Defenders of the Motherland

Treehugger
Looks like an interesting kit, with an interesting price. 🙂 But maybe I should try stay away from fix-it-up kits, or try steer away from them and occasionally try find some good ones that doesn't cost "too much". :|

Slavo Hazucha
I was soooo looking forward to this... This aircraft, which is basically the airborne equivalent of Ser Gregor Clegane just owns a serious soft spot in my heart - I actually wanted to do a triple, with the Kindzhal-bearing version in the flock too, but reason, bench space, available time & budget got the upper hand and it´s two in the end. A few minor aftermarket touch-ups are being ordered as I write these lines.

This will also attempt a comparison between the HOBBY BOSS and AMK kits. I know there is probably not a huge crowd waiting for this, but for you who are, here it comes 😄 The rough-handed proletarian hero in one (red) corner vs the smart, refined member of the Intelligentsia in the other (also red) - or are they..?

I was in for a bit of a surprise... comparing what you see on the surface, the AMK kit can hardly be described other than "unremarkable" compared to the fine engraved details of the HB fuselage and upper wings... But then - smart move to say the least - the AMK instructions dictate to start the build with the intakes - an area where Ivan Drago has feeble positive patterns against Leo Trotski´s beautiful (and correct) molded structure...

More revelations to come soon, please feel free to tune in! 🙂

Martin von Schreckenstein
Slavo you are on fire! another one of your incredible builds. I recently saw interesting reference video on this topic. Youtube Video are you planning to put some snow on top of this flying siberian football feild?🙂

Antoine Meylan
Prêt pour une autre missile. un peu plus gros et plus brutal que le 104!!! je suis!!

Nathan Dempsey
Oh yes Slavo, this will be epic! As a young man I built the 1:48 Lindberg kit and boy was it ultra basic. I've since purchased the AMK kit but haven't had time to get it on my bench yet. Can't wait to see these builds.

Urban Gardini
This one is worth to follow! I've got the AMK in my stash.

Sven Schönyan
That´s gonna be a fun to watch! Beer and chips are prepared - let´s go!

Dave Flitton
Watching this!!

Slavo Hazucha
Gentlemen, welcome and take your seats on the parade stand! 🙂

Treehugger, actually I obtained both kits within a 10,- € price range difference... HB was somewhat cheaper, but both between 50-60 €, not sure on the small numbers... 53 & 58 I think...

Martin thanks for the video link - I am actually thinking about a winter theme ground plate for the AMK one! (HB will be in-flight, reasons to be revealed in due time😉 )

Et un peu plus vite aussi! 🙂 Bienvenue à bord Antoine!

AMK kit owners - will try to satisfy your questions & uncover peculiarities! 👍 But I am doing no rivet counting or exact measuring of segments & co... Both look Fox-houndish enough for my purposes 🙂

Palo M
Watching!

Daniel Klink
MiG-MiG-Hooray...
Count me in 👍

Günther Decock
Hey Slavo, ga met plezier volgen.

Jeremy Wiltcher
I've got the AMK kit as well, so I'd love to watch this.

Lode Schildermans
I follow with great interest, Slavo. I'm curious how you will turn it in a masterpiece

Sergej I
In!
Wow, huge! Buy a new compressor😉

Spanjaard
another double master piece on the making. not to be missed, of course 🙂

Slavo Hazucha
Welcome Palo, Daniel, Günther, Jeremy, Lode, Sergej & Spanjaard! Seats aplenty, only thing you need to bring by is time & patience 🙂

Started work on the intakes, these alone are the size of the late F-104J 😄 Some interesting discoveries made - photos following soon!

Michael Phillips
Oh I was just wondering what was next for Slavo, and now I know! How cool of a project. I have the AMK kit, so I am eager to see how they compare. I was thinking of getting the HB version to do an earlier version, as the AMK kit I have is the latest variant.

Can't wait to see the masterpieces that come of this!

Urban Gardini
The early version should be a better kit than the later version between the two AMK's. I've got the later one in my stash.

Daniel
And I am sooo looking forward to this as well mate 👍 this will be a cool couple!

