Scale Aviation Modeller International – March 2019

mostly in Czech), but I think
this is an oversight, you can’t
use the etch by itself though
the instructions seem to imply
that you can. Also at this point,
rather than install the panels
and try and it the left cockpit
sidewalls, I actually joined the
fuselage halves and hoped I
could get the rest of the bits in.
The cockpit sidewalls went
in OK, the rear one with some
trimming, and the instrument
panels were a struggle, but
they sort of itted in the end.
Then with the front and rear
coaming and the HUD in place
I itted the resin tail section
(which itted really well with
nothing needing doing - very
neat). I will just mention that
Stage 23 also has you it the
parts representing the internal
gun, I wouldn’t bother as later
on you’re supposed to it a
fairing over this area! So, I just
itted the fairing, illed it and
sanded it down. Filling and

sanding might be considered
a theme of this kit, and I had
joined the fuselage halves as
best I could to minimise any
step on the top side and worried
less about the underside. The
work to remove the bottom
step removed a lot of the detail
including a lot of vent detail
under the cockpit. I was rather
hoping that with the removal
of the gun this might have been
deleted, as well but pictures
seem to suggest otherwise. I

left it smooth, I wasn’t going

to try and re-scribe all that.

CANOPY

Stage 25 would have you it the

wings and tail parts and a few

bits and pieces, but I decided

to get the cockpit closed up

irst and skipped to stage 26.

The canopy is a single clear

part with nicely deined detail,

and you could probably cut it

into sections quite easily if you

wanted to show of the cockpit.

There are two etched parts to

attach to the instructor’s end

of the canopy to represent the

periscope. However, there was

no way I could get the supplied

outer etched part to conform

to the compound curve of the

top of the canopy, so I roughed

something out of other etched

parts using the kit part as a

guide and then the inner part

itted ine. The supplied canopy

(and wheel) mask is a welcome

addition, although this comes

in an odd material, not the

common yellow tape but a very

thin vinyl. It’s a shame that a

few of the masks don’t actually

ill the spaces they are intended

to, but it still made the process

much quicker. Then with the

seats itted (requiring some

jacking up otherwise you would

hardly have seen them, I don’t

know if they’re too small or

the cockpit is too big/deep),

I attached the canopy and

felt fairly good about things,

especially as the canopy itted

well! It was a bit narrow, but I

wasn’t going to worry about it.

NACELLES, WINGS

AND TAIL

So, back to stage 25, nacelles,

wings and tail. I attached the

nacelles, and here a couple of

intakes on the nacelles would

beneit from being hollowed out

and having better placement

instructions, plus one of the

two aerials and the vertical tail.

I left of the clear nose part and

the horizontal tails for now

to aid painting and turned to

the wings. It seems the trainer

variant only has two pylons a

side instead of the usual ive, so

you have to ill the holes

for three of them, this

was done with short

lengths of plastic rod

glued into the holes.

When the glue had

set the stubs were cut

of and sanded lush.

Rather than it the

pylons I now attached

the wings as I needed

the correct dihedral

to set the pylon angle.

I itted them so the

SCALE AVIATION MODELLER INTERNATIONAL • MARCH 2019

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