Slovakian MiG-29AS - 12/8 update

[trickyrich]

Gosh I now have 4 builds on the go at once plus some other projects as well (F-111, Bf-109, Mirage 2000C, A-222 Bereg, F-16CK, Gripen, OSA-1…better stop now before I scare myself!)….and to top it off I’m hosting as well. 

 

As I keep saying who need a life outside modeling!

 

So in keeping this build inline with a few planned and completed I’m going to do this one, it’s been in the stash for a wee while.

 

 

It doesn’t look to bad at all though I do know there are a few issues with the base model I’ll need to correct.

 

 

As with all of my builds there are a few extras to be thrown in….

 

 

The exhausts and the radome will correct two of the main issues with this model.

 

For some unknown reason I ended up with two cockpits!!    The Aires one is much nicer in detail then the Wolfpack one. I’m really not to sure of the differences in the cockpit between the two version, I’ll have to do some further research. If the difference is really minor (noticeable to rivet counters only) then I may use the Aires one because it’s so much nicer….of I might mix and match between the two.

 

 

These are the decals for the scheme, it should or should have made the scheme much easier to produce. But I have heard rumors that there are colour issues with these decals.

 

 

So to make life more difficult as I have a want to do I’ve managed to find a set of masks for this scheme, they’re from Scale-pro. Not sure what they’re like but I’ll give them a go. So I’ll now be painting her in the digital scheme…..simple really! 

 

…and just because I think I was a bit bored on my first shift back at my normal job I have the following coming as well;

 

Karaya – PTB-1500 fuel tank

Aires – Wheel bay set

Plus some resin AA-10’s and AA-11’s

 

I know there lots of AM stuff thrown in but the build should be nice and simple, unlike the painting!!! Once the F-111 is out of the way the mayhem will commence! 

[FortyEighter]

Like your choice of livery, will be interested to compare your use of decals with others use of masks to achieve a digital scheme.

[trickyrich]

I'm hoping the masks work out ok, I now seem to end up doing complicated schemes. Even thou it's a real pain I do prefer to have the scheme painted a I does look some much better and less chance of a decal disaster!!

[Valkyrie]

I'm really going have to pay close attention. I love the digital schemes, but boy do they look tricky...good luck.

[FortyEighter]

Have you done a trial fit of the Quickboost nose cone to the front fuselage yet?  I used one on an Eduard ltd edition MiG-29 a couple of years ago and it was slightly larger in diameter than the fuselage but I decided to live with the discrepancy.

[trickyrich]

On 7/1/2017 at 11:29 PM, FortyEighter said:

Have you done a trial fit of the Quickboost nose cone to the front fuselage yet?  I used one on an Eduard ltd edition MiG-29 a couple of years ago and it was slightly larger in diameter than the fuselage but I decided to live with the discrepancy.

 

 

No I haven't tried it yet. I haven't heard of any dramas with this one with the Academy model, from all reports it just fits nicely. If not it's resin so it'll be easy to sort out. 

[trickyrich]

If you’re easily frightened by plastic models being sliced & diced then look away now!

 

With the beast done and dusted time to have some real fun, starting with this lovely that arrived in the mail.

 

 

 

….along with these lovelies as well!

 

 

Ok out with the razor saw and scalpel and let’s get to it. I’ve decided to do a bit of mix-n-matching of the cockpit. I’ll use 90% of the Aires one as the detailing o it is beautiful but to have the correct type for the Slovak aircraft I’ll have to modify the tope section of the cowling. Sorry I forgot to take a photo to explain what I mean.

 

As usual I’ve cut the opening too large for the new cockpit   , I do wish they were clearer in the instruction as to where you should cut!.

 

 

Once that was done I started to build up part of the forward fuselage as well, this'll help keep everything steady and aligned.

 

 

Packing on the inside was required to help with the join, but it’s still not a nice one, it’ll require a bit of work to clean up. The new nose looks good but is a fraction wide, but should be easy to sort out. I’m going to replace the IRST system on the nose as the kit moulded one doesn’t look that great at all. Seeing as I’m already replacing a lot of stuff I may as well do that while I’m at it!