Slavo Hazucha
Welcome Michael & Daniel! I was not aware the AMK kit is so popular! 👍 will try to do it justice and provide a good comparison. At the moment, it´s way ahead, but as a one song of Vladimir Vysotsky goes... "it´s not evening yet...!"

In relation with the start of this build, temperatures dropped some 15-18 degrees Celsius here 🙂 Much better atmosphere for the MiG-31 build now!

Intakes done - this is really 100% AMK territory... To add insult to injury, the HOBBY BOSS fan diameters are wrong (but HB still manages to convert the intake tubes to similarly sized air inlets... The result looks... OK? Since we are really talking about practically invisible areas once the models will be done, I keep things as they are. Checked background and came up with a potentially interesting theory how this could have happened... Or maybe just sloppy kit designers...

In any case, the AMK intakes received a fair deal of weathering, since they will represent a worn workhorse of the 174 GvIAP. The HB intakes... got done too... 😄

Yavuz Engin
Very interesting project. I'm in and following you.

Jos Jansen
Very nice project Slavo...Iam in mate!

Daniel Mysak
I´m following, nice comparison between HB and AMK.👍

Philipp Knobel
As always fascinating to view and read your progress on the model. Can't wait to see the final models!

bughunter
Oh, a new project! Following of course 🙂 The layout of the intake is very interesting, may be the tunnel is flexible and more closed at higher speed? The speed of the incoming air have to reduced below sonic speed to avoid engine stall, if I'm not wrong.

Slavo Hazucha
Welcome Yavuz, Jos, Daniel, Philipp & bughunter! Happy to have you on board & will try to entertain properly...

Jos I felt a massive itch to do a big piece of Russian metallurgy again, so I better started 2 at once 😄

Frank you are correct about the airflow management requirements, but on the MiG-31 the ducts are static - very much actually, structurally relevant, the inner walls are at the same time the side-walls of the central tank and the outer wall and the curvature directly border to the LG wells for the massive wheels. They came in a variety of paints & primers, on early models often white-grey or as I use, "dirty white" tones. Later models often appear metallic or the primer is scratched down to metal since there is a lot of "human traffic" in the ducts before each flight 🙂

airplane-pictures.ne..yan-gurevich-mig-31/

The airflow management is very similar to that on the F-14 - everything happens in the inlet, with Actuators changing profile for the necessary shockwaves + there is an air-bleed door on the top of the inlet & a moving lower lip. On the MiG-31, as on the F-14, 15 & similar triangular inlet jets, the work is done by the inlet moving parts, not by a profile change in the solid duct - simple scheme here:

[img1]

Andy Ball
Aye-up!, better check in. MiGs ahoy!....comparison-build- bonus!!

Clifford Keesler
How did I miss this one? It will be another stunner. Watching with keen interest.

Slavo Hazucha
Welcome Andy & Clifford - not much missed, mostly unboxing & removing from sprue until now 😄

Continuing the review & comparison with Landing gear wells (both having their merits, do not necessarily discard the HB, despite it´s first look horrible ejector pin-marks). I will build the HB kit with LG up, so I can focus all my energy into the AMK one, which means I can afford some more exotic scratch-replacement options... 🙂

Also - how else - I am taking on the engines early! And discarding both kit´s parts for AMIGOS resins... As you know this part of a jet is particularly close to my heart, so I better had to get the right stuff. AMIGO resin is beautiful, but be ready to saw through some thick trunks... AMK needed further filing & fitting but now it´s all good, primer drying for adventures to come!

James C
I missed this one... following 👍

Lode Schildermans
So impressive, Slavo, and even more with the explanations and comparaison of the different kits. Your improvements are even more impressive. This is truly master level

Eelco Gregoire
Great project, following the built of these big birds!

Jos Jansen
You give the rest of the world another model building master class on how to make something beautiful with passion ... ! 👍

Slavo Hazucha
Welcome James & Eelco, Thanks Lode & Jos!

Lode I find it really interesting to do the 2 models in parallel, the kits are both in a good quality range, but have totally different strengths & weaknesses, so it´s interesting for me to follow & try to utilize them to their best...

