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FSM Direct
DOWNLOADABLE ARTICLES

Modeling Russian
and Soviet fighters

FSPDF028
© 2009 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form
without permission from the publisher. www.FineScale.com
© 2009 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form
without permission from the publisher. www.FineScale.com
© 2009 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form
without permission from the publisher. www.FineScale.com
 Winterizing a
MiG-3

W
hen I decided to build the Trumpeter 1/32 scale applied with mops, brooms, or brushes. The biggest challenge for
MiG-3 (kit No. 02230), I spent considerable time me was achieving the faded winter camouflage and weathering
looking for a unique camouflage scheme. caused by the harsh environment this aircraft operated in during
Unfortunately, like most Soviet equipment from World War II, 1942.
my choices were limited to only a few different schemes. In the
end, I decided to model “Red 39,” a MiG from the famous 120 Painting the cockpit
IAP (Fighter Interceptor Regiment) in the winter of 1941-42. I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the box. In 1/32 scale,
Red 39 wore the typical Soviet camouflage of green and black on this model is the perfect size, not too large but still plenty of
the upper surfaces and light blue underneath. A rough coat of room for details. I added some additional detail to the cockpit
white was applied as winter camouflage, and the application was interior – control cables, electrical conduits and junction boxes,
very rudimentary. In some instances, winter whitewash was and other small items. I painted the sidewalls and cockpit floor

44  FineScale Modeler OctoberPublishing

© 2009 Kalmbach 2006 Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form
without permission from the publisher. www.FineScale.com
 1/32 Scale | Aircraft| How-to

Adding winter camouflage to

Trumpeter’s big-scale fighter
By Francisco Carlos Alfaro
The cockpit received a base coat of Gunze Sangyo light blue, followed by
several washes and dry-brushing to accentuate the details.

After he simulated the chipped paint in the cockpit, Francisco installed the
completed subassembly into the fuselage. The alignment tabs ensured a
near-perfect fit.

The weathering on Francisco’s MiG-3 demonstrates

the harsh conditions these aircraft operated in
during the winter of 1941-42 Francisco sprayed the camouflage colors freehand to achieve the soft-edged
demarcation lines. He used Gunze Sangyo acrylics for the green and Tamiya
acrylics for the black.

with Gunze Sangyo light blue (H314), 1. This color is close to I wanted to add scratches and chips in the paint and mud
the photos I’ve seen, but the information available is varied and from the pilot’s boots on the floor to simulate wear and tear in
subjective. I’m sure the colors varied considerably. the cockpit. I used Vallejo dark gray (No. 994) and a No. 1 paint-
After I applied the base coat, I mixed the light blue with brush for the scratches and chips. These scratches and chips
white in a 50-50 mix and sprayed the highlights, usually in the should have certain logic in their distribution and shouldn’t be
center of the parts. This broke up the monotone look of the overdone. I centered the scratches along the tubular structure of
cockpit. I finished the process with an overall wash of Tamiya the cockpit walls, on the floor near the pedals, and on the seat. I
dark gray (XF-24), then applied a diluted wash of Vallejo black used the same dark gray and added some Vallejo brown mahog-
(No. 950) with a paintbrush to bulkheads and raised details. any (No. 846) for the mud effect after the gray dried.
After the cockpit dried, I dry-brushed the floor and sidewalls The seat is correctly shaped but lacks seat belts. I made these
with Vallejo pale gray (No. 990) and white (No. 919). from tin sheet and leftover photoetched buckles. I painted the

October 2006  www.finescale.com  45

 4 5

The pre-painted wheel wells were masked before Francisco sprayed the Using the decal sheet as a template, Francisco cut roughly shaped masks to
underside color with a mix of Gunze Sangyo light blue and white. cover the locations of the national insignias ...