 

 

I’ll be building her with the FOD door closed so I started opening up the upper intakes, a bit of a time consuming process, but looks good.

 

 

The intakes are together as well, the internal joins are really poor, hence why I’m building her with the intake covers closed.

 

 

The nose wheel well has been removed, again a long process. Surprisingly the new cockpit and wheel well actually fit without any dramas….that’s a first!

 

 

Now for the main fuselage, all the internal detail of the wheel wells needed to be ground off.

 

 

While I was at it I thinned all the exposed wheel well panels as well.

 

 

I glued the rear fuselage together as the wheel wells will slide in quite easily which means I can add them a bit later.

 

This is the odd looking brake chute!

 

 

The wings are together as well now.

 

So the major chopping up bit is done, next it’ll be time to try and put her back together again. With once the painting is done (there’ll be lots of in next break) she should com together quite quickly….with luck!

 

It's been a while since I've built an Academy model (last was the P-38), and I'd forgotten what they are like, some of the joins and panel lines are a bit off, but it's an enjoyable build so far.

[Valkyrie]

Cracking goodies and quite the surgery job, this is a well worth a watching. Very brave, highly technical. Good job

[Mr B]

lovely work there boss man !

 

i await how you tackle the forward to rear joints............I bet that I will be faced with a similar type of intake joints on mine...........

 

Nice after market spread ...........and nice clean work thus far...............

 

rgds

 

[trickyrich]

Sorry to say progress is a bit slow at the moment, I’m having trouble settling in into a build mood.

 

Some ups and downs with this build, I painted the cockpit 36375 (Lt. Ghost Grey) over a coat of darker grey and then gave it a coat of clear Strangely the grey ahs sort of “disappeared”??? Don’t know what happened there, but will have to repaint the lot, as it’s now way too dark! 

 

Ok the intakes did need a bit of work, the outside seems weren’t the best and the inside ones were pretty horrible, needless to say the FOD guards will definitely be fitted closed now.

 

 

I finished up opening up the upper intake vanes, that wasn’t an easy job at all as the plastic used on this model is really hard, not the best for this sort of work.

 

Now to be completely different to the way everyone else build these I added the forward fuselage, minus the centre lower section to the main fuselage. This seems to be an odd way to build this but I was concerned about the joins between the fuselages as this seems to be an issue with this model. After a lot of CA cement, liquid glue and cursing it’s all together…..and the joins though not to bad are still a bit rubbish!

 

 

You can see the support I’ve made for the IP/cowling, plus the bracing required below, actually it’s now really strong.

 

 

I’m going to leave the airbrakes closed as they’re not that great, the AB cans looks great, much better than the kit/Eduard one.

 

 

While filling in time I started to add some of the nose antennas, I pre-drill the whole on the top of the nose for 4 of them only to notice that they were completely out of alignment! While I was here I filled the slot of the “Odd Rod” antennas. And yes the Quickboost radome didn’t fit it need a bit of work!!

 

 

Now the bad bit……

 

The upper fuselage join between the two main sections was really bad, not gap wise but how the two edges sunk down, lots of filling would be needed. Before I did this I looked up some plans of this area just to see what the fuselage profile was like…and I made an interesting discovery. There should be a minor “kink” in the spine where they meet. On the model the spine is nearly a completely straight line from the tail to the rear of the cockpit, but on the rear thing there is a slight change of angle in the spine about where the kits fuselages join together.

 

In the drawing it’s not too easy to see but if you zoom into this area and measure it (I have a huge version of this drawing I’m working from) it’s actually quite noticeable.

 

 

I’ve tried to show it here, the spine is almost perfectly straight on the model, it should change angles where the black line is.

 

 

Plus there is this “channel” for want of a better word coming from the rear cockpit cowling and running back to the along the fuselage. Looking at cross sections of the fuselage around this point shows this channel/groove should finish where the pencil line is.

