1:32 Splinter Camouflage Paint Masks For MiG-29SMT (9-19)

The angular camouflage of the Fulcrum in 1:32 scale

Two sheets of pre-cut stencils in thin masking tape serve for spraying the broken splinter pattern on a large model of the MiG-29SMT. The contents of the package are exclusively masks, which mark out the boundaries of the color fields; the individual shades arise by spraying, not by decal.

Where the pattern came from

The SMT version, which the factory designated 9-19, is the youngest branch of the MiG-29 family. It is recognized by the heavily enlarged spine with an additional fuel capacity and by the reworked avionics and cockpit. With that upgrade the Russian machines also received an unusual finish: instead of the earlier blurred transitions they carry sharply broken fields in several shades of gray. Such geometry breaks up the outline of the airframe and makes it harder to judge the position of the machine against the sky. Indian and Algerian Fulcrums carry different schemes, so this pattern belongs to the Russian SMTs.

Working with a large-area stencil

The camouflage mask covers extensive parts of the airframe, so it is laid onto a cured base shade and you proceed from the lighter fields to the darker. The tape is semi-transparent, so the engraving is visible underneath it and seating by the panels comes out precise. Press the edges down thoroughly, spray in thin layers at right angles to the edge and take the stencil off before the finish has fully matured; the transition then stays sharp and without a ridge.

Who the set is useful for

• builders of the large Fulcrum who want to spray the pattern
• anyone interested in contemporary Russian combat aviation
• those who avoid laborious cutting of tape from a roll
• modelers who will use the stencils repeatedly

In the package there are only stencils; the paints and the kit have to be obtained separately.