1/48 MiG-21 kits comparaison

To my knowledge, there exist four mainstream manufacturers 1/48 MiG-21 kits

- Revell MiG-21PF

- OEZ MiG-21MF/SMT/bis, reboxed by KP, Esci and Aeromaster

- Academy MiG-21 PF and MF

- Eduard MiG-21 MF

I own the OEZ, Academy PF and Eduard MF kits. I don't intend to review each kit independantly since for me the way to go is the Eduard kit. I won't discuss detailing of the kits as I more interested in shape accuracy. The comparaison will focus on the Academy and Eduard kits. Unfortunately, I don't own (anymore) the Academy MF so I used the PF. I believe that the conclusions are the same.

I. Front fuselage profile

Just a photograph to compare how different OEZ and Eduard interpreted diffently the MiG-21...

The OEZ kit accuracy is hopeless. Transparencies and spine are too low, fuselage is too deep, the front fuselage is too ogival. The canopy is terrible because OEZ put the bottom framing where there should be perspex. The framing should be in the fuselage surface (the feet of the capital omega).

And now Academy vs Eduard

It surprised me but the Eduard and Academy nose profile are very similar. However the top of the nose of the Academy seems to slope up more when going toward the cockpit while the Eduard nose is more cylindrical and sleeker.The difference is slightly more visible here.

Differences aren't obvious so lets measure

Dimension in centimeters Nose depth before windscreen (no front wheel well door) Intake diameter
Academy 2.6 1.85
Eduard 2.5 1.8
OEZ 2.4 1.7

So what you see is the effects of a 1 millimeter difference. I believe it's noticeable because the difference is spread over a few centimeters. 1 millimeter...

II. the canopy+spine group

When seen from the top, the windscreen+canopy group is grossly shaped like a stretched bubble. The maximum width is at the windscreen-canopy junction. The minimum width of the canopy is at the canopy-spine junction. The situation of the canopy+spine group depends on the version:

In the PF/PFS/PFM/S/R/M/SM/MF, the widest part of the canopy+spine group is at the front of the canopy: illustration on a Hungarian MF.

In the bis, the widest part of the canopy is about the same size as the widest part of the spine. There's a pinch which is located at the canopy-spine junction: illustration on an Angolan bis.

Here's a comparaison of the OEZ, Academy PF and Eduard transparencies...

The OEZ canopy is almost cylindrical and very narrow. The Academy canopy is also cylindrical. Only the Eduard canopy is narrower at the rear than in the front.

It has been said many times that the Academy MF is in fact a bis. When looking at the width evolution along the canopy+spine group, it looks more like an MF-bis hybrid spine. The reason is the absence of pinch as the Academy canopy is cylindrical. The Eduard canopy can almost fit inside the Academy canopy and the rear wobbles around. This means that the spine width at the spine-canopy junction is very different. Measurement.

Dimension in centimeters Spine-canopy junction width
Academy 1.6
Eduard 1.3
OEZ 1.3

3mm wider for the Academy so nearly 25% excess. People who wanted to graft the Academy PF spine to turn Eduard MF into a PFM will be disappointed.
Having an old OEZ/KP/Aeromaster could be useful though. In case Eduard doesn't release the SMT or bis version, the front spine width of this kit matches pretty well Eduard's MF. You would have to add spacers since the OEZ spines are way too shallow.

 

Nose depth before windscreen (no front wheel well door) Intake diameter Exhaust diameter Fuselage bottom to lower intake
2.6 1.85 1.7  
2.5 1.8 1.85  
2.4 1.7 1.85