MiG-25 RBT by ICM
1/72 scale
Kit No. 72172
Cost: $29.00
Decals: Three versions – Soviet, Iraqi, and Libyan Air Forces
Comments: Engraved panel lines, highly detailed cockpit, engines, landing gear and wheel wells; scaled down version of ICM’s 1/48 scale kit.
History
The MiG-25 was a direct product of Cold War tensions. Eager to counter the American deployment of such long-range, heavy bombers as the Boeing B-52, the Mach 2-capable Convair B-58 Hustler, and the planned development of the XB-70 Valkyrie, Soviet aircraft designers set to work in the late 1950’s to develop a fast, high-altitude interceptor capable of blocking nuclear air attacks by the West.
Even without the threat of such attacks, once the Russians shot down an American U-2 reconnaissance plane in May 1960, they were still spurred to develop a high-altitude interceptor to address the problem of the next generation of American high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft capable of violating their airspace – which ultimately took the form of the Lockheed SR-71.
The MiG-25 prototype first flew on March 6, 1964, but did not enter service with the Soviet Air Force until 1970. It featured two large Tumansky R-15B-300 afterburning turbojets with a top speed of Mach 2.83 (and could reach Mach 3.2 if the pilot were willing to damage the engines), as well as a powerful RP-25 Smerch radar, two Bisnovat R-40R radar-guided AA-6 “Acrid” air-to-air missiles, and two heat-seeking R-40T air-to-air missiles. At over 20 feet long and a foot wide, the R-40’s are reputed to be the largest air-to-air weapons ever to enter service with any air force. RB reconnaissance variants of the MiG-25 have a service ceiling of 80,000 feet.
Upon its appearance in 1970, the MiG-25 sent shock waves throughout the West, strongly influencing the performance characteristics of the then-already-under-development McDonnell-Douglas F-15 Eagle. Due to its high speed and equally high service ceiling, the MiG-25 was a natural candidate for the development of a reconnaissance platform within the Soviet (now Russian) Air Force. In this role, MiG-25P airframes were fitted with cameras, stripped of weapons and associated pylons, equipped with new avionics and assigned the designation R, RB, RBV, or RBT. Collectively, these reconnaissance variants were given the NATO codename “Foxbat-B.” The Soviets found a ready market for these recon aircraft in the Middle East, as they were based on an interceptor that, as of 2018, remained the fastest manned aircraft in the world ever to enter production.
The MiG-25 RBT was an improved version of the MiG-25 RB, featuring an improved Tangazh ELINT (electronic intelligence) system, with wider bandwidth and the ability to target emitters in post-flight processing. It was also fitted with an improved IFF set (Identification Friend or Foe), and in later production its Sirena S-3M RWR radar detection equipment was replaced by a LO-06 Beryoza system. Production began in 1978. The MiG-25 RBT was externally identical to the MiG-25 RB and, to confuse matters, some MiG-25RBs may have been upgraded to MiG-25 RBT standard, retaining the MiG-25 RB designation.
MiG-25 RB aircraft were deployed to Egypt during 1971-72, and with Russian pilots at the controls, conducted reconnaissance flights over Israeli-held territory in the Sinai peninsula 20 times without being intercepted. Although withdrawn by the Soviet Union in 1972, they returned during the October 1973 Yom Kippur War, remaining until late 1974. Israeli F-4 Phantoms intercepted a MiG-25 on November 6, 1971 and fired on it unsuccessfully. It was not until years later when Israel acquired American F-15 Eagles that it was able to down MiG-25’s. The MiG-25 was in service with the Iraqi Air Force during the 1980-88 Iran–Iraq War, and at least one RB reconnaissance plane was lost due to hostile action, most likely by an Iranian F-14 Tomcat.
