RV Models 48-012: MiG-21MF

I'm often inspired to look for decals when I buy a kit and want something different from what is offered. Such is the case with a 1/48 MiG-21MF kit purchased some time ago. I did the usual web search and located a set from RV Models. It was from a company in the Czech Republic so I ordered it, and promptly forgot about it. This was at the end of June of this year. Well, the sheet arrived in the mails a couple of days ago, over three months since the order was placed. I can only assume that the sheet was out of stock when ordered and finally came in.

The wait was well worth it as I'd not yet started the kit (waiting for the decals as I've had things lost in the mails before). This is apparently a compilation of two sheets and so offers a staggering number of options. Indeed, there are 42 markings options that cover the aircraft of 21 different nations. Some have just one option and others have more than two so there is a nice variety in there.

I'm a fan of the smaller air forces so this one really fills the bill. In no particular order, there are planes from Iraq, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, Korea, Hungary, Syria, Uganda, Sudan, Somalia, Soviet Union, Angola, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Algeria and Mali. An equally wide variety of camouflage schemes are provided. There are three pages of profiles. I've shown one as an example.

 This brings up something that I found lacking in the set that will probably be a deal breaker for most of you. There are no upper wing camouflage markings provided. None. Nor is there any color information provided. All that is left up to one's own guess work as to what the color shades might be.

While sticking the insignia on the wings may not be an issue, it certainly is when it comes to the upper wing pattern for many of the schemes. Not only that, but there is only a single profile per option, leaving one side of the plane in question. Now sometimes, a decal maker will provide this on their web site. Not this time. The URL provided on the sheet is no longer active and a google only brings up a facebook page, which turned out to be rather useless.

So the bottom line is that the decals are very nice, but the lack of color information and the lack of an upper camouflage guide makes it less than desirable. There are not even any references provided, though if you have copies of African MiGs or Arab MiGs by Harpia publishing you can probably use those for assistance. Unless you have the aforementioned books or an extensive library on the type that includes the various color schemes, I'd stay away from this one.

October 2016

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