This is the third of 3-part series of A-squared aftermarket items reviews. For the introduction and review of their paint masks click HERE and for the review of their general photo-etch sets HERE!

ASQ72001 Su-34 Exterior Photo etched set

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Trumpeter’s Su-34 is a nice looking kit but as plastic moulding has its limitations, there is always an abundance of details, Photo-etched sets can improve. And this is exactly the type of set to do just that. Countermeasure launchers, APU meshes, gun cooling louvres, auxiliary air intake louvres, search lights,… you name it. Simple set that will elevate your model considerably, especially if you combine it with one of their general photo etch sets like HUD and atenna ones.

ASQ72002 MiG-29 (9-13) exterior

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Zvezda’s MiG-29s in 1:72 are excellent kits and in my personal opinion, the best in the market (c’mon Zvezda, bring out the 9.12 already!) with Trumpeter’s kit cutting too many corners and simplifying things too much. But as I’ve said earlier about the Su-34, there’s always room for improvement. While Su-34 set improves just a few obvious areas, MiG-29 set is more dedicated as it includes details from all around the airframe, from wheel wells and gear struts, to intakes, auxiliary intakes, gun louvers and the whole complement of aerials and antenna. There’s also a number of spare parts in case you lost some of the smaller details to carpet monster. I’d recommend this set to more experienced modellers as there’s quite a lot of cutting and bending of the parts over curved surfaces so annealing the PE parts before their treatment is a must!

ASQ72004 MiG-29SMT Exterior

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Basically a very similar set to their 9-13 one, with obvious removal of certain antennas but addition of formation light strips. One note though. You get the PE parts for the PTB-1500 underfuselage fuel tank, but the SMTs carry the larger PTB-2000 one which is slightly different and the included PE parts don’t match. But since other 29s carry those, And the SMT has one included as well, I am sure these parts won’t go to waste.

Conclusion

While it is true, some of the larger PE producers in the market take care of the same kits as A-squared sets, they play it safe. A-squared sets require a little bit more experience but will produce a much more realistic result. You can also see growth from just basic things in their first release (Su-34) to full detail MiG-29s and I am really looking forward to seeing more of their sets in the future!

Thanks to A-squared for the review samples. You can find their entire catalogue HERE!

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