Jos, the MiG-31 is one of my favorite planes for so many reasons... It´s a one-purpose dinosaur, resulting from the geographical necessity for the Soviet Union/Russia to stick to the Interceptor concept... "best aircraft in it´s class" where everyone else has abandoned the class long ago 🙂 and such a monster too... I find the Kinzhal concept interesting too, may even do one more in the future...

Slavo Hazucha
Soooo... have been busy around the loud corner of the AMK-kit!

As some of you may have noticed, I tend to make the engines early on during the build - it´s one of my favorite jobs & it sorts of sets the spirit of the build for me - and if I like what I have, it motivates me to add a nice plane to the engines then 😄

The Amigos resin is great in terms of detail, but the surface of the outer nozzles is rather rough and due to the positive panel lines there, pretty much un-mendable (at least with my skill- & tool-set...) But since the MiG-31´s growling end is far from a polished shiny knight-look, a lot of it can be caught under the finish...

I applied the usual mix of MRP metals, inside got black, grey, grey-brown & black-brown oil treatment, the outside (after air- & dry brushing passes) was finally treated with inks. As seen here is before any varnish, but I intend to seal them (the ink). Applying & aligning the 54 hanging cooling valve covers surely was goof fun too! 👍

Clifford Keesler
They look great.

Sergej I
Master of metals... Slavo, not Gorgoroth 👍 😄

Jos Jansen
So true Sergej...!

Alan López
Cool exhaust paint job...

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Clifford, Sergej, Jos and Alan!

Sergej I regularly work myself into a Lacquer- and Oil-thinner fumes induced frenzy & these are the results 😄

Treehugger
How was the ink actually applied to the thruster parts? Maybe you could repeat that process after rinsing the parts with water after adding ink? Or would that be too much?

Daniel
Those 54 hanging mini-valves take that nozzles to a whole new scale level, definitely a wise decision to get aftermarket here, the big holes are maybe the most prominent part of that plane. So a good starting point I guess and you as always get the max out of the metal 🙂 I am experimenting with water based weathering on my 190 right now as well and can say that I do like the oils much better...but still theres potential for interesting effects if you get some experience
A pleasure to follow your big migs

Spanjaard
those cans certainly look amazing.

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Treehugger, Daniel & Spanjaard!

Treehugger I´m not killing these now, but I will do another pair for the HB kit - I will:
A; try something new/extended there
B; try to document the steps and method
- let´s hope it works as I imagine...

Daniel the amount of scratch modifications needed on both AMK & HB kits to get a really decent result is such that (after I started a bit on one...) I quickly opened a browser & looked for aftermarket sets 😄 The Amigos do a decent job on the resin part (but the PE plate is extra!), there is at least one additional option (Katran)... Watching your FW works - I am definitely not leaving oils for water - just wanted to "extend my envelope" by a few experiments 🙂

Daniel
yeah, same here 👍

Nathan Dempsey
That's another lovely heavy metal finish. Those exhausts look big enough to stand in.

Lode Schildermans
You're a true artist, Slavo, and an example to all of us. Your work is exemplary.

Maciej Bellos
I am grabbing a beer!

James C
Once again you've shown that you are the master of painting engines (inside and out) they look incredibly realistic! 👍

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Daniel, Nathan, Lode, and James!

Welcome Maciej - Grab a crate and consider a beer subscription if you plan to follow this one, not going to be fast... 😉

James I effectively pick my builds by the amount of "fun" offered by the engines by now - really like this part of the building- and painting process. And there is one more MiG to go!!

Lode thanks for the "artistic" compliment my friend - actually I often question my process for being "achieving realism" vs goofing around with techniques... 😉

Nathan - MiG-25 in picture here, but they ain´t got any smaller on the ´31:

[img1]

bughunter
Oh my god - what furnace pipes! When I think how much CO2 comes out of them ...
How do you know about all the little details, e.g. the valves?

Nathan Dempsey
That'd be a great figure set for a kit Slavo. Make sure to feature them in your build so some kit company trolling Scalemates will take your idea and make a kit for the rest of us😉

Clifford Keesler
Agree with everyone you sir are the master of metals. Wish mine were 1/4 as good as yours.

Donald Dickson II
I think the only kit exhausts I have ever truly liked and raved about are the ones on the Revell F-15E. They are fantastic.

