1/72 Hasegawa MIG 25 Foxbat

 by René Zass

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The MIG-25 Foxbat was the Russian interceptor answer to the American B-70 "Valkyrie" Mach 3 bomber project which was cancelled after just 2 prototypes where built and flown.

Several versions of the infamous Foxbat where build (Interceptors, Trainers, Recognition) and exported to Libya, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and others.

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The Hasegawa MIG 25 is very accurate in size and dimensions, but it has a simplified cockpit, a "super-bullet-proof" canopy and the impressive exhaust nozzles are just to be glued blunt to the closed end of the fuselage. Oh yes - and the kit has fine raised panel lines.

The cockpit was upgraded with a resin seat from True Details and the canopy was vacuformed.  As the glazing is not giving much possibility to take a look inside I decided that the seat is enough additional detail inside the cockpit.

The next surgery step were the blind afterburners which needed to become afterburner cans. I took the trusty Dremel and routed the blind end of the cans away - as well as the corresponding areas of the fuselage. I found that the cans of an Hasegawa F-4 British Phantom and that these could be used when they are cut to length - the F-4 in 1:48 scale I mean!  So I only had to glue the Mig 25 nozzle ring to the F-4 can and the assembly into the fuselage and I had nice big and deep exhausts on my Foxbat.

 

I started to scribe the wings and stabilisers but decided not to go on with this method and try something easier:

I assembled everything for airbrushing and started to spray the entire model in black. After several days of drying I sprayed the MIG 25 in its typical grey colour. Several days later I used fine sanding paper and moved over the MIG from front to back to grind the grey colour from the raised details to expose the black colour again. The panel lines which where already scribed or sanded prior to painting were picked out with a sharp pencil - as well as the riveting and other details.

The grey colour is a mix based on Humbrol 147 - I added a bit of white and one or two drops of blue, untill I thought it looks OK.

Next came the gloss clear coat, the decals and the finishing dull coat.

The natural metal area around the exhaust was done with Model Master Stainless and weathered with Tamiya clear yellow and smoke.

In between construction I managed to brake - correct - the nose probe. I also lost it to make things complete. I could not find a satisfying solution up till now so I will have to do a new one later as a photo etched part.

By the way: I leave the stabilisers un-glued if possible - you can pull them out, turn the model upside down and transportation becomes much easier f.e. when you move, as the fagile gears are now showing up and are unstressed.

René 

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Photos and text © by René Zass