1:48 Canopy Paint Masks Set For Trumpeter MiG-21UM Mikoyan

The two-seat link between the school and the front-line unit

The MiG-21UM was the last and most widespread trainer version of the famous Soviet fighter. To fit an instructor in behind the pupil's seat, the designers had to reach into the forward part of the fuselage: the sight and part of the fuel tank disappeared, and the cockpit was given a pair of separate canopies. The instructor could see forward only to a limited extent, and so a retractable periscope appeared on the spine. It is precisely this rebuild that makes the two-seat version a different aircraft at a glance, even though the wing and the rear end stayed unchanged.

What the set is for

The contents are cut parts following the framing of the glazing. The glass is covered before painting, the aircraft is sprayed as a whole, and once the parts are removed the frames are left in the color of the skin while the clear areas are clean. A two-seat cockpit means more frames than on the single-seat version, so it is here that the set saves the most time.

Why a particular kit is given

Unlike camouflage stencils, which follow the shape of the real aircraft, a mask for glazing is cut according to a particular clear part. Each manufacturer forms it a little differently and the spacing of the frames varies. The information about the kit in the name is therefore not supplementary but a condition of usability. Anyone building another kit should count on the parts not necessarily fitting, and should rather reach for decal frames or for cutting tape to measure.

Recommendation

The glazing is degreased before application. The kit is not included in the package.