Eduard Mig-31 Foxhound Update Set & Masks (for AMK 1:48)

[Mike]

Mig-31 Foxhound Update Set & Masks (for AMK)
1:48 Eduard

AMK's kit of the Foxhound is truly stunning both in terms of detail and fit, so it was expected that Eduard's sets for it might be more in the way of "icing on the cake", and easing the painting of the cockpit for the modeller. As usual with Eduard's Photo-Etch (PE) and Mask sets, they arrive in a flat resealable package, with a white backing card protecting the contents and the instructions that are sandwiched between. Just in case you've been living under a rock for the last three months, here is a shameless plug of my build of the kit OOB over the Christmas 2015 period.


Mig-31BM Update Set (49752)
This is two fret set, one of which is nickel plated and pre-painted to be used within the cockpit, the other being mostly used to upgrade the exhaust cans. One of the most notable items missing from the kit were the seatbelts, which this set rectifies with pre-painted belts, ejector handles and some small parts on the headbox. The instrument panels are all replaced by multi-layer laminations that are again pre-painted, as are the side console parts, which require the removal of small sections of the kit parts.

The most substantial part of the update however is a complete replacement set of the inner exhaust "petals", which requires the removal of the kit's rendition from its ring, enlarging of the hole, then the rolling of the new petals into a cylinder and insertion in the newly enlarged hole. After that 18 actuators are added to the outside and 27 tiny blow-out parts to the inside where they would hang down under gravity with engines off. A new set of afterburner rings are also included, which sit deep in the fuselage and can just be seen on the finished model. The other parts include some fine details for the main gear bays, oleo-scissor skins, nose gear mudguard skins, rings for the landing lights, and a number of additional sensors and aerials around the nose, plus vanes on the pitot probe. Finally, a gaggle of static wicks are supplied to replace those easy-to-knock-off kit ones (ask me how I know).

Masks (EX489)
The Foxhound doesn't have a huge amount of glazing, but it does have some tricky shapes, and because of the scale fidelity, the frames can be a little indistinct, so a masking set will be handy. Using yellow Kabuki tape that has been die-cut to shape, A large number of small masks for the various windows, sensors and lights are included, plus a full set of masks for the canopy sections. The windscreen parts are solid, while the curved side glazing are supplied as framing, with the centres to be covered by either liquid mask or scrap tape. They have missed one tiny little ovoid window for the pilot's periscope however, but a couple of punched rings from the sheet would soon sort that out.

Review sample courtesy of

[March]

I've got both on order, although apart from the seatbelts and the masks and maybe the wicks for diddy tiddlywinks, the kit detail is so good I'm pondering what's the point?! I'll decide when they arrive.

Nonetheless, nice review.