 

 

I was a bit lost at what to do here, I could have just left it but now I know there are a few things wrong it would just bug me.

 

I had done quite a bit of work by this stage in the photo, do a lot of sanding and reshaping of the rear fuselage spine. Then to try and build it up a wee bit I added some thin card from the fuselage join to the rear of the cockpit. This will do two things, help give be this slight kink I’m after plus fit up that groove/channel coming from the cockpit.

 

 

This is tuning out to be a bigger build than I had planned….but I’m hoping it’ll all work out….with luck!

 

Oh, plus I’ve started on the main gear as well.

 

[Hewy]

Looking great rich really good work so far,you know how to pick em, she will be an absolute stunner,

Glynn

[exdraken]

Verynice work Rich!

I know I come a bit late for that... but with all that carnage, the intakes would need widening as well...

 

Good luck with findingyourbuild mood again!

[Valkyrie]

On 7/15/2017 at 2:20 AM, trickyrich said:

Sorry to say progress is a bit slow at the moment, I’m having trouble settling in into a build mood.

 

Some ups and downs with this build, I painted the cockpit 36375 (Lt. Ghost Grey) over a coat of darker grey and then gave it a coat of clear Strangely the grey ahs sort of “disappeared”??? Don’t know what happened there, but will have to repaint the lot, as it’s now way too dark! 

 

Ok the intakes did need a bit of work, the outside seems weren’t the best and the inside ones were pretty horrible, needless to say the FOD guards will definitely be fitted closed now.

 

 

I finished up opening up the upper intake vanes, that wasn’t an easy job at all as the plastic used on this model is really hard, not the best for this sort of work.

 

Now to be completely different to the way everyone else build these I added the forward fuselage, minus the centre lower section to the main fuselage. This seems to be an odd way to build this but I was concerned about the joins between the fuselages as this seems to be an issue with this model. After a lot of CA cement, liquid glue and cursing it’s all together…..and the joins though not to bad are still a bit rubbish!

 

 

You can see the support I’ve made for the IP/cowling, plus the bracing required below, actually it’s now really strong.

 

 

I’m going to leave the airbrakes closed as they’re not that great, the AB cans looks great, much better than the kit/Eduard one.

 

 

While filling in time I started to add some of the nose antennas, I pre-drill the whole on the top of the nose for 4 of them only to notice that they were completely out of alignment! While I was here I filled the slot of the “Odd Rod” antennas. And yes the Quickboost radome didn’t fit it need a bit of work!!

 

 

Now the bad bit……

 

The upper fuselage join between the two main sections was really bad, not gap wise but how the two edges sunk down, lots of filling would be needed. Before I did this I looked up some plans of this area just to see what the fuselage profile was like…and I made an interesting discovery. There should be a minor “kink” in the spine where they meet. On the model the spine is nearly a completely straight line from the tail to the rear of the cockpit, but on the rear thing there is a slight change of angle in the spine about where the kits fuselages join together.

 

In the drawing it’s not too easy to see but if you zoom into this area and measure it (I have a huge version of this drawing I’m working from) it’s actually quite noticeable.

 

 

I’ve tried to show it here, the spine is almost perfectly straight on the model, it should change angles where the black line is.

 

 

Plus there is this “channel” for want of a better word coming from the rear cockpit cowling and running back to the along the fuselage. Looking at cross sections of the fuselage around this point shows this channel/groove should finish where the pencil line is.

 

 

I was a bit lost at what to do here, I could have just left it but now I know there are a few things wrong it would just bug me.

 

I had done quite a bit of work by this stage in the photo, do a lot of sanding and reshaping of the rear fuselage spine. Then to try and build it up a wee bit I added some thin card from the fuselage join to the rear of the cockpit. This will do two things, help give be this slight kink I’m after plus fit up that groove/channel coming from the cockpit.

 

 

This is tuning out to be a bigger build than I had planned….but I’m hoping it’ll all work out….with luck!

 

Oh, plus I’ve started on the main gear as well.

