1:48 SMB-2 Super Mystere Israeli AF

The real subject

The Super Mystere SMB-2 was among the first supersonic fighters of French manufacture. Besides the home air force it also served in Israel, and the designation in the name refers to its machines. The cockpit sits low and the nose with its angular air intake gives the aircraft an unmistakable silhouette, which a model captures well only with sufficiently fine detail.

What photo-etched parts are

Photo-etch is produced by etching a shape out of thin metal sheet. That is how parts are created that are genuinely thin in scale and have sharp edges, which is not possible with injection-molded plastic. How far the set covers the model and exactly where the individual parts go is described in the manufacturer's instructions supplied with it.

Building and painting tips

• Cut the parts out with a sharp blade on a hard surface and do not break them out with your fingers.
• Make the bend in a photo-etch bender or against the edge of a blade, so that it is straight along its whole length.
• Join them with a minute amount of cyanoacrylate glue, because cement for plastic will not join metal.
• Degrease the sheet before painting and apply a primer for metal.
• The manufacturer lists two photo-etched sets for this type with different part numbers, so compare their scope in the instructions.

Who it is for

The set is for a modeler who wants to make the Super Mystere a piece of work for several evenings and does not mind working with tweezers over small metal parts. The reward is detail you do not get out of the box.

It is an accessory for a kit. The aircraft model, paints and glue are not in the package, unless stated otherwise.