# Not a TOPGUN GWH Mig-29 ...but a regular one # FINISHED #

[Dansk]

Cheers Craig 😉

 

This evening i detailed the back of the Ejection Seat a little.
Cross-referencing serges shots and my own. The red/brown tubing, when the seat is installed, lies down the rear of the seat back eminating from its top so i replicated this with copper wire (needed no paint to match the colour). 
And the home-made blue gas canister was detailed and fitted. 

 

I’m glad I held back and didnt go too far with all this as advised by you Craig as pretty much nothing can be seen really. So thanks for that 👍

 

 

oh well it didn't take long and was fun to do anyway. 😚

 

Now everything’s been given a matt coat and the tub I’ll construct next. 

One thing that really does need more detail is the circuit breaker box. (Ignoring the colour hue we have to live with that determined colour from the eduard PE)

The tubes, and piping and ephemera from it are really obviously lacking and it sits in a very prominent position. 🤨

So I am excited about trying to scratch and suggest some of that detail in the next stages. 🤩

 

Thanks for reading.

 

 

[Dansk]

2 hours ago, modelling minion said:

That decal for the stenciling will look very good once in place, and it will make Serge very happy  .

 

...oh and the tiny decal is now in place in the nose wheel bay just for you serge 😉

 

Edited July 30, 2019 by Dansk

[modelling minion]

Now I can certainly see the need for added detailing around the circuit breaker box, you will be surprised how only a little detail can make a big difference Paul as a suggestion of the full detailing can fool the eye.

I'm sure Serge is very happy with that decal in the nose well, I am.

[Dansk]

 

On 7/30/2019 at 10:34 PM, modelling minion said:

Now I can certainly see the need for added detailing around the circuit breaker box, you will be surprised how only a little detail can make a big difference Paul as a suggestion of the full detailing can fool the eye.

I'm sure Serge is very happy with that decal in the nose well, I am.

Thanks craig I’m trying what you suggest here - initially I’ve been wrapping tamiya tape and cheap masking tape around wire to efficiently achieve the look of those hoses I need to scratch. I think the cheap masking tape (second shot below) might do the trick its texture feels right and it will just need a wash rather than paint. What do you think?





Cockpit tub is assembled now. 



My lack of experience has meant i didnt realise this join would be present between nose gear bay and fuselage. Damn I should have tested before. I thought it would be a hidden join. 🙄😣



So it means joining the bay and then attacking the problem after (stripping the area, sanding, filling, sanding priming, painting, wash/weathering).😬

I dont know why gwh did this actually as its dificult to paint and weather the whole bay after installing it - so its kinda necessary before. The join at the meeting point between outer skin and bay would have been better i think?

Also while we’re on this the fuselage compared to the bay is warped so one can only glue one side at a time otherwise it wont join seamlessly on both sides simultaneously. So i’m waiting for the starboard side to cure before doing the port. (Or is it the other way round? 🙃)

 

 

Edited July 31, 2019 by Dansk

[modelling minion]

First off Paul don't start removing too much paint and detail from the nose bay, test fit the gear leg and see how much of the problem is still visible, I'm willing to bet that it is very little if anything and that some paint might do the trick. Remember, get an essence of what should be there and the eye will believe it is there, and also remember how many times you pick up a finished model to look into the gear bays, or let anyone else pick them up and have a look. Pick your battles Paul and stop selling yourself short, you are an excellent modeller with a good eye for detail, even Serge would agree  .

Your idea of wrapping tape around some wire is very good indeed and the one in the second picture will work very well. As you say, just a wash required and it will look just like the real thing.

Having to deal with warped parts is never much fun but you look like you have it sorted with the clamps, remember that this isn't a race.

Keep plugging away mate, you are doing a great job and I for one have learned a lot from your build so far.

[Dansk]

52 minutes ago, modelling minion said:

First off Paul don't start removing too much paint and detail from the nose bay, test fit the gear leg and see how much of the problem is still visible, I'm willing to bet that it is very little if anything and that some paint might do the trick. Remember, get an essence of what should be there and the eye will believe it is there, and also remember how many times you pick up a finished model to look into the gear bays, or let anyone else pick them up and have a look. Pick your battles Paul and stop selling yourself short, you are an excellent modeller with a good eye for detail, even Serge would agree  .

Your idea of wrapping tape around some wire is very good indeed and the one in the second picture will work very well. As you say, just a wash required and it will look just like the real thing.

Having to deal with warped parts is never much fun but you look like you have it sorted with the clamps, remember that this isn't a race.

Keep plugging away mate, you are doing a great job and I for one have learned a lot from your build so far.

