Just thought I should mention that I started building my HobbyBoss MiG15UTI. As it is a Schieffer Trophy bird it's being modified slighlty. All weapons are being deleted, fuel tank size increased, and various other mods. Nothing huge - this is the 1950 race, so things had not gotten really serious yet, and Russian was still entering modified fighters.
Details of said race are here (http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,22753.0.html)
Sounds like a cool concept. Really dig the back story! :thumbsup: Very creative!
Construction is complete (don;t you love the way those hobbyboss kits fall together?) but since it looks almost exactly like a normal MiG15, just with enlarged wing tanks and no gun barrels I haven't bothered with pics. The paint scheme is what will make it look different, so you will get yer pics then ye scurvy dogs! (Sorry, been on Dr. Yo's thread about pirate flying boats... got me talking like one now.)
The Soviet entry into the inaugral Scheiffer Trophy air race was a modified MiG15UTI known as красная молния (Red Lightning). Piloted by Colonel Alexei Pavlovich Gradenko along with navigator/mechnic Capt. Yakov Iliavich Kolschev, the machine was unfortunately somewhat unreliable, despite a high top speed and good manoueverability. Western observers where suprised by the little MiG's performance and realised that Soviet aviation was considerably more advanced than they suspected. The soviets, however kept the plane's origins under wraps, and it was not until the Korean War that the west discovered it was actually a trainer derivative of a front line fighter.
The plane was finished in a distrinctive silver and metallic red paint scheme, featuring porminent red stars and the crest of the CCCP. Also, as per race requirements, the plane's entry number (9) is displayed on the upper and lower surfaces of both wings, as well as both sides of the fuselage for easy identifcation by race officials. Later racers often sported much larger numbers than those seen in the 1950 race.
The only modifications to the model as the extended fuel tanks (about 5mm added), removal of gun barrels and filling in the landing lights (or whatever those clear things I forgot to put inside the fuselage under the cockpit are meant to be :rolleyes:
Paint is a mix of Tamiya, Citadel and Automotive touch-up spray (the only red rattle can to hand!)
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmembers.iinet.net.au%2F%7Eowentop%2Fimages%2Fracemig3.JPG&hash=e20f16d6caf27dec37d875feb1a8adeba508a89d)
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmembers.iinet.net.au%2F%7Eowentop%2Fimages%2Fracemig4.JPG&hash=f68f25f4e3b213b4125d8422680b09fc54a059af)
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmembers.iinet.net.au%2F%7Eowentop%2Fimages%2Fracemig5.JPG&hash=c1cbeb9a05cfc9a9141ac2b50a566646c8888461)
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmembers.iinet.net.au%2F%7Eowentop%2Fimages%2Fracemig6.JPG&hash=e29d284bd5031de261a236fb621644c956414fcb)
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmembers.iinet.net.au%2F%7Eowentop%2Fimages%2Fracemig7.JPG&hash=fb1024de8c6acf031fa20b1a3669bc8043e141e8)
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmembers.iinet.net.au%2F%7Eowentop%2Fimages%2Fracemig2.JPG&hash=35e28c22329bc433dea53201f9e8b19dba87a000)
(https://www.whatifmodellers.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmembers.iinet.net.au%2F%7Eowentop%2Fimages%2Fracemig1.JPG&hash=c3065f0fdbc93c5e1850beca2c38585e927d1fbd)
Cool, love the metallic red effect.
Looks really good, PW! The red is very nice. Has a GB been proposed for this idea yet? It has to go on the list. :thumbsup:
Have not proposed a GB yet, but I was thinking about it. Metallic red is simply automotive touchup spray paint, available at any auto parts supplier. There is a very wide range of colours, however I've never really found a place which stocks all of them. It can be sprayed directly onto plastic in my experience, and, being car paint, takes polish very well. Also fairly cheap,
That is a seriously great looking bird. Awesome job! :wub:
I have to say, the weathering is what makes it for me. MiGs look good all dirty and well-used.
Actually, that's just to hide paint imperfections :lol:
It's a canny colour choice for a Soviet racer: it just "has" to be red, but that shade lets the "true red" stars stand out too.
Nice model PW - like it! :thumbsup:
Looks built for speed, especially with that rippin' red paintjob!
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Brian da Basher