 

That gear looks like it's just fallen off the real thing, very good 

[FortyEighter]

I like the hydraulic pipes - just debating whether to have a go at this on my build

[trickyrich]

On 8/3/2017 at 5:08 AM, exdraken said:

Verynice work Rich!

I know I come a bit late for that... but with all that carnage, the intakes would need widening as well...

 

Good luck with findingyourbuild mood again!

oh dear are there issues with the intakes of these models? The FOD screens are barely wide enough as it is, I'm only using them in their closed position because the insides of them are !!

On 8/4/2017 at 5:10 AM, Valkyrie said:

That gear looks like it's just fallen off the real thing, very good 

 

On 8/4/2017 at 11:50 PM, FortyEighter said:

I like the hydraulic pipes - just debating whether to have a go at this on my build

Thanks, I've since done the second one, this time I manage to glue the pipework in the right place!! 

 

They're really quite fine, if you're doing them from scratch then I'd just add a couple. They'll give the legs that realistic look even if the detail is no a 100% correct.

 

Well I should have had a proper update to this build, but as mentioned I'm struggling a bit with Mojo on this build....and actually a few others as well.

 

No photo's but this is a quick update on where she's at;

 

1, the new spine actually has come out quite well, it has a better shape, I just need to do some final filling and smoothing around this area.

 

2, The upper Open Aux intakes have been replaced with the closed ones, I couldn't get a clean finish on where I'd opened them up, plus it turns out they shouldn't have been opened anyway! Plus it will make it easier to paint with masks.

 

3, The intakes are finished, I to fill part of the intake insides due to plastic shrinkage. The FOD screens have been fitted they're a wee bit too narrow, I may cheat and fit some tiny strips to the edges to hide this. Anyway they needed to be fitted closed as the intake detail  or lack of it was !

 

4, Started painting the exhausts, they do look nice, so with some careful painting they'll look great.

 

5, Finished adding all the PE bits to the U/c and have given them a coat of primer, plus the wheel have been painted.

 

6, The resin cockpit and wheel wells......... Lack of mojo didn't not help here!! Something went wrong with the initial painting of these and I ended up having strip them back completely and repaint them. The wheel wells look quite good and I juts need to do some detailing with paint to complete. The cockpit well now somehow it's become darker than it should be!!! I'm not repainting it again, I can live with the colour, I just have to get motivated to finish the detail painting!

 

7, I've given the fuselage a coat of undercoat on what I've done so far just to see what tiding up is required.....and there is a bit! The new nose doesn't really fit at all, hopefully some filling and sanding will sort that out!

 

And that's where this one is at, coming issues and distractions........

 

1, The kit supplied digital decals are completely wrong the colours are not even close, I haven't checked to see if the pattern matches at all. They show only one scheme but give you two serial numbers choices and no info one how to use the second serial number, which just happens to be the one I want to build (plus it's the aircraft seen in most of the photographs). I'm so hoping these masks show up and are usable!

 

2, I now have the Karaya resin drop tank, the difference between this and the kit one is huge! Surly they can't have gotten it that wrong, plus Academy's info on tank placement has me worried, need to look at that further when I get home.

 

3, distraction #1 the A-222 Bereg is getting close to painting, only ~200 parts from the original +1000 to fit!

 

4, distraction #2, my Best Choice JAS-39D Gripen (it's the old Italeri model with lots of extras) is finally together, wings and fuselage that is. What a job!! It's a pretty average model, the fit is atrocious add to this new resin cockpit/wheel wells/speed brake housing......avoid at all cost! But I'll fifnsh this beast.

 

5, distraction #3, my Trumpy Su-24 arrived, so had a play with it and all the resin AM stuff!  I couldn't help myself so I started building up some fo the weapons supplied, enough here for 1/2 dozen models!

