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Stephen Young
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Dragon 1/200 Tupolev Tu-95 K-22 Bear G

May 8, 2024 · in Aviation · 8 · 281

Tupolev Tu-95 Bear G, Dragon 1:200 kit#2006 completed with a mostly out of the box build. First issued in 1990 in this small scale the kit looked nice for a 1990s era kit with recessed panel lines and simplified but adequate detail for the scale. However once into construction fit problems surfaced that led the build being shelved for almost 3 years. Seam filling and recontouring was needed at the wing roots, the engine nacelles and around the canopy and tail section and my seam filling methodology was inadequate to the task for a natural metal finish. Finally I persisted with a combination of Vallejo acrylic putty followed by several applications of Mr. Surfacer 500 with progressively finer grit sanding. The cockpit area only includes a floor so I added two simple seats made of Evergreen angle strip to represent pilot/copilot seats although unless magnification and a bright flashlight is used they are not visible. Once the tiny cockpit windows were masked with Bare Metal foil the model was primed with Alclad black primer with Alclad metal lacquers using polished aluminum and airframe aluminum panels. Clearcoat was Alclad Aqua Gloss prior to decals and Vallejo Model colors acrylic white was used to hand paint panels and appropriate colors for the sensor domes. Small parts such as the propellors and tires were hand painted with appropriate Vallejo Model Color acrylic. The final clear coat was Future thinned with 91% isopropyl alcohol. The original kit decals were used although being old developed some fracturing but fortunately did not disintegrate. Recoating the decals with an thin airbrushed coat of Testors GlossCote lacquer restored the decal structural integrity. As a resurrected project started in 2018 it was finally completed in mid 2022. Although a kit with older tool technology characteristics including imperfect fit, sink marks, out of scale detail/parts in a small scale, when completed the model does look like a Bear G in this small scale.

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8 responses

  1. I guess if I were going to build a Bear, it would have to be this scale, otherwise it would overwhelm my storage space! Very nice build and finish, despite the fit issues!

  2. Indeed a very nice build, Stephen @sofglock
    The polished aluminum looks really good, nice and shiny.
    Well done on this large aircraft.

  3. Nice looking Bear! " Launch the alert five!

  4. Sharp model. Bears always impress.

  5. Beary well done, sharp build of a cool machine.
    On the box art...would a task force let this thing anywhere near that close to a Carrier?

  6. Excellent result on a really nice scale for the specific subject, Stephen!

  7. Glad you finished this one. It turned out really well. NMF is always... a bear.

  8. I am glad you could Bear the inconveniences during the build. It is a fantastic result, considering the scale and quality of the kit.

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