6 7

... and sprayed the white winter camouflage. The uneven coat of paint simu- After the white camouflage dried, Francisco removed the masks and stippled
lates the camouflage applied hastily by ground crews in the field. the edges to replicate uneven brush marks.

belts with Vallejo brown leather and used an oil-paint wash of tion lines freehand. I mixed 80 percent Gunze Sangyo RLM 82
light sienna. (H422) with 20 percent white. For the black color, I used a mix
After I finished the cockpit, I added wiring made from copper of 75 percent Tamiya German gray and 25 percent black, since I
wire to the radio boxes located behind the headrest. I painted the felt pure black was too stark. I sprayed the underside blue with a
radios black and dry-brushed them with Vallejo dark gray. 60 percent mix of Gunze Sangyo light blue (H323) and 40 per-
I fit the cockpit into the fuselage and was surprised by the cent white, 4.
result. The locking tabs align the cockpit tub perfectly, and the Once the camouflage colors were dry, I sprayed a thin wash of
resulting fuselage seams around the cockpit are minor, 2. Tamiya tan over the green areas, including surface details like
The rest of the model went together without any trouble. I panel lines and rivets. On the black portion of the camouflage, I
glued the wings and stabilizers to the fuselage and filled the did the same thing but used Tamiya light gray (XF-66). The pur-
minor seams along the wing root. I painted the radiators and pose is to create contrast on the base coat of the model before
wheel wells after assembly, then masked them off. At this point, I adding the oil wash. I airbrushed a thin white wash in the centers
was ready to paint the fuselage and wings. of the panels to add additional contrast without drastically alter-
ing the base color.
Painting the camouflage I applied a rough-cut frisket film masks over the red-star
To speed up the painting process, I painted the inside of the can- national insignia locations, 5, and finished the process by spray-
opy frames the light-blue cockpit color and attached them to the ing a layer of acrylic white winter camouflage, 6. I applied a
model, then masked the canopy sections and cockpit opening to heavier coat of white on the nose and fuselage and a thinner,
prevent overspray. more-random coat on the wings and high-traffic areas around
I started by painting the upper surfaces in the standard green the cockpit. I used a thin mixture of paint to allow the base colors
and black camouflage pattern applied to MiG-3s. , 3. I didn’t to show through. I removed the rough masks and stippled the
mask the camouflage colors – I sprayed the soft-edged demarca- border with a brush to simulate the hand-applied camouflage, 7.

46  FineScale Modeler October 2006

 8 9

The weathering around the nose, applied with washes, simulates the engine Francisco applied a dark-gray wash around the machine-gun troughs to por-
exhaust stains and various fluid leaks from under the cowling. tray the gunpowder residue.

10 11

After the oil streaks and exhaust stains were added, Francisco applied a thin ... then removed most of it using a clean brush and mineral spirits.
burnt-sienna wash to the entire model ...

After the paint dried, I lightly sanded areas of the white paint ulate leaking hydraulic fluid, 15.
to simulate wear and natural use. Once I finished with the washes, I dry-brushed some of the
surface details using Vallejo acrylics and applied additional
Weathering, wear, and tear scratches and paint chips, 16. I made sure not to overdo it and
After studying photos of typical MiG-3 exhaust patterns, I tried to apply chips and scratches where they would logically
painted the stacks with Tamiya rust, then applied a black wash. I occur.
weathered the exhaust streaks along the fuselage with a thin I hand-painted the red number “39” with Vallejo red vermil-
black oil wash and simulated the effects of fluid leaks caught in ion. I tried to imitate the roughly painted numbers applied by
the exhaust flow, 8. ground crew, similar to the rough demarcation of the winter
I used Tamiya dark gray to represent the powder stains from whitewash.
the machine guns, 9. I painted the spinner separately and gave it
a slight overspray of white to simulate heavy wear. Decals
After the detail weathering was complete, I applied a burnt- I gloss-coated the model in the areas destined for decals. The kit
sienna oil wash to the upper surfaces, 10. I applied an overall decals are excellent and went down perfectly. I applied the decals
wash to the panel lines and rivets. Then, after 15 minutes of dry- using MicroSet, then sprayed a coat of clear gloss to seal them. I
ing time, I used a clean brush and clear mineral spirits to remove applied a thin brown wash to the decals to tone down the red to
the excess wash, 11. After the wash dried, I applied a black wash match the rest of the model. After the wash dried, I sprayed a
to panel lines, wing joints, and control surfaces, 12, 13. final coat of clear flat over the entire model, 17.
On the underside, I used a thin wash to simulate the dirt
resulting from operating under conditions of mud and snow and Landing gear
the streaks created by the airstream, 14. I also applied a black I painted the landing gear struts and the inside of the gear doors
wash to the wheel wells, followed by a burnt-sienna wash to sim- with Tamiya dark gray. I added a thin layer of sheet styrene to the

