Academy | No. 2128 | 1:48 | Ukraine Flight Demo Team (WIP)

OOB Cockpit...

Hand painted highlights...

Checking assembly...

The way the exhaust components have been molded is a joke! It's nigh on impossible to make a clean snip without aeons of post sprue removal tweaking!

Removing and filling (majority of) the nasty injection marks!

Cockpit is in!

Test fitting.

Wheel well is not a great fit.

Time for the filler!

Nothing fits that well. Especially the forward fuselage and nose. The exhaust/engine pods are miles off and not the same shape for either side.

Purposely welded the seams with too much glue to get a better join.

Getting better. It's not perfect but much better than it was.

Pinching to ensure fit.

Nose weight added; i use fishing weights and decorators caulk to hold in place, it won't react with either material and also contributes to the weight... Then re-scribing where I've had to sand.

The Phantom is supposed to be for the group build... Like I'm gonna finish that in time too!

Panel line pre-shading...

Getting sharper...

Masking and plugging up for the underside light blue.

Masking the red stripe also.

All set for the blue...

Light blue on!

I've set the exhaust system aside for now and will come back.

Underside blue done.

Now for the red centre line stripe.

I'm pretty happy with that.

Red stripe revealed!

Tonal work on panel lines before yellow.

Masking for the yellow and yep! I snapped off horizontal stabilizer - it's only held on by a small plastic pin.

Time for the yellow! I learned a lot about working with yellow and coverage (or not) on this build

Uncovering the yellow. Then waiting for paint to cure... before masking for the blue.

CAREFULLY! Masking the yellow for the blue. The paint is very fragile on this build - not sure why. I'm leaving it to cure for a very long time too.

Blue on!

Went down pretty flat 🙂

Everso carefully peeling off the tape! I'm using AK as well as Vallejo on this project and they don't seem to be mixing well!

Few mishaps when removing the tape; touch ups will be required.

I have learnt SO MUCH about spraying yellow on this build!

IN PROGRESS. UPDATED: 13/3/23...

There is (of course) a massive gap... So some filling and fiddling will be required - without damaging the paint job! Again, I should have done this prior to painting.Seen here Vallejo putty, prior to removal and paint.

Masking for the internal darker blue flashes. I've made this awkward!

Dark blue on...

Dark blue revealed!

Comments

65 19 April 2022, 14:51

James C
Watching this one with interest 👍
I've read some less than positive comments re the molding quality and fit of this kit, so will be keen to get your take on it.

29 April 2022, 18:46

Guy Rump
Looking good so far 👍

29 April 2022, 20:22

Neil
Appreciate it Guy 👍 @James C, thanks for your interest. Agreed, I can sum the fit up to date like this... Cr@p!... We'll see how I get on 😕 at the mo, my other on the go builds have leapfrogged it for this reason.

2 May 2022, 11:52

Vjekoslav Ranec
Very nice... Although this box is in fact the wrong version... This should be MiG-29S Fulcrum C 9-13 version.

2 May 2022, 12:09

Neil
Hi Vjekoslav, thanks for commenting 🙂 appreciate your knowledge and feedback mate 👍

24 May 2022, 20:19

Chan Li
The cockpit and control panels look fairly nice.

11 June 2022, 17:55

Neil
Thanks for commenting Chan Li 👍 and thanks also for the like Vincent 👍

14 June 2022, 22:44

Gary Victory
Nice little project Neil, keep up the good work and enjoy the build.

15 June 2022, 06:32

Neil
Cheers Gary! Thanks for the like and encouragement mate 👍👍

15 June 2022, 19:11

Scott
I admire the challenge you are undertaking here. The kit looks like a real challenge to get to fit properly. Great work

15 June 2022, 19:20

Neil
Hello Scott 🙂 thanks for commenting, much appreciated 👍 Yes, I always tend to build these older 'cranky' kits... Not sure why really! 😂

16 June 2022, 21:14

John
Looks nice! I have this kit in the stash but the fuselage join fit has been putting me off. Good to know it can be overcome. I was thinking it might be easier to attach the front/rear sections before joining the top/bottom halves.

14 October 2022, 11:03

Villiers de Vos
Very nice effects.

14 October 2022, 14:10

James C
You've done an awesome job with the assembly and taking care of the joins Neil. 👍

14 October 2022, 16:55

Vjekoslav Ranec
If you have time, wait for this set:
Break of Dawn (PaulusVictor PV-005-48, 1:48)

14 October 2022, 17:26

Neil
Hi mates, thanks very much for your interest and to all for your likes... John, I would agree and think your suggestion is sound advice... Villers, thanks for your comment 👍 and James C, very much appreciated, yeah, I've given it my best shot! 🙂 I've got the underside light blue on now, so updated pictures to follow...

