The next project

[janman]

A great looking seat!

[kurnass77]

Thanks janman.

Some progress;since the last post,I worked to finish the cockpit.

Despite Part PE are very good,I finished to scratch a new IP,especially because I've modified so much the pit pieces that need a customized IP to have the various parts fit better as possible-

I used some Parts and spare PEs,plasticard, stretched sprue and anything else useful.

 

 

The other pit parts.

 

 

I  dry fitted the whole assembly into the fuselage,both with and without the seat.

 

 

The canopy received some attention too,in order to improve the details of this area,very evident in pics of the real.

Not perfect but think will be good after painted.

 

 

 

Actually the pit received some primer,I added the airbrakes PEs, opened the aux doors just forward of the wing roots and opened the air scoop in front of the windshield in order to add the alchol tank under the scoop cover.

But I started think to the MLG wing wells seriously;the option illustrated by janman is very attractive.

I've the Revell -21F-13,and sweep wings is doable with minor work;now,RoG have a great custom service, I used it 2 or 3 time,but I don't know if is possible to eventually buy the wing parts in order to fit'em to the Zvezda kit....

If someone know if and where buy the RoG wings I will be more than happy,as the alternative is to cut off from the kit wings the MLG throughout the upper surface and scratch a new ones,very risky and nerve-wrecking!

 

As always thanks for look,

 

cheers.

 

Gianni

Edited March 30, 2018 by kurnass77

[kurnass77]

Hi guys.

As previously mentioned I've opened the fuselage aux doors and added the speedbrakes bays' PE.

 

 

 

 

I've also tried to improve the kit exhaust nozzle assembly,nothing of special or beautiful,but I think will work in the end...

 

 

 

 

And finally the pit painted.

I used the MRP Russian Cockpit Turquoise;to me,look a little more greenish and very...well,striking but probably because is a color I never used 'till now.

Honestly,I'm quite glad of how turned out,especially the IP,but think also to add some extra highlights to help the details to pop-out a little more

There will add some detail left ( gunsight,throttle,etc...) but only when ready to glue the windshield.

 

 

 

 

And this is the canopy.

 

 

 

 

In this very moment I'm busy detailing the MLG bays,so more progress ASAP.

 

Thanks all for watching,

 

Gianni

[crackerjazz]

Looking very sharp, Gianni! And beautiful detailing!

[kurnass77]

Thanks for your words mate,much much appreciated!!!

 

 

Gianni

[CaptainObvious]

That is some very nice work Gianni.
and in 72nd scale too!

[kurnass77]

On 4/4/2018 at 9:56 AM, CaptainObvious said:

That is some very nice work Gianni.
and in 72nd scale too!

 

Captain,glad you like my works.

A quick update;I've almost finished detailing the MLG bays

 

The left one.

 

 

 

 

And this's the right.

 

 

 

 

I need to add some plumbing on the aft bulkheads in both bays,but the wire will be very thin and the glue don't grip enough,but stay tuned,I need to find a good solution.

 

Like always thanks for watching,

 

Gianni

[janman]

Busy looking gear wells. Great work!

 

[kurnass77]

Thanks man!

Hope to finish painting the seat this night;I'm in search of spare wings from the RoG F-13 before starting converts the kit ones!

 

Gianni

[Joerg]

Top notch work again, my friend! Eagerly waiting to see updates.

Ciao

Joerg

[john53]

Great work, glad I found this thread! I have a Cuban decal sheet and

was thinking on the Zvezda bis. After seeing your incredible work I now

know that this will be my next kit. Following with great interest.---John

[Aigore]

Outstanding!!!! 

[kurnass77]

Wow,

thanks all guys!

Almost finished the seat.

John,in the very next days,Eduard release is new MF in 1/72,if following the same suit of is 1/48 line,maybe a Bis will wait in near future.

But the Zvezda is a honest kit as you can see.

 

 

Gianni

[Giovanni]

Hi Gianni!

any progress during the weekend?

[kurnass77]

Ehi Giovanni,

yes,I've done some small progress.

First I've finished the seat;on the rear part it lack of some minor details but when glued,nothing will be visible.

I note that exist a great variety of colors in regards of some details.The belts in particular varied from some different shade of greys,to the blue or even black.

I selected a dark green as per ref from the Lock On book.

 

 

 

I choose also to alter the assembly of the nose cone and jet exhaust:the  producer designed these part in order to be inserted before close the fuselage,but this way the filling/sanding of the inner sides of these areas will be difficult,so I scratched the respective bulkheads in order to insert both the cone and exhaust after the fuselage assembly to ease my job.Also,in the tail area some very visibles,characteristical details are presents and need to be added and with the fuselage closed will be more simple.

Also note the fishing lead in the nose ( and in the cone also) to prevent a tailsitter.

 

 

 

But my choice of close the fuselage precluded the use of the kit exhaust 'cause his conical shape don't allow the part to slide inside the tail section.

