MiG-23MF - Romania - 1995
Comments
Andy BallThe Romanian Air Force had the best WarPac schemes! Analogous to the Italians in WWII (IMHO)…I'll take a seat, now…
MariusThank you for following. Andy, indeed there were a couple of really awesome camouflage schemes in the Romanian Air Force (post WWII), like some late MiG-15s, most schemes of the MiG-23s and the two main schemes of the MiG-21 LancerR.
This one camouflage scheme here won't be easy, but getting there with this nightmare of a kit is the bigger challenge.
Patrick HagelsteinThat looks like a hell of a build! 😮 That engine does look amazing, the kit not so.... You're a truly brave man! 😄 👍
Sylvain Vernierbig job ahead 😮
camo scheme is very attractive and challenging too
ResKit wheels are worth buying 👀
DanielJust in time for the camo work 🙂 You're going to mask this? Excellent detail-up work👌🏻
MariusThank you Daniel! I will definitely use masks, since I want to avoid any airbrush accidents in this specific case. It's a lot of work, but I prefer the safe way. The "snakes" are too thin in some areas and they don't seem to be too fuzzy/airbrushy on the real aircraft either (except a few locations).
ClementVery impressive! You've managed to turn this nightmare kit into a beauty!
Raphael BernecoleHello Marius 🙂
It's a very interesting camouflage : Great work, congratulations !! 🙂
Following ... 😉
Maciej BellosDemanding camo. Tough masking. Mission accomplished! Congrats Marius!
MariusThank you so much for the interest and kind words.
It's still a long road ahead, but it should be less frustrating now.
But yes, this kit is famous for a reason 🙂.
CuajeteI agree with the mates. Great job and very nice result 👍
Waiting for the next progress.
Maciej BellosI don't know what you mean Marius, there's the shading, there are the panel lines, there's the metal exhaust, all looks nice. Well done!
Alessandro PettinacciExcellent result, espiecially considering the starting quality of the kit!
MariusThank you all for the very kind words and appreciation. I might start soon another one of these kits for an Iraqi BN version.
Michael KohlI missed that one so far. Painful work but good result in the end. I read with particular interest your build information as a Mig 23 is on my wish list. Your blog wasn't exactly an advertisement for the KP kit.
Any recommendation for a Mig-23ML in scale 1:72?
Bernd GrünVery nice build and paint job, Marius. Outstanding result! Congrats. 👌
MariusI am flattered by the feedback. You guys are again very kind!
@Michael: the best MiG-23 in 1:72 for all versions is still the RV Aircraft/KP kit, but has plenty of problems.
But luckily, Clear Prop will release in less than a month a very detailed and promising kit for the MLA:
MiG-23MLAE-2 Flogger-G (Clear Prop! CP72031, 1:72)
britmodeller.com/for..ease-in-2023/page/7/
Ludvík KružíkMarius, you did a great job. It's a good example that even a bad kit can make a nice model. 👍
Michael KohlMarius, thanks for your feedback. The Ckear Prop kit really seems worth waiting for. Thanks for the hint.
MariusSince I was mentioning it before, the wonderful MLD/MLA kit from Clear Prop! has just been released today on their website:
clearpropmodels.com/catalog
Alec KGreat build and informative narrative. The camo is unique for sure. Can't wait for your ClearProp build 🙂 👍
MariusThank you Alec!
I just ordered two of those MLA kits from Clear Prop, so probably at least a short kit review will follow as soon as the package arrives.
MariusThank you all for the kind words once more. As promised, I also managed to make the first (external) inbox review of the newly released MiG-23MLD from Clear Prop (MiG-23MLD - Syria - 1989 | Album by Redicus (1:72))
Nevertheless, for the MiG-23MF and BN versions we are still stuck with this RV Aircraft/KP kit.
Album info
Romania received a total of 46 MiG-23s in the late 1970s, which became operational in 1979. The exact count was: 36 MiG-23MFs and 10 MiG-23UBs.
Once the Iron Curtain fell and Romania was no longer supplied with parts for its MiG-23 and MiG-29 aircraft fleet, these jets were facing imminent premature withdrawal from service. There were efforts made to keep the MiG-29s in service through an independent upgrade program called MiG-29 Sniper, but this effort failed due to cost reasons during challenging economic times.
Instead, it was decided to upgrade the MiG-21MFs to western standards, leading to the MiG-21 LanceR (A, B or C). See my LanceR project for more information:
MiG-21MF LanceR C - Romania - 2012 | Album by Redicus (1:72)
No such plans were intended for the MiG-23s, for which the fate of withdrawal towards the 2000s was already sealed.
The Romanian MiG-23s had at least five different camouflage schemes. They were initially painted grey but later received different camouflage schemes involving different tones of green, brown or beige. The model I am building captures their most popular camouflage as seen in 1995 with beige "snakes" on top of a kaki-green, my absolut favorite.
The MiG-23s were officially withdrew from service in 2003, many of them with barely 500 flight hours. By approximately 2011 all but a small number (5?) were ultimately scrapped.
My initial subject was the number 222, also known as "The Disident". The nickname was earned after presumably the engine of the white 222 refused to start in a demonstration in front of the Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, or so says the legend. Unfortunately, there are extremely few photographs of the 222 so I couldn't really manage to reproduce the camouflage. I decided in the end for the 224 included in the KP kit, for which sufficient photographs are available from different angles.
