AMK 1/48 MiG 31 Foxhound.

[BarryW]

This is a great kit, without a doubt the best fitting 1/48 kit I have built. Thoroughly enjoyable to build right up until ‘final fittings’.

If you have or get this kit make sure that you get a brass undercarriage set, do not attempt to build this without one.

The kit’s u/c is very complex to put together and very weak indeed! Mine did not survive final fittings….

I had to pin the front part with a brass pin anyway as it broke early on. Then it broke again, this time disastrously, unrecoverable, during final fittings when the model slipped off the build stand and that, bear in mind, is the stronger part of the u/c, the main wheels are so wobbly even if that did not happen it would have collapsed!

So I am about to bin this model. Pity, right until the end this went together beautifully, brilliantly engineered so there were only two short seams to worry about.

Here is the only picture I will post of how this is left. You can probably see the bent pin.

[minitnkr]

Why not just close the doors? Looks to be a beauty.

[Jim R]

Shame that Barry. It does look great. Weak undercarriage is a common problem, hence the readily available am stuff. You would think that the manufacturers themselves would include metal undercarriages. They must have enough feedback to know it's a weakness.

[BarryW]

Shame that Barry. It does look great. Weak undercarriage is a common problem, hence the readily available am stuff. You would think that the manufacturers themselves would include metal undercarriages. They must have enough feedback to know it's a weakness.

Indeed.

With these 1/48 kits they seem to be pushing the boundaries of what plastic can achieve and going beyond practicality, all in the name of scale fidelity.

I just have three more of these small scale builds left, the Airfix Buccaneer, and the Tamiya F4 and F14 then that’s it, no more 1/48’s, I will stick to 1/32 from then on.

[BarryW]

Why not just close the doors? Looks to be a beauty.

She certainly would have been a beauty. No, closing the doors would not be that easy at all as she has been designed for the u/c to be down. Also I have used the ‘closed’ canopy as a paint mask and the separate open canopy sections won’t fit down. Then, of course, what do I do about pilots? I am not at all sure that I would have been able to adapt the pit while all built up.

The model now resides in the dustbin all broken up!

[Nicko]

That's a real shame Barry. Looks like you had achieved a really great finish.

Nick

[Gern]

Isn't that the second kit you've binned this year for the same reason?

[stillp]

Your dustbin has better models than my shelves Barry. Was there no chance of retrofitting metal undercarriage?
Pete

[BarryW]

Isn't that the second kit you've binned this year for the same reason?

Yes, that’s right. As I mentioned this seems to be a regular issue with 1/48 scale kits due to companies pushing the boundaries of plastic. Two in total collapsed literally on final fittings, one as soon as I set it on its ‘feet’ just before taking photos. Bear in mind all my 1/48’s are of larger aircraft, the smallest being the Harrier and even that wobbles every time I walk past it.

After completion I have had several collapse while on display, some repaired, others straight in the bin. This is one of the reasons I am not a fan of 1/48 scale and after my last few 1/48 jets I will be back to 1/32 only.

[BarryW]

Your dustbin has better models than my shelves Barry. Was there no chance of retrofitting metal undercarriage?
Pete

No, not really. The u/c on the Mig31 is very complex, not so much the front legs but the engineering is such that it needed fitting early in the build.

[PsiFox]

After this have a look at some of the Russian jets in 1/48 from GWH. I have their Mig29 and
SU27 reviews n both and video builds are great.
later this year GWH will,release their 1/48 A10. Early indications suggest it’s likely to be the best ever A10 n 1/48.
im currently building their 1/32 Curtiss Hawk 81-A2 and that’s amazing.