New Ray Toys 1/72 Mig-29 Fulcrum

NEW RAY TOYS 1:72 MIG-29 FULCRUM

Reviewer: Hrvoje Šafhauzer (rec.models.scale)
Kit Review submitted: 7 September 2008

Kit Details:

Aircraft: MiG-29
Scale: 1/72
Kit: Pilot Model Kit #21215 D2
Parts: 13 injection molded (including 2-part stand and a clear canopy) + 3 Phillips screws + a screwdriver
Surface detail: engraved (deeply)
Decals: none - prepainted
Accuracy: Just forget it! It is A TOY.
Price: 7.90 Bosnian Marks (about € 4)

Aircraft History:

Introduced in Soviet VVS service in early 80s as their answer to US F-16 & F-18 aircraft, while developed in 70s as a “Light Front line Fighter”, MiG-29 was presented to international public in July 1986 in Finland, exhibiting its outstanding flight performances. One of the first export customers was former SFR Yugoslavia, presenting its new weapon in May 1988, at two air-shows/exhibitions. After the break of Yugoslavia, the aircraft were in FR Yugoslavia/Serbia-Montenegro service. In 1999, two were shot down by NATO forces in North-East Bosnia while trying to make a strike to US base at Dubrave airport, near Tuzla, as a retaliation for NATO bombing both military and civilian targets in Serbia. Survivors are currently in Serbian AF service, being gradually overhauled and/or upgraded.

Also, MiG-29s were exported to other Warsaw Pact countries, as well as Asian, African and Latin American countries. After unification of Germany, former GDR machines were incorporated in Luftwaffe, pending the development and introduction to service of the Eurofighter 2000/Typhoon. Since introduction to service, several modifications appeared, including, naturally, all-glass cockpit and electronic fly-by-wire controls.

The Kit:

Here in Sarajevo, only the Revell kits (cat-in-a-bag) and paints are available, and in two stores only. So when I saw these New Ray Toys kits in May 2007 in a toy store I simply needed to try them. Lured by the F-84G, which was dimensionally pretty accurate, I purchased several days later this kit also. I should know better, but price was affordable, and I did not expect too much. Strangely, a Croatia-based company owns both this chain of the toy shops in some countries of former Yugoslavia and this “kit” maker. And until recently here they were selling “starter kits” only. Their shops in Zagreb, capital of Croatia, are another story…

Packed in a flimsy end-opening box with transparent celluloid top, the parts are encased in a vacuuformed transparent tray, like Hobby Boss kits. Beneath a tray, there are parts for the display stand and the screws in their respective heat-sealed pouches. All parts are prepainted, mostly in light grey overall, with green and brown at upper surfaces, and Soviet red stars and white-bordered dark blue 53 number applied. Panel lines are all engraved, in a way that would make famous Matchbox trench-digger proud of. A 21215 D3 kit is differing in having a “lizard” upper camouflage scheme.

Main body is split horizontally, with upper part comprising the wings, horizontal tail, and cockpit with an alien posing as a pilot. Lower body part is comprising the seats for the workable landing gear members, as well as detachable part with two engine bays and ducting, enabling placing the landing gear. Engine intakes are molded with characteristic intake gates closed, for taxiing and take-off stages. There is also a screw attached air brake-like part, which is in fact a battery compartment cover! And a prominent socket for a display stand. Both grey radome and two metallic-black exhausts are furnished with Phillips screws for positioning during assembly. In fact, this kit is all snap-tite and screwing type, no glue required. Black landing gear members with wheels are not only toyish, but out of scale also, being too thick even for 1/48 scale. Vertical tails are single piece and camouflaged like the rest of model. Snap-tite canopy is clear, not too thick and with no distortion, furnished with strong lacing tabs, but having some yellowish tint. And, of course, there are no underwing/underfuselage pylons, stores, antennae, not even the landing gear bay doors.

Instructions:

Small 76x193 mm Instruction sheet is comprising simple exploded-view assembly instructions not only for this plane, but for other five planes in a range also, namely: F-16, F-84G, Harrier (AV-8A), MiG-15, and Tornado, all of them in two painting & marking options.

