How to fix the Trumpeter 1/48 MiG-3 (Early) exhausts?

[Seawinder]

What needs to be done to correct this area? I assume one needs to cut away the fairings at the forward ends, but what goes in their place? Also, should the protruding strips above and below the exhaust stacks be cut down?

TIA

Pip Moss

[Massimo Tessitori]

Hi Pip,
I've not built the kit, but I can say that for a superficial correction one should remove the fairings and the strips, and close the gap forward.
However, I've the impression that all the exhaust pipes should be moved forward of a pair of mm both on the early and on the late type.
On the late type, the gap should be visible behind the stacks.
On the early type, the gap behind should be closed, and the vertical panel line behind it should be moved forward 2 mm. A rather difficult work, I would avoid to do it.
Regards
Massimo

[Seawinder]

Hi Pip,
I've not built the kit, but I can say that for a superficial correction one should remove the fairings and the strips, and close the gap forward.
However, I've the impression that all the exhaust pipes should be moved forward of a pair of mm both on the early and on the late type.
On the late type, the gap should be visible behind the stacks.
On the early type, the gap behind should be closed, and the vertical panel line behind it should be moved forward 2 mm. A rather difficult work, I would avoid to do it.
Regards
Massimo

Hi Massimo.
Thanks for the reply. It's a bit hard to tell from photographs, but it appears that the gap forward of the exhausts was covered with a curved surface rather than simply flat metal -- sort of the same contour as the incorrectly placed fairing on the Trumpeter kit, but protruding less. Is that in fact correct?

Thanks again.
Pip

[Massimo Tessitori]

Hi Pip,
it was a sort of lip, well visible on photos.
Regards
Massimo