 

6, distraction #4, 1/48th resin RA-5C with full AM resin bits. This is a project I've been dying to start, so with the lack of Mojo with this build I has a wee play which resulted in masses of resin dust!  It's a Collect-Aire Vigilante with new resin cockpit/wheel wells/exhaust from Aires (for the Trumpy model...that one has real issues compared to this model) and new SAC U/c done in the experimental camo scheme used in Vietnam. I'll start my first WIP thread for her later in the year, for now I just wanted to see if it would work and how it would go together. 

 

 

And that's it, there were a few other models worked on as well but too many to list and not really the place to mention them.

 

Hopefully next break I can make some real progress with this one.....maybe and distractions willing!

[jrlx]

Hi Rich!

 

Great work done till now! You're a courageous man for reshaping the spine of the aircraft and deciding to paint the digital camouflage!

 

From the pictures it seems you decided not to open the avionics bays panels to show the detailed bays provided by the Aires resin cockpit. In the 1/72 version I'm using for the Italeri kit I found that the PE covering panels aren't correct shape-wise, so I decided to leave the bays open.

 

Looking forward to your further work. I hope you regain your motivation soon!

 

Cheers

 

Jaime

 

[trickyrich]

1 hour ago, jrlx said:

 

Great work done till now! You're a courageous man for reshaping the spine of the aircraft and deciding to paint the digital camouflage!

 

a better word to use is crazy or dumb!

 

I had thought about opening the side panels, but that section of the fuselage is flimsy enough as it is. The new spine wasn't out of choice really, that top join is really bad and would have needed a lot of filler to get right so sheet plastic was the go here. I only figured the whole shape was wrong as I started planning to use the sheet.

 

There appears to be quite a few extra "faults/failings" with this model, aside from lack of Mojo, the other main reason I won't mod it further is the plastic used on this model is really horrible. It's quite hard and brittle, not the best stuff for this sort or work, my Sukhoi's on the other hand had nice softish plastic, great carving and shaping. Just what you want for major mod work.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with yours, especially in 1/72nd scale.

[jrlx]

3 minutes ago, trickyrich said:

a better word to use is crazy or dumb!

 

I had thought about opening the side panels, but that section of the fuselage is flimsy enough as it is. The new spine wasn't out of choice really, that top join is really bad and would have needed a lot of filler to get right so sheet plastic was the go here. I only figured the whole shape was wrong as I started planning to use the sheet.

 

There appears to be quite a few extra "faults/failings" with this model, aside from lack of Mojo, the other main reason I won't mod it further is the plastic used on this model is really horrible. It's quite hard and brittle, not the best stuff for this sort or work, my Sukhoi's on the other hand had nice softish plastic, great carving and shaping. Just what you want for major mod work.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with yours, especially in 1/72nd scale.

Aren't we all a bit crazy, when we embark in these corrections and super-detailing of models? We could simply build what's on offer in the box and all would be much easier...

 

Anyway, I fully understand your lack of motivation because I've been very prone to that for last several months. I'm now trying to get back to modelling work more assiduously but lack of time and tiredness from the day job are always big obstacles.

 

My MiG is already with the side panels open. Fortunately Italeri's plastic is on the soft side and relatively easy to cut and shape. My main worry was doing things slowly to avoid cutting too much plastic or cutting the wrong areas. Up to now, things seem to be under control.

 

Cheers

 

Jaime

 

 

[trickyrich]

  that's why they invented plastic strip & card, a modders best friend.

 

Think my issue at the moment is that I've been building so many GB projects I haven't had a chance to start any of the big projects I really want to build. That's why I've dropped out of the rest of them for the year, just this one and the Mirage one, than nothing till the Me-262 STGB next year which I'm hosting. In that time I hope to finish alot of non-GB projects and start a major one. Either the Trumpy Su-24 with full AM stuff including the Komplete ZIP correction set or the Collect-Aire Vigilante with new A bits, both in 1/48th. I've been wanting to build the Vigilante for ages and the Sukhoi will go nicely with the F-111.

