MiG-23 UB 'Flogger' - ART Models
Commentaires
70 20 May 2020, 22:37
![](/profiles/img/13641-502-s.jpg)
Following, got the KP copy waiting in my stash, wondering how bad the fit is 🙂
21 May 2020, 09:14
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
Yes, I got the KP version too, but they are not identical. Well, some sprues are, but many parts are new and are not interchangeable. The ART version for instance has its nose cone integrated with the front part of the fuselage, while the KP has a separate nose cone. Also the transparencies are different, the KP windscreen is too small for the ART model.
21 May 2020, 09:58
![](/profiles/img/35928-142-s.jpg)
I will follow this with interest. I always wanted to build a few Czech Floggers but i do not have patience for these kits so I will wait for a future tool of a 1/72 Flogger. I'm sure one will come up before I retire🙂
21 May 2020, 11:30
![](/profiles/img/23938-707-s.jpg)
Cool project, again. Following. I have the RV kit in my stash, along with their resin pieces.
21 May 2020, 11:41
![](/profiles/img/13641-502-s.jpg)
Ok, now I got it, sorry for long reaction time 🙂 It turns out I mixed RV with Art Model boxing 😄
21 May 2020, 11:51
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
The front part of the fuselage is assembled, and yes, just as I suspected, the fit is awful. The mating surfaces are uneven, which results in gaps and steps no matter how I tried. I filled the join lines with my own "Liquid Sprue" and will now let it cure for two days before sanding everything into shape.
In the meantime I started with the back part of the fuselage. The wings have no internal swing mechanism (for instance "cogs" like the old Academy kit), so if you want the wings to be positionable, you will need to design something from scratch. Personally I won't care and will cement the wings in the regular "parking" position, i.e. fully swept back.
21 May 2020, 18:42
![](/profiles/img/27826-126-s.jpg)
Interesting... I have this kit in my stash and it have many decal options. Following.
21 May 2020, 20:04
![](/profiles/img/36121-874-s.jpg)
Thomas: you pick the toughest plastic to work with :-0 .... however you're a craftsman with whatever medium you use!!
22 May 2020, 09:01
![](/profiles/img/10976-s.jpg)
This seems to be a reissue of the kit of the RV Mig23 kit family under the ART brand. If this is the case this build will be a real challenge . I will follow to see how it turns out.
22 May 2020, 11:07
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
@Christian, yes, it looks like a slightly dumbed down version of the RV kit - a one piece canopy, a slightly bubble-damaged resin cockpit and so on. But it is actually not that bad - the details are superb, even though the fit is surprisingly poor at some places.
23 May 2020, 09:34
![](/profiles/img/36121-874-s.jpg)
Is there consensus on the best MiG-23/27 in 72nd?....(I have the Hasegawa'27 from many years ago)
23 May 2020, 11:08
![](/profiles/img/13641-502-s.jpg)
AFAIK Hasegawa and Academy Floggers are said to have many significant shape issues, the most famous being wings. Though it's hard to find reliable plans 🙂
PS. I plan to build one day reboxed Academy 23 & 27 anyway 🙂
23 May 2020, 11:28
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
I would say the RV (ART) version, closely followed by the KoPro collection. The Academy kit is a remake of the old Hasegawa tooling, although with recessed panel lines. It is not very accurate and you'd better spend your time building the KP's instead.
23 May 2020, 15:12
![](/profiles/img/27826-126-s.jpg)
Fantastic job so far...
I agree with Thomas... I would also say that the best is ART/RV for now, in shapes and details, despite the fit.
23 May 2020, 17:11
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
I finally assembled the front and back parts of the fuselage. Having no alignment tabs meant that I needed to eyeball the join really carefully so that the fuselage stays straight and true and not shaped like a banana.
25 May 2020, 14:04
![](/profiles/img/36121-874-s.jpg)
"If you're going through [sanding] Hell, don't stop".....(looks very Flogger-y now)
28 May 2020, 11:59
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
The Flogger is getting close to priming, but since the canopy masks (annoyingly enough) still haven't arrived from Ukraine, I might need to wait a bit longer... In the meantime I have been busy adding small details, such as pylons, air brakes, some cables for the landing gear bays and such. The landing gear assembly seems like quite a fragile construction, so I think I will add it as late as possible.
