1:72 Mig-29 plugs in the B3 to the nozzle on the shutters and a decal with numbers (ITALERY, ICM)

The real subject

The MiG-29 is a single-seat twin-engine frontline fighter. As soon as the machine stops on the surface, the personnel close off the openings through which dirt or water could get inside. Blanking plugs are fitted into the exhaust nozzles and onto other openings on the airframe, and they tend to be conspicuously colored, so that nobody overlooks them before takeoff. The number of the machine on them helps to keep the equipment with its own aircraft.

What the set contains

The package consists of photo-etched metal plugs and a decal sheet with numbers with which you mark the finished plugs. The dimensions are based on the MiG-29 kits in 1:72 scale from Italeri and ICM, so the parts do not have to be fitted from scratch. On a model they are fitted at the very end, because this is equipment that stays on a machine only on the ground.

Building tips

• Separate the parts with a scalpel against a hard surface, as twisting makes photo-etch buckle.
• Make the bends in a photo-etch bending tool or over the edge of a steel ruler.
• Degrease the metal and coat it with a primer intended for metal, and only then paint it.
• Apply the decal with the number according to the manufacturer's instructions, only onto dry paint.
• Glue the plugs with super glue and only at points, so that they can be taken off if need be.

Who it is for

The set is intended for builders of airfield scenes and for modelers who display the MiG-29 as a machine parked on the apron. The package contains only the plugs and the decals. The model of the aircraft, paints and glue are not part of it, unless stated otherwise.