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Vietnamese MiG-21 markings


DaneBramage

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  • 2 years later...

MiG_21camo018.jpg

Exactly like the rudder on this one

 

"Exactly like the rudder on this one" .......

 

A bit late addition to this topic, but I can´t help myself - I believe that history was colossaly misinterpreted in case of rudder of 5015 921st IAP "Sao Do". In every historical source like "Dogfights: Hell over Hanoi" or "MiG-21 Units of the Vietnam War" etc, and often copied on the web like on WINGS PALETTE there is this 5015 unit drawing, which must be based on this photo of MiG-21PFM at the rear: mig21unitsofthevietnamw.jpg

 

But I am almost convinced that this is not a lighter colour on the rudder but that this just ....a sunshine reflex and that all those historical sources are simply wrong. If you take a look on photos of parked Mig-21s, almost each has rudder slightly tilted to the right, exactly like the "blotched" Mig on the right. So I believe that the lighter rudder colouring is due to sunshine reflex and that the rudder base colour should be same as rest of the tail.

 

What is your oponion - am I right or have you any photos proving something else?

 

Ladia

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I agree. Just consider the effect the position of the sun must have had.

Besides, you can see the shadow on the fairing under the rudder, indicating it is not centerlined.

Edited by Hardcore
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  • 2 years later...

While I agree the rudder is deflected to the right, it doesn't necessarily mean it is the same colour as the rest of the tail fin.  It could just as easily be a natural metal rudder as per the profile deflected right but because of the amount of reflected light you can't really tell what the base colour is.

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It's self evident that the deflected rudder appears different, and the explanation that this may be due to it reflecting light towards the photographer absolutely convincing. The sun appears quite high and to right, albeit diffused, so it's curious why the similarly painted aircraft spine doesn't display any gleam (but that may be due to cloud and the fleeting nature of light. We'd have to see a motion picture rather than a still).

 

TBH, the aluminium cellulose finishes look much more appealing to me. It's been a source of some bewilderment as to why we haven't had a new tool MiG-21PF and PFM in 1/32 scale. Especially the PF (nearest the camera in that 45 yr-old photo).

 

And welcome Ladia!

 

Tony

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Yes, Ladia made the one post then disappeared nearly three years ago! Hence the belated welcomes!

 

Still stand by the desire for a 1/32 MiG-21PF and follow-on PFM. It's the kind of size and complexity that would suit Eduard if they scaled-up their 1/48 Profimodeller editions. Go on Eduard - pleeeze!

 

Tony

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Bottom line:  no one on the planet will ever know for sure what colors the rudder had on it.  If you believe it's a different color from the rest of the airplane, great.  If not, great.

That's another absolute statement. There may well be people who remember exactly what the colours were, but in all probability after five decades they wouldn't remember or care, even if we knew how to contact them. I have a couple of books on NVN MiGs which, like much on late WW2 RLM hues, is largely conjectural. That's why I've always painted models in what looks right - gives us all a ton of artistic licence so, as you say, it's great either way.

 

I gave up hoping for a quality 1/32 MiG-21PF last year and bought a couple of Eduard 1/48 scale Fishbed Ds. There's an abudance of really good kits in that scale which seem to be "overtaking" 1/32 in detail and quality, especially Soviet era PVO, VVS and export jets.

 

Tony

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