22 October 2022, 21:25

Maciej Bellos
Hard work there Neil but it will pay off. Looking good so far mate!

23 October 2022, 06:05

Neil
Hiya Maciej, thanks very much 👍 underside blue on now... And thanks also for the likes mates 🙂

28 October 2022, 13:38

Mark D
You made a bold move to get this kit together, have this one too, it's somewhere on my attic, about half way, and still can't find the courage to get it done. (Even bought the GWH kit.) yours is looking good, keep it going! 👍.

28 October 2022, 17:25

Neil
Hi Mark D, thanks for your interest 🙂 yeah, it's not the best fitting kit. I know you'd do a grand job - better than me. I've seen your build albums 👏 ...I'll keep going. Thanks for the recent likes too mates 👍

30 October 2022, 21:41

Arif Saeed
Looking great Neil 👍

4 November 2022, 14:38

Villiers de Vos
Very nice sharp demarcations.

4 November 2022, 16:33

Neil
Hi Arif & Villiers, hope you're both well 🙂 thanks for your interest and likes, you're both very kind 👍

10 November 2022, 11:59

Petar Žorić
Cant wait to see how this turns out, never seen somebody do this color scheme. Great so far 😄

25 November 2022, 18:14

Neil
Hi Petar, thanks very much 🙂 hopefully it'll all work out 👍 I've been on a learning experience spraying that much yellow! I've had to do too many coats imo to get a decent depth of colour... But lesson learned, next time I'll base coat pink! Also thanks again for the likes all 👍

27 November 2022, 11:52

Petar Žorić
Yeah, using some colour for the first time can be difficult to get right, but for now it seems great,and, pink base? really? Lets see how that ukranian sky blue will turn out 😄

28 November 2022, 18:09

Vjekoslav Ranec
Nice.

28 November 2022, 20:04

Neil
Thanks for likes mates 🙂 Cheers Petar, fingers crossed for a good result 👍 and thanks also Vjekoslav for your interest and like also

3 December 2022, 15:41

Spanjaard
Looking interesting

10 December 2022, 22:01

Guy Rump
You're getting there Neil. 🙂

10 December 2022, 22:49

Neil
Hiya Spanjaard, thanks very much for stopping by 👍 very much hope to do your interest justice. Thanks also Guy for continuing to follow 🙂 and to all those for the recent likes too. I've slowed down on this one a bit now to try and get the group build Matchbox kit pass the line in time. Work and Christmas are conspiring against me!

12 December 2022, 20:59

Neil
Got the blue on, finally!

3 March 2023, 11:19

Maciej Bellos
Looks nice Neil!

3 March 2023, 11:43

James C
Nice progress Neil 👍

6 March 2023, 13:01

Villiers de Vos
Very nice progress with the paint work.

6 March 2023, 13:17

Robert Podkoński
Looks beautiful already!

6 March 2023, 13:59

Ludwig Micallef
Coming along very nicely Neil 👍

6 March 2023, 20:20

Petar Žorić
I was waiting to see these colors, looks amazing man, great progress!

7 March 2023, 19:38

Neil
Thanks all, you're each super kind to show continued interest and comment 🙂 I've added some further imagery today.

I was an idiot to build this with the tail fins attached - it's made masking and avoiding overspray super difficult. Kicking myself as that was obvious really! I've got one side masked and painted, one more to go. Thanks also to those who've liked 👍

13 March 2023, 11:45

James C
Looking fantastic in that paint scheme Neil. Seeing your progress on what I have read is an underwhelming kit is tempting me to have a crack at it myself. 👍

I had a similar problem by installing the tails prior to painting my rubbish Italeri F-14 a while back. I didn't have much of a choice though as the join where they attached to the fuselage was bloody awful and required a ton of filler to help disguise that I wouldn't have been able to do if I had painted them separately instead. Of course by doing so, it caused more problems later on when it came time to paint, apply decals and washes etc.

15 March 2023, 17:12

Neil
Hiya James C 🙂 thanks very much mate, you're very kind indeed to say that. I would say that the masking on this and my Mirage 2000 build have both been rewarding, demanding and annoying in equal measure!!

I've made more than a few build errors (as I usually do!) The tails being added first perhaps one of the bigger ones. I also should have ignored the instructions for the forward fuselage too... But we learn on every thing we do don't we.

At least I know I'm not alone in these mistakes my friend and we've both previously dropped a minor construction clanger!! 😂 Though I feel sure with your skills you resolved and presented a stunning build as you always do.

I'll add some proper build detail to the album when complete. Looking forward to your take on this kit if you decide to pursue. All the best 👍

16 March 2023, 19:32

Nigel Brand
At least one of those aircraft was put back into service by the Ukrainian Air Force so hastily that it was still in those markings and, alas, shot down.

17 March 2023, 11:36