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Thomas Kolb
While waiting for some paints to arrive in the mail to continue my MiG-23 build project, I decided to do a very quick build of the Eduard L-39 in my stash. This kit is labeled as a "weekend" build, which might be a bit optimistic for me, but should still be a quick progress.

Clement
Great job on that cockpit.
Following with interest.

Łukasz Gliński
Me 2 👍 That cockpit is astonishing 😮

Harry Eder
Great start! I'll watching 3

Clement
Do you already have a plan for the shades you're going to use? I found the L-39 classic camouflage very hard to get right. I hope you'll have more luck with it.

Mr D
Looking good, cockpit green is 👍 nice.
Coming on good 👌

Łukasz Gliński
@Clement: I think I've seen these colours released lately by Mr.Paiint

Robert Podkoński
Taking a seat here.

Ekki
Watching too.

Clement
Thanks @Łukasz, well spotted!

MRP-010 Brown Green ČSN 2250
MRP-013 Khaki ČSN 5450
MRP-027 Light Pastel Grey ČSN 1010

For those interested

Nicolas
Joining

Thomas Kolb
For the Hungarian standard camo, MRP has released an entire set, consisting of MRP-351 Brown, MRP-352 Dark Green and MRP-353 Light Blue.

Thomas Kolb
Yesterday I spent some time comparing the hue and tint of the MRP paints with my own mix of Tamiya acrylics (as described in photo 26 above), and found them to be absolutely identical. I also found the MRP paints much too smelly and aggressive and hard to adjust if you want to blend in slightly varying tones in panels etc. The Tamiyas can furthermore be used for extremely diluted thin filter applications, while the MRP are block solid.

Clement
Well done on those paints!
I agree with you, Tamiya paints spray great and don't smell nearly as nasty as MRP's.

Cuajete
I was missing this one.
Well done so far, Thomas! 👍

J35J
Great progress!👍🏻

Łukasz Gliński
I see you mixed too much of this colour and used it on the background 😋
Lovely preshading, sth I don't have enough patience for

István Szücs
Very nice build and paintwork!

Cuajete
Very nice painting job, Thomas. Looks fantastic so far 👍

I recently saw that Edward has released the transparent parts of this kit as "L-39 Revised Canopy":
L-39 Revised Canopy (Eduard 7040Y, 1:72)

Do you know what problem the original transparent parts have?

Guy Rump
Looking great 👍

Thomas Kolb
Cuajete, thank you! No, I wasn't aware of any issues with the canopy. To me, the version provided in the kit is good enough, it certainly looks correct compared with photos.

Nicolas
I'm not sure, but the kit photos show onle the multi part canopy. The revised Canopy kit also has a single peace closed version.

Thomas Kolb
Nicolas, yes, you are right. With the new set you also get a closed canopy so the builder doesn't have to join the separate pieces together. I guess it makes for a simpler build.

Cuajete
Thank you mates! 👍

Michael Kohl
Taking a late seat. Interesting background information.

Cuajete
Thomas, I thik that your SK 61 Bulldog album was deleted. I can't see it

Nicolas
@ Cuajete: I tried it direktly from Thomas' albums. There it works, but ther is a notice that comments are disabled.

Cuajete
Thank you, Nicolas 👍

Łukasz Gliński
Lovely shading Sir 👍

Moreno Baruffini
Very nice! This build reminds me that I started a similar kit more thas ten years ago, with a Czech camo and some decals already applied...Now It's om the "shelf od doom" ...Maybe something I'll retake it!

bughunter
Impressive list of accessories!
"Detail & Wonder" creates also wonderful 3D printed gears with metal inserts (great packing and manual too, but I do not know the F-14 one): F-14A Tomcat - Landing Gear ..onder Studio DW480608, 1:48)

Martin von Schreckenstein
hi bughunter, i was considering D&W but opted for Reskit in the end. i will put them into the 3d printed gear wells once they become available though 🙂

Giorgos
Very keen to see the progress!

Martin von Schreckenstein
welcome Giorgos. there are still several items on the shopping list before some real progress happens here but indeed some substantial progress might take place this year🙂

Martin von Schreckenstein
the cockpit has arrived so i started dry fitting. its quite a puzzle. i will follow up later with a progress album once the intakes arrive

Villiers de Vos
I am sure you will do it justice.

Marius
Good luck mate!
I assume you know how this kit is, so you know what you are embarking into.

Maciej Bellos
Watching!

Martin von Schreckenstein
Marius, welcome. I was preparing myself mentally for years but now that I actually see the kits I have to admit that substantial further meditations will be required to ensure progress haha

Welcome Villiers and Maciej

Sylvain Vernier
The force be with you! 🙂

Andy Ball
Oh, wow. Going in?…good luck!

Martin von Schreckenstein
welcome Sylvain and Andy. i did not uave time to visit the workshop but next step is the cockpits. i am gonna open the MF and try to open the backseat of the UB

Andy Ball
I'm guessing you've checked other's work on these kits on here?, I'm sure they'll give you a heads-up on what to expect?

Marius
Good decision at cutting those air vents. Btw, now it's the right time to decide if you also want to drill the large holes for the lights (beneath the air intakes) and attach the clear parts as well. It's tricky, but worth it.

Łukasz Gliński
Joining the party 👍

Martin von Schreckenstein
hello and welcome Andy, Marius and Lukasz. Thanks Marius for pointing out those lights - I attempted to drill them out with a passable result.

