Kitech MIG-31 "Foxhound" 1/48 Scale

The Mikoyan MiG-31 is a long-range high-performance interceptor which was developed to replace the MiG-25 in the Soviet Air Defence Force (PVO). Clearly a derivative of the rather crude-looking MiG-25, the high speed and very powerful radar of the MiG-31 make it a formidable interceptor.Developed to counter the XB-70 Valkyrie bomber, the MiG-25 Foxbat functioned well as a high-altitude interceptor with the help of Ground Control, but it was equipped with only limited avionics.

From the late 1960s, bombers in Western air forces had started to switch to low-altitude attack profiles, to avoid the ever increasing anti-aircraft missile threat, and they also started carrying early forms of cruise missile. In countering low flying aircraft the MiG-25 performed quite poorly. The Soviet Air Defence Force therefore required a new interceptor which could operate well at high and low altitudes, and which was also capable of intercepting cruise missiles.

This new aircraft was the MiG-31.It was decided to make the MiG-31 a two-seater, so that it would not be dependent upon direct help from Ground Control. Given an approximate initial location of the intruder, the back-seater would guide the pilot to the target. However, it was also planned that the MiG-31 could operate semi-automatically, being directed towards a target by the AK-RLDN ground-based automatic guidance network, using the aircraft's APD-518 digital datalink and BAN-75 command link.

Plastic Model Reviews:
http://kits.kitreview.com/mig31reviewpb_1.htmhttp://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/portland/971/Inbox/k-m/mig-31-i.htmhttp://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/portland/971/Inbox/k-m/mig-31-i.htm
http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/portland/971/Reviews/soviet/mig-31_zheng.htm
Other MIG-31 Informations:
http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/types/russia/mig/mig-31/mig-31.htm
http://www.milavia.net/aircraft/mig-31/mig-31_his.htm
http://www.aeronautics.ru/archive/vvs/mig31-01.htm