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Dan DeSilva
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1/48 Hobbycraft Mig17 (War Eagle)

August 23, 2018 · in Aviation · · 15 · 2.5K

Yet another kit that had languished on the shelf of doom- a hangar queen that was on pause for too long. I had always wanted to build a Mig17 in VPAF markings- and back in the day of collecting kits I saw this one as an opportunity. It was a second hand kit that someone had started and was on sale most likely at one of the mail order second hand kit suppliers I used to frequent when a single man just out of college!
Compared to the Mig 17 kits out there now, it is a bit soft on detail and lacking in others. Fortunately. I got hold of a True Details replacement cockpit- a major improvement over the kit parts.
The exhaust needed a bit of work and had been improved by the previous owner.
The War Eagle release of this kit comes with a large number of optional markings (they are pretty good)- the decals are free for anyone interested, just send an email and I will forward them on to you.
Early on I had heard of this particular marking scheme belonging to "Col. Tomb"- allegedly shot down by "Showtime 100"- the F-4J flown by Cunningham and Driscoll. the following site gives a very interesting article on the construct of the VPAF ace that most likely did not exist:

There is one photo of "3020" and a myriad of interpretations of the camouflage scheme- just google Mig 17 "Col. Tomb" and you will see what I mean. I initially airbrushed what I thought would be contrasting greens, which seemed to just merge together in the end. After a coat of future, the build stalled for quite a few years (can't remember the timeline at all) because of the paint.
Lately, I have been finishing off kits that have sat for too long- see my 1/72 Bv138C-1 article. After picking up the Mig 17 out of its shallow box grave last week, it took me three days to finish it- FINALLY! I mottled some dark green enamel with a brush over my future coat and was happier with the result after a coat of flat varnish.
After looking at the photo of 3020 in different resolutions, and contrasts, I think I will add a bit more paint by hand around the bort number. It will most likely help with the annoying silvering you can see in the pictures.
So- I guess a little more to go, but I had to get this posted- to keep me motivated to finish a few more builds before the end of my summer break as a teacher!

Reader reactions:
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5 additional images. Click to enlarge.


15 responses

  1. Good to see ya "back on board", Dan and an interesting article indeed on Col. Tomb (whoever he was/wasn't). And I love that head-on headline photo, too. 🙂

  2. Dan, long time no see. It’d certainly be to our benefit if you finish more projects; you have a lot of game (as well as the Mig, I thought your ‘Putt, Putt, Maru’ was beautifully made), your posts are a great read (do you teach English, perhaps?), and your subject choices are 100% in the iModeler sweet spot.

    Hope to see more soon.

    • Hey David,
      Thanks very much for the compliments. I appreciate your mention of the putt putt maru build as I was very happy with that one.
      I am a middle/high school art teacher and have always enjoyed writing.
      Really working hard to finish the next two post subjects...

  3. Nice Mig! 'Hanger queen' now that's a blast from the past!

    • Well maybe more accurately "box queen" or "queen of the unfinished pile"... I have a lot of others might finally polish off the 1/32 RF-4B on Christmas break...

  4. Nice job Dan. It always feels nice to get something over the finish line!

  5. Great job on the Mig !

    Do you know if the True Details cockpit is still available ? I have the exact same kit (HC / War Eagle) in the stash, and have several Mig builds planned for next year. I have always wanted to build mine up as Col. Tomb, especially after watching the "Dogfights" episode with Showtime 100...

    now I'm having second thoughts after following the link. Who knows ?

    Well done Dan. I like it !

    It's right up there with your "Blacksheep" VMF 214 Korean War Corsair and "Putt Putt Maru" P-38...

    • At least we have photographic proof that the aircraft existed! I am glad I chose to represent 3020 in the end. Thanks very much for your encouragement regarding my other builds.

  6. Love that finish
    Looking great

  7. Dan, this looks very nice, and a nice write up on this mystery man !, Well done !

    • Hi Terry, Thanks for what you said about my build.
      I really appreciate the information you can find online. The article I have referenced is the best I found on the idea of "Col. Tomb."

  8. Outstanding MIG, Dan! That's an interesting paint scheme, if somewhat plain. It looks great. As soon as I hit "Enter" I'm reading about the was/wasn't Col. Tomb. We'll see about the story. I grew up hearing all about Col. Tomb's demise, so this should be very interesting, no matter the conclusion.

    Well done!

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