1/48 Trumpeter MiG-21F-13, Part II
Part I | Part II| Part III
With the cockpit sorted, it’s time to move on to the build portion of the build.
Overall, Trumpeter’s kit is straight-forward and hiccup-free. Still, there are a few areas to watch out for, and it’s probably a good idea to have a sanding stick or five on hand.
Salting the Shock Cone
Before construction can really begin, there are a few central bits that have to be sorted out. Namely the cockpit, engine, gear bays and the MiG-21’s distinctive shock cone. This cone can move forward and back, essentially regulating airflow into the jet engine. The MiG-21F-13 has a noticeably smaller shock cone than later Fishbeds such as the MiG-21MF and MiG-21bis, in large part because later variants placed the radar behind the cone.
For this particular build, the shock cone required some serious weathering.
Here’s how I tackled it. (more…)