Airfix MiG 15 1:72

Reviewed by: Les Venus
Price: £5.99
Availability: Good
Parts: 53
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First Impressions

My first ever kit was the Airfix 1/72nd scale Spitfire (you know the pale blue one) in 1965 (ish) I think and my Nan bought it for me in Woolies on the Woolworth Road in SE London!  My second was the same manufacturer’s MiG 15 – for those of you old enough to know was moulded in silver plastic and had the pilots head I think moulded on a platform. As I recall I think it was not very accurate being I seem to remember nearer 1:87th scale and had issues with the fin and I think the wing sweep was too shallow too. This written I think that the MiG 15 was still one of Airfix’s iconic two-bob kits and as such deserves its place in modelling History.

So given this and the personal history I have with the mark it was with some excitement and trepidation that I bought this brand new tooling of this iconic and almost unbearably beautiful fighter The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG 15.  First impressions are great as I love the new red Airfix house colours and this one shows a pair of pale grey (they should be natural metal) MiGs in close formation in for me the only one to build; early Russian.  In addition the box shows the two other schemes that are included as well as a note of the Humbrol paints that one needs to complete the model. At £5.99 this all looks like the 21st Century equivalent of the two-bob kit. Well done Airfix!

Inside is a single poly bag with three sprues and another small poly bag in which is the single piece canopy. At the bottom of the box is a surprisingly large instruction sheet and beautiful and very complete decal sheet. The kit is moulded in pale blue grey plastic which is free of flash but has some heavy looking sprue gates which will need to be treated with care. The panel lines are engraved but for my taste a little heavy for this scale being akin to 1:32nd not 1:72nd. Don’t get me wrong it’s not like an old Matchbox kit but I think that Airfix could do better. This said it a huge improvement on the old kit.

Overall then not bad and it certainly has a build-me-now feeling with it and I think that it will appeal to kids coming into modelling so in that it’s all good so far as I am concerned.

Instructions

The instructions are folded like they are being posted but are actually a book that’s about 30cm x 20cm! There’s a nice little history of the MiG on the header and inside the booklet the instructions are bold logical and will be easy to use. Excellent.

Accuracy

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Now I am not a rivet-counter and sit firmly in the stool that if it looks right it is right and I am happy to say so. That said this is an important kit and the old one was dreadful so I did open a set of drawings by Bradic Srecko that were published in a MiG 15 special in a well known model mag. I am delighted to say that the wing sweep is spot on so far so good! The fin however seems to sweep back a little too sharply but not by much and hey, Airfix may be right? The fuselage however appears to be nearly 10mm too long compared to the drawings but as I say I hate this sort of thing so enough is enough.

Panel lines are a tad heavy but are accurate and rivets are restrained and again accurate. The wheel wells are too shallow for accuracy and detail rudimentary. The canopy is crystal clear but in one piece. It could with care be cut open with the finest of razor saws.

Overall, it looks good it feels good and I like it, I really do

Fit

Fit is excellent and I think there will be little if any need for filler on this one.

Quality

This kit despite its minor quibbles feels good to hold, is good to look at is beautifully packaged and presented and to me is a good quality product typical of the new Airfix brand. Other manufacturers should look at Airfix and learn (Trumpeter please note) something because this new era for Airfix exudes a new vigor and  a definite improvement in quality so again well done.

Decals

Decals for three aircraft are included: a Russian from the 1950s, plus a North Korean and Hungarian jet both camouflaged from 1952 and 1971 respectively. The sheet itself is complete and beautifully printed and includes a superb instrument panel and side consoles for the tiny cockpit. I have to score these as 10/10 for choice of colour and quality.

Summary

Yes this kit has its little niggles but overall it’s well packaged, largely (possibly completely) accurate, looks good feels good has great instructions, fits well, outstanding decals and an awesome subject. I heartily recommend it for all its excellent value for money and should be welcomed by the modeling world with open arms.

Recommendation

Highly recommended and excellent value for money

Les