1:48 MiG-25. Seat belts

MiG-25 1:48 — metal seat belts (Metallic Details)

A detail set in 1:48 scale with seat belts for the seat of a model of the MiG-25 aircraft. It is not a kit but a small accessory. Belts are at the same time one of the most rewarding things to put into a model: in an open cockpit the eye finds them at once, and a plastic seat without them looks empty.

The real subject

The MiG-25 was a high-speed interceptor and reconnaissance aircraft of the 1960s, built largely from welded steel so as to take the aerodynamic heating at high speeds. It was powered by two powerful jet engines, and the airframe had a high-mounted wing and twin vertical tails. The seat was part of an enclosed pressurized cockpit with an ejection system.

Building and painting tips

First let the metal belts take a natural shape: draw the strip gently over the edge of a scalpel or a round handle, so that it ripples and does not hang like a little plank. Paint the seat and let it dry before you glue the belts in; you will reach a finished seat with tweezers more easily. Glue with a tiny drop of superglue gel applied with the tip of a wire; the usual dose from the bottle will flood the whole belt. Bring the buckles out with a metal shade applied with the tip of a brush and the webbing with a muted light tone; a sharp white shade does not look faithful in scale. Let the belts fall over the edge of the seat; that way they look as if they had been set aside after a flight.

Who the set is for

• modelers building a model with an open cockpit
• those who want a quick improvement in detail for little work
• builders used to working with tweezers and a magnifier
• collectors finishing the interior of a model

This is an accessory for adding detail to a plastic kit, not a model of its own. The kit, glue and paints are not included in the package.