Academy Mig-23S 'Flogger B' 1/72

[iggie]

As some light relief after my baptism of fire in the Figures & Busts GB (rigging biplanes is a cinch compared to horses! ), I dug this out of the stash for a quick build. In fact, it was so quick that I wish I had kept it for the forthcoming Blitzbau in February, but hindsight is always best n'est pas?
A nice little kit, no major vices although a bit of filler was needed above and around the intakes, a bit sparse in the cockpit detail front (don't worry if you can't find the joystick, it's on the end of the nose wheel leg ) and the main undercarriage needs a bit of time & strong glue to stop it collapsing; otherwise all good!
Paint is Revell Aluminium on an Anthracite base coat, nose cone Humbrol Dark Grey and wheels Humbrol Malachite Green, all by hairy stick. Final coat is W&N Matt varnish.

[gnomemeansgnome]

Nice work, Iggie. The Flogger has always looked the most menacing of all the MiGs.

[FAAMAN]

Nice Flogger

[vacant]

Really very good, especially by brush.

[jssel]

Two thumbs up. Great finish

[DavidWomby]

I like that a lot.

I think there's something very 'Gerry Anderson'-looking about the Flogger.

David

[ShaunW]

Great work, Iggie, especially applying the NMF by paint brush - not the easiest of schemes to do! I rather like the MiG-23, a proper Cold War warrior!

[Stupot]

Very nice Iggie! Good job with the undercarriage.

Stu

[Tarkas]

Nice work, Iggie. The Flogger has always looked the most menacing of all the MiGs.

From about the (unswept) wing trailing edge forward, I agree; aft of that point, it's rather skinny, though some of the photos of iggie's very nice model look to defy that. Good work, mate.

The Flogger's kind of funny that way: powerful and menacing up the front, slender and a bit wimpish-looking at the back -- except for the large tail surfaces which result from it being so short. It kind of reminds me of a Bruce Timm male character drawing, all muscles and broad shoulders above the waist and spindly little legs down below. Think it's the single engine that does it; if it had been a twin, with a rear fuselage like that of, say, the Flipper, it'd have a lot more presence. Actually , that's not a bad idea for a what-if...

[DavidWomby]

if it had been a twin, with a rear fuselage like that of, say, the Flipper, it'd have a lot more presence. Actually , that's not a bad idea for a what-if...

Oh, yes. That sounds agreat whif project.

David

[iggie]

Thank all for the kind comments!

I like that the designers of the '23 decided that in order to correct some directional issues, appear to have added a ventral fin, instead of the more obvious enlargement of the dorsal one!

[Tarkas]

I like that the designers of the '23 decided that in order to correct some directional issues, appear to have added a ventral fin, instead of the more obvious enlargement of the dorsal one!

I don't think you could enlarge the dorsal fin much more... it's not exactly small! That scrawny rear fuselage needs the huge tail surfaces (shades of the Tornado, only more so), and the designers have already added a fillet to the fin. I suppose they could straighten the leading edge, but that would make for a ginormous fin. I mean, weathercock stability is all very well, but that thing would have done who-knows-what to the beast's manoeuvrability.

Wonder if they considered two smaller ventral fins a la the F-14, F-16, Hawk et al, or was it a combination of organisational inertia -- previous MiGs with ventral fins had only had the one, so they didn't think of two of them -- or the fact that even with two, the area required would still be overly large and they'd end up with the Soviet equivalent of the F8U-3.

Of course, the fun thing about the ventral fin is the need to fold it sideways in order to land -- and take-off, of course, but it's the landing that's the killer (literally). If the fin doesn't fold properly, the Flogger becomes a real lawn dart!

[IronMan129]

Very nice Iggie!
I might have to dig mine out for the Blitzbou in Feb if you recommend it?

[iggie]

Very nice Iggie!
I might have to dig mine out for the Blitzbou in Feb if you recommend it?

I certainly would; minimal parts, single colour scheme (interestingly the instructions show three schemes but the box only has decals for one! ) and mostly ok parts fit. If you build it wheels up, then you'll be done by lunchtime

[Stamford]

Cool build - nice mean finish!