1/48 Academy MiG-21PF

Gallery Article by David Smigielski on Sept 7 2003

 

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.

 

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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

      

Photos and text © by David Smigielski