October 2006  www.finescale.com  47

12 13

A black wash applied to the rivet lines and panel lines accentuates the Each of the control surfaces received a wash and dry-brushing to highlight
details and provides additional contrast to the model. the structural details.

14 15

After spraying a light-sienna wash on the underside of the model, Francisco A dark wash and subtle dry-brushing highlight the internal wheel-well struc-
removed the excess wash from the wing and fuselage panels with a cloth ture.
soaked in mineral spirits. This left residual wash in the recesses and panel
lines but didn’t alter the color of the underside paint.

gear door interiors to cover the ejector-pin marks. I gave the After building the nice 1/48 scale Eduard kit, this big 1/32
struts and doors a black wash, followed by a second wash of burnt scale kit was a pleasant surprise. It was the first 1/32 scale model
sienna, then dry-brushed with Vallejo acrylics. Once the struts I’ve built, and it really appealed to my love of WWII Russian air-
dried, I sprayed them with a coat of clear flat and glued them craft. FSM
into the wheel wells, 18.
REFERENCES
Prop and spinner Soviet Air Forced Fighter Colors 1941-1945 Eric Pilawskii,
I airbrushed the prop blades with a 50-50 mix of Tamiya dark Classic Publications
gray and black, then dry-brushed Tamiya light gray to simulate Black Cross, Red Star: The Air War Over the Eastern Front
wear along the edges. The spinner received an oil wash to high- Christer Bergström and Andrey Mikhailov, Classic Publications
light the rivet detail. According to the instructions, the prop is Mikoyan´s Piston-Engined Fighters, Yefim Gordon and Keith
moveable, but I found the fit to be less than perfect, so I glued Dexter, Midland Publishing
the spinner in place.
SOURCES
Finishing touches Vallejo acrylic paint, www.acrylicosvallejo.com
I decided to attach the ground-attack rockets and monofilament
antenna wire to the model for some added visual appeal, 19. I
removed the canopy masks and outlined the frames of the wind-
screen with a black acrylic wash to make them stand out, 20.

48  FineScale Modeler October 2006

16 17

Francisco lightly sanded the model in specific areas to simulate scratched and Each of the decals settled nicely onto the model, and the stippled border
worn paint. between the white and base colors clearly indicates the rushed application of
the winter camouflage.

18 19

The landing gear was painted and assembled before they were attached to Francisco added six ground-attack rockets, three under each wing, for added
the model. Francisco added a small piece of styrene sheet to the insides of visual appeal.
both doors to hide ejection-pin marks.

After the final coat of clear flat,

Francisco removed the canopy masks and
outlined the canopy frames with a black
wash to accentuate the rivet detail.
Bare-metal
MiG By Matthew Usher

