Ivan Ivanovich

Leading edges only. The trailing edges were painted.

Himmelherrgottsackzementwotzefack?!

Metal. More precisely, VNS-4 grade tempered corrosion resistant steel. Some PD/PDS and BM models depicted unpainted wing and horizontal tail leading edges. Reason: mainly cosmetic.

Aw, stink! Once mounted, you won't see those chips any longer, but you'll always know they're there. If you mount them...

Purely motivational...

The F-5E is a different animal in that regard. The gun bay covers alone are wobbly two-piece assemblies requring some degree of out-of-the-box thinking. The entire fwd fuselage is a wobbly affair. Also, you'll have to sand down those silly cover latches - depicted in open position. If you want a really flush installation, be prepared for some serious sanding, rescribing and riveting. Sometimes, the delicate surface detail is just too delicate.

Those among us who have battled Eastern Express, Amodel, Mach2 or Fonderie Miniature kits in the past, have, quite inevitably, a significantly higher pain threshold. Also, the two-seater's fwd fuselage seems to go together in a much more straightforward manner than its single-seated counterpart. What's next, Kitty Hawk? Separate ribs, stringers, webs, tees and skin panels? Given the sometimes hilarious parts breakdown, the KH parts fit surprisingly/reasonably well. Deffo not Shake & Bake, but it's OK. Most kits require a fair amount of extra work to depict them with hatches and doors open. KH kits, in turn, require pretty much the same amount of extra TLC just in order to batten down all those hatches...

Is a nice kit? Yes! Is it a good kit? It depends... Is it a great kit? No. (KNIFE HAND) Too many errors, omissions and question marks. Can it be a fun kit? Yes, make it a fun kit!

"25 EXTERNAL TAIL BALLAST (F)"

Two things... One of the rare instances where you'll see an F-5E/F with opened gun gas purge doors and extended muzzle blast deflector. And while we're at it, Kitty Hawk forgot the lower rear fuselage ballast weight between the afterburner nozzle shrouds... USN/USMAC Franken-Tigers had their 300lbs ballast weights removed. (no guns) The ballast was introduced on F-1 standard F-5F aircraft to balance the longer nose and additional weight of the second cockpit.

Been using the same technique, CA/baking soda/talcum, for many years until I switched to brown or black epoxy putty a decade ago. Magic Sculp/Magic Sculpt is my putty (in fact it's a clay) of choice every time I have to rescribe or restore rivets/rivet lines. Dead sharp lines and contours - no cracking whatsoever. Once you've got the hang of it, you won't need any sanding after it's been smoothened with some water, a damp cloth or a Q-tip. After a final wet sweep with 3500-grit Micromesh, the Magic Sculp will be as smooth as baby's bottom and blend in perfectly with the kit plastic.

If they had omitted the two rudder mounting lugs/positioning aids as well as the corresponding slots, they could have moulded the vertical tail in one piece. I'll be using Magic Sculp 2K epoxy putty to fill the gap. Once applied, I'll be able to smooth it down with a wet Q-tip, hence minimising later sanding.

Sometimes, I catch myself wanting to give the KH designers a sound fish slapping...

"Wings Of The Red Star" Pretty much the VHS equivalent to the Squadron Signal books on Soviet subjects - somewhat outdated and sometimes utterly wrong by today's standards and intel levels, but every then and now reading them is a wonderful and sentimental trip down memory lane.

Some of the very early Ye-155P and Ye-155R prototypes featured an aluminised topcoat, but no NMF whatsoever. The extensive use of dissimilar steel, titanium and aluminium alloys on a high-speed/high-performance (and expensive) airframe positively requires careful sealing and the application of a durable and robust protective coating. (e.g. adjacent dissimilar metals + water = galvanic corrosion) The grey topcoat was eventually selected due to its excellent heat resistance and highly reflective properties. Reflective = the ability to dissipate aerodynamic and solar heat.

As of late, it has become really quiet around him, but he still lives in the USA. If I recall correctly, he was granted U.S. citizenship in 1980. "Not today, Belenko. Not today."

Belenko still is. Not so sure about his MiG. No idea whether the Soviets scrapped the contents of the 30 crates or whether they reassembled the MiG. Most likely the MiG was court-martialled immediately after its return to the USSR, convicted of treason, and eventually sentenced to life after being converted into a butt-ugly MiG-25PU two-seater.

As shabby as it would get: MiG-25 maintenance: What is it, then? Mechanics? Waiters? The electronics and de-icing/cooling systems of the MiG-25 required 500 litres of (potable) alcohol per plane. Accordingly, the MiG-25 was quite affectionately dubbed "The Flying Restaurant", and invitations by MiG-25 units were RARELY turned down. You can guess why. MiG-25P:

"Look & Feel" of the finish.... Generally pretty purty overall satin finish, sometimes lightly faded and dulled areas. Basically, the radome as well as the dielectric covers lost their satin lustre rather quickly. Somewhat duller finish than the rest of the airframe. MiG-25 interceptors were generally stored in the open, only partially covered by tarps, hence exposing the majority of the airframe to the elements. Slightly weathered, but far from being utterly weather-beaten/shabby. "The Flying Restaurant": Almost pristine (new) finish:

Now I see. A PD. Mea culpa. "MiG-25 PB" has set me on a completely wrong track, erroneously assuming it was about a recce MiG-25RB.

"Real" RBs were unvariably finished in the light grey camo scheme. The same goes for the subversions - predominantly grey birds. RBV, RBF or BM sometimes finished in tatctical camouflage. Basic colour application remained virtually unchanged in the post-Soviet era - except for individual "named" aircraft and "BBC РОССИИ" titlings. But what exactly are you looking for? Airframe details or contemporary photographs in order to determine actual aircraft colouring? "MiG-25RB" is often used as a rather generic designation, sometimes also referring to RBS, RBT, RBV, RBK/RBSh/RBF subversions. The ICM "MiG-25RB" boxing, e.g., provides parts for both an RB and an RBT version. So which kit exactly are you planning to add to your stash? [...] They answered my questions with questions And pointed me into the night The power that bore me had left me alone To figure out which way was right [...]

Horrido! I love Bf 109s... ...when being built by other modellers. "Jedem Tierchen sein Pläsierchen." (Different strokes for different folks.)

WIP... Preliminary rear instrument panel PE layout. Still requiring some minor tweaks here and there. F-5F front IP to follow soon. Preliminary F-5N PE layout. WIP. The proportions of the KH IPs are slightly off. No big deal, though. A good friend of mine and fellow modeller will stop by with the kit within the next few days so that I can print the layout on overhead foil in order to check the size against the kit part. If the results are satisfactory, all I've got to do is to find a company in NZ or AUS to do the custom photo etching.

Ernie Ernievich has kindly and generously agreed to provide me with proper photographic documentation and measurements in order to draw up the rear IP for the KH F-5F boxing. Quite naturally, we'll be busy with other things during our first months in NZ. To date, folding up our tents here on the Franco-German border has finally started to pick up full speed. So I haven't got any idea as to "when" and "how". Scale modelling in general will only have low-tier priority. I'm basically willing to impart the original files and layouts (.AI/.CDR/.SVG, etc.) to full- or part-time aftermarket suppliers (for free) - serious and honest commitment/interest provided. F-5E front instrument panel (Swiss AF, USN/USMC F-5N aircraft prior to the 2008 Litton GPS upgrade. If you omit the pedestal VHF/UHF controls, the IP will go with almost every RWR equipped F-5E - F-5S/T, RTAF F-5E Tigris, F-5EM, Chilean F-5E Tigre III excluded)