SPA Modeler

In 1988, the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-29 was still little known to the West. Monogram released its 1/48 kit of the type based on information that was available at the time. I recall comments that the size was off a bit, and of course, many details were just speculation I suppose. I’ve been a denizen of scale modeling message boards for many years and I don’t recall ever seeing one built and presented. Probably lot’s of good reasons for that. I've had this model in my display cabinet for many years but it had never been photographed until I took her out to the airport on May 20th of this year. All it’s faults and shortcomings had prevented me taking pics until then. She accompanied other 2 photovirgins for their day in the sun, in front of my camera.

I had not been out there in three years and it took a while to get my mojo working (shout out to Muddy Waters there!). The sun was really bright and glare in the viewfinder was a big issue. I prefer slightly overcast days out there but once committed, I was hell bent on getting some good pics. The model, so much larger than her two companions, was hard to position. One problem I didn't discover until I returned home to view the pics was I had somehow set the camera to take smaller images. Dang. I did get a lot of photos and would have taken more to choose from but when turning the model for a new perspective, the SB main landing gear collapsed and also dislodged a missile pylon and part of the front gear too. Arrrgh. Well, that tore it; I packed up and came home where the MiG-29 was immediately restored. Can’t have her laying over that way!

This model was built during that so productive period for me of the early 1990s to early 2000s. I wish I had documented start and completion dates for all those old builds but now I can just guess at the dates. My knowledge of weathering was pretty much unknown in those days but I did add some details. Actuator arms for the rear brakes between the engines and a drag chute cover were scratched out as well as a couple small scoops. I added some “imagineering” to the cockpit rear deck and few details inside. I also added a few antennae bits and pieces. And oh yeah, I detached the horizontal stabilizers and reattached them with pins that allow them to pivot up and down.

I have no idea what colours I used, other than MM flat gull gray. Again, no build notes from those bygone days…

We are accustomed to having models that are usually quite accurate and then strive to make them more so. Here’s a look at what was available (to most of us) back in 1988 if you wanted a MiG-29 in 1/48 scale. I still think they are really beautiful aircraft, whether modeled or the actual plane, and regardless of accuracy issues, I like having mine in the display. So, here she is with all her warts and faults and small images, trying to be photogenic at our little airport!

Thanks for your interest and please feel free to comment!

Yet another great build! Looks really good.

LyleW wrote:Yet another great build! Looks really good.

Hey thanks Lyle! I wish the pics were better; I usually count on the airport to make the models look better than they are. She's an "old timer" in the display cabinet and could use some updating but I'm leaving her alone. Especially after her traumatic accident out at the airport!

Well, it’s more accurate than any of the older Mig kits that came along before it... Solid information on those birds was minimal and reserved for those with a “need to know”. We know how those stand up nowadays since the fall of the iron curtain.
Whatever the shortcomings are, that looks good, quite good. And as always, the airport setting adds the proper flavor. Too bad your local airport does not have a hardened aircraft shelter for background usage...
That’s another good one Gary!

Stikpusher wrote:Well, it’s more accurate than any of the older Mig kits that came along before it... Solid information on those birds was minimal and reserved for those with a “need to know”. We know how those stand up nowadays since the fall of the iron curtain.
Whatever the shortcomings are, that looks good, quite good. And as always, the airport setting adds the proper flavor. Too bad your local airport does not have a hardened aircraft shelter for background usage...
That’s another good one Gary!

Thanks much Stik! One of the perks of living in a small town...I've had nice interactions with local PD and also have seen the City Manager out there. Nobody has ever hassled me or run me off, yet! And since it's only five minutes from our house, it's so convenient too.

I believe I will have a word with the City Council about that hardened stand. I could really use that!

Here are a few planes out there recently. On the day I took the MiG-29 pics, there were four very nice turbo-prop jobs out there. Several million dollars worth sitting at our little airport!

There were two of these in the same hanger. Both were pulled out as I was leaving that day.





And two beautiful King Airs, in two sizes no less!

with Old Red, my truck:

Let’s see....

Small rural airport in Texas. Check.
Usually unattended. Check.
No one around but some old dude taking pictures of toys. Check.
Some old dude taking pictures of our planes. Check and uh oh....
Aircraft with very good range and speed. Check.

Running contraband? Maybe. If you do not know the owners, be careful taking pictures of a/c....

You know, I guess that's a possibility. I did run their registration numbers through the FAA database because I was curious about who locally had that kind of scratch. The two Kodiaks were registered in Alaska and one of the King Airs to a company in Austin and the other to a firm in East Texas. I googled the companies and they seemed legit. Would it be that much cheaper to park them here than in a larger airport?

***edit to add- Curiously, the Kodiak N-number doesn't show an address in Alaska now. No, the address is exactly the same as one of the King Airs, but a different company listed. Curiouser and curiouser...

I don't know what the deal is with the Kodiaks. Their big hangar used to belong to a Houston millionaire, George Kamen, who owned Yellow Cab in Houston (had an exclusive "monopoly at Houston Intl. Airport I heard). I've been to his "lake house" not far from Cameron with a contractor friend of mine. Yeah...nice place. The YC bunch had some kind of float-plane in the hangar for a long time. But I think that bunch has left the area now.

Last Friday morning, I had the house open for awhile and heard a plane going over. It sounded like a multi-engine. We live pretty much in the southern flight-line from the airport. A couple hours later, Jackie and I drove past the airport and I noticed the larger Beech was gone. I imagine that's what I heard.

The fuel pumps out there have jet fuel and avgas. At one time, customers had to call the PD and have them come out to unlock them. I don't think it's still that way. I do see police cars out there quite often though. But who knows what happens overnight? Intriguing thought Lyle!

Interesting. I’m glad you looked them up. I woul guess if there was something unusual going you would have been stopped from taking their pictures.

Back when flying with the CAP, we were tasked with doing airport surveys. That entailed heading out with a full tank, hitting as many airports as you could and record tail numbers of airplanes. We normally had to wear our uniforms, but for these we were in cities.

At the old airport in Russellville KY, I landed, got out to stretch, write down some numbers, look in a few airplanes... got back in my plane, started it up and began to taxi out.

From an old trailer, some guy came running out, went to one of the planes I had looked into,

I made a rather quick frparture.

Found out later that place was a hotbed of drug activity. It was nice that I was told.

For an old kit you did an awesome job with it!

Again, many thanks for your comments Mike!