[Valkyrie]

The excitement takes you over and sucks you into these GBs and then on top of your own build projects you end up with mountains of lists of stuff and I can see that can be sapping of energy and mojo. On top of that you are doing highly skilled modifications to make completely accurate representations of the actual aircraft. The light at the end of a build at least for you and a lot of the guys on here is the finished article is always nothing short of incredible and there is work I look at on here and say wow, really? How do these guys actually do this! My stuff so far sometimes doesn't even look like what's in the box but by watching you and the other big hitters on here I would actually say, my il say efforts, are improving. Some of the work on here is like works of art and I follow your builds like an open university course, it's inspiring. If you think it was a struggle to do your under carriage legs be safe in the knowledge that it inspires and motivates me and if I did those undercarriage legs, I'd just display them on their own like that I'd be so proud.

[Hewy]

On 8/6/2017 at 03:59, trickyrich said:

  that's why they invented plastic strip & card, a modders best friend.

 

Think my issue at the moment is that I've been building so many GB projects I haven't had a chance to start any of the big projects I really want to build. That's why I've dropped out of the rest of them for the year, just this one and the Mirage one, than nothing till the Me-262 STGB next year which I'm hosting. In that time I hope to finish alot of non-GB projects and start a major one. Either the Trumpy Su-24 with full AM stuff including the Komplete ZIP correction set or the Collect-Aire Vigilante with new A bits, both in 1/48th. I've been wanting to build the Vigilante for ages and the Sukhoi will go nicely with the F-111.

you have certainly bitten off a big chunk with all those builds ,i'm in a smaller, but similar boat,too much that i want to do not much time to do it in

 muzz and myself were musing  about the su24 as we are looking into long term su projects as you say it will look a treat along side the f-111, towards the end of the year,i have to round up the goodies for mine first though,btw i like the uc legs nice wire work, and the spine correction was brave

glynn

[trickyrich]

thanks....though silly not brave! 

 

The Su is sooo tempting, still have a few extras to get. The only issues I've found so far is the new resin front fuselage section (Komplete ZIP) is quite warped. They're packed in a small bag which I don't think helps. Hopefully a nice hot bath will straighten them out.

 

I can see now i have to build a Ukraine MiG-29 in the Digital scheme as well...I'd like the Su-27 as well but I fast running out of shelf space as it is with what I've got built and waiting to build.

 

 

[trickyrich]

On 8/6/2017 at 7:02 PM, Valkyrie said:

The excitement takes you over and sucks you into these GBs and then on top of your own build projects you end up with mountains of lists of stuff and I can see that can be sapping of energy and mojo. On top of that you are doing highly skilled modifications to make completely accurate representations of the actual aircraft. The light at the end of a build at least for you and a lot of the guys on here is the finished article is always nothing short of incredible and there is work I look at on here and say wow, really? How do these guys actually do this! My stuff so far sometimes doesn't even look like what's in the box but by watching you and the other big hitters on here I would actually say, my il say efforts, are improving. Some of the work on here is like works of art and I follow your builds like an open university course, it's inspiring. If you think it was a struggle to do your under carriage legs be safe in the knowledge that it inspires and motivates me and if I did those undercarriage legs, I'd just display them on their own like that I'd be so proud.

I agree, sometimes I get a wee  bit over excited and put my name down for lots of GB's, then when the time comes I feel a bit embarrassed to pull out. That said I do like GB's it's sort of forces me to complete a build as I have a really poor completion rate if I'm just building something for the sake of it.

 

The mod work I'm doing these days I wouldn't have been game enough to attempt a few years ago! I've just basically got to have a go, start simple with AM stuff like new cockpits and wheel wells then slowly work your way up. Oddly enough it's actually some of the most enjoyable stuff in a build. Plus for me I have a strong love of WhatIf builds where major mod work is the norm.

 

Just jump in and have a go, you'll probably think your initial stuff will is pretty crap, but you learn for each build. You'll be surprised at how quick your modelling skills will improve. I've been building model pretty much most of my life, they've been ok but nothing special. It's only in the last 3 or 4 years I've taken it much more seriously and comparing the models from then and now....it's hard to believe the improvement. Even a few of my builds I'm not happy with, I'll look at them a few weeks later I and go wow they do actually look quite good.

