MiG 31 ‘Firefox’

From the 1982 film directed by CLINT EASTWOOD, based on the novel by Craig Thomas

The Mig 31 - codename FIREFOX - is a fictional aircraft that appears in the 1982 sci-fi thriller directed by and starring Clint Eastwood. The aircraft is capable of flying at Mac 6 (over 4000 miles per hour), is virtually undetectible by radar and has a sophisticated weapons system that is thought controlled! the film take place at the time of the Cold War and follows a daring mission wherein a top US Fighter pilot infiltrates the secret base of the MiG 31 and steal the aircraft, flying it back to US airspace, while being pursued by the Russian military. This artwork features the Firefox flying over the arctic.

Full credit to Eastwood and the production team for choosing to create the enturely fictitious airacrfat without relying on an existing aircraft - although there was apparently consideration early on to dress up an exisiting jet. Fortunately this did not come to fruition and and we are given a totally original and unique design and one of the greatest aircraft ever put on screen. Courtesy of ambitious, ground-breaking visual effects by John Dykstra. The Firefox is a very shiny black, with a unique shape.

Several resin kits have been made of the plane in 1/144, 1.72 and 1/48th scale, but none are 100% accurate. the plane was built as a full size mock-up and was 66 feet in length. And several miniatures ranging from approx 18 inches to 5 feet were made.

Just the thought of this kit - in the glorious shiny black styrene usually used for WW2 bombers like the Avro Lancaster would have been fantastic!This style of box was no longer being used in the 1980s - this was the era of photographs of the kit, or soft airbrushed artwork. Neither style would be worthy of the Firefox.

Information on the design of the Firefox is limited, but Greg Jein and (i think) William Creber were responsible.