Tony T Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 Picked up a new Trumpeter 1/32 JJ-5 trainer for a tenner + postage, with the intention of making a shiny silver Finnish MiG-15UTI. This is the later edition of the kit in pale grey plastic - much bigger than I imagined it would be, including the box - but with the same red and white display scheme on the box top and in the decals. Finnish markings for a black cat squadron jet have been drawn and printed (a couple of years ago), so that's sorted. So, apart from deleting the outboard wing fences and using the basic ring inlet (the different inlet designs are included in the kit, just like in the MiG-17 Fresco boxing) what else needs to be done to satisfy the "looks like" criteria? I'm not seeking perfection or anything like it. The idea is for this to be fun. Thanks, and apologies if this was covered a few years ago. I have the actual plastic now. Tony Out2gtcha, phasephantomphixer and Chek 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kagemusha Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 Meindert did a 1/32 Mig 15UTI conversion a few years ago, I'll be doing the same in time, hope you find it useful. phasephantomphixer, R Palimaka, Tony T and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chek Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 (edited) The MiG-15 UTI for some reason always makes me think if the Munsters had a family jet, that's the one. In your opinion, would a single seater be do-able? With a vac canopy and some sheeting over. I've had a fancy to use the Master gun set without having to either learn or invest too much in a type I know next to nothing about. Edited June 7, 2018 by Chek phasephantomphixer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R Palimaka Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 (edited) The JJ-5 is a derivative of the MiG-17, so there are some differences, the MiG-17 has a longer fuselage, and more wing sweep. I once saw a conversion done by a modeller who took the cockpit area of the Trumpeter JJ-5 and grafted it onto a Trumpeter MiG-15. It turned out to look good, and not really too much work. I bought both kits at a model show here for $30 combined, so I'm not too afraid to start cutting. That's my next project once I finish that 1/24 Mustang IV...eventually. Found the link: https://designer.home.xs4all.nl/models/mig17-32/mig17.htm Hope it still works for you. Richard Edited June 7, 2018 by R Palimaka Tony T 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R Palimaka Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 Oops...sorry Kagemusha!! The link I posted is the same as the one you provided! Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kagemusha Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 Nae problemo Richard, better to have the info twice than not at all. R Palimaka 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony T Posted June 7, 2018 Author Share Posted June 7, 2018 Thanks all. Guess I'll have to get a MiG-15 airframe for the swap-over and copy Meindert's patter. At the current prices for these kits it's quite a fun kit-bashing concept (and I'm adept at filling and sanding). Cheers Tony Kagemusha and R Palimaka 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony T Posted June 7, 2018 Author Share Posted June 7, 2018 I've also found Kevin's MiG-15 review useful... https://www.largescaleplanes.com/reviews/review.php?rid=1814 ...in case anyone else is contemplating this process. Next thing you know, HpH will bring out the perfect MiG-15UTI. Thanks again, Tony Rick Griewski, LSP_K2 and Hubert Boillot 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark_C Posted June 7, 2018 Share Posted June 7, 2018 Just as an aside, it's odd how, what with the MiG-17's historical importance, there's a lack of really good kits in 1/32. I'd hoped for years someone would come out with a worthy adversary to the F-4s and Broncos and Skyraiders and Skyhawks, etc., but I don't see any on the horizon. R Palimaka 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thierry laurent Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 It is possible to get something that really looks like a MiG-17 but it won't be easily accurate... The wings are a mess. I assessed all the possibilities and finally concluded I will go for cosmetic changes as the only other option is a fully new wing... The single seater canopy is another nasty issue. The squadron MiG-15 vac one is far better than the kit one and should be used even if the actual one was flatter on the Fresco. All other problems may be solved with time, elbow grease and cheap aftermarket sets. Last, you have to know that some Profimodeller parts detail the kit but do not correct it! So take care if you want to correct some issues such as the air brakes shapes as there will be some resulting compatibility issues! Hth Thierry R Palimaka, Martinnfb and LSP_K2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubert Boillot Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 Did you do one of your excellent tweaks list for the -17, Thierry ? Hubert Martinnfb 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony T Posted June 8, 2018 Author Share Posted June 8, 2018 It is possible to get something that really looks like a MiG-17 but it won't be easily accurate... The wings are a mess... The single seater canopy is another nasty issue. Hth Thierry I have a MiG-17 already which is destined to be part of the Baltic mayhem collection, finished as a Polish PF. I can live with minor errors in the wings and understand that one of the windshield options is pretty good for the Papa Foxtrot Fresco. So, the Meindart pattern is only part good for me. I will get a Finnish MiG-15UTI and Polish MiG-17PF from the three kits, though there is a possibility of a FrankenFresco from what's left of the JJ-5. Out of curiosity, are the mainplanes and tailplanes essentially interchangeable between the Trumpeter 15 and 17 kits? Taking that approach might be sufficient for me - yeah, I know the fuse is longer, the airbrakes different and that I may need to alter the wing root fillets, but it may be an acceptable shortcut to me. My goal is "looks pretty much like...", not a perfect miniature. Cheers Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_K2 Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 I've also found Kevin's MiG-15 review useful... https://www.largescaleplanes.com/reviews/review.php?rid=1814 ...in case anyone else is contemplating this process. Next thing you know, HpH will bring out the perfect MiG-15UTI. Thanks again, Tony Excellent to hear that someone found that review of some use, so thanks for saying that, Tony. Out2gtcha 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 I have still have occasional nightmares about building that kit Martinnfb 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cch4530 Posted June 8, 2018 Share Posted June 8, 2018 I've been looking at the conversion done here and it is excellent. ericg 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now