Accuracy:

Initially, through transparent box cover it looked acceptable. However, after comparing with 1/72 scale drawings published in the references stated below, I have found it that it is not only out of scale but completely out of shape in both wings and horizontal tail surfaces. Looking at these sketches, taken from the references, of the 1/72 scale MiG-29 model kits released in mid/late 80s, and their inaccuracies, it appears to me that either Hasegawa or Fujimi kit was probably used as a pattern. So, checking of the panel correctness would be futile. Consequently, box was consigned into the darkest corner, with hope that some of the parts could be of use in other projects.

Construction:

Recently I needed some quick build for relieving me some stress. Also I was asked from a person to donate a made kit, something that I could not refuse on several grounds. And since I am reluctant to part from any of my finished kits, no matter how poorly made they are. I have decided not to use any putty or quality paints, and especially no waterslide transfers. Since I was out of my home mostly, I had limited tools available/needed. Only a Revell Contacta glue was used in assembling process.

I started with- what a surprise - that little of cockpit, painting the pilot, his seat head rest and parts that would come under the canopy with water based tube-contained paints. So the pilot was to have bright green suit and white helmet, blue head rest, and brown-green anti-glare painting. From my collection of scanned and printed instrument tables, a Ki-43 one proved to be easiest adaptable for space available. And with canopy placed, who can tell that the instrument dials are wrong – remember that MiG-29s had not a glass cockpit then. I also fashioned a small HUD from clear acetate and glue it, then I positioned the canopy, placing some glue under the windshield only.

Then, I glued the engine bays to lower part, and removed some protrusions not being here on a real plane. (At least I was to keep appearance of a real thing as much as possible. Appearance is key word in the complete project.) This was followed by gluing and screwing lower part to upper body part, placing and gluing in their places the engine exhausts previously. Since I decided to place the “MiG” at the display stand in flight, closing the wheel bays was called upon. For nose wheel bay I fashioned the covers from styrene sheet. But for main gear bays, as well as for screw sockets and other holes, I used the air-hardening modeling clay, incidentally in yellow. Out of the same material I made a spindle-like “smoke generating pod”, that I intended to attach under the port wing from where I obliterated raised “Made in China” logo. New Ray raised logo under the starboard wing was to be retained. I also fashioned a pylon for the “pod” from styrene. After clay cured, I treated the places with a file. Some cracks occurred, but I decided to declare them as “panel lines” and let them be. So now it was ready for painting.

Painting & Decaling:

I decided to repaint the plane in imaginary display team colors, consisting of predominantly in white with some red and blue surfaces. I used ordinary household gloss enamels, like in my modeling days from 80s and 90s when model paints were not available to me, applying them by brush. White was selected because I had some sticker decals from Chinese kits with white background (RoC F-5A and T-33), that would do the job in this project, giving some spice to model. “Smoke generating pod” was painted in aluminum with a pylon in red. Initially I planned to keep the engine exhausts in their color, but after some mishap while hastily overpainting everything in white, painting them in black was called upon. Black was used for the engine intake gates also, remember that I was not eager to remove them for in-flight aircraft. Radome and electronic panels in LEXs were painted in my "slate gray look alike" mixture. Red rings were applied at uncersurfaces to hide not so well executed covering the screw seats.

After completing, I realized that I have selected paint scheme similar to a way that YF-16s were painted. Then the sticker markings were applied. Tail signs, and ejection & rescue markings were used from a (RofC) T-33, and numbers and nose Chinese character from F-5A. Beats me what that character means, but second part of that particular marking (not used here) comprised a character for China. Everything was then sealed with alkyde clear paint. Since the last shipment of modeling paints arrived here in January, and nothing since then, I had to go to a general purpose store. Paint was declared as satin, a shop assistant claimed that too, but final result is like using gloss clear lacquer. I should know better.

Decals:

It is an unassembled toy and shall be treated as such. Probably designed for parents to provide their kids with easy assembled plaything, while spending some time together making it. Or to provide a non-aviation versed person with a model she/he asked for. Being pretty sturdy I think it shall survive several hard landings after being dropped from kid hands before starting to shed the parts (but the pod). It’s up to you what one really wants.

References:

· YUVAM Aeroplan 2/89 magazine(March - April 1989)

YUVAM Aeroplan 5/89 magazine (September - October 1989)

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