MiG-25 Update Sets

for Kitty Hawk Kit

BarracudaCast, 1/48 scale

Reviewed by Luke Pitt

HyperScale is proudly supported by Squadron.com

The year was 1976, the date the 7th of September. A schoolboy was walking to the bus home from school. He generally made a stop before boarding the bus at the nearby Newsagent. He generally liked to go to the “modelling and aircraft sections to look at the latest Magazines on sale. On this day however, he was drawn to the front page of the Newspaper.

A Russian had defected to Japan and taken with him the most futuristic jet fighter (from the look of the very grainy telephoto photo that adorned the front page) that I had ever seen. And so began my ongoing love affair with the MIG-25.

I seem to recall a year later, after Lt Victor Belenko defected on the 6th September, Hasagawa released a 1/72 scale kit of the aircraft in question. Folklore has it that the kit was one of the most highly produced plastic aircraft kits of all time.

Over the years many have produced kits of the type but in 1/48 only Revell had seen fit to release it. The kit was basic to say the least so it was great delight to me the some 30 odd year’s later Kitty Hawk a new kit of the type.

This kit, however, is not without its vices and these three new updates from Barracuda Cast are designed to correct and improve the kits short comings.

The first update contains a set of nose and main wheel updates and corrections. Kitty Hawk has embossed the sidewall detail onto the main wheels, which in this reviewers mind was a tad harsh.

These replacements however are masterfully done with the correctly raised detail on the tyre itself as well as a nice engraved tread pattern. Each of the four wheels has a slight flat spot on the bottom of the wheel and exhibit outstanding hub detail.

The second update addresses the Interceptor Exhausts. Kitty Hawk has supplied the long exhausts in their kit and these are not accurate for the PD/PDS versions. This update includes eight highly detailed parts and is in a word, breathtaking.

The subtle details on the exhaust flutes for example almost deify belief, the detail (and indeed casting) of these parts is far superior than the kit provided parts , in fact, I only wish the Kitty hawk kit showed the same level of detail.

The last update contains a new accurately shaped and detailed radome and forward fuselage and replaces the kits inaccurate parts. Cast in two pieces it to exhibits detail that surpasses the kit supplied examples. All of these update have been designed by master modeller Mike O’Hare.

The one thing that did strike me when reviewing these updates was how good they were, the detail, the casting and the thought that went into them. I only wish the Kitty Hawk kit was this good.

It is my hope that BarracudaCast Studios will find some time to release updates for the ICM kit of the MIG-25 in the near future, if they are anywhere near as good as these one I’d purchase them in a heartbeat.

Highly Recommended

Thanks to Barracuda Studios for the images and information

Barracuda Studio products are available online from their website

Text and Images Copyright © 2017 by Luke Pitt
This Page Created on 3 March, 2017
Last updated 3 March, 2017

Back to HyperScale Main Page