1/48 Monogram Hind

Gallery Article by Darren Roberts

 

I usually build quarter scale jet models, but I'm always on the lookout for really cool looking paint schemes. When I saw a picture of this Hungarian Hind, I figured that it would be about the biggest painting challenge I'd ever taken on. I was able to get a Monogram Hind from a friend, and I started in.

 

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For the most part, I built the kit OOB with the exception of the exhaust pipes and windows. I replaced the kit exhaust parts for brass tubing that I bent to shape. To keep from getting the "hollow" look, I plugged the pipes with sheet styrene and painted them black. I drilled out the windows and replaced them with thin, sheet plastic and Micro-Klear. The rest of the kit was built per the instructions.

I used MM Acryl paint for this project and a very small brush! The Hungarian markings were made from spare decal film, and the numbers were stolen from a 1/72 German Numbers decal set. When I first started the project, I had only one picture to go by, so I did the best I could with what I had.  About midway through, Kelly Quirk sent me some more pictures and I realized that I had done some things wrong. I was able to go back and fix most of the problems, but some things were too far gone and I wasn't willing to start the painting process over again. 

The overall feel of the model is what I was really going for, so I didn't mind. Taking a break from jets turned out to be a pleasant experience, and I felt good about finishing such a daunting paint job. Now, somebody needs to come out with a decal sheet for this bird.

Below are 3 photos by an unknown photographer of the real Hind in this paint scheme.

Darren Roberts

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Photos and text © by Darren Roberts