Here again, two good kits but the exhausts meh. I am coming up on that part with the 14s here soon. Hopefully AMK did better on those.

And I am not even going to bother telling you your work is awesome anymore. It would be more of a rarity to say you screwed something up.😉

Christian Kohl
Impressive work, Slavo and a very interesting comparison of the two kits!

Николай Дом
Спасибо за подробное сравнение. Работа замечательная!!!

Alexander
Missed the beginning of this undertaking, but I am not surprised to see the beauty you did again with the engine nozzles! 👍👍
I built the AMK kit and was very pleased overall - except of getting pink decals on the canopy that simulate the rubber sealing.
Will look very forward to your progress on your take on the "flying claybrick", as I like to call it (though for a brick, it flies pretty good).

Lode Schildermans
Slavo, your detailling is beyond every comparaison when I look builds at SCM. And yet, you know to improve. Incredible job on those exhausts. One can hardly see the difference between the real thing and a scale build. I've rarely see such a talented builder

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks mates for all your praise & interest!

I apologize for some radio-silence here, my progress was sluggish as I had to go into effective Lockdown mode again with work & having skype/zoom/teams calls all day was sapping all my energy lately. hope to get some motion into this during the WE!!

@bughunter - I really like researching & replicating jet powerplants, investing into photo research + a good informative web on many Russian engines i.e. is over here (most of the info also in ENG):

leteckemotory.cz/motory/
leteckemotory.cz/motory/d-30f6/index.php?en

@Donald - I definitely am looking for an excuse to do the F-15 engines at some point - still contemplating to which plane best connect them... Unfortunately the cool Israeli Raam´s with the eagle on the fins all seem to have the external petals on - and that would be a pity 🙂

@Николай - спасибо за похвалу - использовал для справки много русских сайтов!

@Alexander - I´m thinking about this: Mask the lines for the sealant and create a slightly uneven surface (maybe with PVA-glue?) and spray that pink... we´ll see And I agree that the design of this aircraft is... "very functional" 😄

@Lode thank you my friend - we´re both perpetrators who always keep returning to the scene of the (favorite) crime - you to the bent metal with crazy mechanical details, I to well used jet engines! 😉

Daniel Klink
Slavos back 👍

Nathan Dempsey
Love those "minty" cockpits 😄

Slavo Hazucha
Cheers mates - I really apologize for the submerged state for the past 2 months... As Covid measures hit again here, I went to full home office and spent my days in tedious conf-calls and frustrating delays & changes to work plans every week, seeping all my will & energy for the hobby... I managed to do some work on the pit, but it all went so sluggish and ground to a still.

Now in 2021 I hope to re-ignite the whole thing! Hope you all managed to stay safe and avoid the pits of frustration & procrastination I fell in head-on... 🙂 Looking forward to some good time in 2021 and seeing a lot of great stuff from all of you while I maybe manage to finish this...

As the model goes, the inter-manufacturer cockpit race is tight... AMK takes the nicer & finer molded instrumets, also closer to the original, especially the side panels. Only to lose it completely on one of the few actually well visible assemblies - the HUD & pilot instrument cover... Despite all my attempts, the HB part looks better by a mile.

I also experimented with paint vs decal - I still like doing a nicely formed pit "old-style" without PE... judge for yourselves if the results are worth it... 🙂

@Nathan - yeah, the color was actually developed by some serious Soviet deep-psychology Gurus for the purpose of providing a working environment that keeps the aircrew energized and motivated - maybe I should spray the rest of the bottle on the walls of my hobby room! 😄 😄

A happy new year to the whole great worldwide community here and apologies again for not being much of anything the past 8 weeks..! 👍

Daniel Klink
Hi Slavo, understand exactly what you mean! Workplace full in ones home is not the real deal.
But happily you found your Mojo again 👍

Eelco Gregoire
Good to see you back Slavo.

Stefan Schacht
nice to see you here again, count me in.

Andy Ball
The one they call "Slavo" stirs back into action. 😉 Glad to see back!

Nathan Dempsey
Welcome back Slavo! Ahh yes the minty cockpit color. I know it well as my living room is this color which might explain why I'm so bleeping cheery at home 😄 Here we call it Key West blue as it is the color of the sea down there. Check out my Turbo Otter project to catch a glimpse.

