This is the Fujimi Mig-21 Fishbed J of the Iraqi Air Force, mid 1980s. This Mig supposedly shot down an Iranian F-14 Tomcat during the Iran-Iraq war 1980-1988.
The model has exceptional detail for a 1/72 scale, particularly the cockpit. External features such as vents, venturi tube, pitot tube are very accurately represented. The vents are all molded solid and I drilled them out with a .013" bit in a small pin vise. My biggest problem is with overspray, especially when I put the light blue on the bottom. How do you prevent this without masking directly on the model and leaving a very hard demarcation line? My airbrushing techniques definately need a lot of improvement. I am using the AZTEC brand and had the FINE tip on for this painting with the spray adjustment turned down quite a ways and 5-6 psi pressure.
Nice Mig.
You are not the only one who has trouble with airbrushing. A couple of hints I have learned. Always start with the lighter color. Usually the underside first, etc.
Also, can us a technique which uses a mask but not directly on the kit. Make the mask stand off of the kit by either putting blue tac, masking tape, etc underneath the mask raising it slightly above the surface. Then spray away from the mask at an angle the lets the mask do its job (don’t spray towards the mask letting paint under it). Not sure if this makes sense but I am going to try it the next time I actually dig out the airbrush.
I have also seen guys adjust the pressure or the thinness of the paint to help out.
I concur with what philp said about masking: Make the mask stand off of the kit by either putting blue tac, masking tape, etc underneath the mask raising it slightly above the surface. Then spray away from the mask at an angle the lets the mask do its job (don’t spray towards the mask letting paint under it).
Thanks for the report on the detail of that kit, I might have to add one to my stack before too long. [:)]
Just for the heck of it, try this…On a piece of scrap Thin your paint about 50/50, and turn UP the pressure to about 15 lbs. spray the ouline of the camo pattern first , with the nozzle pointed INSIDE the pattern as much as possible. Then, fill in the center. Take the lighter color and butt up against your sample, using the same technique. I think you will see a major improvement.
It’s just my opinion, but you need to retire that Aztec and get yourself a Badger, you won’t regret it.
Darwin
Nice looking Mig. That Fujimi kit is very nice, goes together well, and has good detail.
The paint does need some work, like you said. But as the old saying goes “Can you tell me how to get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, Practice, Practice.” Airbrushing is no different. As Steve said from the cornfields of Ohio, try thinning your paint down a bit more and moving closer to you subject. The closer you are, the less time paint has to “spread out” before hitting the model.
Also like Steve said, if you can swing 100 bucks for a different airbrush, do it. As Blackwolf can tell you, I’ve owned pretty much every airbrush that has come down the line and the Testors/Aztek is the only one I have gotten rid of. The two I use the most now are the Iwata Eclipse and the Badger 200. I still have a soft spot for my Passche VL though.
Ditto on the Badger, Darwin. However, that’s a fine look MiG any way you cut it. As for raising your mask up off the surface to get a soft line. A take a pad of Post-It notes (use the cheap generic ones). Peel off about an eighth of an inch, more or less, depending on how hard or soft you want your line. But in your case here, and eighth is good. Then, stick your mask to the stack of post-its, which are really low tack and won’t lift paint – and then stick the whole thing to the place where it belongs on the airplane. This is the easiest and fastest method I’ve found. And cheapest, because you can stick the stack of post-it notes back on the pad and use them again. Only the bottom one in the stack actually touches the airplane.
TOM
I’m no expert at airbrushing camo freehand. So to airbrush “fuzzy” camo lines with mask, I use a sticky rubber putty compound to trace the outline of the camo, then fill the center with regular masking tape. This rubber putty thingy is what you’d use to stick a poster on a wall or photos inside a locker. It’s available from most stationary stores and Walmart. It’s cheap and reusable. Here is a picture that shows how I used it to paint my SU-34:
