Kit Previews
Hangar 47 strives to provide historical information along with the details of the kit…enjoy.
Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-23 UB
The Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-23 UB (NATO reporting name “Flogger-C”) is a two-seat trainer version of the variable geometry MiG-23 fighter, the first “swing wing” aircraft built in the former Soviet Union. Although primarily a trainer, it has also been effectively employed as a strike aircraft, most notably by Cubans flying in support of Angola in its war against South Africa during the late 1980’s. Since production began in 1970 over 5,000 aircraft have been built.
MiG-25 BM
The MiG-25BM is a single-seat supersonic reconnaissance bomber designed for electronic and fire suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD), mainly by punching a hole in Western radar defenses using air-to-ground missiles. It is designed to be the vanguard of any major conflict involving war with the NATO countries. It was derived from the MiG-25RB, a mach-capable single-seat reconnaissance-bomber.
MiG-25 RBT
The MiG-25RBT was a reconnaissance version of the Mach 2 Soviet interceptor, with upgraded electronic intelligence gear and radar detection equipment. It was most active in the air forces of the Middle East, providing Egypt and Iraq with intelligence during the 1973 Yom Kippur War and the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980’s, respectively. It remains in limited service.
MiG-27 Flogger
The nuclear-capable MiG-27, developed from the MiG-23 multi-role fighter, was designed specifically to fulfill the Soviet Union’s need for a high performance air-to-ground attack aircraft. Development work began in 1969, it flew in August 1970, but the type did not enter service until 1975 with the Soviet Union’s forward air bases in East Germany. Faster than the MiG-23 at low altitude, it was capable of Mach 1 at sea level.
Mil Mi-1 Hare
Mil Mi-1 Helicopter by MPM 1/72 scale Kit No. 7206 Cost: $10.00 Decals: Four versions Comments: Early Cold War Soviet helicopter History The design bureau of M.L. Mil was established on December 12, 1947. The Mil Bureau's first craft was the GM-1, completed and test...
Dassault Mirage IIIC
The Mirage IIIC was the first mass-produced version of the successful family of Dassault fighters, helping Israel achieve victory in the 1967 Six Day War…
Dassault Mirage IIICJ
The Mirage IIICJ was the tip of the spear during Israel’s pre-emptive June 1967 Six Day War….
Dassault Mirage III CJ (PR)
Mirage III CJ (PR) photo reconnaissance aircraft proved invaluable to the defense of Israel from their initial deployment in 1966, but particularly during the 1967 Six Day War.
Dassault Mirage IIIE
The Mirage IIIE was a long-range fighter bomber designed mainly for ground attack, powered by the SNECMA Atar 9C turbojet. It flew for the first time on April 5, 1961 and equipped French fighter squadrons from April 1965, replacing the IIIC. Athough a spectacular strike aircraft, the Mirage IIIE fared poorly against British Sea Harriers when pressed into an interceptor role for which it was never designed and was ill-equipped in its most recent action during the 1982 Falklands War.
Dassault Mirage F.1C
Mirage F. 1C by Hasegawa 1/72 scale Kit No. D18 Cost: $12.00 Decals: Two versions Comments: Crisply detailed French fighter of the 1970's and 80's History The Mirage F.1 succeeded the extremely effective Mirage III/5 jet fighter series. The prototype F.1 took its...
Mirage 4000
The Mirage 4000, first flown on March 4, 1979 with test pilot Jean-Marie Saget at the controls, was the result of a project by Dassault Aviation of France to build a larger, more capable twin engine version of the Mirage 2000. The Mirage 4000 with its fly-by-wire technology was to be equivalent to the formidable American F-15 Eagle, and was intended as an export product on the scale of the subsequent Mirage 5, but it never generated sufficient interest among foreign buyers.
Mirage M-5M Elkan
The Mirage M-5M Elkan was the Chilean Air Force version of a group of Mirage 5 fighters stripped of radar and modified for low-level ground attack, initially sold to Belgium by the French government. In Belgian hands, these aircraft became the subject of an upgrade program which the government undertook but never finished. SABCA, a Belgian aerospace company completed the upgrade at its own expense and the aircraft were sold to Chile.
Mitsubishi A6M2 Reisen Type 0 Carrier Fighter “Zero”
The Mitsubishi A6M Reisen (Zero) took part in every major action to which the Imperial Japanese Navy was committed for the duration of the Pacific War, from the December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, to the effort to fight off waves of B-29 bombers from the Marianas Islands, to the desperate Kamikaze attacks against the U.S. Navy in the final months of the conflict.
Mitsubishi G3 M1 Type 96 “Nell”
Mitsubishi G3 M1 Type 96 Mk. II "Nell" by LS 1/72 scale Kit No. A501 Cost: $12.00 Decals: Two versions (Japanese Army) Comments: Engraved panel lines and flush rivet detail; option for bomber or torpedo bomber History The Mitsubishi G3M Type 96 Attack Bomber ''Nell''...
Mitsubishi Ki-15
Mitsubishi Ki-15 by Mania 1/72 scale Kit No. C-3001 Cost: Out of production in Asahi Shimbun livery (likely to be pricey if found); $10-15 as re-issued Hasegawa kit in military scheme Decals: One version Comments: Engraved panel lines; Civilian high-speed transport...
Mitsubishi Ki-46 “Dinah”
Mitsubishi Ki 46 II Dinah by Airfix 1/72 scale Kit No. X-207 Cost: $11.00 Decals: Two versions - both Imperial Japanese Army Comments: Older kit (released 1979); raised panel lines; basic cockpit; optional position landing gear; two half-crew figures; single-piece...
Mitsubishi Ki-46 III Type 100
The Mitsubishi Ki-46 III Type 100 is a strong contender for the sleekest, most aerodynamic looking aircraft of World War II. Designed for high-speed reconnaissance, it operated with impunity from interception over China, Malaya and the Philippines in the early stages of the war, and even performed routine recon missions over Northern Australia from bases in Timor. Plans were underway to develop it into a high-altitude interceptor when the war ended.
Mitsubishi Ki-51 Sonia
The Mitsubishi Ki-51 Sonia was a workhorse of the Imperial Japanese Army during the early years of World War II. Entering service in 1940 in China, it distinguished itself in providing close air support and tactical reconnaissance for ground troops. It went on to serve with distinction throughout the Pacific, and like many others ended the war as a Kamikaze aircraft.
Mitsubishi Ki-83
Mitsubishi’s Ki-83 took its maiden flight on November 18, 1944. Fast at 426 mph and heavily armed with two 30mm and two 20mm cannon, it would have been a fearsome weapon in the fight to defend the Japanese Home Islands against American B-29 raids. But those same raids, along with Allied fighter sweeps, compounded by the teething problems any new design encounters, prevented it from going into production before the end of the war in the Pacific.
Morane-Dassault 312/315
MD 312/315 Flamant by Azur 1/72 scale - Kit No. AO28 Cost: $35.00 Decals: Three versions (French Air Force, French Navy, South Vietnamese Air Force) Comments: Engraved panel lines, resin parts for cockpit and cabin interior History The Morane-Dassault 312/315 Flamant...