Modeling the “donated” MiG-15 test

flown by Chuck Yeager

T
he Korean War marked a major tude capability, a better rate of climb, bet-
turning point in the history of air ter armament, and longer range. However,
warfare. Propeller-driven fighters they also discovered it wasn’t a stable gun
inched their way out of the picture and platform and had a tendency to roll at
jet-powered fighters met head-to-head for high speeds due to its flexing wings and
the first time in major aerial combat. ineffective ailerons. It had crude instru-
Flown by Russian pilots, MiG-15s mentation, and with its heavy controls, it
appeared over North Korea in late 1950. took a strong hand to fly. While at first it
Armed with one 37mm and two 23mm may have seemed an equal match to the
cannons, the swept-wing MiG easily F-86, the mysterious MiG-15 turned out
bested piston-driven aircraft and quickly to be a more primitive fighter. Thanks to
proved superior to the Air Force’s first jets, Yeager and Collins’ hands-on evaluation,
the F-80 and F-84. Even as the new F-86 Air Force fighter pilots were able to
Sabre entered and slowly re-established air exploit the enemy aircraft’s weaknesses,
superiority, the mysterious MiG-15 still and by the end of the conflict, the MiG
posed plenty of questions. What, exactly, suffered a 10-to-1 loss ratio.
was the sleek Soviet aircraft capable of? 1
The Air Force got its chance on Sept. The model Matthew painted the kit’s two-piece ejection seat
21, 1953, when a defecting North Korean Recently I re-read my dog-eared, well- with Tamiya acrylics then applied an artist’s-oil
pilot made a surprise landing in a MiG-15 worn copy of Yeager. After finishing the wash. Photoetched-metal belts from Eduard were
at Kimpo Air Base near Seoul. The air- chapter on the “donated” North Korean the final addition.
craft – the first flyable example in Western MiG, I decided it was a good time to add
hands – was taken to Okinawa where it a model of it to my Korean War collec- I started construction with the cockpit.
was secretly evaluated by test pilots Tom tion. Tamiya’s 1/48 scale MiG-15bis kit After painting the two-piece ejection seat
Collins and Chuck Yeager. (No. 61043) was a perfect candidate for with acrylics, I deepened its details with a
After “wringing out” the enemy fighter, the project. Released a little more than 10 dark wash of artist’s oil paint. I let it dry
both pilots determined that compared to years ago, it’s nicely detailed and would overnight, then installed a set of pho-
the F-86, the MiG had better high-alti- really shine with a natural-metal finish. toetched-metal belts from an Eduard

14  FineScale Modeler March 2006

© 2009 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form
without permission from the publisher. www.FineScale.com
 1/48 Scale | Aircraft | How-to

2 3 4
Designed for Trumpeter’s MiG kits, the Eduard The white Kristal Klear becomes transparent as it Although the kit fits together nicely, Matthew
instrument panel required a little trimming before dries, and does a good job of simulating the glass filled minor gaps (like this one forward of the
it would fit in the Tamiya cockpit. Matthew face over each instrument. cockpit) with gap-filling super glue.
applied Microscale Micro Kristal Klear to each
gauge face using a fine-point paintbrush.

5 6
Metallic paints really make surface imperfections (like sanding scratches) A triple-grit polishing stick is ideal for sanding and polishing seams before
stand out. Matthew used 2,000-grit wet-or-dry sandpaper to smooth seams painting the model.
and imperfections. It’s available in the paint section of auto-parts stores.

detail set (No. FE-232), 1. – any scratches or surface imperfections the fuselage can be snapped on and off to
The Eduard set also includes parts to will be easy to spot. display it. After a little debate, I decided
detail the rest of the cockpit tub, including After I installed the cockpit and started against detailing the engine and glued the
a multipiece instrument panel. Instead of to assemble the fuselage, I made an extra tail in place. The fine sandpaper helped
sandwiching the set’s clear film between effort to line up the parts as exactly as blend the parts of the multipiece fuselage
the photoetched panels, I glued them possible before the glue dried, so I and hide the tail seam.
together and added a dot of Microscale wouldn’t have major seams to fill. Even as
Micro Kristal Klear to each gauge face careful as I was, I still had a few gaps here Paint
using a fine-point “liner” paintbrush, 2. I and there, which I filled with gap-filling To make the fuselage easier to hold while
thinned the glue with a few drops of water super glue, 4. I airbrushed, I wrapped a 5/16" hardwood
before applying it to help it flow onto the With most of my models, I don’t use dowel with masking tape until it fit snugly
panel. Kristal Klear dries clear (usually sandpaper finer than 400-grit, but since I inside the engine’s exhaust, 7.
overnight) and does a nice job of simulat- wanted the MiG to be as smooth as possi- I decided to use aluminum SnJ Spray
ing the glass face of each gauge, 3. ble, I bought some extra-fine 2,000-grit Metal to finish the fuselage. This enamel-
wet-or-dry sandpaper, 5. It’s available in based airbrush-only paint dries quickly
Preparation auto-parts stores in the paint section. I and produces a realistic metallic finish, but
The trick to applying a smooth natural- also used a three-grit polishing stick from best of all, it’s extremely durable. It doesn’t
metal finish is making sure the model’s as Squadron, 6. pick up fingerprints, and even standard
smooth as possible before you paint. The model includes a complete Klimov masking tape won’t damage it.
Metallic finishes are thin and unforgiving VK-1 jet engine, and the tail section of The metallic particles in SnJ settle

