MiG-21MF, Bangladesh Air Force (Fujimi)

This is the Fujimi 1:72 scale kit of the MiG-21MF, known as the балала́йка (balalaika).

In 1973 the Bangladesh Air Force had one squadron of eight MiG-19MF fighter aircraft plus two trainers which made up the bulk of their figter capability.

A total of 10 645 aircraft were built in the USSR. They were produced in three factories: AZ 30/MMZ Znamya Truda in Moscow (3203 aircraft); GAZ 21 in Gorky (5765 aircraft); and TAZ 31 in Tblisi (1678 aircraft).  First flown in 1955 and entering service in 1959, it remains in service in over 15 countries. The most notable use of the type was in the destruction of parts of the USAF and US Navy during their attacks on Viet Nam where PAVN pilots using the MiG-21 could be confident of a kill when meeting the F-4 Phantom. Used by the USSR and exported to over 55 countries, the MiG-21 is the most-produced supersonic jet aircraft of all time.

The kit was built OOB in four days for the IPMS Ottawa Thanksgiving Lightning Build event. Metallic body paint is Vallejo acrylic, with Tamiya for interiors. I hand cut masks for the canopy, and dropped the flaps. Decals, while extensive, were not of great quality, and the roundels were in poor shape. Tiny markings were in very good condition.

Bangladesh Air Force, MiG-19MF, circa 1973

Bangladesh Air Force, MiG-19MF, circa 1973

Bangladesh Air Force, MiG-19MF, circa 1973

Bangladesh Air Force, MiG-19MF, circa 1973

MiG-19MF #201 in the Bangladesh Air Force Musem 

MiG-21MF in the GAZ 21 Zavod/factory in Gorky,
which just so happens to be in my spare bathroom

MiG-21MF in the GAZ 21 Zavod/factory in Gorky,
which just so happens to be in my spare bathroom

MiG-21MF in the GAZ 21 Zavod/factory in Gorky,
which just so happens to be in my spare bathroom

MiG-21MF in the GAZ 21 Zavod/factory in Gorky,
which just so happens to be in my spare bathroom

A Portrait of the Modeller as a Young Man

The first known photo of Mr. Modeller as a young man at the Cub & Scout display at
Winnipeg's famous Polo Park shopping centre in about 1976-1977.

LEOPARD 2A6 & 2A5 MBT (Dragon)

This is the 1:72 scale Dragon (#7232) LEOPARD 2A6 and 2A5 main battle tank as used by the Canadian Army. I bough this kit for a friend who was trying to build a small Leopard tank but was having painting problem. I spray painted the entire tank kit on the sprues, including accentuated panel lines, lights, and road wheels, then put it all back in the box and posted it to him so that he can assemble it. I even painted the tracks (which are of a very high quality). This is a very well moulded kit with a surprising amount of detail and options. Sadly, this is the last we will see of it as it is now in Alberta.

Leopard 2A6 MBT

Leopard 2A6 MBT

RUSSIAN NAVAL CANNON

Russian naval cannon in about 1:25 scale from an unknown model company in China through AliExpress. The gun and fittings are metal and the carriage and base are wood. There is a selection of photo etch brass parts. I cut the base down from being a massive circle to something which will more easily fit in a cabinet. The instructions leave a lot to be desired. I started this kit maybe four years ago and abandoned it because of the two large metal sprue attachment points under the barrel which would show up in the finished model. I was unable to grind them off with a power tool so stopped work. Then last week I thought to just use a metal file, and within ten minutes the points were gone, so I sprayed it with Tamiya metal primer then a DIY store satin finish black. The imperial crest on the cannon is well done, and was brought out by sanding and scraping the paint away to reveal the goldish brass beneath. The water in the bucket is blue paint later covered with a drop of epoxy cement which dries like a layer of water.

Russian naval cannon

Russian naval cannon

Russian naval cannon

Russian naval cannon

Russian naval cannon

Russian naval cannon

Russian naval cannon

Russian naval cannon

Russian naval cannon

Russian naval cannon

Russian naval cannon

Russian naval cannon

Russian naval cannon

SWAP MEET MODEL SALE TREASURES

I have waited nearly two years for an Ottawa plastic model kit swap meet and sale. And today was that day. I have been counting sleeps until the event. Thanks to Bill at Hobby Centre for hosting this highly-anticipated event. It was a beautiful day with a lot of sunshine and a lot of vendors set up in the backs of their automobiles. Many IPMS Ottawa members were selling and buying, or both. It was great to see so many club members. Thanks to Ken and Terrry (buy high, sell low), and Brian and Steve and Michael. And thanks to Glenn for the early Christmas present. Hello to Benoit and Patrice and all the other members I may have missed.

