**** DONE: GB-38 1:48 MiG-3 (early) - Axis A/C

[Wurger]

I see. the main problem with getting ID if a Mig-3 was the early or late is that a pic of a cockpit can't be the source. Just these looked there the same or almost the same. I would say the difference between the MiG-1 and MiG-3 cockpits should be better noticed than between the late and early MiG-3 ones. So the only way to make the ID correctly are images of the external appearance of the entire planes.

Here is a shot of the caption "early Mig-3" as well..

 

[fubar57]

....and for what its worth, I found a photo of the armor plate that was discussed in the thread ...

 

[Wurger]

 

[fubar57]

I think I'll go with the belts coming out of the cushion. Thoughts on color?

 

[Wurger]

Do you mean the belts?

 

[fubar57]

Yessir. Interesting take here, the builder says there were no shoulder belts but I find that hard to believe..MiG-3 Trumpeter 1/48

 

[Wurger]

Knowing Russians a little bit , I wouldn't be surprised.


Regarding the colour of belts.. IMHO these were of white and a little bit dirty.

 

[fubar57]

Close enough for me

 

[Wurger]

I think the colour should be something like that one...

 

[fubar57]

Thank you again, paint on tape and drying. As is my wont on my last day off, nothing major but i did tackle removing the radio boxes from the shelf.

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Hmmmmm...

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One more minor application needed. I've got some plastic card that will fit into the remaining slot.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Gnomey]

Lovely work so far George!

 

[parsifal]

Nice choice geo. Great progress.


Something to consider.....there might be variations in finishes from factory to factory, or even shift to shift. Mig-3 output isn't going to be halted because of a lack of a certain spec safety harness. Soviets would just keep spewing them out of the factories regardless

 

[Wayne Little]

Doin' good George.

 

[N4521U]

Where did the KGB Comrade sit?????
Did they even Use seat belts?

 

[fubar57]

Thanks guys. GB-37 is in the books so its time to continue with this one. All the innards completed including homemade seat-belts and awaiting dry fit to the fuselage halves. The cockpit floor fits into the fuselage slots...

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Upon dry-fitting everything it was obvious something was amiss as there was about a 1.5mm gap between fuselage halves where the rear wing/fuselage join would be. I thought maybe it would be at "A" so I removed these...test fit...no go. I figured then that the "B" slot may be too shallow so I used a razor saw to deepen it...test fit...better but still a half mil to go. I then sliced off about a mil on either side of the rear floor at "C"...test fit...she's a keeper.

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Painted the radiator screens and when dry I can put this all together

 

[Wurger]

 

[Crimea_River]

Wayda chase down that interference Geo.

 

[fubar57]

Thanks guys. Painted the radiator interior RLM65 and added the grills. The 65 was just because: it won't be seen. I also glued the cockpit to the right fuselage half.

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I got ahead of myself according to the instructions. Once the cockpit and radiator tub is built one assembles the propeller assembly and the main landing gear. I can find not reason for this so once the glue is set up I'll glue the fuselage halves together

 

[fubar57]

One of the issues I've read about in the few builds I could find was a gap in the lower fuselage after the tail wheel was installed (yes it has to be installed now). So....forewarned, I glued the tail wheel in place and test fitted the fuselage...

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I'll let the glue set up and remove the offending attachment point on the left side. In the meantime I removed the wings and cleaned them up. Those are two intakes to be attached to the leading edge wing roots, very fiddly...

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I wish Trumpeter had left the rocket mount holes flashed over...