1/48 Academy MiG-21PF |
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Gallery Article by David Smigielski
on
Sept 7 2003 |
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This is
Academy’s MiG-21PF in Egyptian markings. I’d originally built this kit when
it first came out but was never happy with the way it came out. This past spring
I decided to tear it down and start over. The cockpit was replaced with a resin
set from Pavla. Various other details, such as the afterburner, main wheel
wells, and speed brakes, came from the Eduard photoetched set.
Click on
images below to see larger images
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I use Tamiya
acrylics almost exclusively and this aircraft wasn’t any different. Generally,
my painting process goes like this: I use Rustoleum Painter’s Touch sandable
primer sprayed from the can. I discovered this product not too long ago and
wouldn’t use anything else. It dries fast and covers well without obscuring
detail. For the paint scheme, I thin Tamiya acryls with 91% isopropyl alcohol
and shoot them freehand through my Badger 200. If you’ve never used these
paints before, I’d highly recommend them. They are easy to apply (with a
little care) and dry almost instantly. I’ve heard complaints that Tamiya’s
paints are delicate after they dry. My next step prevents that problem. To prep
for decals, I spray light coats of Testor’s Metalizer Sealer. This protects
the acrylic paint underneath and provides a good finish for decals. The markings
for this MiG came from a Hi Decal Su-7 sheet with a few taken from the kit
decals. After the decals, I
overcoat with Testor’s Model Master Acrylic Flat. This provides a dead flat
finish in preparation for weathering which I did using various shades of
artist’s pastel chalk. I don’t overcoat the chalk as I’ve found that clear
coats tend to diminish the effect.
There you have
it. I seem to have an affinity for MiG-21s and I am currently working on a
MiG-21U in Burkina Faso markings.
David Smigielski
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