March 2006  www.finescale.com  15

 7 8 9
To make the finished fuselage easy to hold and The metallic particles in SnJ Spray Metal settle SnJ can sometimes clog a gravity-feed airbrush,
maneuver during painting, Matthew wrapped a quickly – this requires a slightly different air- so Matthew applied the paint with a siphon-feed
hardwood dowel with masking tape and inserted brushing technique. one. As he painted, he swirled the paint in the
it in the engine exhaust. bottle to keep the particles suspended.

10 11
After stuffing the cockpit opening full of tissue paper, Matthew airbrushed SnJ is very durable after it dries. Matthew masked the landing-gear and
the entire fuselage with aluminum SnJ spray metal, then allowed it to dry flap bays with standard masking tape and airbrushed them Tamiya light blue
for a day or so. (XF-23). The tape had no effect on the SnJ.

quickly, 8, even when the paint’s loaded in non-buffing Metalizer, 12. I used my ref- especially handy with metallic finishes.
an airbrush. I’ve found that it’s easiest to erences as a guide.
apply using a siphon-feed airbrush, 9. SnJ More aluminum? Yes. There’s always a Markings
is thin, and the color builds up slowly, so it little bit of color variation among the pan- The “donated” MiG wore a variety of
must be applied in several thin coats. els on natural-metal aircraft, and the alu- markings while it was tested by the Air
With a siphon-feed airbrush, I can swirl minum Metalizer is a little bit shinier Force. My model represents the aircraft as
the paint bottle between passes and keep than the SnJ, 13. The difference between it appeared during evaluation at Kadena
the metallic particles suspended as I paint. the aluminum panels is subtle and varies Air Base on Okinawa in 1953. The decals
I stuffed the cockpit with tissue and depending on your viewing angle of the are from a Cutting Edge Modelworks
gave the MiG an overall coat of SnJ, 10. model. To finish things off, I masked and sheet (No. CED48015). The decal sheet
When it was dry, I examined the model airbrushed the wingwalks flat black, 14. was a limited edition and is no longer in
and found a couple of sanding scratches I production, but the markings are basic
missed before I painted. Using the 2,000- Detail parts enough you could easily re-create them
grit sandpaper, I sanded them out, then At this point, I was ready to install the with a set of Air Force stencils and
covered them with another coat of SnJ. MiG’s flaps, landing gear, ejection seat, national insignias.
When I was satisfied with the overall and its other small detail parts. After After carefully trimming the excess
finish, I masked around the landing-gear installing the landing gear, I removed the carrier film from the decals, I applied
and flap bays and airbrushed them Tamiya model from the hardwood dowel. To keep them directly over the metallic paint. A
light blue (XF-23), 11. from accidentally damaging the delicate little Microscale Micro Sol helped tighten
To break up the monochromatic alu- Metalizer-covered panels as I handled the them down, 16.
minum finish, I masked around a few of model, I wore a white-cotton glove on one
the MiG’s panels and airbrushed them hand, 15. Car modelers use these to keep Canopy
using Testor Model Master aluminum fingerprints off their models, and they’re Instead of masking and painting the can-

16  FineScale Modeler March 2006

12 13
To break up the MiG’s all-aluminum finish, Matthew masked the model and The difference in the finish between the panels is subtle but gives the model
airbrushed panels using Testor Model Master aluminum non-buffing a more realistic appearance. Matthew made sure the highlighted panels
Metalizer. were the same on both sides of the aircraft to give things a balanced look.

