1:48 MiG-29K SPACE

MiG-29K, a SPACE set from Eduard, 1:48

This is an accessory for the cockpit, not a kit. The SPACE line is built on three-dimensionally printed decals that carry relief as well as color, so the instrument panel and the side panels look raised without hand painting the small controls. It is a decal set worked up for 1:48 scale.

The real subject

The MiG-29K is the carrier version of the well-known fighter, adapted for operation from aircraft carriers. Compared with the land-based form it has strengthened landing gear, an arrestor hook, folding wings and modifications for resistance to the sea environment. The current production form came about only in the new century and differs from the original prototype of the 1980s mainly in its avionics: the cockpit is equipped with large color displays and a helmet-mounted sight, so it looks completely different from the older MiG-29 versions. The aircraft serve with the Russian Navy and the Indian Navy and operate from ski-jump ramps rather than catapults. Precisely because the cockpit is modern and full of displays, careful work on it tells markedly on a model.

Recommended procedure

• Finish and paint the interior, lift the elements with tweezers and fix them with PVA glue.
• Coat the areas under the print with gloss clear so that no silvering appears.
• Work panel by panel and let each one dry.
• Do not use a decal softener or a decal fixer, as the chemicals attack the printed element.
• At the end even the cockpit out with a matte clear and add gloss on the faces of the displays.

Who the set is for

For modelers of modern carrier fighters who want legible displays and panels in the cockpit without having to paint them by hand.