So I scratched a new jet exhaust out of a brass tube,plasticard,lead foil and some plastic.

 

 

 

And finally the fuselage and dorsal spine was glued !

 

 

 

A close-up of the cockpit.

For some reasons a gap of 1mm was generated between the spine and the pit bulkhead,but nothing that some plasticard can't solve.

 

 

 

And that's all for now.

Before join the fin I need to rescribe some panel on his surface;unfortunately,despite beautiful,the RV book profiles are all in 1/48,Someone know of how much I need to reduce them to have the drawings in 1/72?

 

Like always thanks all for watching,

 

cheers.

 

Gianni

Edited April 10, 2018 by kurnass77

[john53]

Multiply 1/48 dimensions by 0.67 to get 1/72 dimensions. HTH----John

BTW----what color is cockpit?

Edited April 10, 2018 by john53
mathmatical error

[kurnass77]

John,

thanks for the info!

I think already specified the pit color but no problem;is Mr. Paint Russian Cockpt Turquoise,code MRP-1, slightly highlighted with the sema brand' Silk Grey ( 'cause is the only light color of the same brand I alreadt have).

 

Gianni

[Aigore]

Amazing exhaust!  You are really getting this to the Nth level. Fantastic work mate :D

[kurnass77]

Thanks my friend,glad you like my exhaust;honestly isn't perfect,but when painted few wil be visible as sit  deep in the fuselage.

 

 

Gianni

[kurnass77]

Hi all gents.

I made some little pogress since last time,but I'm busy with the job,and when at home I give priority to commission model.

But back to the Fishbed;a lot of rescribing was necessary,both for panel lost during the sanding of the seams that for lack of them.

Others like those rounded panel on the spine,was in the wrong position and I rescribed'em in the correct,more forward spot.The aft ones still miss the air inlet.

The lower nose received a new bulge just forward of the NLG bay,as I sanded away the original after the sanding.

The blister on the aft fuselage received some reinforcing plates around'em out of 0,13mm plastic sheet.

Note that I still need to sand the join of the spine with the pit bulkhead.

 

 

 

 

The belly lack a lot of panel lines,so I rescribed almost all the area,as showed thanks to the panel wash.

At the same time I put together the speedbrakes;the Part PE are little tricky,but when assembled are real solid and very convincing.

 

 

The fin received the new panel lines (with the black wash) as the original was totally wrong.

The same the stinger ( in brown),that benefitted also of some plastic details.

 

 

 

 

And the now the step that worried me from the beginnig,the new MLG bays.

I cut away all the original,and scratch the new with 0,25mm plasticard with the structural detail out of 0,13mm plastic.Next I'll add some more plasticard to give the correct shape at the bays,but before this I need to add details like stuctural ribs,pipes and the characteristical rounded bottles.

Here any helpful pics are more than welcomed guys!!!

Note that I also cutted the flap to pose in a dropped position.

 

 

 

On the relaxing side,I glued the centerline tank with the PE fins.

Zvezda produced the tank bare of any detail,so I added some panel lines rescibing them with a pipe cutter as per Mr. Efrati tips.Worked very well,but stay focused or you risk to section the interested detail in many parts!

 

 

 

And finally a dry fit to see how the work look.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now my more important concern,the MLG bays,look to be solved,but I've still a lot of job to do...

Like always thanks to stop by,any comment or help are more than welcomed!!!

 

 

Cheers,

Gianni

[Aigore]

So sweet! Simply gorgeous work, impressive! 

[kurnass77]

Thanks my friend!

I'll confess you that at some point I was a little stopped,finding the solution of the wings's wheel bays,but now that is solved (partly) I received a morale/mojo boost to go forward!

 

 

Gianni

[janman]

Clever solution with the wing bays!

 

[kurnass77]

Thanks for your words mate,despite I can't completely claim merits about the solution...

Still adding details and rescribing correct panel lines.

Before waste time and effort,the rear speedbrakes was dropped on the ground with the centerline tank loaded or there was clearence issues?

 

Any help's much appreciated!

 

Gianni

[janman]

8 minutes ago, kurnass77 said:

Thanks for your words mate,despite I can't completely claim merits about the solution...

Still adding details and rescribing correct panel lines.

Before waste time and effort,the rear speedbrakes was dropped on the ground with the centerline tank loaded or there was clearence issues?

 

Any 

The main thing is that now they (the bays) look way better!

 

The photos I've seen of Finnish bis never show any droop with the tank on. On the other hand I've seen photos of Czech MiGs with (some clearly non-operational, some quite clearly operational) the rear air brake dropped against the center line tank. I had an impression that some locking system was used there when a tank was carried, but I can't find any proof for that at the moment. As far as I remember one can't use the brake in this situation (which would be logical and safe!) but if it droops on the ground, it cannot be mechanically locked with a safety pin or similar (?). Perhaps the lever in the cockpit is at least protected from accidental use. 

 

The slight bulge ahead the front well, somehow I've missed this! Unacceptable from me, good work from you!