8 June 2020, 06:14
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
Still waiting for the canopy masks that I ordered five weeks ago, before I can continue... Man, this Ukranian mail thing is taking like 4eva ... 🙁
19 June 2020, 08:57
![](/profiles/img/12266-226-s.jpg)
Gotta love those builds where you actually need to get your hands dirty. Really nice work so far👍
Cockpit looks great btw!
19 June 2020, 09:23
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
Still waiting for the masks to arrive... Three of my other orders from Ukraine are still missing, so I am starting to suspect that nothing from Ukraine will ever get delivered at all. Stolen or lost, I guess I will never know. Bummer...
9 July 2020, 18:46
![](/profiles/img/36121-874-s.jpg)
Ukrapost certainly *suck*, my Reskit's took months- but be patient they will arrive.
9 July 2020, 19:43
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
At last! After several months in transit from Ukraine, the Pavla transparent vac-formed canopies appeared in the mail! So I can finally dust off the model and resume the build. Yay!
2 August 2020, 18:48
![](/profiles/img/27826-126-s.jpg)
Good news, Thomas! 🙂 👍
What tool type has you used in the Dremel? Fine grit sander roll?
2 August 2020, 19:59
![](/profiles/img/36121-874-s.jpg)
Terrific skill on those vacform canopies , I must ask you about the Dremel - thinking of getting one, looking forward to the build moving on....
2 August 2020, 20:47
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
Cuajete & Andy, I have the Dremel 4000. It can be set to run at a very low speed (5 KRPM), which is low enough not to melt the styrene (higher speeds will do that in an instant). For the canopies I used a very fine grinding stone. BTW, in case of a spouse approval factor, the Dremel is not just a modeling tool, but is also great for fixing stuff around the house, I recently used it to cut the metal fixtures for our new panel curtains.
2 August 2020, 21:57
![](/profiles/img/36121-874-s.jpg)
@Thomas: thank you very much. Can I also practice dentistry with it too?????, but seriously- I too can think of alternatives, and my good lady never objects to those sorts of acquisitions (she's on about another dog!, and I'm sure will go ahead and get one!)
2 August 2020, 22:17
![](/profiles/img/12266-226-s.jpg)
Funny, because I obtained a new "Dremel" recently as well. In my case it was a Proxxon though, but "Dremel" seems to be the universal name for small hand rotary tools.
Anyway, it had the lowest RPM setting also at 5000rpm which to my taste is way, WAAAY to high for our purposes. Really curious that you label 5000 rpm as "very low", Thomas, but of course in the end all that matters is personal taste and what you do with it. Ended up sending the Proxxon back and buying a fairly cheap one from Amazon (20€) which has the lowest setting at around 1000-1500 I believe. Perfect for drilling holes is soft plastic with sub 1mm drills, but you can also crank it up to 10000 rpm+ to cut metal. Very multifunctional.
3 August 2020, 09:42
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
Alexander - I guess "very low" is relative. My previous no-name grinding tool had the lowest setting of 12.000 RPM, needless to say, that was pretty unusable for plastic. The Dremel on the 5000 setting seems okay as long as you are careful. I have polished, drilled and grinded plastic without any issues.
3 August 2020, 12:20
![](/profiles/img/12266-226-s.jpg)
Ok that makes sense now, all is relative and you compare it to what you are used to. My previuos trusty drill (which was a Christmas present from my parents back in 1999!) was rapidly demising after 20 years of usage and it was also a low rpm low torque tool.
3 August 2020, 14:06
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
Primer and grey coat added, I was almost starting to think that I would never get this far with this model! Now some details and then it is time for the gloss coat, decals and weathering!
22 August 2020, 21:19
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
Excruciatingly slow progress, but alas, I have only like half an hour here and there to spend on model building for now and I am (perhaps foolishly) spending it on four or five simultaneous projects. Anyway, I am pondering how to best represent that very visible pink-brown sealant around the cockpit glass panes... I think it is too tight for painting. Decals maybe? Any ideas?
