The Little World

Another dusty diamond from the bowels of the storeroom.

This is No. 180 model in the Italeri catalog – it could have been from any time between 1978 and 2018 but I’m betting on the earlier dates. I’ve no way of confirming this as it’s been supplied in a battered plastic bag full of almost. Almost nice and almost complete.

Almost doesn’t include decals or canopy. The former are no problem as red stars are easy to source from the decal stash. The canopy is another matter – a very distinctive thing on the MiG3 and with no chance of a local replacement or aftermarket part. These might exist, but at a stiff import price.

The basic parts are delicate and show the half serious / half whimsical approach at the time. It is a delicate model of a surprisingly small aircraft. The propeller shaft has already broken, but brass wire fixes that.

The canopy is fitted closely to the fuselage – unlike some that stand high and proud. It would be a suitable subject for a plunge-mould or vac-form if one wished to make up a master and a vacuum box. I’ve no thermo-form sheet so that would be an additional expense on an otherwise frugal build. I have elected to use the materials I have.