Thank you Craig I very much appreciate your advice - helps to keep things in perspective  keep it coming

 

[Hewy]

Great job paul up to yet, your ejection seat  and cockpit looks great, the whole detail job your doing  is really going to pay off,

[Dansk]

10 hours ago, Hewy said:

Great job paul up to yet, your ejection seat  and cockpit looks great, the whole detail job your doing  is really going to pay off,

Cheers Hewy 👍😎

[Aardvark]

20 hours ago, Dansk said:

 I’ve been wrapping tamiya tape and cheap masking tape around wire to efficiently achieve the look of those hoses I need to scratch. I think the cheap masking tape (second shot below) might do the trick its texture feels right and it will just need a wash rather than paint. What do you think?

I have hard day....

...I do not quite understand what you want to imitate with wrapping tamiya tape and cheap masking tape around wire....

🤔

 

B.R.

Serge

 

[helios16v]

24 minutes ago, Aardvark said:

I have hard day....

...I do not quite understand what you want to imitate with wrapping tamiya tape and cheap masking tape around wire....

🤔

 

B.R.

Serge

 

Wire bundles out of the circuit breaker box.  The tape is to create a non-smooth surface to mimic the wire jackets/covers.

[Aardvark]

16 minutes ago, helios16v said:

Wire bundles out of the circuit breaker box.  The tape is to create a non-smooth surface to mimic the wire jackets/covers.

Ahh....understand....simulated shielded wire with metal mesh!

In mobile, or other microelectronics device no such wires suitable for 48th scale?

 

B.R.

Serge

[Dansk]

3 hours ago, Aardvark said:

Ahh....understand....simulated shielded wire with metal mesh!

In mobile, or other microelectronics device no such wires suitable for 48th scale?

 

B.R.

Serge

The rubber coated wires from electrical devices dont look as flexible like the real ones as the tape solution serge. The tape has a texture to it that feels right.

 

Well more daily mig-29 news here. 😄
These babies are fitted (they were a beautiful fit).👌



The canon opening was fitted (beautifully moulded piece with no flash on those vents) 👌



All the gear bays are all in and i’ve been working on the nacelles, they still need more filling/sanding. (Im so crap at this) 💩




The cockpit tub is in - i had no real firm way of securing it firmly at the front really so i braced it underneath with an offcut of sprue and a sprue/glue mix.



That tub again is an odd piece of kit design from gwh - there will always be a noticeable join in a prominent position - So this needs to be fixed.  👎
While i’m at it i need to fix that apparent join on the seat top - its annoying me.

 

Edited August 1, 2019 by Dansk

[Dansk]

Hi all

The ‘cockpit to cockpit frame’ seams are now fixed (that i mentioned in the previous post) and the seat top too.

A bit of ppp, a delicate sand and a microbrush sorted both ok-ish.
(well you cant see them, through the canopy anyway - good enough for me)

 

The shielded cables are added now behind the seat - i think the tiny copper wire and masking tape solution looks passable when comparing to the photo ref. The cockpit is nearly there now. Just need to make the Photoetch HUD

 

 

I’ve just noticed the photoetch on the circuitbreaker box side is at an angle in the shot? Not sure how i missed seeing that? That will be have to be fixed next round.

While masking the canopy i got a microfracture in it. Dammmnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn. 🤬😫

Its so micro that you can only see it from certain angles but its there. Does anyone know are gwh’s customer relations good in supplying new parts? I have dropped them a mail. 🤞

I built the vertical stabilizers and rudders also today so things are moving slowly onwards.

 

Cheers

 

[modelling minion]

That really is a fantastic looking cockpit Paul, the wire covered with tape has really worked very well indeed and is something I can see being reproduced on future Mig-29 builds, I can certainly see me using it.

The completed cockpit looks brilliant in place, extremely realistic.

Really sorry to hear about the micro crack in the canopy and unfortunately I have tried to use GWH's customer care before and ironically it was regarding the canopy (believe it or not I got two of these second hand at a model show but both were missing the canopy, I got them both for £8!  ) and tried to get GWH to send replacements but nothing happened despite many promising emails, I think I got a couple of vac-form replacements meant for the Academy kit, I have yet to try them though.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Good to know this about GWH. that the customer service and parts replacement isn't the best. 

[Dansk]

4 hours ago, modelling minion said:

That really is a fantastic looking cockpit Paul, the wire covered with tape has really worked very well indeed and is something I can see being reproduced on future Mig-29 builds, I can certainly see me using it.

The completed cockpit looks brilliant in place, extremely realistic.

Really sorry to hear about the micro crack in the canopy and unfortunately I have tried to use GWH's customer care before and ironically it was regarding the canopy (believe it or not I got two of these second hand at a model show but both were missing the canopy, I got them both for £8!  ) and tried to get GWH to send replacements but nothing happened despite many promising emails, I think I got a couple of vac-form replacements meant for the Academy kit, I have yet to try them though.

