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Title: A new MiG-25... Post by: Greg C. on March 25, 2009, 01:13:18 AM I just got a hold of ICM's new MiG-25 in 1/72nd, and have had a chance to compare it to the Condor model. When ICM's offering first came out, I glanced at a couple of sprue shots, and wrote it off as a re-boxing of the Condor kit. Then, I took a closer look at a box review at Aeroscale, and noticed some distinct differences, so I went ahead and ordered one.
ICM's kit models the MiG-25 PD, which was the Soviet reaction to Victor Belenko's defection with a "P" model, and the West's subsequent ability to examine it in detail. The PD has several subtle differences externally, including a slightly longer nose to accommodate a new radar. While Condor's MiG-25 is a nice kit, their attempt to offer it up as a PD is a lash-up, leaving out the longer nose, and forcing you to cut-off the mass balances on the wing tips and replace them with the type seen on the PD. ICM's kit is a more proper PD right out of the box. It clearly is based on Condor's earlier kit, but is much more refined and well-executed, with more finesse and better detail. It also features, for the first time, an attempt at an accurately molded R-40 missile. The rocket motors on an R-40, in common with a few other Soviet missile designs, are mounted laterally between the large stabilization fins, rather than in the tail of the missile. This feature is missed on all other representations of this weapon I have seen, with the exception of the Eastern Express MiG-31, in which case they are grossly inaccurate in layout and dimension. As much as both Condor and ICM kits are a big improvement over Haswgawa's ancient attempt, they still both miss some important details, including the arrangement of the afterburner nozzles, which actually overlap each other slightly where they come together at the centerline, and have the nozzle petals removed. I really like the Condor kit, but ICM's offering is an improvement, as if the guys who made the Condor version said, "let's have a do-over, and see if we can improve some things.." All I can tell is, I am going to have quite a collection of MiG-25s, which is of course, a perfectly good thing! Title: Re: A new MiG-25... Post by: Massimo Tessitori on March 27, 2009, 07:33:00 AM Hi Greg, :)
thank you for posting your review. I built the kit of Hasegawa a lot of years ago and, even if adequate to its times, it's clearly a too old kit for now. I don't know if I'll buy this new one, but it's pleasant to know about its qualities. I hope that someone will wake up and make new models of Flogger; all those that I know are grossly inaccurate in shape and details. Massimo Title: Re: A new MiG-25... Post by: Greg C. on March 31, 2009, 01:49:35 AM I have a very hard time picking an all-time favorite aircraft, but the MiG-25 has always been a very strong contender!
You're right about the MiG-23, it's way overdue for a new kit. Title: Re: A new MiG-25... Post by: flanker on November 24, 2010, 12:25:52 PM Condor and ICM kits are very welcome (i have Condor P and PU kits and i am considering to buy ICM PD too)
about aftermarket i can recomend you Prop and Jet(Walker from this forum is producer) exhaust and vacum formed canopies for PU (canopies are great..i do not have canopy for P/PD but i guess that they are equally good) |