Eduard 1/72 MiG-21MF Interceptor Weekend Edition
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
Overview
The MiG-21 will go down as one of the most successful jet fighters of all time, with well over 10,000 aircraft manufactured over the decades. The first prototype took to the air in 1955, while the last Chinese variant rolled off the assembly line in 2013, and in between there were dozens of variants. One of the more popular variants was the MiG-21MF (M for Modernizirovannyy or Modernized and F for Forsirovannyy or Uprated in reference to the engine), which was an export version of the MiG-21SM. This featured the improved Sapfir RP-22 radar and an expanded weapons loadout that included the R-60 missile. With thousands of this variant produced, it was a common sight in smaller air forces around the world, especially in Africa and the Middle East.
The Kit
Eduard’s 1/72 MiG-21 kit is easily the best MiG-21 available in this scale. While the kit has been out since 2018, it still sets the bar for models in this scale. From the excellent surface detailing and quality decals to lots of options and a well-engineered cockpit, this kit offers up just about everything you could want out of the box. As this is the Weekend Edition, it comes with the basics compared to other releases, which means no photoetch, resin, or masks are included.
The decals, though, are quite extensive, with markings for four options as well as a complete set of stenciling that provides optional colors depending on the aircraft. Along with airframe stenciling, this sheet also includes all the markings found on the R-3S, R-13, R-60, and RS-2US missiles included in the kit, as well as the two styles of drop tanks. For the four decal options, they cover four different nations:
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Black 2410, 1 Squadron, 9 Fighter Bomber Air Regiment, Bechyne, Czech Republic, September 1993 – Overall light gray with colorful red, white, and blue special markings. This includes a number 9 on the rudder, a stylized triangle outline on the vertical fin, and a winged arrow motif spanning the upper wings & fuselage.
Blue 74, 116 CBP (116 Combat Training Center), Privolzhsky, Soviet Union, May 1990 – Four-color camouflage on the upper surfaces consisting of two shades of brown and two shades of green, with lower surfaces in blue gray. Blue 74 outlined in white on the nose, and Soviet stars on the wings and vertical fin.
Red 8055, 10 Pulk Lotnictwa Mysliwskiego, Airport Lask, Poland, 1986-1993 – Silver paint overall with small dragon emblem on the nose. Red 8055 on the nose, and Polish squares on the lower wings and vertical fin.
Blue 226, Mogadishu Airport, Somali Air Force, Somalia, 1991 – Upper surfaces in light sand with minimal green mottling, lower surfaces in light blue. Blue 226 on the nose, and Somali roundels on the wings and vertical fin.
Conclusion
This is another nice re-release of this excellent Eduard kit, and if one of the marking options catches your eye, definitely pick this one up. Personally, I’m looking forward to building this one up as the Somali Air Force option, as it’s not often you get a chance to build a model of an aircraft from that country. Visit the Eduard web site for more information and to order this and other MiG-21 accessories.