1/32 Mig-13 superdetail build

[Texman]

My local club is having their annual contest in a few months, and as it is our 13th annual contest,
we decided "Lucky 13" would be the theme. Anything having a 13 in it would be a theme category
contender. So, I am using this as my main theme entry.

I started with the Emil Zarkov ModelArt 1/72 scale Mig-13 I bought years ago. Enlarging it 225%
to get 1/32 scale, caused massive jaggies in the print. So I opened it in photoshop at 300 dpi, which
gave nice smooth lines and colors. I then "pre-shaded" the panel lines, modified the landing gear bay
shapes, and a few other tweaks and started printing.

After kitbashing/swiping components and colors from other kits, (as the Zarkov kit does not have a
cockpit or landing gear wells), and considerable resizing of former/parts, etc, with a few b/w trial builds,
I finally had all my percentages ready to start. And so, the printing began.

As happens to all of us, life got really busy with day to day events and some bad family events (my
father in laws illness and death), but I finally got time and motivation to get going again.

Like most kits, I started with the cockpit parts. First up, the instrument panel. In the picture on the
left, you can see the stock instrument panel I started with. 30 pieces later, including layered parts,
painted instrument faces, 19 individual instrument glass covers punched with my Japenese twist drill,
switches and lights, we have the completed instrument panel on the right.

More to come as I start on the rest of the cockpit.

[modelperry]

I like it! Nice job on the instrument panel!

Greg

[Leif Ohlsson]

Hello Ray, it will be so interesting to see the result eventually of your massive experience of very small and still detailed models, now applied to a model in more than four times your usual 1/144 scale! The instrument panel is a great example of what I look forward to seeing more of.

Good luck, and thanks for letting us follow it right from the start. - Leif

[YOAVHOZMI]

good work on the dashboard.

YOAV

[John Bowden]

Ray -

Cool work so far! Ug-A-leeee plane!

I just googled the MiG-13 and, man that is in the running for most ugly plane ever. (well at least the top ten)

What color did you decide on this beastie?

john

[Leif Ohlsson]

John, I just followed your example and came up with this intriguing drawing:



Ray, please tell us more. Is that an auxiliary jet engine in there, using a shaft from the main prop engine to drive the compressor?

How very interesting. A superdetailed model of this, in your chosen scale, I will love to see the build of. - Leif

[Texman]

John, I chose just a plain gray version.

Leif, I to have that drawing, and your engineering analysis is the same
as all information I can get.

All - I guess the "superdetailing" comment was a bit misleading,
as I will not be doing all the engine work for display, but will do the cockpit,
landing gear, possibly seperated/repositioned control surfaces, and other asundry items if I can pull it off.

[Don Boose]

I do wish that you were going to be in Sterling in October so I could see this in person.

Don

[Texman]

Working on it Don!

[Sumato]

Those things under the pilot seat are plenum burning chambers. This aircraft almost uniquely had a device called a motorjet. The Klimov engine had a gearbox to drive the single stage axial compressor geared up to about 13:1 or so. It was a very useful thing when needed, but was limited to only ten minutes per sortie.