4 September 2020, 05:10
![](/profiles/img/28845-385-s.jpg)
What kind of drill bit on a dremel do you recommend for sanding away plastic, either thick or thin?
4 September 2020, 08:16
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
@Treehugger, I am using various engraving cutter bits. It works quite well on plastic as long as you keep the speed low.
[img1]
4 September 2020, 18:06
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
@Łukasz, yes, you are right, I even asked you about it regarding your MiG-29 project, but it somehow slipped my mind. I actually have the Aizu Micron 0.4mm tape and will try to use it. Thanks for the tip!
4 September 2020, 18:07
![](/profiles/img/13641-502-s.jpg)
Too bad, maybe you could use some matting sponge or prime it using some Alclad paint?
5 September 2020, 19:06
![](/profiles/img/10976-s.jpg)
I never had this issue with vacu canopies. I usually prime them with Mr. Surfacer by using the airbrush after they have been masked with Tamiya tape.
6 September 2020, 08:25
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
Good news, using my UMP primer did the trick, I guess my jar of Mr Surfacer was contaminated or too old or something? Phew, that was a close call... Gordon & Łukasz & Christian, thanks mates for the tips!
6 September 2020, 15:23
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
Andy & Cuajete, thank you guys. To be honest I have no idea what went wrong with the Mr Surfacer, it was the first time it failed on me. But I am pleased that I managed to salvage the project, I was really *this* close to tossing the whole model into the drawers of oblivion.
6 September 2020, 18:37
![](/profiles/img/13641-502-s.jpg)
Looks like somebody in the East is reading your mind Thomas...
MiG pink supersonic sealant (Begemot 72-083, 1:72)
8 September 2020, 15:31
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
Łukasz, wow, thanks! Sealant decals on order directly from Begemot, cool!
9 September 2020, 08:54
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
Decals and stencils being added and I also started to do an application with a dark gray wash. Still quite a few details remain, like antennas, some tiny detail painting and so, but I am actually starting to see the finish line now! 🙂
20 September 2020, 19:52
![](/profiles/img/13641-502-s.jpg)
Looks like I'm not the only one avoiding the pin wash, good😉
What's your excuse?😉
20 September 2020, 20:22
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
Łukasz, this model is literally covered all over with panel lines and rivets, so pin washing would be nearly impossible, at least with my mediocre skill set. I think a full panel wash is a quick way to get a pretty nice result.
21 September 2020, 05:12
![](/profiles/img/48665-446-s.jpg)
Joining in very late - Flogger two seater definitely a rarity not to be missed 🙂
Looking all great, incl. the latest wash 👍
21 September 2020, 09:27
![](/profiles/img/36121-874-s.jpg)
I'm guessing those long-worded Hungarian warning stencils (I'm sure they wouldn't have been Russian?) make for a more visible presence on the airframe?....
21 September 2020, 09:37
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
@Slavo, thank you, you are welcome!
@Andy, yep, that's Hungarian. The red ones around the wings say "Caution, honeycomb, do no step here". I guess it is the internal structure they mean, but maybe Winnie The Pooh's lunch, who knows.
21 September 2020, 10:07
![](/profiles/img/13641-502-s.jpg)
In English it may sound short, but each word must have at least 100 chars, like in German 😛
21 September 2020, 10:44
![](/profiles/img/65482-613-s.jpg)
You put a lot of work into it, but I can see that the final effect will be great. I have it in stock, and I can see what awaits me ...😢
22 September 2020, 16:53
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
Krzysztof, yes, it is actually a much more difficult kit than what I thought it would be and I am honestly not 100% happy about the result. But I have two more KP MiG-23's in the stash (a rebox of the ART kit), and I am sure I will be able to do a much better job now that I know about the pitfalls.
22 September 2020, 17:02
![](/profiles/img/36121-874-s.jpg)
@Thomas: are you not curious about the Clear Prop offerings coming before commencing the KPs?
22 September 2020, 17:38
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
Andy, I already have the KP's in the cupboard, but will probably get the CP ML version whenever that is available. As they say, "one does not simply... have enough Floggers".
