Trumpeter "Rumanian" MiG-3 in 1/32 scale

By Carlos Augusto Palma

After a quick look at a captured Rumanian MiG-3 profile, I thought with myself: ‘Wow...I have to do that!!!’ Unfortunately, I hadn’t lots of sources, so, I didn’t take care detailing the whole model as the real thing. My model was based on Massimo Tessitori website and the Peter Vill project.

I began assembling the cockpit strut adding plasticard strips to sidewalls and rods to the ‘pilot’s cage’.

After test fitting was approved, it was time to modify, correct and detail the cockpit floor and sidewalls:

Radio stuff, landing gears scissors and doors were made and/or detailed with plastic card, brass and aluminum sheet:

Since the kit outer lower flaps sections come devoid of details, they were added using plastic strips. The upper flaps sections were improved with plastic ribs and rods to simulate structural details:

In order to depict the earlier MiG-3, I had to change some things like deleting the slats and repositioning the pitot tube on the wing’s leading edge. By the way, the leading edge is the area where the most important changes were made. In particular, the gun covers were shortened and new scoops and bulges added. Also worth to note is the exhaust area, its cover was removed and some plastic card added to close it:

Ok, time to put some color on it. After deciding about what color scheme to use, the first thing I had to do was to draw the masks. So, after several adjustments in the artwork for the home-made-masks were ready to be cut in a plotter (many thanks to my friend Ralphy Hiroshi). In the next picture, you can notice the hand painted (using my home-made-masks) national insignia and the code number/letter on the tail. I was using masks for the first time, so the result left something to be desired:

I didn’t have all the necessary paint matches so I had to improvise a little. Testors Duck Egg Blue was used for the whole cockpit.

And for the camouflage I used the following base colors: Testors Forest Green (firstly I tried Testors Topside Russian Green, but honestly I hated it), Tamiya Dark Green, Tamiya Flat Brown. All the camouflage paints were thinned 50/50 and applied with my Badger 150 and 175 airbrushes.

After the paint has dried, I shot a lightened mix of the base colors on the center of each panel, leaving a darkened edge along the panel lines. I think the achieved effect was good enough. To finish it, the whole thing was weathered with oil washes and some pastels.

Woops!!! I did it again…I broke the sliding canopy right in the middle. Note: no rivets along its frames. You know why? Because it’s a desperate vac copy... The seat cushion and the belts were made with epoxy resin.

In conclusion, the Trumpeter MiG-3 is a good and an easy-to-assembly kit. I hope you enjoy this article... now is time to resume my ‘almost forgot’ Brazilian AF P-40E.

Editor's Note (Rato Marczak): I had the privilege to see this model ‘in person’ during the Brazilian Nats during past July at São Paulo. It is a very well done model indeed, and the photos here may not make full justice to it. Carlos patiently answered all questions about his MiG-3 project and helped me to take some of the pics shown here. By the way, here’s him proudly pointing to his MiG-3 during the event:

© 2005 Carlos Augusto Palma

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This article was published on Wednesday, July 20 2011; Last modified on Saturday, May 14 2016