1/48 MiG-3 late ''black 12'' build

[otto]

Good job with the interiors, Remco.
I would suggest the use of oil paints for washs and filters. They are very easy to use and their long drying time allows corrections. If thinned with Humbrol Enamel Thinner you can achieve very subtle effects due to its capillar distribution in every recess. They can also be used to reproduce wood by simply exploiting the stains that the brush Leaves. See the picture of my Pfalz D.IIIa: http://www.sitohd.com/otto/foto/230978.jpg

Regarding the MiG-3 colors it seems to me that the data COMING FROM WARTIME PICTURES are:
- The frame pipes can be dark or light (some color pictures show them light blue).
- The seat armour is dark.
- The seat is light, as the cockpit floor (see here: http://sovietwarplanes.com/board/index.php?topic=1601.0)
- The instrument panel can be light or dark.
- The inner side of the engine panels are the same color of the outer green upper surfaces.

Analysis of wrecks shows:
- Dark grey or black frame pipes.
- Steel back armour is bright green Painted what seems a black or dark grey primer.
- A black cover is fixed above the natural aluminium instrument plate. It seems that the cover can be removed without affecting the instruments fixing.
- The seat is a bright light green or natural aluminium. It seems to me unlikely that the bent seat is faded A-14: no scratches can be seen.
- According to witnesses, the inner side of the Finnish wreck are light blue.
- On the Finnish wreck the radio vane behind the pilot is natural wood. This is very srange because it means that the fuselage is painted after fixing the rear canopy or after masking the inside.

In my modest opinion I think that the inner colors could have different standards, possibly due to different sub-contractors. A picture of Yak-1 assembly line in the book "Colors of the Falcons" shows light and dark fuselage frames.

[Massimo Tessitori]

Hi Otto,

On the Finnish wreck the radio vane behind the pilot is natural wood. This is very srange because it means that the fuselage is painted after fixing the rear canopy or after masking the inside.

Are you sure? I think that the inside of the rear fuselage is unpainted wood, but the radio deck is green as the outside.
Regards
Massimo

[otto]

It is very difficult to see, but while the canopy inner frame and base are green, the fuselage sides under the canopy seem natural wood.
Are there other color pictures of this item?

[Massimo Tessitori]

Are you referring to this?
https://plus.google.com/photos/104977000387940344883/albums/5633393064105837249/5855875212399880418?banner=pwa&pid=5855875212399880418&oid=104977000387940344883
Hard to say... the plate with the hole looks green to my eye as its extension aside the canopy frame, but I can't be sure. However it was visible from above, so I think it should be green.
this image doesn't show difference, I think it was already painted green.
Regards
Massimo

[4bogreen]

Hey guys 

@ Otto: Thanks for the link to your build. It seems very nice  . I painted the rear in a plain woodcolor, because you almost not see it. The cockpit is small and when the seat is installed, you don't see much behind it... So detailing the wood is in this case pointless 
In the case of the metals painted in A-14, i have a theory. The aluminium was primed in yellow(ish) paint, steel usually in dark red. The difference in background coses the declaration of the topcolor. This could explain the different "shade" of the A-14 paint on different underground... The US made P-39 even had different wheelbay colors. This because the wings were made by Boeing, and the fuselage by Bell. Boeing used a yellowish primer, Bell a more greenish one. So there was a difference in color in the wheelbay era, partly green and yellow  Its possible that the MiG (especially in the early series) had different primercolors...

The MiG is put on halt, because i wanted to build the La5F and paint some figures to go with my T-34, for a competition...

Regards,

Remco 

[4bogreen]

It has been a while... Now i have glued the flaps in place. It needs a lot of TLC...











Regards,

Remco

[otto]

I also tried to install the Eduard flaps on my MiG-3, but I destroyed them .
What did you use to reproduce the exhausts' fairings? Is it lead? I removed the kit ones and reinstalled them after thinning.

[4bogreen]

Well Otto, the wings are so thin, that the plastic starts to deform due the heat of sanding.
I hope i can fix this. I put a lot of time and effort in it. Failure (again) is not an option.
The fairings are from lead. It went in very nice and looks good on to scale.

[Massimo Tessitori]

Hi Remco, a friend of mine used lead for such pieces, but after a long time it formed a white powder that required to retouch the paint.
Regards
Massimo

[4bogreen]

Hi Massimo,

Its called lead oxide (the white pouder). I have read something on it, and general advice is to use a metal primer. I have a bottle of primer where the M1 Abrams tanks are sprayed with. I think it will hold the lead oxide off for quite a while. A bigger worry for me, is the very thin plastic wing. And how to glue this properly on the metal flaps... Challanges, Challanges...

[Massimo Tessitori]

Hi Remco, isn't cyanoacrilate good enough?
Regards
Massimo

[4bogreen]

Massimo, yes the CA glue is good, but i dint have my favorite brand now. I have to buy some new.
The big issue is that i have to pinch the two parts thought. The flaps are very fragile, so it Will be challenging 

[Massimo Tessitori]

Hi Remco,
perhaps it is better to pass a thin layer of cyanoacrylate glue on the plastic on the inside and let it dry before gluing the piece.
Regards
Massimo

[4bogreen]

Hi Massimo,

Seems like a good solution. I have a new bottle of Zapp a gap, so we have a try. Currently i have set a goal to finnish the La-5F first, so i think i can second. Although i have plans worked out for making a LaGG-3 with engine expsosed and the engine panels off... Also a bit of a kitbash. Seems a very nice idea.

Regards,

Remco

[Massimo Tessitori]

Hi Remco,
a LaGG-3 with engine exposed looks interesting. What pieces will you use?
Regards
Massimo