JBr Decals 1/144 Czechoslovak Fishbeds
By Matt Bittner
Because the history is rich on the instruction sheet I will provide that here:
"MiG-21 in various versions has been the backbone of Czechoslovak and later Czech Air Force for nearly 43 years.
"The first "generation three" Fishbeds, MiG-21MA (Izdeliye 96AL MiG-21M, version A in the delivery documentation) arrived in 1969. Design-wise based on the R version, the MA contained RP-21MA radar and while the outer wing pylons still removed "wet" and could be used for carrying external tanks, they could also be fitted with missile launcher rails for either R-35 or RS-2US missiles. All four pylons could also be used for carrying UB-16 unguided rocket launcher pods, S-24 unguided air to ground rockets or 100-250 kg bombs. Originally the MA aircraft didn't have canopy periscopes, but those were fitted during midlife or general overhauls.
"The second and the last original "generation three" version used by the Czechoslovak Air Force was MiG-21MF. First batch of MFs arrived in 1971 and shared significant amount of avionics with the MA version. MF had a more powerful R-13F-300 engine and could carry various A-A ordnance, including RS-2US radar homing missile, R-35 and R-13 (since 1985) IR seeking missiles. In 1990s the aircraft were upgraded to carry R-60 IR seeking missiles, the most advanced IR missiles available for the Czech MIG-21s.
"After the Czech Republic joined NATO in 1999, 10 MiG-21MF aircraft were upgraded to MFN standard by LOK Kbely between 1999 and 2000. The remaining MiG-21MF and MFN aircraft were used by the 41st FS and later the 211th TS at Caslav AFB. MiG-21MF/MFN QRA service ended in the morning of July 1st 2005, when their duty was taken over by JAS 39 Gripen. On July 12th 2005 the last six Czech MiG-21s flew for their last time. MiG-21MFN 4405 flew to Prague-Kbely, where it became an exhibit of the local aviation museum, and the remaining five (MF 5512, MFN 4175, 5581, 5603 and UM 9341) to Prerov AFB for decommissioning and subsequent storage. With those flights ended more than 50 years long service of Mikoyan Design Bureau aircraft in Czechoslovakia and later the Czech Republic.
"In 1993 Slovakia received one third of the original Czechoslovak MiG-21 fleet. The first Slovak Fishbeds to be withdrawn from service were MiG-21MA in mid 1990s, gradually followed by other version, leaving the last six MiG-21MF and two MiG-21UM in service as of October 2001. Finally, the last remaining MiG-21s were decommissioned on 1 January 2013."
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While this release doesn't cover every MiG-21MA/MF ever used, it does provide markings for 32 aircraft:
- MiG-21MA 1113 - 4th Fighter Regiment, Pardubice, 1989
- MiG-21MA 1114 - 4th Fighter Regiment, Pardubice, 1989
- MiG-21MA 1114 - Slovak Air Force, 1994
- MiG-21MA 1209 - 9th Fighter Regiment, Bechyně, 1991
- MiG-21MA 2614 - 28th Fighter-Bomber Regiment, Čáslav, 1993
- MiG-21MA 2614 - 43rd Fighter Squadron, Čáslav, 1996
- MiG-21MA 2701 - 5th Fighter Regiment, Plzeň-Líně, 1990
- MiG-21MF 4003 - 9th Fighter-Bomber Regiment, Bechyně, 1993
- MiG-21MF 4017 - 9th Fighter-Bomber Regiment, Bechyně
- MiG-21MF 4307 - Air Testing Department, Čáslav, 1994
- MiG-21MF 4405 - 82nd Independent Fighter Squadron, Ostrava-Mošnov
- MiG-21MF 5209 - 41st Fighter Squadron, Čáslav, 1999
- MiG-21MF 5212 - 11th Fighter Regiment, Žatec, 1991
- MiG-21MF 5303 - 11th Fighter Regiment, Žatec, 1991
- MiG-21MF 5303 - 11th Fighter Regiment, Žatec, cca 1992
- MiG-21MF 5303 - 11th Fighter Regiment, Žatec, 1993
- MiG-21MF 5303 - 43rd Fighter Squadron, Čáslav, 1996
- MiG-21MF 5305 - 5th Fighter Regiment, Plzeň-Líně, late 1980s
- MiG-21MF 5512 - 211th Tactical Squadron, Čáslav, 2005
- MiG-21MF 7701 - 11th Fighter Regiment, Žatec, 1993
- MiG-21MF 7701 - 11th Fighter Regiment, Žatec, 1993
- MiG-21MF 7702 - 6th Fighter-Bomber Regiment, Přerov, 1980
- MiG-21MF 7714 - 6th Fighter-Bomber Regiment, Přerov, 1983
- MiG-21MF 7714 - 1st Fighter Air Wing, Sliač, 2002
- MiG-21MF 9413 - 1st Air School Regiment, Přerov, 1993
- MiG-21MF 9414 - 211th Tactical Squadron, Čáslav, 2003
- MiG-21MF 9711 - 4th Fighter Regiment, Pardubice, 1986
- MiG-21MF 9711 - 8th Fighter Regiment, Brno, 1990
- MiG-21MF 9711 - 211th Tactical Squadron, Čáslav, 2003
- MiG-21MF 9814 - 4th Fighter Regiment, Pardubice, early 1980s
- MiG-21MF 9814 - 9th Fighter Regiment, Bechyně, 1991
- MiG-21MF 9814 - Slovak Air Force, post 1993
Decals are again to JBr Decals' usual high standards and look great. If you ever wanted to build a Czech MiG-21MA/MF and didn't have the markings to do so, you do now with this release. Of course, you'll also need an Eduard MiG-21 kit.
Many thanks to JBr Decals for sending this review decal set.