 

Best advice for you is to just have a go, challenge yourself, it's the only way you get better, just start small and go from there. After a few builds you'll be very surprised. There are a few members here I've been following in different GB's and the quality of their builds has just gotten better and better with each build.

[Valkyrie]

Great advice and encouragement! I am beginning to see slight improvements in my work, long long way off your standard, I'd like to see you do the Ukrainian MiG and SU too

[trickyrich]

well time for a proper update and I have managed to do quite a bit on her.

 

First up the intakes, as mentioned the fit of the FOD doors wasn’t the best, well they don’t really fit at all. There are gaps on either side of them, so I’ve had to add some thin sprue behind each one on either side. Hopefully once fitted and painted the gaps won’t be noticeable. I filled in and smoothed out the roof of the intake, as there was a big step where the PE door attached.

 

 

The main wheel well bays were next, I had done a lot of work and test fitting early to ensure these would fit in snuggly. They needed some CA glue to hold them in place. One job I do have to do is correct the wheel well opening shape on both intakes as Academy got this completely wrong.

 

 

Fitting the nose wheel well was a completely different matter and took quite a few attempts to get right, not the easiest of tasks when using CA glue to hold things together. Once in the correct place I needed to give it some strength, so out with more CA glue and sprue. Hopefully than won’t come off!

 

 

So a quick trial fit to see how it all looks.

 

 

I’ve just about finished tiding up the top of the fuselage, since this photo it’s been rubbed back with 6000 grit micro pads and is super smooth and shiny like the original plastic.

 

 

Ok now time to fit the cockpit and like most Aires cockpits it doesn’t fit very well at all, actually this is close to one of the worst I’ve had to do! I started tacking it in place from the rear adjusting as I went. Again CA glue and accelerator to hold it in place. Once in I added some bracing to hold it in place. That large section out of the back of the resin tube is so the nose wheel bay will fit. Obviously they thought no one would be silly enough to use both resin kits at once, I mean how easy would it have been to mould the cutout in in the first place!

 

 

You can see that gaps that need to be filled, plastic card or strip will sort that out. The odd thing is that rear box section that attaches to the fuselage, while level with the fuselage is much narrower than the original. With a canopy on there is quite a gap in this opening and no mention that you need to fill it! That strip of plastic at the front is for the instrument panel/cowling to sit on as again there’s nowhere or nothing to mount it on.

 

 

Here it is just sitting in place, Aires cockpit/instrument panel and Wolfpack cowling. I did this because the Aires cockpit was for a normal MiG-29 9.12 the AS version. Plus strangely the Aires cowling is 3/4 the length of the Wolfpack one???  I got the height right which is the main thing, there is a gap around the outer edge but with the canopy on you cannot see it.

 

 

So with that task done I can finally close up the fuselage. I had to add some thin strips of plastic (0.020) as packing for this last section to fit to improve the join. But that was it. This is how it looks once the tape was off, I haven’t done any cleaning up yet. Forward and aft joins are great and level to, the side ones are a bit wonky but that was easy to fix. It’s all been sanded back and a few spots of filler were needed.

 

 

….and the drop tank, there is quite a bit of difference between the kit one and the Karaya one! Academy wants you to mount the tank a lot further back than it should so as the tank opening and fuselage APU opening line up. With the Karaya tank in it correct position the opening lines up perfectly.

 

 

Finally one of the distractions, the Gripen. This is a special release model, which is basically to old Italeri kit with fill resin/PE/white metal extras. Fitting or getting the resin bits to fit is/was a nightmare! There is quite a support structure inside the fuselage. Then there was the gaps….that white strip on the wing is plastic card used to fill the gap! Again it required lots of hidden work to get the wing to sit in the correct position. Once the MiG is done I’ll spend more time on her as she’s getting close to being finish….finally, I only started her the beginning of last year. I still have the single seat version of this model to build!