Revell
1/72 scale Revell kit of the Mikoyan 1.44 test aircraft
Mikoyan design bureau designed this fighter aircraft as Project 1.44/1.42 (also known as the MiG-MFI and NATO reporting name "Flatpack"). It was envisaged as the next generation Multifunctional Frontline Fighter as an answer to the American F-22 Raptor Stealth fighter . Work started way back in the mid 1980's but due to financial problems first flight was probably not earlier than mid nineties. The prototype was first revealed in the Western magazines january 1999. It showed large canards and an internal weapons bay to have some stealth characteristics. It is intended to have high super cruise capabilities with two Lyulka Al-41 engines. It is unknown if in the prototype actually a radar was fitted.
Revell Germany
issued
this kit no. 04369 in 2005 in 1/72 scale and it has about 80 parts. The
parts and detailing are simple but OK for this scale. The plane is a rather
clean design and so is this kit, ity is also pretty bigger than I expected.
Assembly was straight forward. Starting with the cockpit, a K-36 seat is probably the one for which parts are provided. The model has tow vertical forward fuselage split and a rear horizontal wing-fuselage split. There is no actual intake ducting, I simple added some card but not a lot can be seen of the intake. Engine compressors faces are provided and a set of good tailpipes.
The fit was rather good with minimal filler needed. No weapon bay detail is in the kit but this is OK as a lot is not known of the actual details.
Painting instructions are in Revell
mixed colour recepies. I settled using these colours:
Upper colour light grey Gunze Sanyo
308 being approx Fed.Std 36375
Lower colours blue/grey Tamiya
XF23.
The insides of the bays and doors were painted metal aluminium, although I am not sure if this is correct. Two simple decal options are provided. The model was given a coat of Johnson Future gloss before adding the decals.
The model finish was kept rather clean
as this is a new prototype aircraft. Only minor stains were added in selected
areas.
Some grey panels were added such
as on nose and wing tips.
Kit decals were used.
Details of the cockpit, with some
added details like a HUD display and a small canopy mirror.
Also added as a missile in a high
visibility colour scheme. The missiles came from the spares box although
weapons are preferably carried in the internal bay.
A nice addition in the Soviet model
collection.
References:
http://www.fighter-planes.com/info/mig142.htm
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