KP & Marfix 1/72 scale conversion
"Polish Mistel"

by Piotr Dmitruk

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In 1976, the Polish Institute of Aviation started designing a jet trainer as a replacement for the TS-11 Iskra. It was originally called Iskra-2, then Iskra-22, finally I-22 Iryda.

In 1982 construction of two prototypes was started. First flight took place on march 5, 1985 .
Because the aircraft should be equipped with Czech ejection seat VS1-BRI/P (used in L-39 Albatros), capable to rescue crew through the cockpit canopy on the ground level with minimum speed of 150km/h, and there was no testbed that could reach such a speed available in the Institute, it received the SBLim-2 aircraft (licence-built Mig-15 UTI).

Over the fuselage a structure was built with a mock-up of Irydas cockpit, ejection seat, cameras and measuring equipement. This aircraft was not intended for flying, but only for taxiing, so the airbrakes remained open, flaps closed, and there was metal sheet attached on the starboard wing, to balance the camera on the portside wing, and to keep aircraft straight with the runway.

Unfortunately the program was cancelled, and venerable TS-11 Iskra is still the basic jet trainer In Polish Air Force.

The SBLim-2 kit is an old injection-moulded Mig-15 UTI kit from KP.

Polish Lims differed in details, e.g. armament, so I have changed the cannon placement with its cover bulges and shell ejectors. New panel lines were scribed. Wing fences were removed, and new made from metal sheet, as well as new airbrakes. Jet exhaust from the kit was used, but complemented with visible details. The undercarriage is also modified kits item. Wheel well covers are from photoetched set from ExtraTech. I couldn’t forget the tiny mechanical wheel-down indicators. The cockpit interior is a resin set from Pavla, as well as the cockpit canopy. Measuring equipment in the rear cockpit was made from scratch.

My Irydas mock-up is a resin copy of a vacformed kit from Marfix, improved with plasticards, metal sheet, Plastruct rods, injection needles, wires, aluminium foil, and even wood sticks.

The structure under the mock-up was made with hypodermic needles. There is a resin ejection seat from Pavla in the cockpit, and there is a scratchbuilt cage with piglet inside. A camera in the canvas cover on the portside wing was made with some plastic bits wrapped in thick self adhesive aluminium foil.

Except for the orange paint, the model was entirely brush painted. The original aircraft looked very clean on the pictures, so only a small amount of wash and shading was used.

All decals were designed on computer by myself and printed on my home printer, including inscription on the Irydas mock-up, which reads: “EXPERIMENTAL DEVICE FOR TESTING EMERGENCY SYSTEMS”

I would like to thank the employees of the Institute of Aviation for providing excellent and very helpful pictures of this aircraft.
 

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Model, Images and Text Copyright © 2007 by Piotr Dmitruk
Page Created 14 August, 2007
Last Updated 24 December, 2007

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