14 15
Matthew airbrushed the MiG’s wingwalks using flat-black enamel. A white-cotton glove keeps Matthew’s fingers from marring the delicate
Metalizer-covered panels. Gloves like these are available in camera shops.

opy, I covered its framework with chrome

Bare-Metal Foil – this adds another
slightly different shade of aluminum to
the natural-metal look of the model. I
covered the framework a section at a time
using thin strips of foil, and trimmed it
with a brand-new No. 11 hobby-knife
blade. When I was satisfied with all the
foil, I rubbed it down with a cotton swab
and installed the canopy on the model
with thinned Micro Kristal Klear.
That’s it! The MiG covers a lot of
bases in my collection – it’s an easily rec-
ognizable Russian aircraft from the height
of the Cold War, but it’s also one with an
interesting connection to Chuck Yeager
and a turning point in modern aerial com-
bat. What more could you ask for? FSM

16
Matthew applied the decals directly over the metallic paint and used Microscale Micro Sol to tighten
them down.

March 2006  www.finescale.com  17

A defecting North Korean Air Force pilot gave the
U.S. Air Force’s best test pilots – including Chuck
Yeager – their first chance to test-fly the state-
of-the-art MiG-15.

SOURCES
Bare-Metal Foil Bare-Metal Foil Co.,
800-628-7296, www.bare-metal.com
Micro Kristal Klear Microscale Industries,
Inc., 714-593-1422, www.microscale.com
Photoetched parts Eduard Model
Accessories, available from Squadron Mail
Order, 972-242-8663, www.squadron.com
SnJ Spray Metal SnJ Model Products,
www.snjmodelproducts.com

REFERENCES
MiG-15: Design, Development, and
Korean War Combat History Yefim
Gordon and Vladimir Rigmant, Motorbooks
International, Osceola, Wisconsin, 1993.
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 Yefim Gordon,
Midland Publishing/Specialty Press, North
Branch, Minnesota, 2001.
Yeager: An Autobiography Chuck Yeager
and Leo Janos, Bantam Books, New York, Stars and bars on a MiG? Matthew’s unusually marked MiG-15 never fails to turn heads.
1985

18  FineScale Modeler March 2006

When Yufei wanted to cultivate a
1/72 scale “Farmer” (NATO’s name
for the MiG-19), he found his only
choice was Bilek’s MiG-19PM – and
that, with added details and a cor-
rection or two, it was all he needed
for a model worthy of his Warsaw
Pact collection.
 1/72 Scale | Aircraft | How-to

Model a MiG
Building Bilek’s MiG-19PM “Farmer” E
Modeling and photography by Yufei Mao

T
he Mikoyan-Gurevich since the 1960s and continuing to serve canopy (both of which will be discussed
MiG-19 family of jets is dependably to the present day. shortly), the shape of the kit is accurate.
world famous. In the People’s This bird plays an important role in my With its recessed panel lines, suitably
Republic of China, it was collection of 1/72 scale Soviet-designed detailed small parts (with a little help
built under license as the J-6 jets. I built the Bilek MiG-19PM because from Extratech’s photoetched-metal detail
and became one of China’s most familiar the Czech kit was the only game in town set No. 72130), and high-quality Tally Ho!
military aircraft, defending the country (in 1/72 scale). Except for the nose and decals, it’s a very buildable kit.

Cockpit and nose

1 2 3
Yufei added Extratech photoetched-metal parts The control panel, a combination of photo- Photoetched metal, copper wire, and a bit of
to the ejection seat. “Not as detailed as some,” etched metal and film, needed some sanding to styrene provide the detailed look of plumbing
he says, “but acceptable after the canopy is fit in the cockpit. behind the pilot.
closed.”

4a 4b
“The shape of the nose was just awful!” Yufei says. Sheet styrene came Filler putty helped smooth the nose into its final shape. “If you cover this
to the rescue. “Just bandage up the nose, then sand patiently.” problem,” Yufei says, “half the build is done.”