I am also finishing up the interiors. i chose to open the backseat of 8325 and the 3924 is to be open also - the resin cockpits were distributed and prepared to reflect that but I am still not quite happy with how they turned out. I will leave them for now, the instrument panell will be the most visible and there is not much to do about that save for buying some additional PE parts.

also regarding the surface detail - it is correct and extensive but very pronounded. I did a pass with surfacer to fill it somewhat. i want the planes smoother as they seem in the pictures. that is what i want to focus on with this build. good filling and sanding so that the shape is nice at least, especially around the cockpit

Michael Kohl
Congrats on the ClearProp Floggers. I suppose you are aware of the issues of this kit - nice as it looks. If not I recommend sneeking into one or two build threads to minimize disappointment.

Martin von Schreckenstein
Hi Michael. Since my favorite 1/72 F-14 is Hasegawa and I am currently building two KP Floggers, I'd say the issues in Clear Prop kits are not something that would disappoint me🙂 I did research them anyway though🙂

DerMattes
Watching with interest 👍

Martin von Schreckenstein
wanted to catch up the ClearProp MLs to the KP bunch.

For a little mini review - I have to say that ClearProp definitely made the cockpit a little too complicated for its own sake so simplifying the process as opposed to the PE instructions could potentially yield better looking result for clumsy modellers like me🙂 otherwise, joining the lower hull part with the completed nose should be done with care and a lot of dry fitting, sawing and sanding. In any case though, I am wary of criticising the kit too much as this is the first time there is an 1/72 flogger kit that actually fits and looks like a flogger OOB. Keeping possible flaws in mind, I am still extremely happy with the kit.

Furthermore, I decided to use the extra clearProp clear parts and graft them onto the KP models. Process was successful with the MF but the UB actually has entirely different windshield shape which of course I know but didn't realize until AFTER cutting into the plastic. You win some, you lose some I guess.. Will try to fix it and I don't think hurt the kit much as opposed to the original haha

I am slowly filling the disaster that are the KP hulls and there is nothing the Clearprop kits can throw at me that would be more annoying than that.

Cuajete
Interesting project. Following!

Nicolas
Following

Sergej I
Following, looking great 👍

Martin von Schreckenstein
hi and welcome Cuajete, Nicolas and Sergej! I don't have any further pictures but I am currently eating my words! specifically: "there is nothing the Clearprop kits can throw at me that would be more annoying than that."
I am putting together the nose and the rest of the hull plus dryfitting the top part and tears were shed, blood was spilled, sweat was flowing.

The kit is engineered but it is nit entirely clear to the modeller what the engineering specifically is. a tiny mistake at the start easily compounds into serious fit issues later which could still be considered a fun problem solving except that you mostly have no idea where the fit problem originates and the resulting fumbles compound the issues even more. I do not regret my (expensive) purchase but in the end, I have to admit - this is an extremely difficult kit.

Alec K
Taking a belayed seat. I have read not-so-positive reviews of the CP release already, so not surprised to read your observations. Maybe I'll keep my RV kit for a while yet…

Martin von Schreckenstein
Hi Alec, I wouldn't - Despite all the issues with clearprop - it actually looks like a flogger. RV doesnt really

Alec K
Are there any specific areas of concern, or is it all wrong?

Martin von Schreckenstein
I particularly dislike the windshield area - thats why I used the leftover clear parts from clearprop on the MF. in the case of the UB I will certainly try but I dont think there is much you can do to make the windshield and the canopies to look well.

Pierre Pierre
taking a sit

Alec K
Thanks Martin 👍

S M
I'm late taking a seat. So you are building four MiG-23s and not just three?

Guy Rump
Following 👍

Martin von Schreckenstein
Hello everyone. yes, i am building KP MF, RV UB and two ClearProp MLs, four in total

Martin von Schreckenstein
one day all that putty is gonna be sanded off

Cuajete
Well done so far 👍

S M
Nise portrait 😎

Martin von Schreckenstein
thanks Cuajete and S M.

Paint is getting near! I will have to redo the masking on the UB canopies as the masks I got from Peewit are +- useless. sanding the airframes (especially the exhaust, vertical tabs and the speedbrakes) is mostly done.

Oliver
This is an interesting project. Here i have to stay tuned

Martin von Schreckenstein
Welcome Oliver!
I will finish the MLs with black base and then I will paint the details like the nozzles and the antenna covers. Everyone has pylons now and gear wells are masked off to an extent

Martin von Schreckenstein
Freehanding the camo. On last ML to do. After that I will look at the canopy seals, light gloss coat and stencils. I am itching to start on some tomcats but these migs are still quite a handful 🙂

Cuajete
Very nice painting job. Looking so good 👍

Łukasz Gliński
Love these colours on the Floggers 👍

Martin von Schreckenstein
Thank you Cuajete and Lukasz.

3924 and 8325 are mostly done so I am moving on with the MLs (stencils).

8325 is just a big eyesore for me. I messed up the camo shades so the jet looks nothing like the pictures and even if the camo went well, the kit just doesnt look like a UB Flogger - I regret wasting money and effort on the RV kit and honestly do not believe there is a way to properly represent the topic in 72.

3924 however - the camo looks authentic imo and the windshield, canopy and other added details really make it look great. My only regret there is that I did not replace more parts (antennae, nozzle, gear doors, gear in general) and that I used the stencils from the KP kit - please do yourself a favor and throw them out🙂

Cuajete
Looking so good, Martin 👍
Waiting for the final pics.