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eduard
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Info Eduard - September 2011
Edition kit, and these will always be pricier,
like it or not. Also, being a Limited Edition
kit, it contains a couple of extras. One is
a well rendered poster from the studio of Pavel
Rampir, and a dress pin of the Eduard Knight
logo. Both of these have a connection to one
of the offered marking options. This is, as you
will no doubt understand, one that has for us
a special meaning, and represents one of
three military aircraft, two MiG-21s and
a MiG-23, that carried our logo. Overall,
there are twelve marking options, in itself
contributing to the higher price. There were
some objections, that it was a choice that
lacked a certain something, but I am convinced
that the choice is a good one, with generous
and varied options. Outside of local patriots,
dedicated to a favorite unit, there will be
something here for everyone. There was also
the other objection that the choice to make
is a difcult one. Well, yeah, it is, but here,
a lot of assistance can be found in the form
of our Overtrees, with which many of you are
already, quite evidently, well acquainted.
Unfortunately, after the commitment to this
edition of the kit was made, we were able
to obtain information, especially the number
of, another MiG-21 that carried the Eduard
logo on it’s n. The plane in question is an all-
grey MF numbered 4127. She served with the
82nd Independent Combat Flight at Mosnov,
where Karel Cvancara sprayed the logo on
both sides of the n using a single template.
At that time, the plane also carried the unit
marking of No.313 Sqdn RAF, on the left
side of the nose above the AoA vane. During
the rst ight of the plane, it suffered a bird
strike on takeoff, and overshot the runway
after aborting, resulting in damage to the
nose gear. For a long time, we assumed that
the plane was scrapped after the accident,
but it was not. It spent some time at the repair
depot at Kbely, went through a general
overhaul, and was even the rst MiG-21 to
be upgraded to MFN standard. On October
10th, 2000, her life ended abruptly when
a two ship formation hit the ground during
poor weather conditions near an ammo dump
at Caslav. Because 4127 was the wingman,
it became the last MiG-21 lost by the
Czech Air Force. So far, we are lacking
a photograph of MiG-21MFN ‘4127’ with the
Eduard logo on the n, but we remain hopeful
that someone snapped a few shots of her.
We would be very much indebted to
anyone who can come forward with further
information.
Besides the Czechoslovak MiG-21MF, we
are also releasing a further two kits this month,
the early version SPAD XIII as a standard
Propack, and a Weekend Edition Fw190F-8.
October will greet you with another three
models, led by another Hellcat in 1/72nd
scale, this time the F6F-5. This kit has a new
wing, but otherwise uses parts that you’ll
recognize from the preceding kit, including
previously unused parts, such as the HVARs.
The instructions, brass and masks also hail
from the dash 3. The marking options
follow those offered in the 1/48th scale kit,
and the decals come from Cartograf in Italy.
The combination of our own design of the
markings, with our standard of research,
development and control right down to the
maturation of the concept and camouage
schemes, and having them printed by Cartograf,
all amount to this being the best that we are able
to offer at this point in time. And, I dare say,
not just us.
Together with the little Hellcat, we will be
offering the MiG-29UB in the Limited Edition
line, and a Weekend MiG-21SMT. The MiG-29
two seater will be released very much along
the same lines as the MiG-29A, with, of course,
an expanded cockpit with a second seat, which
will also account for a slightly higher price.
The marking options will be dominated by
a machine of the Polish Demonstration Team, with
a large Kosciuszko Squadron crest on the spine
and upper surfaces of the wings. Our Slovak
friends will hopefully forgive us for not supplying
the world famous bird in the so-called ‘digital’
scheme... we didn’t dare approach that puppy!
For one thing, Academy did it themselves, and
we do not want to duplicate (and I would point
out that this was not due to any agreement with
our colleagues at Academy; it wasn’t discussed),
but this version would require extensive decals
or masks to pull off. And, of course, that would
precipitate a rise in an already pricey project.
So, we avoided that specic aircraft, and are
offering another Slovak plane. I hope those
of you below the Tatra Mountains will be
understanding!
There’s not much to add to the MiG-21SMT
Weekend Edition kit. Maybe just that the box
calls it a MiG-21SMT/MT. The reason for that
is the actual aircraft offered in the decals was
actually an MT. Yell at me if you must, but I still
can’t gure out the difference between the two.
I just hope that this box title will satisfy the most
staunch of purists. I doubt it, but that’ll be the
dream.....
That’s all I will say about kits. I could write
about what will be available in November, but
given that November’s releases will include
the kit that will be the price of admission to
e-day, packed in a regular side opening box,
I won’t, because, please understand, the price
of admission kit to e-day is still a secret.
And that brings us over to the boxes. The side
opening box of the Hellcat evoked a certain
amount of indignation, rst and foremost
among Czech and Moravian modelers. It seems
to me that the dissension originated somewhere
in Brno. Well, OK...maybe this will all blow
over by the next ModelBrno show. There’s
enough time. In any case, please allow me
a few words on this topic. As I wrote last time,
it is not a question primarily of nance. Believe
it or not, these boxes cost us about the same as
boxes with lids. I was very intrigued by a forum
participant who claimed that a side opening
box is between four and ten times cheaper
than a classic box with a lid. I would have to
suspect some form of blackmail, and though
such a price would be beautiful indeed, truth
be told, I certainly have my serious doubts. This
Hellcat kit is for us a pilot project, on which
we are testing concepts, and from a logistical
point of view this is a more effective way of
IT´S TOO
METAL!