Thanks for your kind words craig - much appreciated. 👍

 

Heres a shot of the fracture - its really small but its there. 

I wrote to lionroar/gwh sunday afternoon CET but have not heard back yet.
I don’t hold out much hope now from what you write.😞

 

I’m gonna continue meanwhile.

In other news the PE HUD is on and the circuit breaker PE is now aligned again.

 

 

[modelling minion]

It really is a very small crack isn't it, but once you know it's there your eye will be drawn to it. I hope that GWH get back to you soon Paul.

The only other thing to do if you can't get a replacement in time would be to make a canvas cover for the canopy, temporary of course, and then fit the replacement canopy later when it arrives. Or you could try the Pavla vac-form one and see if it fits, which would be less of a problem if it is posed open.

[Dansk]

39 minutes ago, modelling minion said:

It really is a very small crack isn't it, but once you know it's there your eye will be drawn to it. I hope that GWH get back to you soon Paul.

The only other thing to do if you can't get a replacement in time would be to make a canvas cover for the canopy, temporary of course, and then fit the replacement canopy later when it arrives. Or you could try the Pavla vac-form one and see if it fits, which would be less of a problem if it is posed open.

Yes it’s tiny right? but yes you’re right - really annoying when i tried my best with the rest of the cockpit.

Thanks for the advice Craig I think i’ll bang an order in for a pavla canopy so the open option could be the way to go if the fit is rubbish. how handy that they are available I wasn’t aware of them before this build. The kit has some PE to run along the cokcpit edges for canopy-open scenarios so that could be handy in this case to detail up a bit.

Gwh / lionroar are really not so good as you experienced - still no response after firing a few more mails off. It will definately make me think twice when contemplating another gwh kit. I have sent a mail to the sales store also - maybe they can sort something?

not the end of the world though right? It can all work out good.

i found some semi-covered canopy shots of fulcrums for the cover option to show my cockpit and cover the crack at the same time - could be fun to make but maybe feels like i’m cheating a bit though?

 

 

 

Edited August 6, 2019 by Dansk

[modelling minion]

5 minutes ago, Dansk said:

could be fun to make but maybe feels like i’m cheating a bit though?

It most definitely is NOT cheating. Canvas covers are used to cover the canopies of military aircraft all the time and to have one draped over the part of the canopy with a crack would just look realistic, nothing more nothing less, just realistic, and isn't that what we strive to achieve? I built a Monogram 1/48 B-24D a few years ago and the rear turret was designed by an idiot as it has a join right down the middle which makes a horrible nasty glue smeared seam impossible to avoid so I made a canvas cover for it and had it on a diorama with groundcrew removing the covers from the turrets and canopy but with the rear turret still to be uncovered, realistic and effective.

 

Hopefully the Pavla canopy will fit (they are both for 1/48 Mig-29's so what could possibly go wrong  ) and combined with the etch and your obvious ability with detailing it should look very good indeed. Maybe the store you got yours from will be able to help, tell them the sprue is missing and they might be able to get GWH to get their act together.

[Dansk]

Lets see if the shop come back 🤞

then i take it from there

do you have a link for your build craig, I’d love to see it. How did you make the tarpaulin cover?

[Dansk]

Denmark is quite rightly very environment conscious and Its very difficult to get lead here.

But everyone has a bunch of old nuts and bolts and screws etc that they’ll never use in some box or jar right? So as a susbstitue (although not as dense unfortunately) this will help it from being a tail sitter. The shape is great for the nose too. Some white tack helps it from rattling.





There’s protrusions moulded on every flying surface on this aircraft so i’ve taped them in a vain attempt to protect them a little from my clumsy mits! 👋



The instructions will have you join tons of parts simultaeneously on joining the upper and lower halves, (but in reality the slats can be added after).



But the flaps and ailerons have male locating pins mating to females within the wings so they need to join at the same time as the fuselage, same for the elevators with their housings. Which means holding them in place with tape before / while joining.



Apart from keeping the world’s peg manufacturers in business this dry fit showed me that the fit was like a glove, absolutely beautiful. Gwh kits have some great positive points along the way. Shame customer service cant echo that sentiment.



Spoke to the online hobby store today and they suggest (reading in between the lines🤔) that they might have a nightmare dealing with lionroar also so they suggested sending me a pavla vac-canopy instead so thats good. great service! Happy customer 👍😁




 

[modelling minion]

8 hours ago, Dansk said:

Lets see if the shop come back 🤞

then i take it from there

do you have a link for your build craig, I’d love to see it. How did you make the tarpaulin cover?

Sounds like the shop is looking after you very well Paul, really good to see someone knows how to look after their customers, just a pity GWH don't.