Slavo Hazucha
Daniel, Nathan, Eelco, Stefan and Andy - many thanks for having me back!

Still thinking if I should re-commit into this two-headed monster of a project or start something new and re-gather energy for the great, MiG's to fly another day... Is the 5'th gen group build still on? 🙂

Sven Schönyan
Great to see you back on the workbench! In between I also started a little different project in order to practice some painting techniques.

Donald Dickson II
This crap has been a drag on everyone sir. Glad to see you back in action. 🙂

Pierre Pierre
following

Daniel
He is alive! Great to see you back 👍

I personally never understood the thought behind those hospital-colored cockpits but it is looking amazing! no need for the new quinta studio stuff on your workbench really 🙂

@ 5th Gen: Well I got my replacement window for fat amy, finished my hornet - I would be ready to roll 👍

Augie
Ooo am in 🙂

Daniel
3 is a GB 😄

Slavo Hazucha
The 5th gen GB was originally Michaels idea:

#244 Trumpeter J-20 Black Eagle | Project by Fighting 84 (1:48)

Unfortunately he appears to have job issues right now, I really hope he gets things sorted and we can have that going! I have 2 candidates, none of them an F-35 (still can't 😉 ) so not hard to guess... 😄

Would be top to have a chance to team up with you on this later this year. I'm also thinking about a "build a MiG-21 in 2021 challenge". But first, I think I will soldier through these two babies. The mojo's back, so is the drive to try some new things!

@ Daniel I was actually looking at the Quinta stuff - if I'd be doing the HB kit open, I'll probably would have gone for it. But the AMK molding of the instruments gives no real excuse to do that & I enjoy the good old "paint your cockpit" kind of story... 🙂 every now and then, at least...

Michael Phillips
OK, after my little two month break, I am ready to get back into this. I am going to set up the GB for 5th generation within the next two days... stay tuned!

Oh, and btw, FANTASTIC work on those cockpits!

Clifford Keesler
Good to see you back mate. Your work is always amazing and awe inspiring. If I ever get half as good as you, I will die a happy man.

jan zumack
Looks very good. ????

ZHOU Kun
Definitely FOLLOWING this build! Amazing!

Martin von Schreckenstein
hello Slavo, nice to see you back. I'd be definitely down for that MiG-21 2021 group build. I want to build all my three remaining CSLA MiGs together after i finish my wolfpack. nice progress on thise Foxhounds!

Clifford Keesler
Is there going to be a Mig-21 group build? It would give me a good excuse to build one of the Eduard Mig-21's that have been laying in my stash for about 3 years. LOL.

Jos Jansen
Who is going to set up this Mig 21 GB, and has Tim from SCM already created an extra button / tool to simplify the creation of a GB?

Sergej I
omg omg I haven't even properly started the 5th gen GB yet... 😄

Augie
Lol I'd be in for MiG-21 GB

Urban Gardini
MiG-21 is one of my favourites and I hope to build one this year.

Jens
Hello Slavo, great to follow your report, it is a pleasure to see that I have made the better choice for myself with the AMK MiG 31 🙂 As always, your work is one of the best that can be seen in a construction report, only a few manage to work at this level permanently to show 👍 👍 👍

Spanjaard
Jos, anybody can create such event (like you can create an event for your local club, for example). Just neede to go to events, and create one

Lode Schildermans
Slavo, this album let me sitting here completely speechless. Astonishing

Clifford Keesler
Your work is always amazing Slavo.

Andy Ball
Great dialogue Slavo, your vignettes on the builds will inspire others!

Slavo Hazucha
Cheers mates - this project is a bit on hold for the 5th-gen build F-23, but every day I feel the mojo coming back to do some works on the MiG´s 🙂

While the F-23 is mostly a paint-job, this is an intricate project with a lot of planned detail-upgrades & co... Thanks for all praise & motivation!

@Jens - the AMK is objectively clearly a better kit, yet in some aspects the HB does better - stay tuned for further comparisons... what I do not do is comparing the actual measures in 48-scale - not my stage to add/substract a mm here/there on a wing/elevator etc... 🙂

Now for the MiG-21 GB - I hope it comes to life, got one on the shelf and a clear plan what to make out of it... Whoever gets to the MiG-21 first on his next project should start it 👍

Slavo Hazucha
Fresh energy on the northern border!

