Once general assembly is done it’s time to deal with the nose profile. To my eye, the angle of the slope on the kit is just that minorly too sharp.
First though I have to deal with the shock cone which is molded with 4 attachment arms. This is wrong as it should only arms at the 6 and 12 o’clock positions.
I carefully snipped off as much material as possible and the tedious task of slowly sanding the areas smooth follows.
It’s not perfect but it’ll have to do. Quickboost actually released a drop-in resin replacement but I decided to DIY it first.
With the shock cone attached it’s now time to tackle the slope of the nose.
I first layered on Gemo UV putty to build up some bulk then i slowly sanded it smooth.
As the Gemo is transparent I painted the area white to make it easier to see the result. The before/after pic shows the new angle of the nose.
I think it looks more ‘right’ now.
With the main issue fixed, I went ahead and dealt with the other problems like the overly deep gaps around the inserted parts with Vallejo Putty. Stores-wise, the kit only provided bombs and rockets and no air-to-air missile but AURI flew the MiG-21 as an interceptor only so it will be built with only a centerline tank.
The details on the kit are pretty nice especially since it’s ‘only’ a 1/72 kit.
The canopy fit is just ok and requires some pressure to fit properly.
Uniquely, the MiG-21 has a piece of armored glass behind the windshield.
Next is to mask off the canopy and I can start painting.
Build Log
Pt.1 – Construction | Pt.2 – Construction
Pt.3 – Painting & Finishing | Pt.4 – Painting & Finishing