© 2009 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form
without permission from the publisher. www.FineScale.com
Canopy

5a 5b 6
According to Yufei, the other big problem with Correction: Yufei severed a Pavla Models vac- After masking, painting the canopy frame
the kit was the canopy (the original parts are uum-formed canopy at the windscreen, then begins with the interior color (Gunze Sangyo
seen here); wrong shape, too tall, and molded sanded the bottoms and the windscreen/can- Mr. Color C73, aircraft gray).
in plastic too thick to be clear. opy joint. “Test-fit often,” he says. “If you
overdo it, there’s no chance to recover.”

Landing gear, bay, and doors

7 8
The nose-gear bay was too shallow, so Yufei built a deeper one with sheet styrene. “The photoetched-metal bay doors are the most
useful parts of the (Extratech) set,” Yufei says.
“Don’t forget the small bulges,” he says, refer-
ring to the gray plastic pieces above.

9 10 11
Even though the molding left a fair amount of Sanding and putty work imparted a look of The landing gear is detailed with .01mm and
flash to clean up, Yufei was satisfied with the weight to the wheels. .02mm copper wire; a clear-styrene landing
kit’s landing-gear detail. light lends a bright visual accent.

34  FineScale Modeler March 2008

Fuselage and wings

12 13 14
Yufei improved the look of the wings with the New fuselage details: Here, styrene rod sanded Summary shot: Taking a few steps back from
installation of photoetched-metal fences. to shape bolsters a raised detail; scribed details the workbench to look at the unpainted model
add realism to the surface. reveals the accumulation of several corrections
and additions.

Weapons and gadgets

15 16 17
Not satisfied with the kit-provided weaponry … and added photoetched metal and bits of … as well as fuel tanks.
and its mounts, Yufei installed styrene rod on styrene to enhance missiles …
the pylons …

18 19 20
Yufei fashioned a pitot tube from .35mm cop- Also at the wingtip, a carved-styrene IFF … and a light, heat-formed from clear styrene.
per tubing. antenna …

March 2008  www.FineScale.com  35

Exhausts and intakes

21 22 23
To make exhaust tubes, Yufei rolled sheet sty- Because the openings in the model were too To make small, auxiliary intakes, Yufei begins
rene and attached photoetched-metal parts to small to fit the newly detailed exhausts, Yufei with a segment of styrene rod …
the ends. wrapped sandpaper around a styrene rod and
reamed the openings.

24 25 26
… sands it to shape … … then bores out the tip, starting with the Halving the bored tip produces two identically
smallest drill bit and using increasingly larger shaped intakes.
bits to produce the desired inside diameter.

27
The same technique works for other shapes, too.

36  FineScale Modeler March 2008

Painting and finishing touches

28 29 30
Gunze Sangyo Mr. Color enamels, in an 80:20 When he found the decal sheet’s instructions The aircraft was done, but Yufei still wanted
mix of silver (C8) and white (C1), are the air- were wrong, Yufei had to repaint the nose of some personal touches. He made a ladder from
craft’s main color. Yufei used a Tamiya weather- the jet blue. “Check the real thing before mak- .30mm copper rod, using masking tape for a
ing set to give the jet a service life. The Tally ing such decisions,” he says. stationary work surface, then carefully lifting
Ho! decal sheet provided markings for the the assembled ladder with a razor blade.
Czechoslovakian Air Force.

Yufei Mao
“Nihao! Greetings from Shanghai, China!”
Thus, Yufei Mao introduces himself in his first “over-
seas” appearance as an author in a modeling maga-
zine. But he’s no newcomer to the hobby. He recalls his
first kit was a 1/72 scale F-86 Sabre given to him by
his father as an academic reward. Yufei was 5, but he
remembers the Matchbox kit’s blue and silver plastic.
In college, he built 1/700 scale waterline ships. “I
majored in Japanese, and there’s some advantage
31 there,” he says.
Yufei parked his project with Flightpath pho- Now, as you can see, he’s busy building 1/72 scale
toetched-metal wheel chocks. jets of the Warsaw Pact. FSM

The Czechoslovakian markings are Yufei’s salute to Czech model kits and publications.

March 2008  www.FineScale.com  37

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