1/48 Mig-31 Firefox

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

Just a follow-up for this thread from the old boards:

http://www.macrossworld.com/cgi-bin/mwf/ik...=ST;f=17;t=5586

As shown below, the canards and wings have been successfully pinned. Some stiff bristles from a hairbrush were used as pins for the canards, and trimmed metal rods were used to pin the wings. After drilling the appropriate holes, canards and wings were super-glued to the main body. A lot of filling and sanding still had to be done though to fill the gaps.

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

One week later, I’m left with a low-visibility Firefox, woo-hoo! Well, not really, it’s just the last primer coat, but at least everything’s smoothed out and in one piece now. The removal of the cockpit masking will probably be the last step. After much testing, I’ve found the white metal landing gear can be installed without folding in on itself, and that’s the next step.

[David Hingtgen]

Ooooooh. I forget how you're going to paint it. Bare metal?

Also--got any pics for a sense of size? A 1/48 Firefox must be HUGE.

Finally--don't forget to capitalize the G in MiG.

Man, everybody's doing model planes lately but me. (1/350 USS Iowa---and there's 157 gun barrels in 84 mounts on the Iowa, for I have sanded each and every one of them)

[Isamu Atreides 86]

how does this compare to the Yamato 1/48 in size??

[Lightning]

how does this compare to the Yamato 1/48 in size??

That's what i'm wanting to know.

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

DH, I’m going to stick with the mottled look with mixed panels of matte black and titanium. The titanium is going to come from the Testors Metallizer line. Can anyone share with me what they use to buff the Metallizers with once you spray it on? I figured a plain terry cloth would work, but there might be something better to use.

Shown below is a comparison shot. The valk is also on an elevated plane on level with the Firefox.

[areaseven]

Goddamn, that thing's huge.

As always, you're doing a great job on building that Firefox kit, VHD. Can't wait to see the finished product.

[Isamu Atreides 86]

wow, that is really big. how much detail is there? is the amount comparable to the yammie?

[Commander McBride]

Wow, that thing is huge.

Hey, has anyone tried out the Firefox for MS Flightsim 2004 yet? It's a pretty fun plane to fly.

[Vostok 7]

Ahhhhh good ol' Russian aircraft. Huge. Fast. Gotta love 'em.

I still say that thing isn't Russian though <_<

Vostok 7

[mechatek]

Thanks for the updates, VHD. Sure brings back pleasant memories of repeated viewings on HBO. I just wish the dvd had an isolated music score. Anyway, keep up the great work, just give us plenty o' pics when you complete the MiG.

[Southpaw Samurai]

Wow, that thing is huge.

Hey, has anyone tried out the Firefox for MS Flightsim 2004 yet? It's a pretty fun plane to fly.

Yes, it's very fun. You got to love the clouds flying by as if you were on the 'x6 simulation rate' setting or higher. Took me a bit to manage landing. I collapsed the gears more than once before deciding I had to spend a bit more time slowing down before my final approach.

I'd have to look at the readme for it again to verify, but I think the MSFS2004 Firefox model was textured by the guy who actually designed the plane for the movie. Anyway, it's definitely worth the download if you're either a.) a fan of the movie (frankly, I don't remember much about the movie, but I remember thinking it was cool as a kid), b.) feel the need for speed, c.) like your fictional military jets big and black. It's a blast taking it over the north pole.

BTW, the model is very well done (at, least from my memory and comparing it to my recent experience with the FS2004 version). It'll be very interesting to see the final version.

Edited August 29, 2003 by Southpaw Samurai

[Commander McBride]

I checked, the model's texture is actually based on a technical illustration. The guy who did it also runs this iste: www.oculusdesign.com/firefox.

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

Goddamn, that thing's huge.

As always, you're doing a great job on building that Firefox kit, VHD. Can't wait to see the finished product.

Thanks, A7, I can't wait either.

Isamu, the only fine details this kit has are the panel lines and the etchings in the cockpit. Its seriously lacking in the detail dept. I even had to get my own decals and cut up my own mini-exhaust nozzles.

[David Hingtgen]

I don't buff very often (I usually use the buffing version, but then don't buff it--still looks better than the non-buffing version).

Anyways, either use kleenex or an old sock (probably kleenex). You want smooth, soft objects. I've found that you shouldn't wait long to buff---90% of the time, it'd be dry before I got a chance to buff it. (It'll still leave flecks on your fingers for days, but won't buff)

If you've got a Dremel, etc, use a rag-wheel. I've seen amazing results come from using that on a buffing finish. (Power buff! )

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

Neee-ha! It’s finally done, I really should’ve been finished much earlier, but I needed to do a lot of testing to get the desired effects. Now on to the pics:

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

Note the slight downward curve along the cockpit. This is some free license by the sculptors of Studio 2, but I think it adds some sleekness to the original movie models.

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

From the rear:

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

Next:

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

From the top:

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

Lastly:

[Angel's Fury]

Another work of art. Good job Valkyrie Hunter D!

[Mr.Sci-Fi]

Shweeet

[mechatek]

Thanks for sharing your pics VHD. They're fantabulous. Makes me wanna pop in my Firefox dvd and scene select the arial battle with Second Firefox.

[91WhiskeyM6]

Holy crap! this is soooo spooky. I just bought Clint Eastwood's "Firefox" DVD yesterday at Borders and here you are posting THIS

Oh god, I want that fighter B) ....seriously! I want that fighter!

