1:72 MiG-25PDS "Foxbat" (Red 17, Red 87, Red 89) Ukrainian Air Forces (Decals with Stencils)

An interceptor with a refueling probe

While the reconnaissance versions flew with cameras, the letters PDS denoted a thoroughbred interceptor. It came about by rebuilding older airframes to a newer standard: it was given a more powerful radar, revised avionics and a probe for refueling in flight, which stretched its reach noticeably. Its armament consisted of heavy guided missiles carried under the wing, intended against targets flying high and fast. After 1991 Ukraine inherited a whole regiment of such aircraft and kept them in service for a number of years before more modern types took over.

Three numbers, three aircraft

On the sheet you will find three particular machines, all with the tactical number in red. Alongside them the sheet also contains the small stencils placed around the airframe and the surfaces, so finishing the model does not mean reaching for another source.

A thick kit sheet and a thin print

The decals packed in the box tend to be the weakest point of a whole model. The carrier film is thick, on multi-color markings the registration drifts and the white often lets the surface show through. A separate sheet, by contrast, is printed onto a thin layer, the colors sit on one another exactly and cover even over a dark coat. The crucial difference shows above all on small red numbers, where every shift is noticed at once. Work with flat-jawed tweezers, leave the decal on the water only briefly and carry it to the place where it is to sit on its backing paper. Leave the finished area alone until the next day and only then cover it with a protective varnish.