Mikoyan MiG-25P model in 1/72 scale of Condor

The Mikoyan design bureau in the Soviet union  developed a very high speed interceptor in the MiG-25 series of aircraft with NATO codename "Foxbat". There was an emerging threat of American bombers in the sixties, so it was decided that such an interceptor was needed, with development starting around 1960. The MiG-25 was the first Soviet plane able to fly at a speed of 3,000 km/h and at a service ceiling of over 20 km. Several prototypes and test planes before it came to a production version of this type as many new technologies and materials were needed. 

The standard for series production was the E-155P6 or MiG-25P. It got a huge long range radar and big R-40 type long-range air-to-air missiles. There were some accidents with the first aircraft oput into usage. But nevertheless, the MiG-25P was produced by the Gorky-based plant from 1968 until 1982 with a little over 460 aircraft being built. The MiG-25 became a well feared by the West interceptor and there were in the seventies some border crossings at high altitude with planes flying over West-German territory.

In 1/72 scale in the past there was only the Hasegawa model and later on it turned out to be rather inaccurate in shape and size. That becomes obvious if you compare it with the new Condor kit. Obviously now, good information was available of the real thing to come up with a good kit from the Ukraine. Also, when looking at real pictures of these MiGs, the Condor kit looks O.K. 

The Condor kit #72012 for the MiG-25P released in 2006 has about 75 injected moulded parts. 

There are recessed panel lines, but you need to remove tiny amounts of flash. The decals are good and provide markings for the Soviet AF and Ukrainian AF, but the instructions are only for the Soviet plane. There is also some stencilling on the sheet. 

Construction breakdown is not as usual with most models, as the vertical tail and fuselage are single parts, but this hides a number of seam lines. 

The intakes need some care and are not very deep, but acceptable. The exhausts are deep and fine.

The rest of cockpit, fuselage and wings can be assembled as shown, but you get some areas to use filler especially at the undersides. Do not forget some weight in the nose. 

The model turns out pretty good after puttying with Alabastine car filler and sanding. 

Add the gears and stores obviously as last items. These are detailed well enough for this scale. The two types of large R-40 missiles are in the kit: the -R and -T versions. 

You can add some extra details in the cockpit, but not much is to be seen as it is very small. 
 
The model got a coat of light grey first to check for any gaps.

The colour picked for the overall grey finish is approx FS 36375 (Light Compass Gray), for which I used Humbrol 127 enamel.

Some areas got a coat of metallic and some areas were masked and got a dark grey finish.

 
After the paint had dried, the model got a couple of coats of Johnson Pledge/ Future, particularly where the decals would be positioned. Not a lot of stencilling is in the kit.

The undercarriage was added after the model had been airbrushed and the decals applied

also check out MiG-25PD Libya

The USSR VVS kit decals gave no problems and the kit was finished. I did not add the missiles.

It certainly looks like a MiG-25 Foxbat. 

 

Aerofax, MiG-25 Foxbat - MiG-31 , Yefim Gordon,  Midland Publishing 1997

MiG-25, Altair, Gordon, 1994

Air International, volume 17, pages 245-252

World Air Power , volume 34

"Soviet and Russian Military Aircraft in Africa", Gordon & Komissarov, Hikoki publications, 2013

http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/mig25/

http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=64