"Thanks for sharing your pics VHD. They're fantabulous. Makes me wanna pop in my Firefox dvd and scene select the arial battle with Second Firefox. "

EDITED IN:

You know, the YF-21 could have been created with the Firefox in mind. Think about it. The Firefox was the first fictional manned aircraft capable of being mind controlled...okay not in the same capacity as the YF-21, but close. What about the dogfights between the two "Mig-31's" ??? The Russian Firefox finally getting destroyed by a rear shot anti-missile flare. Kinda like Isamu firing off a couple of tail mounted laser blasts on Guld's YF-21.

So Macross Plus had a little Topgun and Firefox in it.

Where can I buy that model?

Edited September 24, 2003 by 91WhiskeyM6

[areaseven]

You know, the YF-21 could have been created with the Firefox in mind. Think about it. The Firefox was the first fictional manned aircraft capable of being mind controlled...okay not in the same capacity as the YF-21, but close. What about the dogfights between the two "Mig-31's" ??? The Russian Firefox finally getting destroyed by a rear shot anti-missile flare. Kinda like Isamu firing off a couple of tail mounted laser blasts on Guld's YF-21.

So Macross Plus had a little Topgun and Firefox in it.

I actually pointed that out on my website a few years ago. The only reason why no one else mentioned it was because Firefox was a long-forgotten movie. I even told the guy behind the Mig-31 Firefox Online Resource to pick up Macross Plus just for the heck of it.

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

I'm glad you guys like it , I really tried to give it at least a similar look to its movie counterpart. It looks like the film used at least three models which were slightly different from each other, so getting a true movie-accurate Firefox model would be a matter of taste. Studio 2's interpretation of the Firefox is fairly close to the full scale mock-up (used in the hangar scenes) except for a couple of details. The mock-up has a well defined "spine" between the tail wings due to the upper intakes being a little bigger than the kit's. Second, the mock-up's upper intakes merge with the fuselage more abruptly than the kit does, giving the kit some elegant lines. Lastly, Studio 2 added some curves along the upper and lower parts of the cockpit area, as opposed to the mock-up's straight lines. There are some other small details which differ, but I do like what Studio 2 did with the Firefox.

91WhiskeyM6, there are only a couple of places I know of online that carries this kit:

http://www.monstersinmotion.com/ships/indexf.html

and

http://www.comet-miniatures.com/search.php...a&s_for=firefox

Comet Miniatures is in the U.K. though. Both these shops also carry the 1/72 version. This kit resembles the model used during some of the flight scenes.

Firefox tidbits:

The story of Gant's theft of the Firefox is continued in the novel Firefox Down, also by Craig Thomas.

Wanna see the Firefox in videogames? A loong time ago the movie had its own laserdisc game but it was nothing more than movie clips mixed in with a shooter on rails. Track down the old Neo-Geo shooter Aero Fighters, and during the Russia stage a formidable boss will greet you. The most notable cameo of the Firefox in a game is in the SNES title, U.N. Squadron. Renamed the F-20 Efreet , the Firefox is the most expensive plane you can buy.

Edited September 24, 2003 by Valkyrie Hunter D

[Amped]

Firefox tidbits:

The story of Gant's theft of the Firefox is continued in the novel Firefox Down, also by Craig Thomas.

Man, I actually have that book... somewhere! I remember buying it as summer reading on a camping trip some time after the film Firefox came out... musta been some time around junior high. I can't for the life of me remember what happened in that book, tho! I do remember one bit, tho... something about placing a ground beacon/ transmittor high enough off the ground so that a reindeer wouldn't be able to piss on it!

I'm gonna have to dig that book outta my pile and read it again for old time's sake... and to see what the hell happened in it. *rummages through book stacks*

Sweet model, btw! The Firefox doesn't get enuff love from the younger generation... truly one of the cooler fantasy aircraft ever designed!

[VF-0S FAN]

Awesome Valkyrie Hunter D

How much is it with your signature ?

[Batou]

Holy crap is that thing big.

Excellent work. I especially like the patchy look you got on the wings to simulate panels.

So - Now where are you going to put it?

[Valkyrie Hunter D]

So  - Now where are you going to put it? 

That's a damn good question, Batou.

Well, there's a local mom and pop's hobby shop that has some of my stuff on display. I'm hoping they have enough space in their case for this thing. If not, it gonna make one heck of a paperweight.

How much is it with your signature ?

Not as much as I'd want it to be.

[Duke Togo]

Jesus Christ, that is AWESOME. I've been a Fire Fox fan since I was a kid, have the first British printing of both books, and thew movie on DVD. I'm just drooling over these pictures.

[Apollo Leader]

Firefox is on DVD!?!

I did some quick searching and see that it came out last October. I wish it had been advertised. At least I now know it exists.

BTW, nice model Valkyrie Hunter.

[Isamu Atreides 86]

sweet job. that looks even better than the movie!

[areaseven]

Firefox is on DVD!?!

Yeah, I've had my copy for over a year. The picture quality is okay (just nothing compared to the laserdisc), but the 5.1 surround sound is much better than I expected. As for extras, the DVD is pretty light on them as it just contains the original behind-the-scenes documentary. Otherwise, it's a great add-on to your DVD collection.