Following the F-23 detour, it´s time to pick up what was unjustly laid to rest. Yet, "things happened" in the meantime, most importantly thanks to my Friend PaloM I got my hands on a book... And now "things cannot be ignored" 😄

Started on the LG shafts with some updates (lot of work, but I keep reassuring myself that certain angles and a lot of light will allow it to be visible...) and I sort of like landing gears...

Also working on the cannon housing (MiG-31 like all Soviet Metal will not deny a winchester dogfight!) but... still needs work... 🙂

Spanjaard
Back on business!

Palo M
Glad you like the book! The cannon looks spectacular already, looking forward what you do with the rest of it! But I see the cannon photo is not here yet - please fix that 🙂

Jens
Hello Slavo, at some point I've probably already looked at your MiG 31 project, just because the AMK MiG 31 has always fascinated me, now mine is finished and even if the model fits perfectly through and through, the chassis should urgently be reinforced with metal or directly be replaced by a metal chassis, otherwise just a dream 🙂 where of course you go into very much detail again, which as a little hobbyist I didn't want to try 😉 really great to look at 👍 👍 👍

Slavo Hazucha
Welcome back Gentlemen!

@Palo - the cannon needed some more work, bud... 😉

@Jens - good to know about the metal legs - fortunately, I am making a double build AMK/HB and Hobby Boss actualy provides metal LG OOB - which I will not use there, since HB MiG will be presentad airborne... Will check if the fit is somehow usable... so far, the differences were... "there" 😄

John
I appreciate the extra information that you provide with your photos.
Excellent, excellent work.

Gary Victory
Slavo really nice work on both kits. Always interesting how manufactures can come up with different detail on the same feature. Love your attention to detail.
Looking forward to your progress.

Sergej I
Glad to have you back Slavo, enjoy the build and we will enjoy your progress 🙂 👍

James C
Cool to see you return to this one Slavo 🙂👍

Clifford Keesler
Very nice.

bughunter
Already in that state I need to look twice - what is the original, what the model? 👍

Sven Schönyan
Good to see you back on this build Slavo! Excellent research and modelling skills as usual from you!

I agree with bughunter. Hard to figure out what´s real and what´s model 🙂

Daniel
Awesome work slavo, great to see you back with this epic double project! Always like your unique way of adding interest to certain kit parts with ship PE 🙂
Also I like your approach looking at it more as an artist improving his composition than counting rivets, translating stencils and resizing blue prints🙂

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks John, Gary, Sergej, James, Clifford, bughunter, Sven & Daniel!

I'll try to keep both kits going +/- parallel. Prospect of completion also opens some placement issues - I managed to squeeze in the F-23, but adding even one MiG will require some deeper going room re-shape... But we're not there yet, not even close 🙂

bughunter, Sven and Daniel - thanks for your (exceptionally tolerant) views 😄 Daniel actually got it, I just try to interpret the "archetypical" forms and highlights so they +/- work in scale... If the whole works, I am happy, no need to look back for any minutiae... (except when it is a Flanker, of course... 😄)

Nathan Dempsey
Lol! Your statement about the Flanker makes me cherish your kind comments on my Flanker build. I'm loving your work on the gun. I went the lazy way:

MiG-31 GSh-6-23M gun (Katran K4806, 1:48)

Vjekoslav Ranec
Amazing

Sebastian Spluszka
Great!!!

Alexander
Detailwork on gun looks really good - can't wait to see the rest of this build!

Clifford Keesler
Me either, going to be a real stunner.

Neil
Just STUNNING! Really interesting album 👍

Clifford Keesler
The master at work.

Ben M
Very cool MiG 31 builds. I like the kit comparison and the hints and tips along the way as well.

Lode Schildermans
Always a pleasure to see what you're capable of. And always impressed

DuperScale
When you keep going? Love the project and the side by side comparison.

CaptGPF
Love the play-by-play comparison and how you up-detailed the kits as you go along. Definitely can't wait to see how this dual build ends!