None of the items on my 'to-get' list were on offer, but I still came home with eleven treasures to keep me happy for a year. The Leopard 2A6 tank will be shipped to a friend in Alberta after all the parts are spray painted right on the sprue -- he can assemble it himself. Here are my varied treasures:

ps. while cleaning and making room for these new kits in the storage closet I found two kits I did not even know I had, but which I had clearly started years ago.

NIEUPORT 17 XVII C.1 in RUSSIAN SERVICE (Eduard)

The Imperial Russian Air Service Императорскій военно-воздушный флотъ Nieuport 17 XVII C.1 s/n 4187 flown with the 22 KAO Корпуснои Авиационный Отряд (air detachment organic to an army corps) in September 1917 just before the revolution. This is the Eduard limited edition 1:48 scale kit #1106 with a choice of four decal sets.

Wiki says: The Nieuport 17 XVII C.1 was a French sesquiplane (one and a half wings) fighter designed and manufactured by the Nieuport company during The Great War (1914-1918). An improvement over earlier versions and better adapted to the more powerful engine. Aside from early examples, it had the new Alkan-Hamy synchronization gear, permitting the use of a fuselage-mounted synchronised Vickers gun firing through the propeller arc. At the time of its introduction in March 1916, the type's outstanding manoeuvrability and excellent rate of climb gave it a significant advantage over fighters on both sides and was described as "the best pursuit plane of the day". The Imperial Russian Air Service operated large numbers of Nieuports of all types. Being largely reliant on aircraft procured directly from France, there was pressure within Russia to establish the domestic manufacture of fighters and the type was produced under licence by Завод «Дукс» (Dux) bicycle and automobile factory (Завод #1; later the Polikarpov design bureau). Inexperience and the limited availability of trained personnel to assist, and poor quality raw materials, limited quality and quantity. Many of these were operated on the Eastern Front against the Imperial German air force, and during the Russian Civil Wars. Surviving aircraft were divided between the new Russian government, and the "White" Czarist Russians during the brutal Civil War. Russian Nieuport aces include Alexander Kazakov, who flew the type against the Germans and later fought for Churchill against the Russian government during the civil war. 

Length: 5.80 m 

Wingspan: 8.16 m 

Powerplant: 1 × Le Rhône 9Ja 9-cylinder rotary engine, 82 kW

Maximum speed: 170 km/h 

Endurance: 1.75 hours

Service ceiling: 5300 m

Never has a kit caused me this much agony. Near the end of the build I crushed the model while holding pressure on the wings to allow the CA glue to set on the struts. This was also my first attempt at rigging, but only the tail section is rigged. Decals sit nicely on a coat of Future floor wax. There are about 25 photo etch parts in the build; almost all of them tiny and easy to lose. The masks provided were of very poor quality. Basic colour is Vallejo acrylic aged white.

Nieuport 17 XVII, 22 KAO , Sept 1917

Nieuport 17 XVII, 22 KAO , Sept 1917

Nieuport 17 XVII, 22 KAO , Sept 1917

Nieuport 17 XVII, 22 KAO , Sept 1917

Nieuport 17 XVII, 22 KAO , Sept 1917

Nieuport 17 XVII, 22 KAO , Sept 1917

Nieuport 17 XVII, 22 KAO , Sept 1917

Nieuport 17 XVII, 22 KAO , Sept 1917

Nieuport 17 XVII, 22 KAO , Sept 1917

Nieuport 17 XVII, 22 KAO , Sept 1917

Nieuport 17 XVII, 22 KAO , Sept 1917

Nieuport 17 XVII, 22 KAO , Sept 1917

Nieuport 17 XVII, 22 KAO , Sept 1917

Nieuport 17 XVII, 22 KAO , Sept 1917

Nieuport 17 XVII, 22 KAO , Sept 1917

Nieuport 17 XVII, 22 KAO , Sept 1917

Nieuport 17 XVII, 22 KAO , Sept 1917

attempting some tail rigging with stretched sprue

50th ANNIVERSARY of CUP NOODLE カップヌードル (BanDai 1:1)

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!  This is the very unusual 1:1 scale plastic model from BanDai of the famous CUP NOODLE カップヌードル Kappu Nūdoru original product from Nissin of Japan in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the premiere of the instant ramen cup noodle on  this day, 18 September 1971.

