: Trumpeter
Item no: 01681 Price: £4 7. 9 9
Web: http://www.pocketbond.co.ukTrumpeter’s MiG-31M Foxhound
is a welcome addition, but could
have been so much better, being
undermined by poor research. On
the plus side, there are new fuselage
and nose halves (capturing the
revised airframe/aerofoil shapes
correctly), provision for six underside
weapons as opposed to four, new
cockpit displays, AA-13 Arrowmissiles, wingtip countermeasures
pods and a modified canopy/
windshield. However, modellers will
need to scratch-build extra AA-12
Adder pylons for the inner stations
(just the larger AA-6 units are
supplied), and correct the vertical fin
fillets, dielectric panels, parachute
housing, wing fences and wing-root
fairing. Note the AA-6 Acrid missiles
should be consigned to the spares
box. The single scheme depicts the
most well-known airframe, Blue 57,
as it appeared at Minsk-Machulischy
between 1992 and 1997.Viêtnam
By: Eduard
Item no: 11115 Price: €44.95
Web: http://www.eduard.comEver to get the most from its
moulds Eduard has re-packaged
it’s 1/48 MiG-21PFM in this bespoke
Viêtnam product. The firm’s
Fishbeds are sublime, and here,
the eight large styrene runners
are accompanied by tape masks,
pre-coloured photo-etched metal
details and decals for PFMs of the
Vietnamese People’s Air Force.
We’ve reviewed previous boxings
of Eduard’s MiG-21 and they never
disappoint, there being beautifullyengraved panel lines, worthy
styrene detail and a generous
array of stores. The exhaust is
replicated well, undercarriage bays
are busy and one has the choice
of a closed or open airbrake. Oh,
and the cockpit is superb, with
a fine ejection seat and clear
moulded instrument panel. The
liveries represent bare-metal and
camouflaged aircraft:- 5034, Nguyen Than Xuan, 927th
FR, July 1972 - 5066, 927th FR, February 1972
- 5014, 921st FR, March 1968
- 5017, Nguyen Van Coc, 921st FR,
April 1969 - 6173, 927th FR, 1979
Messerschmitt Me 209V1
By: Special Hobby
Item no: SH72138 Price: €15
Web: http://www.cmkkits.comHere’s a lovely little rendering of
the Me 209V-1, which, while being
flown by Fritz Wendel, set a new
world air speed record in April 1939...
but the type was named Me 109R
at the time to fool the public and
Germany’s opposition abroad. While
the parts count is relatively low
(just two runners and a one-piece
canopy are supplied), the detailis respectable. The cockpit is well
equipped, with a seat and mounting
bar, control column, rudder pedals,
an instrument panel (recessed dials
and decals) and switch boxes for
the side walls. The exhausts and
spoked wheel hubs are pleasing
(convincing depth to the latter), and
besides the record-breaking overall
blue livery, one can also replicate the
earlier airfame in aluminium, with
the original vertical tail, but sans
undercarriage bay doors:- D-INJR, Fritz Wendel, April 26, 1939
- WNr 1185, Dr Ing Hermann Wurster
SNEAKY RECORD-BREAKER
IVAN'S POST-WAR DOODLEBUG
STAR ‘N’ BAR FISHBEDS
IVAN'S POST-WAR DOODLEBUG
1/72
Russian MiG-31M Foxhound missiles, wingtip countermeasuresChelomey 16KhA ‘Flying Target’
By: Brengun
Item no: BRP48003 Price: €12.09
Web: http://www.brengun.czModellers looking for something
different to hang from their Soviet
Tu-2 or Tu-4 bombers are unlikely
to find much stranger aerial
fayre than this twin-pulse jet V-1
derivative. It’s been produced
previously in 1/72 scale, and
Brengun has up-scaled the parts
for this very unusual subject.
There’s a single styrene runner,
and the components are wellmoulded, with delicate engraved
panel lines and rivet detail. The
pulse jets have just three parts
each, but this reflects their very
simple design, while the stub
wings butt-join to the main body/
fuselage. Thoughtfully, there’s
an eight-part dolly for those not
wanting to hang their 16KhZ from
an aircraft. Three schemes cater
for red/white test objects (one
with crudely '0123' numerals, the
second with numerous ‘SCC•’
logos on the airframe and engines)
and a notional production machine
painted overall green.