Classic Airframes 1/48

Flashback, 1/48

Both the kits are from the same moulding.
The fit is pretty good for a short-run kit, and flash is minimal.
The vacuformed canopy looks like it will fit well.
The vertical tail looks thick - easy enough to thin down but be careful since the fuselage upper joint line has a 'jog' to accomodate the canted stabilizer.
The surface is relatively smooth, but as with all limited run kits there are a few glitches to sand out.
The excellent resin cockpit is handled with a three-wall tub with almost all detail molded in, plus a resin seat and control column; photoetch is limited to the instrument panel, seat belts, little odds and ends, and very nice wheel hubs.
I'd use True Details wheels for a more dimesional wheel, but remove the tread and thicken the tire by 1mm with a spacer between the halves (you'll have to saw the wheels in two yourself).

Two markings choices are provided: a dark green over light blue aircraft with a white Cyrillic '5', and the aircraft in winter-scheme white over light blue with elongated arrow over the exhaust stacks, with a choice of patriotic slogans.
I've identified many white examples in this photo, and they're all the late version, while the kit represents the early version. I've failed to identify the green example, it could be the hypothetical early Pokryshin's MiG, seen on many drawings but never documented by photos.

For an article on the building of the Flashback kit, see:
http://www.kitparade.com/features00/mig3ws_1.htm

ICM 1/48

This kit represents the late version; it is highly detailed, with recessed surface details, separate slats, underwing rockets and underwing gun pods.
A complete engine is included; it comes as 20-odd parts, including engine ancillaries and engine mount.
Be careful--do not try to install the closed cowling over the engine. It doesn't fit because of the plastic parts' thickness. You should put on the engine only if you make the cowling open, otherwise you have to omit it and maybe to expose it separately.
The most rational way to build the kit is to make two sub-assemblies- fuselage and wings-, glue and let them dry, and then join them. Using the necessary care, the fit is good.
The struts of the movable surfaces are too sharp and must be modified to give the idea of fabric-covered struts.

This kit is sold by ICM in at least 4 different boxes:
 

The aircraft alone; this kit features a decals sheet for 10 examples, 5 of them white painted, the other with camouflage colors.  go to ICM kit painting sheet
The aircraft of the ace Krasnov, with pilots and ground crew enclosed. I have not seen the decals sheet.
A triple box with the MiG-3, Spitfire Mk-IX, and Yak-7 with "Baltic Fleet" decals; it encloses 10 figures and some ground equipment, also.  The kit of the Spitfire is beautiful too, but the Yak-7 lets much to desire.  I have not seen the decals sheet; the MiG should have white 42 decals.
Another triple kit with the "defence of Moscow" decals, with 10 figures and ground equipment enclosed.  The kit of the Spitfire is beautiful too, but the Yak-7 lets much to desire.  The MiG-3 decals are for white 30, it looks nice, but I have not found any photo of the real subject.  go to "Moscow air defence" decals sheet

An article describing the kit and some minor fit difficulties can be found here.
http://www.kitparade.com/features00/mig3ir_1.htm

The Russian tabloid "Modelizm 4/2000" has an article (that I couldn't read) with some sketch drawings, that surely show some small corrections to do and are reproduced here.
http://ic.moris.ru/~grigory/plastik/recenz/mig3/mig3.html

The shape of the kit is fairly good, but two defects are visible:

• the spinner shape is a bit too rounded, it should be more conical, but it can be replaced by the resin piece of Fusion;
• the windshield is a bit too short, but this is difficult to remedy; one could extend a bit rearward the windshield by deleting the frames on it and making new ones with a stripe of painted paper and with vinyl glue; for what I know, no any vacuformed canopy is produced for this kit.

This is correct in shape and size and represents the late version, with decals for 7 examples, but the quality of detail, trasparent canopy and fitting is poor, and is not match for the ICM kit.

POMK 1/48

This resin kit is produced in two versions, both for early type and for late type MiG-3.  It is said to be good.  A review can be found at  http://www.internetmodeler.com/2001/may/first-looks/pomk_mig3.htm

Some of these notes are partially based on works of Scott M. Head, Roger Wallsgrove and Tom Cleaver

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