Academy's
1/48 MIG -21PF provides a good platform for creating a satisfactory reproduction
of this important aircraft. The high point of the kit is its finely
engraved panel lines and rivets, however it suffers in the cockpit area, wheel
wells and landing gear where detail is sparse. To improve these areas, I
sourced the MIG -21PF Cockpit Set from FM, which was an almost perfect fit.
The cockpit was airbrushed with Russian Interior Blue (Model Master) lightened
with a little white. Details were accentuated with a dark grey acrylic
wash.
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images below to see larger images
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Moving
along to the wells and landing gear, I added hydraulic lines from fine wire and
used beads from a craft store to represent the many spherical tanks housed in
the main gear area. Brakes were fashioned from styrene and brake lines
added accordingly. These are prominent on the real aircraft and I felt it
was worth the effort to include them.
Overall,
construction was straightforward with only two fit problems. One was the
joint between the front and rear portions of the fuselage and the wing to
fuselage joint. I had to be very careful not to lose the detail in these
areas. Because I decided on a bare metal finish, I used super glue and
accelerator to fill gaps and depressions as Metalizer paint reacts well with
this medium. I thinned the trailing edges of the wings, elevators and
rudder, as well as the exhaust area for better scale appearance. Static
dischargers (tooth brush bristles), were added. Various intakes and scoops
were drilled out for a more authentic appearance.
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After
several wet sandings, and close inspections, the model was ready for painting.
Model Master Aluminum Plate was used for the overall finish, while the
exhaust area was airbrushed with a combination of Stainless Steel, Titanium and
Burnt Metal. The model was then sealed with Metalizer Sealer.
A
dark brown acrylic wash was applied to accentuate the recessed details.
VNAF markings from the kit, were used and these went on without any problems.
After sealing the decals, the airbrakes, landing gear, weapons and sundry other
delicate parts were added. I hope you like the end result.
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images below to see larger images
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