1:48 Mi-24P seatbelts STEEL

What the set contains

Photo-etched seat belts for a model in 1:48 scale. The belts from a kit tend to be molded as a flat relief on the seat, whereas a photo-etched part is separate, thin and can be shaped, so it hangs loose over the edge of the seat and over the frame. In an open cockpit it is one of the first details a viewer notices. The STEEL designation marks the steel version: steel is springier than soft metals, holds its shape after bending and takes repeated adjustment of its position.

The real subject

The Mi-24 is a Soviet attack helicopter on which the stub wings with pylons for armament are conspicuous. The P version differs from the older machines in a fixed twin-barrel cannon on the right side of the forward fuselage, where the previous versions had a trainable turret. The cockpit is arranged in tandem, so the belts come into use at both crew stations.

How to work with the seatbelts

Separate the parts with a sharp blade on a hard surface, not with cutters, or the thin sheet will ripple. Make the bends with a bending tool or by laying a blade against the edge, so that the fold is crisp and straight. Do not shape the belts flat but with a slight curve, as if their own weight were pulling them; that makes them look like fabric rather than sheet metal. Glue them with cyanoacrylate in a small amount, applied with the tip of a piece of wire. Whether the belts are already in color or are to be painted is given in the manufacturer's instructions, and apply any finish in thin layers.

• photo-etched seat belts for a model in 1:48 scale
• the steel version, designated STEEL
• the subject is the Mi-24P helicopter
• separate the parts with a sharp blade on a hard surface
• glue with cyanoacrylate, applied in a small amount

Photo-etched parts are supplied. The kit of the helicopter, paints and glue are not part of the delivery, unless stated otherwise.