INTECH 1:72 MIG-29 FULCRUM
Reviewer: Geoff Goldfen (rec.models scale)
The MiG-29 was conceived in the late 1970's and is probably one of the better dogfighters in the world today. It is very manoeuvrable with High alpha and g limits that are hard to replicate by any western fighter. It is quite capable of beating an F-15 or F-16 in a dogfight but a lack of range and endurance and antiquated systems bring this otherwise super plane down to playing field level. The Intech kit offers the choice of building the single seat Fulcrum A or a the two-seat MiG-29UB trainer.
In the box you will find about 71 light grey injected molded plastic parts and 9 clear. A bit of flash encumbers many of the parts, especially the smaller pieces. Panel lines are raised but are generally quite nice and first impressions reveal that this kit will build into a basic model of the MiG-29 with little extra in detail etc.
The instructions are set out on a large fold out sheet and are generally reasonably easy to follow as far as the assembly steps are concerned, although the undercarriage appears to be a bit confusing and vague placement arrows. A sprue diagram is also provided that reveals the numbers of the various parts and a small history is also provided on the aircraft. Colour schemes are set out for the two versions in the kit that wear the same camouflage and call outs are provided by FS number and/or colour name only.
Construction begins with the cockpit and Intech have split the fuselage horizontally with two separate forward sections as a base to build your one or two-seat model upon - quite well done. The cockpit(s) consist of very basic items such as a tub, one-piece ejector seat, plain instrument panel and control stick - quite minimal in detail. The fit of the major components is quite good but a bit of filler is needed on hand for the wing roots and various other gaps that are revealed upon attachment.
The intakes were surprisingly hassle free but need to be sanded and the instructions show a choice between two upper fuselage tailplane roots but give no explanation to which one to choose. I assumed that the shorter root version was for the two-seat variant but I would recommend researching this if you have any concerns. All the single-seat Fulcrum-A's I have ever seen have the more standard and longer root section, and this was the basis in my model.
In the last stages of construction things get a little bit frustrating because the instructions are completely vague about positioning and in some cases actual parts when it comes to affixing the undercarriage. The main gear doors are a feat of 'try it out and if it fits it's probably right' method. The whole process in this part is poorly covered in the instructions and you will most likely need reference photos to help you out. The quality of the moldings is also quite poor in these last stages with penty of imperfection and ejector pin marks to make even the novice annoyed at what is in the kit. Poor moldings and a bit of flash inhibits the construction of the undercarriage, as well as make the smaller parts like the nose probe and aerial inadequate for use. All these parts need to be replaced with some stretched sprue or otherwise scratchbuilt to achieve a workable finish.
Two versions can be reproduced by this kit, which I guess could also translate into four examples because you have a single and two-seat version to boot. Markings for the Ukranian and Polish air forces are provided and as pointed out above, the colour call outs are by name and/or FS number, with the camouflage scheme the same for both types. In short grey-green upper camouflage and gull grey lower sides with dark gull grey radome.
You are best advised to seek your decals from elsewhere, the sheet supplied in the kit is absolutely shocking with the very thin stencilling and markings completely disintegrating upon placement in the water. There are a number of aftermarket sheets available for the MiG-29 including Czech and Russian versions from Propagteam and Romanian version from Superscale. There are no doubt others to choose from, but I decided to simply do the red star version and colour the aircraft into one of many examples that toured airshows.
Overall the accuracy is quite good - the span is to scale but the length is a couple of millimetres underscale. The basic outline of the aircraft is, however, excellent and probably one of the best kits to capture the look in this scale. A bit of extra work is required to get a good finishing look and thus would not be suitable for any inexperienced modeller. The mold quality falls under par and at roughly the same price you are probably best advised to choose an Airfix or Italeri offering. That being said, however, it still isn't a bad model by any stretch of the imagination and I am quite pleased with the result of my efforts. Recommended for experienced modellers.
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