Mig-29 Correction Set
for Revell

Zactomodels, 1/32 scale

Reviewed by "Bondo" Phil Brandt

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Almost two decades ago, Revell released 1/32 Mig-29 kits of the “Fulcrum A” and the UB two-seat trainer. The kits were decent for the early 1990s: excellent molding, crisp details and petite engraving. Since then only the cockpit of the single-seater has received upgrade attention, courtesy of nats-level modeler Talal Chouman and his (now OOB) TAC Scale Dynamics firm. TAC Scale’s resin cockpit tub, seat and instrument and side panels added welcome complexity to an admittedly plain stock interior. Unfortunately, no resin cockpit has to date been offered for the UB trainer.

The recent Trumpeter release of 1/32 Mig-29M and -K kits--both 1:1 versions may or may not see widespread operational use--has greatly heightened the quality bar, but that still leaves owners of the older kits twisting in the wind.

The most glaring error in the two elderly Revell releases was the painfully undersized diameter afterburner can assemblies and the incorrect aft engine nacelle structures leading to said burners. Both Revell kits offer a hokey transition piece that steps down the engine nacelle cross section to join with the undersized cans. Over the years various articles, especially in Bloke model mags, detailed innovative homebrew fixes (one used Kodak 35 mm film cans!). The scratchbuilding seemed to work–anything was better than the “stepdown” transition piece–but it took ‘til 2009 for a definitive solution to these annoying discrepancies...and more.

Enter Chris Wilson (“Zactoman”), honcho of Zactomodels. Having relocated to rural Preston, Idaho in the past year, Chris is back producing his primo quality resin sets of badly needed 1/32 jet
(A-7, F-100, Flanker, and now Fulcrum) upgrades/corrections.

The Fulcrum set includes what you’d expect in a seriously priced product: forty-one large and small resin pieces, plus a small PE fret and some plastic strip: beautifully detailed inner and outer afterburner cans; turbine wheel/flameholder assemblies; new mid-and aft engine nacelles; new chaff dispensers; new nose cone; closed intake FOD doors, closed aux air doors, IRST, aft canopy frame structure, small airscoops, pitot boom, etc. Auxiliary resin disks are used as dies into which the PE afterburner flameholders are pressed to form the correct conical shape.

I can’t say enough good things about the fit, finish and detailing of Zactomodels resin components. They’re exceedingly smooth, glossy in fact, bubble and flash-free, and the engraving is perfectly matched to that of the kits for which they’re meant.

Instructions

The informative B&W multi-page instructions are very well drawn and plainly portray the various operations necessary to install the new parts and modify existing ones (such as minor changes to wing and stabilator shapes). It’s obvious that Zactoman has done his homework.

Anything Chris Wilson releases is good stuff, well worth the money. This latest set brings those obsolescent Revell Fulcrums back to life, ready to stand, without excuses, right next to those state-of-the-art big Trumpeter jets. I eagerly await Zactoman’s forthcoming release of his 1/32 full kit of the Northrop YF-23 (pix at the Zactomodels website).

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Sample purchased by reviewer

Review Text Copyright © 2009 by "Bondo" Phil Brandt
Page Created 13 April, 2009
Last updated 13 April, 2009

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