In Box Review of Platz/Eduard 1/72nd Scale
Mig-15UTI- Two-seated Jet Trainer "Finnish Air Force"
Kit no. AE-4 2800
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: 3,024 yen or $ 26.49
By Ray Mehlberger
MSRP: 3,024 yen or $ 26.49
HISTORY:
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 (Russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-15; USAF/DoD designation: Type 14; NATO reporting name: Fagot) was a jet fighter aircraft developed by Mikoyan-Gurevich for the Soviet Union. The MiG-15 was one of the first successful jet fighters to incorporate swept wings to achieve high transonic speeds.
In combat over Korea, it outclassed straight-winged jet day fighters, which were largely relegated to ground-attack roles, and was quickly countered by the similar American swept-wing North American F-86 Sabre. The MiG-15 is often mentioned, along with the F-86 Sabre, as the best fighter aircraft of the Korean War.
When refined into the more advanced MiG-17, the basic design would again surprise the West when it proved effective against supersonic fighters such as the Republic F-105 Thunderchief and McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II in the Vietnam War of the 1960s.
The MiG-15 is believed to have been one of the most produced jet aircraft; in excess of 12,000 were manufactured. Licensed foreign production may have raised the production total to over 18,000.[citation needed] The MiG-15 remains in service with the Korean People's Army Air Force as a UTI advanced trainer. It also served in that version with the Finnish Air Force (subject of this kit).
HISTORY:
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 (Russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-15; USAF/DoD designation: Type 14; NATO reporting name: Fagot) was a jet fighter aircraft developed by Mikoyan-Gurevich for the Soviet Union. The MiG-15 was one of the first successful jet fighters to incorporate swept wings to achieve high transonic speeds.
In combat over Korea, it outclassed straight-winged jet day fighters, which were largely relegated to ground-attack roles, and was quickly countered by the similar American swept-wing North American F-86 Sabre. The MiG-15 is often mentioned, along with the F-86 Sabre, as the best fighter aircraft of the Korean War.
When refined into the more advanced MiG-17, the basic design would again surprise the West when it proved effective against supersonic fighters such as the Republic F-105 Thunderchief and McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II in the Vietnam War of the 1960s.
The MiG-15 is believed to have been one of the most produced jet aircraft; in excess of 12,000 were manufactured. Licensed foreign production may have raised the production total to over 18,000.[citation needed] The MiG-15 remains in service with the Korean People's Army Air Force as a UTI advanced trainer. It also served in that version with the Finnish Air Force (subject of this kit).
THE KIT:
Platz is a model company based in Shizuoka City, Japan. The box art also says Eduard on it. I assume the kit was done in cooperation with them. Eduard is based in the Czech Republic.
On Platz's web site they say that in addition to manufacturing and selling their own products (plastic models, decals, etched parts etc). they also are an authorized import agent, selling products from world-famous plastic model makers (airplanes, tanks, figures etc.).
This kit comes in a tray with a lid type box.
Platz is a model company based in Shizuoka City, Japan. The box art also says Eduard on it. I assume the kit was done in cooperation with them. Eduard is based in the Czech Republic.
On Platz's web site they say that in addition to manufacturing and selling their own products (plastic models, decals, etched parts etc). they also are an authorized import agent, selling products from world-famous plastic model makers (airplanes, tanks, figures etc.).
This kit comes in a tray with a lid type box.
The box art shows a Mig-15UTI flying above the clouds.
It is bare metal with a leaping black leopard on the nose with a no. 4 and a black fuselage code MU-4. It carries Finnish Air Force roundels in the usual positions.
One corner shows an illustration of where to weight the nose of the kit to make it sit right on it's tricycle landing gear with anothr illustration of the decal sheet in the kit.
one side panel has 2 paragraphs of Japanese text on it, followed by 2 small color profiles of the Mig-15UTI.
The first one is the box art scheme.
The second one is also overall bare metal with a stenciled black no. 018 on the sides of the nose and Polish Air Force checkerboard insignia.
There is a logo of a sea horse on the sides of the rudder.
It is bare metal with a leaping black leopard on the nose with a no. 4 and a black fuselage code MU-4. It carries Finnish Air Force roundels in the usual positions.
