COBI MiG-21 Set 5919

COBI's MiG-21 is a 1:48 model built from 396 blocks, 32 cm long, with markings for either Czechoslovakia or East Germany. The control surfaces move, the wheels detach, brick engine flame is included, and R-3S missiles are fitted. A display stand and two descriptive plates complete the set. All markings are printed; no stickers.

What happened to East Germany's MiGs

In 1990 the Bundeswehr inherited the entire air force of the German Democratic Republic, including a substantial fleet of MiG-21s and MiG-29s.

The MiG-29s were kept for a while, evaluated in detail against NATO aircraft, and eventually sold to Poland for a symbolic price. The MiG-21s were not. They were older, worn, and there was nothing to learn from them that the West did not already know, so they were withdrawn almost immediately — scrapped, sold, or given to museums. A number ended up as gate guardians and monuments across eastern Germany, where several still stand.

Czechoslovakia's MiG-21s had a longer afterlife: Czechoslovakia had built them under licence, and the successor states flew them into the 2000s before replacing them with Gripens.

The wolf on the nose

The Czechoslovak version in this set carries a wolf on a green field — the emblem of aircraft 9414 of the 43rd Fighter Squadron at Čáslav air base.

In the COBI range

Set 5918 is the MiG-21MF with Polish and Soviet markings at the same scale.

Specifications

Pieces: 396 · Scale: 1:48 · Czechoslovak and East German markings included · No stickers
Model dimensions: 32 × 15 × 9.5 cm (12.6 × 5.9 × 3.7 in)