22 September 2020, 17:49
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
Sergei, you are too kind. I am actually not 100% happy with how this model is turning out, there are just too many tiny misses everywhere that I could have avoided. I think I will build the KP version real soon and make that one better.
25 September 2020, 20:35
![](/profiles/img/36121-874-s.jpg)
Thomas: you've done that plastic metallurgy again....base metal to gold. I know your inner demons - many of us feel in our work, and from what I've seen they should be duly dispatched by this particular work! Bravo on an atypical subject!
25 September 2020, 21:32
![](/profiles/img/10792-966-s.jpg)
Interesting and informative to follow your WIP and a very nice and sharp work indeed 👍
26 September 2020, 08:33
![](/profiles/img/23938-707-s.jpg)
Looking excellent Thomas. I am logging this build for reference before I start my RV MiG 👍
26 September 2020, 12:12
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
Andy, Christian, Alec, thank you for the compliments! I still have a few more final steps to go before I can call the model finished, shouldn't be long now.
26 September 2020, 13:40
![](/profiles/img/27826-126-s.jpg)
Thomas, your job looks great. It would be fantastic to see in your hands an Art Model's Mig-27😉
26 September 2020, 18:28
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
I spent more than an hour yesterday adding the service stencils... there are still like 50 of them on the decal sheet, but frankly I don't think I will bother adding them all. Also, some of the tiny PE antennas are so tiny that they get lost in the "panel lines", which makes them quite pointless to add.
29 September 2020, 05:36
![](/profiles/img/36121-874-s.jpg)
Great work!!, you got across the line at last. Unusual variant and an atypical user too. Good to see the investment in the canopy paid off....splendid!
29 September 2020, 16:33
![](/profiles/img/27826-126-s.jpg)
Outstanding, Thomas! And very nice hangar... that hangar that looks great with the lights and is now all the rage in SC😉
Congrats!
29 September 2020, 18:08
![](/profiles/img/13641-502-s.jpg)
Oh man, dat Floggerrrrrr... 👍 👍 👍
and dat hangarrrrrr.... 😮 😮 😮
PS. Nice colour setting for the inside pics, looks so coldwarish 👍
29 September 2020, 19:57
![](/profiles/img/20363-907-s.jpg)
I was waiting for these pictures of the Flogger and the hangar. Waw !!!!!!
29 September 2020, 20:05
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
Thank you guys, it was actually a surprising amount of a struggle to push the Flogger over the finishing line.
30 September 2020, 06:11
![](/profiles/img/27826-126-s.jpg)
Wow... Night picture looks awesome real!
Even background lights look like the Taxiway track😉
3 October 2020, 17:37
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
Daniel, Cuajete & Martin, thanks! He he, yes the "airport" lights in the background are actually my computer screen being reflected in the window.
3 October 2020, 18:50
![](/profiles/img/13641-502-s.jpg)
Nice tricks, first the street lamp fitting the hangar scale and now the taxi lights 👍
3 October 2020, 19:04
![](/profiles/img/48665-446-s.jpg)
Very cool looking & rarely seen Flogger version, and a perfect installation, especially the night pics! 👍
There are moments when I think about some form of "base & background" for my kits, this definitely is one of them! 🙂
4 October 2020, 13:07
![](/profiles/img/17207-773-s.jpg)
Thumb ups and handclaps, stunning work, especially the canopy cutting part. Those hand scribed panel lines scared me off from buying one though... (Still better than floggers from KP probably?)
20 November 2020, 13:03
![](/profiles/img/57594-145-s.jpg)
HammerMax, thank you! I am not sure about the RV kit, but the ART kit is more or less the same kit as the KP. Lots of rivets and panel lines, all a little bit wonky.
Oliver & Julian, thank you, my dear fellow modelers!
21 November 2020, 20:02
![](/profiles/img/50023-373-s.jpg)
Thomas, I just discovered your build here. Great work on not such an easy to build kit! I am building the KP Model/MiG-23MF and of course there are generally the same issues. I was about to mount the air intakes and luckily I noticed just in time in your pictures how I should improve them. Thank you! I will keep using your gallery as inspiration.
21 February 2022, 07:00