 

I don't have a link for my B-24 as it was built years before I joined BM, it's stored away in a box somewhere but I will see if I can dig it out and take a picture of the turret cover. It really is very easy to make, I just used tissue paper which was dipped in watered down PVA glue. If you don't want it to stick to the canopy permanently then first cover the canopy in cling film and then get the canvas cover in place, once it has dried you can peel it off the cling film and then paint and highlight it.

[Aardvark]

4 hours ago, Dansk said:

Denmark is quite rightly very environment conscious and Its very difficult to get lead here.

But everyone has a bunch of old nuts and bolts and screws etc that they’ll never use in some box or jar right? So as a susbstitue (although not as dense unfortunately) this will help it from being a tail sitter. The shape is great for the nose too. Some white tack helps it from rattling.

Old  nuts and bolts it's good, but they weigh less than lead sinkers. 

However, lead is harmful, so current trends are the use of tungsten as a cargo.The source of tungsten can be fishing shops where tungsten is also used as a sinker for fishing.

In addition, since some of the tungsten sinkers are in the shape of a ball, they can also be used to simulate oxygen or compressed air cylinders. As examples oxygen & compressed air cylinders have in main wheel bay MiG-21 and for MiG-21F & MiG-21F-13 Modelsvit 1/72 it's problem because they are not made in the model.

Of course, if you can get by with

old  nuts and bolts, then this is good, but sometimes the internal volume is limited and the weight of iron is not enough, then it is better to use tungsten.

 

I personally use old stocks of lead* 😶 seals to seal money bags .... these were used before, but now they have switched to modern plastic seals ... when my stocks of lead seals run out, I think I will also have to switch to tungsten sinkers.

 

About vacu canopy. If Pavla vacuum canopy for MiG-29... excuse me, but it may be wasted money.  The 48th scale is not my interests, but I heard that the MiG-29 Academy has a lot of problems with the nose, so there may be problems with the geometry of its canopy. But it is not exactly.

The only person who could advise me here on this issue (and who have and MiG-29 GWH and MiG-29 Academy, and all aftermarket for MiG-29), unfortunately died on this day exactly two years ago as a result of an accident, leaving behind a very large collection of unassembled models on a 48m scale and a widow with two children who, unlike him, do not understand in models.

 

___________

* - to protect against lead vapor, I cover the load with PVA-based glue, the same glue fixes the load inside the model.

 

 

B.R.

Serge

 

P.S.

😁

Aaaaaaa.......clothespin - crocodile attacked MiG-29 !!!!  They will eat it !!!  Save the MiG-29 !!!!

😁😁😁

 

Edited August 7, 2019 by Aardvark

[Dansk]

Thanks for the great advice as usual chaps.

I think you make the cover sound easier than it is Craig, but i guess with enough attempts maybe i could get something passable..maybe? If you do dig out the b-24 i would like to see it but only if its no stress/hassle.

 

I’m sorry about your expert friend serge, how sad to hear 😞 

 

But thank you again, I never knew about tungsten as an alternative so i will delve into local sources (particularly for that next mig-21 build). A trip to the local fishing gear store looks like it’s on the agenda. Much better than the nut and bolt 🔩

 

The online hobby store said that they will endeavour to get the gwh sprue and if not we get the pavla piece (as the pavla piece is not in stock they tell me now) so i’ll get something they are really nice - but just not sure when.

 

🤫 shhhhh - Don’t tell my wife it’s just between us three here - but I’ve ordered another gwh mig-29 as I’m simply too  impatient.

The replacement canopy from the hobbystore i can use on that kit later and use its canopy in this kit. If The replacement is the pavla i’ll have the cockpit open on kit#2 if the pavla fit it rubbish. (Or make a cover)

Damn that was one expensive hairline crack! I spread white tack under the canopy on a previous build to stop such an accident but I forgot this time. 🤭 now i have learnt and thats a good thing i guess.

 

Eduards new mustang came out today too so i bought that too, together with a few ‘bits and bobs’ while i was at it to save on shipping, (which expanded into more purchases as they have a 20-25% sale on today! so basically today completely cleaned me out 💶 but theres lots of goodies on their way (more brown cardboard boxes to hide from the wife) 😆😏

 

Edited August 7, 2019 by Dansk

[modelling minion]

35 minutes ago, Dansk said:

 

🤫 shhhhh - Don’t tell my wife it’s just between us three here - but I’ve ordered another gwh mig-29 as I’m simply too  impatient.

Your secret is safe with us Paul  .

Sounds like you had a busy day on the ordering front, the new Eduard Mustang looks very nice and I'm sure you will do a great job of it.

I will dig out the B-24 tomorrow, and I'm sure you will be able to make the canvas cover Paul, have a practice on some spares.