1:144 Mig 17F (Attack)

1:144 MiG-17F: photo-etched parts from Brengun

An aftermarket photo-etched set from the Czech maker Brengun for detailing the MiG-17F day fighter scaled to 1:144. The accessory does not replace a kit but completes one: you need to have the base model.

What gives photo-etched parts their shape

Etched sheet comes off the fret flat, and only the modeler turns it into a shape. The etched score lines on the back of a part are the key: the fold should break along them and not beside them. The surest procedure is to clamp the part between two straight jaws exactly along the score line and to push the metal over the edge rather than bending it into a curve between your fingers. If the metal springs back, warm it briefly over a flame: annealed material softens and holds its shape. It is easy to overheat, so a few seconds are enough and the part is left to cool on its own.

Gluing and painting

Before anything else, degrease the part with alcohol; a thin film is left on photo-etched parts from manufacture and nothing holds over it. They are bonded with super glue applied as a drop on a wire or a pin, and on larger parts the slower gel version comes in handy, as it gives time to straighten things up. Lay the paint over a primer and in thin coats: at tenths of a millimeter every unnecessary coat shows. On parts that are to stay metallic, a graphite pencil or a buffed metallic paint at the end proves its worth.

Who the set is for

• modelers building jet fighters in 1:144 scale
• those who want to take a model above the level of the box contents
• modelers who do not mind working with tweezers and a magnifier
• builders of collections of machines from one era

The accessory is supplied unpainted and without a kit. The model, glue and paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.