One corner shows an illustration of where to weight the nose of the kit to make it sit right on it's tricycle landing gear with anothr illustration of the decal sheet in the kit.
one side panel has 2 paragraphs of Japanese text on it, followed by 2 small color profiles of the Mig-15UTI.
The first one is the box art scheme.
The second one is also overall bare metal with a stenciled black no. 018 on the sides of the nose and Polish Air Force checkerboard insignia.
There is a logo of a sea horse on the sides of the rudder.
The other side panel has features of the kit in Japanese, English and French. They are: "This is a plastic unassembled scale model kit. Glue and paint not included. Some parts are extremely sharp, handle carefully. Do not use near fire while using glue and paint. Suitable for age 15 and above".
This is followed by 2 color walk around photos of the model made up in Finnish Air Force markings with the black Panther and no. 3 on the nose.
This is followed by 2 color walk around photos of the model made up in Finnish Air Force markings with the black Panther and no. 3 on the nose.
Platz's web address is shown.
The bottom of the tray has a support base to cut out to use to hold the model while you work on it.
One side panel of the tray shows PE wing flap that Platz markets for this kit as set no. M72-41. and a masking set M72-40.
The bottom of the tray has a support base to cut out to use to hold the model while you work on it.
One side panel of the tray shows PE wing flap that Platz markets for this kit as set no. M72-41. and a masking set M72-40.
The other side panel of the tray shows 2 more PE sets for the Mig-15: M72-39 cockpit interior details & M72-40 structural details.
WHAT'S IN THE KIT:
This kit contains 3 medium-grey trees in a sealed cello bag. Two if these trees are in another sealed cello bag. The clear tree is in zip-locked cello bag.
The decal sheet has a tissue to protect it's face from scratching and it is in a further sealed cello bag along with 2 white metal nose weights that are also in their own little cello bag. Very good packaging !!
The instructions complete the kit's contents. It consists of a single sheet folded in the center to create 4 pages in 7" x 11 3/4" page format. It is printed on slick-coated paper and the text is all in Japanese except for Platz's telephone and FAX no. which are in English. Additional English in the instructions would help.
The middle of the page has the parts trees, decal sheet and white metal parts illustrations.
At the bottom of the page is the 3 assembly steps for making the cardboard support stand.
Pages 2 through 4 show 20 assembly drawings that are not numbered. The text with them is all in Japanese.
The first medium-grey tree is letter B. It holds: wing halves, elevators, flaps etc. (14 parts) Three parts are shown shaded out on the parts trees illustrations as being excess and not needed to complete the kit.
This kit contains 3 medium-grey trees in a sealed cello bag. Two if these trees are in another sealed cello bag. The clear tree is in zip-locked cello bag.
The decal sheet has a tissue to protect it's face from scratching and it is in a further sealed cello bag along with 2 white metal nose weights that are also in their own little cello bag. Very good packaging !!
The instructions complete the kit's contents. It consists of a single sheet folded in the center to create 4 pages in 7" x 11 3/4" page format. It is printed on slick-coated paper and the text is all in Japanese except for Platz's telephone and FAX no. which are in English. Additional English in the instructions would help.
The middle of the page has the parts trees, decal sheet and white metal parts illustrations.
At the bottom of the page is the 3 assembly steps for making the cardboard support stand.
Pages 2 through 4 show 20 assembly drawings that are not numbered. The text with them is all in Japanese.
The first medium-grey tree is letter B. It holds: wing halves, elevators, flaps etc. (14 parts) Three parts are shown shaded out on the parts trees illustrations as being excess and not needed to complete the kit.
Lettering jumps to the clear letter F tree. It holds the cockpit windows etc. (10 parts) 2 parts are excess.
Lettering then jumps to the medium-grey G tree. It holds numerous interior details. (47 parts)
Medium-grey letter H tree holds: the fuselage halves, drop tanks, bombs etc. (22 parts) 8 parts are shaded out and are excess.
The 2 white-metal nose weights and the decal sheet complete the kit's contents.
The decal sheet has a frosted sheet on it's face to protect it form scratching.
This is a very nicely detailed kit. Highly recommended.
I want to sincerely thank the folks at Platz for this review sample. Their products can be seen at:
I want to sincerely thank the folks at Platz for this review sample. Their products can be seen at: