Clearwater Models: August 2021

Friday 27 August 2021

MiG-3 МиГ-3 (Classic Airframes)

This is the Classic Airframes 1996 kit (96405) of the MiG-3 Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-3 in 1:48 scale, presented as flying with the 12 Guards IAP of the Moscow Air Defence (PVO) in March 1942, and bearing the title За Партию Большевиков "For the Party of the Bolsheviks".

Some 3400 were produced at Завод Нр 1, Factory #1, in 1940-1941, with a few extra produced in Kiev at Factory #43. With a top speed of 640 km/h at 7200 metres the MiG-3 was faster than the Messerschmitt Bf 109F-2 and the Spitfire V. However, at lower altitudes the MiG's speed advantage disappeared, and fighter combat during the Great Patriotic War generally took place at lower and low altitudes. Due to this serious problem the MiG-3 had a very short front-line service life and was quickly transferred to rear air defence with the PVO arm. Over the winter of 1941–42 all MiG-3s were given to the Navy (which did not keep them) and the PVO for strictly air defence purposes. Due to theri great speed, the MiG-3 was a good candidate for reconnaissance work. Wiki says: Even with the MiG-3's limitations, Aleksandr Pokryshkin, the third-leading Allied ace of the war, with 53 kills and 6 shared, recorded a number of those victories in a MiG-3.

The kit comes with resin cockpit and a small panel of PE parts, There are far too many PE parts, and all are small or tiny. The cockpit alone has some 13 PE parts. Each landing gear has four PE parts. The canopy is a single vacuform part which I cut in three so it could be left open to show off the disaster I created in the cockpit. I also added a screen grill in the underside air intake, and put in a metal pitot tube and strung stretched sprue as radio wire. Paint for the body is mosly Tamiya, while most other colours are Vallejo. I bought this as a used kit from Bill at Hobby Centre in Ottawa. It was a stalled Covid-19 project which all of a sudden looked attractive.

MiG-3 МиГ-3, 12 Guards IAP, Moscow, March 1942

In the Zavod

MiG-3 МиГ-3, in Завод Factory #1 , which just so happens to be in my spare bathroom

Grill screen added inside lower air intake

MiG-3 МиГ-3, in Завод Factory #1 , which just so happens to be in my spare bathroom

Tuesday 17 August 2021

YF-23 LIGHTNING II ATF (Trumpeter)

This is the very tiny Trumpeter 1:144 scale model of the Northrop/McDonnell Douglass fifth generation air combat fighter known as the FY-23 Lightning II ATF. Two were build for the 1991 Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) fly-off competition against the YF-22. Despite being faster (2300 km/hr) and stealthier, it was not selected, and both airframes are now in museums. Japan is working on a local version. The aircraft modelled here is in the USAF Museum in Ohio.

I wanted a weekend project for an IPMS lightning build session, so I built a Lightning II. It took four days. I used every part except the air intake grills. Oddly the decal set as printed is missing four decals for the outside of the tailplanes which are shown in the instructions. Paints are Vallejo. OOB.

YF-23 Lightning II

In the factory...

YF-23 in the Northrop factory, which just so happens to be in my spare bathroom.

Friday 13 August 2021

DAIHATSU CM10T (ARII)

This is the 1:32 scale ARII kit of the 1955 Daihatsu CM10T three wheeled "tricycle" truck.

Daihatsu was famous for making tricycle trucks before and after WWII. The company, originally from Osaka, began building the CM10T in 1955. The truck was an excellent transporter in tight Japanese city streets and lanes, and in rural areas for farm use. Sadly I could find out no more about this tricycle truck which could actually carry another smaller truck.

Paint is exclusively Vallejo, using primarily Russian Air Force Blue which beautifully matched the box art and plastic. I added the following features:

handbrake under dashboard

brake and gas pedals
Japanese language newspapers on seat
aged wooden flooring in cargo space
surplus military tool box in cargo space
stork-brand box in cargo space
steel rail in cargo space
hand-painted speedometer and guages
electrical cables for battery
brake line for front wheel
driver side floor mat
super-secret adverts for "geisha" personal services on ceiling of cab.

1955 Daihatsu CM10T

1955 Daihatsu CM10T

In the factory

CM10T under construction on the Daihatsu factory which just so happens to be in my space bathroom