ENGINE AL-31FP 1/72

AL-31FP engine on a maintenance trolley in 1:72

A detail accessory from the Russian manufacturer Temp Models in 1:72 scale. The manufacturer lists it as the AL-31FP engine on a maintenance trolley, that is as a separate powerplant removed from an aircraft; as the material it gives resin. It serves above all for maintenance dioramas and does not replace an aircraft model.

The real subject

The AL-31FP is a twin-shaft turbofan engine with an afterburner in which the flows from the inner and the outer stream mix only behind the turbine in a common afterburner. The manufacturer emphasizes the variable supersonic nozzle for all regimes; on this version the nozzle also swivels and gives the aircraft thrust vectoring. A removed unit on a trolley was a common sight in a hangar.

Building and painting tips

For this set the manufacturer gives resin as the material. First wash the parts in lukewarm soapy water and let them dry thoroughly, or the primer will not hold. Separate them from the carrier with a sharp scalpel or a saw and sand the cut. They are glued with cyanoacrylate glue, that is with super glue. Lay down a filler primer before painting and do the sanding wet and with respiratory protection.

Who the set is for

• builders of maintenance dioramas with aircraft of the Su-27 family
• modelers who want to show an open engine bay beside a finished model
• display cases where the scene should tell a story
• more experienced modelers used to resin parts

The set is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and the base model are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.