1:72 Mask Su-24M / Su-24MR BASIC (TRUMP)

The Sukhoi Su-24 in strike and reconnaissance form

This Soviet frontal bomber with a variable-geometry wing grew out of a requirement to hit a target in any weather and from low level. The crew sit side by side, the pilot on the left and the navigator on the right, and it is this layout that gives the forward fuselage its unusual width and its segmented glazing, which is hard to cover with tape during a build.

The letter M marks the strike machine with its navigation and attack complex, terrain following and laser rangefinder. The MR variant went to reconnaissance units: it was given a side-looking radar and camera equipment and lost its gun armament. The shape of the canopy stayed the same on both, so one package covers them both.

The basic grade of coverage

The set aims at the most tedious job, that is the cockpit frames and the wheel rims. The shapes are cut from Japanese kabuki paper, which can be bent over convex glass without creasing and, after spraying, peels off without leaving adhesive on the surface.

• 1:72 scale, cut for the kit from Trumpeter
• usable for the strike Su-24M and for the reconnaissance Su-24MR alike
• the paper follows the curve of the glass and does not let paint under the edge
• the aircraft itself is bought separately

On this machine the wing is set in several positions, from spread for takeoff to fully swept for a fast run just above the ground. Models are therefore often built in the extreme position, where the slender silhouette and the long nose with its sensors show to advantage.

Free the glazing of fingerprints before applying and press the individual pieces down with blunt tweezers, never with a fingernail.