The model was released in celebration of the impending 50th anniversary of Cup Noodle 発売50周年を記念するCM. Instant ramen noodles were invented by Momofuku Ando in 1958, and the three-minute Cup Noodles  premiered on 18 September 1971. Sales of Cup Noodles begin at Isetan Department Store in Tokyo's Shinjuku district. If you happen to be in Yokohama or Osaka Japan feel free to visit either or both of the Cup Noodle Museums (https://www.cupnoodles-museum.jp/ja/) for the full unadulterated cup noodle experience, and to buy cup noodle merchandise if what you need is cup noodle merchandise. 

The kit is without doubt some of the best engineering of plastic model parts I have ever seen. Several of the ring parts are moulded with the sprue on the inside of the ring so that removal does not leave any visible signs on the outside of the parts. Amazing! The whole thing is a snap-together model, and the tolerances and fit are superb. Who needs glue?

Nissin writes about the model: "Make without eating. Cup noodles become plastic models! ?? Bandai brings together the technology to faithfully reproduce every detail. "1/1 cup noodle plastic model" that can not be made in 3 minutes is born!" Further it was noted "Capturing the unmistakable styrofoam packaging of Cup Noodles, the 1:1 model was created from a 3D scan of an on the shelf offering to accurately represent the cup, noodles and flavoring accouterments."

The most amazing aspect of the kit is the plastic wrap stickers for the shrimp parts. The shrimp are moulded in an orange plastic which does not look much like cooked shrimp. The plastic sticker fits almost perfectly on a bumpy compound curved surface and instantly gives the proper colour for shrimp. It is hard to believe just how well thought out is this kit. The food parts are astoundingly life like, if you consider instant ramen to be food. DO NOT EAT THIS - IT IS A MODEL! The glossy wet-like surface of the food parts was done using Future floor wax.

In celebration of Cup Noodle I have purchased three flats of chicken (flavoured) Cup Noodle. Sadly these are not the Japanese original, but only a US made licensed product. It is very tough to get Cup Noodle in Canada, Mine came from Staples business supply store. Photos of the model with the real thing appear below. The model looks good enough to eat. DO NOT EAT THIS - IT IS A MODEL!

BanDai's 50th anniversary 1:1 scale model of Nissin's CUP NOODLE

BanDai's 50th anniversary 1:1 scale model of Nissin's CUP NOODLE

BanDai's 50th anniversary 1:1 scale model of Nissin's CUP NOODLE

BanDai's 50th anniversary 1:1 scale model of Nissin's CUP NOODLE

BanDai's 50th anniversary 1:1 scale model of Nissin's CUP NOODLE.
Real (US made) chicken Cup Noodle (left) beside the model (right).

BanDai's 50th anniversary 1:1 scale model of Nissin's CUP NOODLE.
The noodle pack, with egg bits, shrimp bits, leeks, and "mystery meat" bits,
coated with Future floor wax.

                           

BanDai's 50th anniversary 1:1 scale model of Nissin's CUP NOODLE.
The ten part noodle pack.

BanDai's 50th anniversary 1:1 scale model of Nissin's CUP NOODLE.
Sprue

BanDai's 50th anniversary 1:1 scale model of Nissin's CUP NOODLE.
Lettering for the cup and sprue

BanDai's 50th anniversary 1:1 scale model of Nissin's CUP NOODLE

BanDai's 50th anniversary 1:1 scale model of Nissin's CUP NOODLE.
Cup with a trap door for looking at the noodle pack.

BanDai's 50th anniversary 1:1 scale model of Nissin's CUP NOODLE

shrimp decals for BanDai's 50th anniversary 1:1 scale model of Nissin's CUP NOODLE

shrimp with decals applied on BanDai's 50th anniversary 1:1 scale model of Nissin's CUP NOODLE