Finnish MiG-21Bis in 1:200

[cafe]

See here for the current MiG-21Bis teasers (as of this afternoon) :
- 1 x Finnish late Fishbed N,
- 1 x basic Soviet scheme Fishbed-L from PVO
- 2 x Indian Fishbed-N

[leenone]

Originally Posted by cafe

See here for the current MiG-21Bis teasers (as of this afternoon) :
- 1 x Finnish late Fishbed N,
- 1 x basic Soviet scheme Fishbed-L from PVO
- 2 x Indian Fishbed-N

Thank you for your hard work，Great！

[cafe]

If you're feeling adventurous, here's a zip file with a pdf and an svg file containing 2 MiG-21Bis with a minimal bare metal scheme without any markings.

MiG-21 Bis with Lazur GCI system = variant for the Soviet Air Defence Forces (PVO) = Fishbed-L for NATO -> the generally similar export version for Warsaw Pact countries was sometimes refered to as MiG-21bis-Lazur

MiG-21Bis with Polyot ILS system = variant for the Soviet Air Force (what was sometimes called "Frontal Aviation" which was 1 of its 3 components) = Fishbed-N for NATO -> the similar export version (Warsaw Pact and others) was sometimes refered to as MiG-21bis-SAU in countries that got both variants (East Germany and Bulgaria at least).

On my model, the difference between Lazur and Polyot is only under the nose. In reality, there were different antennas sticking out under the nose and at the top of the fin.

You also get a second canopy/spine with the squared-off windows on the sides of the windshield. Finland and Poland got some of those later bis. Maybe others too.

[Rata]

Thanks Carlos. No shortage of subject matter with this Fishbed variant.

[Siwi]

These are fantastic and just the thing for a quick build. And thanks for providing the svg file to allow tweaks and additions.

[cafe]

About the Inkscape svg file: I use layers. So this file has 4 of them. From top to bottom:
- "model", page template + model (with all parts grouped together) + additional stores (each separate)
- "markings" (empty in this file)
- "colors" (all grouped together for the model itself)
- "plan" (empty in this file)

On S&P recolors I also add a "tabs" layer under the "colors" one for tabs and those hidden red dotted line he sometimes puts on the fuselage for camo/markings alignment.

There are a few colors on the "model" layer : usually the green of the wheels, the white of the missile and drop tank fins and some bits that needs to stay white as they're hidden in the finished model and help position parts when building.

Apart from the missiles that are part of the basic template (and the closest drop tank), the colors of the other external stores are grouped with them on the same layer.

When I do a recolor, I import the documentation (profile, 3 view plan...) to the "plan" layer outside of the page confines, resize it and then lock that layer so as not to move the doc accidentally. I also lock the "model" layer.

[Rata]

Interesting how you produce your work Carlos. Thanks for explaining. It sounds in a lot of ways similar to my approach using Photoshop.

I did try to learn Inkscape once but as I was getting suitable results with PS I didn't proceed with it. I found the biggest hassle was 'unlearning' PS!

One thing I do concede though is even though Inkscape is free, I reckon (at least for our purposes) it is superior to Photoshop.

Garry G.

[cafe]

Inkscape and Photoshop have different purposes but I've always prefered vector format.

I'm finally feeling comfortable with post 0.91 Inkscape. Around Christmas, I updated to 0.92.3 on the 14-year-old laptop (the last version its old Windows can run) and 1.2.2 on the new one.

Inkscape 1.2.x docs can now have multiple pages and I'm converting my "parts/blanks" files to that. No more storing whole templates out of the page! The MiG-21R "parts" file now has 3 pages: the first one with blanks of the early and mid versions plus all the external stores, the second one with the late version and a blank egyptian RF, the last one with all the alternate parts for the MiG-21R and the Ye-7R : 3 pitot probes, 3 noses, 5 central fuselages, 3 tail cones, 3 fins, 2 ventral fins, 5 canopies/spines including the PF/PFS version for the Ye-7R prototypes, 1 pair of wings and its wingtip pods, the type R and type D ventral pods plus the camera container for the egyptian RF. I may finally do Ye-7R #20 and #78!

[Rata]

Carlos I suspect you may have more construction 'blueprints' on file than MiG had for the real thing!

[cafe]

Second (almost) full test-build of the MiG-21Bis. I think the bugs are now ironed out.


The screencap is there to show the red vertical line on the fin. It fall between the tail cone and the front central fuselage and helps position that part (whatever the variant).