In May 1997, a MiG-25 RB took on a propaganda role in the periodic tensions between India and Pakistan. An Indian Air Force MiG-25 RB pilot caused an uproar when he exceeded Mach 2 during a reconnaissance mission over Pakistan. The plane broke the sound barrier while flying at an altitude of around 65,000 feet, otherwise the mission would have remained covert, at least to the general public. The Pakistani Government considered the breaking of the sound barrier in its airspace a deliberate effort to make the point that the Pakistani Air Force (PAF) had no aircraft in its inventory which could come close to the MiG-25’s cruising altitude (up to 74,000 feet). India denied the incident but Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Gohar Ayub Khan, believed that the Foxbat photographed strategic installations near the capital, Islamabad.
All MiG-25 reconnaissance platforms are reported to have been retired by the Russian Air Force as of 2013, but despite their age, they remain extremely capable in the role and there has been no aircraft to replace them, so the “retirement” may not be permanent. Depending on the source, they are classified as either “retired” or in “limited service” as of 2019.
The Kit
At long last, ICM has produced a scaled down version of its 1/48 MiG-25 RBT, released back in 2016. The kit is no less attractive in 1/72 scale, featuring painstaking detail and thoughtful engineering. Lifting the box top, you encounter a fully enclosed box with a lid secured by a tab. Opening this, you find a clear plastic resealable bag containing six sprues, one of them clear plastic for the two-part canopy and camera apertures in the plane’s nose. ICM’s MiG-25 RBT is injection molded in grey plastic and consists of 144 parts.
The kit’s major parts feature engraved panel lines and recessed rivet detail. The cockpit alone is highly detailed and consists of 13 parts (5 just for the ejection seat) engineered with such detail that it is reminiscent of the now-defunct Accurate Miniatures line, featuring separate parts for sidewall details, the main instrument panel, and a highly detailed control yoke. The main instrument panel features both raised and recessed detail, giving the dials a truly three-dimensional quality.
The fuselage consists of three major assemblies: the nose section, the cockpit/forward landing gear, and the largest by far, the powerplant section, which accounts for the bulk of the fuselage and includes the intakes, intake trunking, detailed main landing gear wells and the gear themselves, ending with the twin engine exhausts, and the large panels to cover these detailed inner workings.
At first glance the wings appear to be devoid of the detail found on the fuselage, but a closer look reveals that the same attention to detail is present here, with engraved panel lines and recessed rivet detail throughout, guaranteed to make weathering the kit in the final stages an enjoyable experience. They also feature separately mounted details, including separate trailing edge slats and flaps.
There is a large ventral fuel tank which appears to have been designed with the smallest possible connecting pylon and maximum aerodynamic efficiency in mind, so as not to compromise the RBT’s impressive speed. The wheels and the interior of the landing gear doors, areas often overlooked by kit manufacturers, boast considerable detail. The two-piece canopy is nicely detailed (looking closely one can actually see the rivets in the canopy frame) and can be displayed open or closed.
Markings
The kit markings include an extensive array of stencils in red and black, as well as decals for three versions, with corresponding color plates at the end of the kit instructions. The first is for a MiG-25 RBT, “Red 16” of the Soviet Air Force during the late 1980’s; the second set of markings is for a machine of the Iraqi Air Force, also during the late 1980’s; and the third is for “Black 499,” a machine of the Libyan Air Force in the early 2000’s. All national markings are perfectly in register with realistic, vibrant color and a high quality, semi-gloss finish, representing a dramatic improvement over ICM decals of earlier years. All aircraft are in an overall scheme of Light Grey, with Aluminum and Titanium Gold for the rear engine panels and exhaust nozzles, respectively. Colors are called out in Revell and Tamiya paint numbers only.
Conclusion
Overall this is an excellent kit of the MiG-25 RBT featuring an outstanding level of detail for this scale, from the cockpit to landing gear to the external surfaces. A worthy little brother of the 1/48 scale version. Highly recommended.
References
- www.onwar.com
- military.wikia.com
- milavia.net
- airvectors.net
- secretprojects.co.uk