I originally bought this kit way back in the 1980s with the intention of using it to build an accurate MiG. However back then I was not as into accuracy as I am now. I now realize that this MiG 29 Fulcrum model was made in the mid to late 80s when the MiG 29 was first revealed to the Western World. Thus it isn't as accurate as the MiG 29 kit put out by Academy.

By the late 1970s Western analysts had identified a new fighter under developement for the Soviet Air Force. Since its first sighting at the Ramenskoye test range in 1977, when it got unofficially dubbed with the rather tentative and anonymous RAM-L designation, the Fulcrum has been one of the key aircraft on the military aviation scene. The twin-finned air superiority fighter, now known as the MiG-29, first flew in 1977 and entered service with Soviet fighter regiments in 1983. In contrast to the primitive electronics of the MiG-25, the MiG-29 has a radar system comparable to wome Western machines. Like the post-Vietnam generation of US fighters, it is an agile aircraft capable of maneuvering in a dog-fight. Subsequently , the MiG-29 is turning into a useful export fot the new Russian Republic.

I started this build in November of 2004. However with having to acquire tools and other items, I've ended up spending a whole year with the project now only half complete. When I started this project in 2004, I separated wings from tree and sanded the excess joints, glued the two wing-halves together of each wing and checked the join on the underside of the wing. I also attempted sanding left wing and scribed some of the raised lines. Gave up on right wing and said "screw it". Decided to place parts together with eight dabs of Testor's Tube Glue. No excess spillage of glue meant an OK join on the two wing halves. May check and reinforce fit with Tenax.

When I first dry-fitted the parts together to check for fit problems, I found out that the top fuselage half to bottom fuselage half had a gap of 1/2mm, 1/32 inch between lower half and upper fuselage separation just front of the cockpit which will need some putty. Also the fuselage halfs (top and bottom) need a little adjustment when gluing in order to align the parts properly.

When I took a look at the pilot, I decided to paint the pilot in a brown flight suit, as per the flight suits that the Soviet pilots wear. The MiG Pilot has been an exercise in eye-strain. I'm currently working on his flight-suit and flight helmet. Then I will be working on his Oxygen mask and o2 hose. The visor was worked on with a 5/0 round brush, and the flight suit was painted with a 0 round brush. I was going to paint him on the tree, but found out that with a bit of blu-tak, I could just as easily stand him up and have a hand hold in order to be able to maintain control enough to paint without screwing up. The pilot's oxygen mask will be grey with white rim, and the flight helmet will be white with a black liner. His boots will be a darker brown. What I think I'd better get is a magnifier lamp in order to get the details. I need to use aluminum to paint the harness buckles. To tell you the truth, I'm going to probably redo the pilot in Dark Tan (Model Master FS30219 B-1742) for his flight suit and use the Testors Brown for his boots. That would look a heck of a lot better.

There are a number of discrepancies with regards to shape. The centerline droptank isn't even the right shape for the MiG 29. Understandably, because of the lack of clear photographs, Monogram had to go with their gut hunch and just put in a tank of approximate size and shape. Despite this fact, I'm game with working on this MiG to see just how well I can do on this build. I also went down to the hobby shop and picked up Model Master Fulcrum Gray and Fulcrum Gray-Green so that I could do the camoflage on the MiG 29 Fulcrum. Some say that it's a little too dark and I'll have to lighten it, I'll test it on a piece of sprue first...and see how it darkens.

Today I spent some time trying to get the K-36 ejection seat done so that I could start repainting the control panel and make certain that this paint job would be better the second time around. Took some MM Metalizer "Stainless Steel", did the buckle, and then took a napkin and got rid of most of the paint so that I could drybrush some of it around the edges so that the MiG 29 seat didn't look so NEWISH looking.

I inserted the cockpit in and glued together the top and bottom fuselage. Went ahead and put the cockpit into the aircraft after drybrushing silver to get the color of the piping to stand out. I would have to say that the cockpit didn't turn out as well as I could have done it, because it was really hard to try to paint the 1/48 controls. I'm going to have to do better on my next build. I'll probably use a toothpick the next time. There were a multitude of fiddley bits to put on, such as the numerous sensors. I left the lookdown shootdown clear sensor off, until after I've airbrushed the MiG so as not to get any paint on the sensor.

I have noticed one thing about following the instructions. You can get yourself into a lot of problems by following the exact instructions to the letter. It forms a way of doing the project, but you have to determine for yourself if that's the best way of doing things. You have to ask yourself: Do you leave a part off until you finish painting or put in on and have to mask the thing off? It has to be a logical process and the process is not covered in the instructions that the model kit comes with.

More later, as this build progresses.