Among SBS Model's latest releases is a resin correction for the nose of Trumpeter's quarterscale MiG-19PM.

I'll own up straight away and admit that I don't actually have the Trumpeter kit, so I wasn't able to make any direct comparisons. However, a quick search on the Internet soon revealed the problem that has caused MiG modellers concern; namely that the kit's nose is too tapered, particularly under the nose where there's too much upsweep, which overall results in the jet intake being undersized.

The SBS Model correction set arrives in one of their attractive cardboard packets and contains just 4 grey resin parts:

A new one-piece nose
A two-part nosewheel bay
Pitot tube

The casting is flawless, with not a bubble or blemish in sight, and the parts are crisply detailed, with the new nose section featuring crisply engraved panel lines.

Comparing the new nose with shots of the Trumpeter kit and the full-sized aircraft, the difference is immediately apparent; SBS's replacement looks far more convincing, being less tapered and more cylindrical with a larger intake. A more subtle difference is the base of the windscreen, which matches reference photos correctly.

The new nose is quite deeply hollowed out with a smoothly finished interior, with a little internal detail inside the lip for the cannon mount. The nosewheel bay is left bare ready for a nicely done two-part insert. This is a neat idea, as trying to cast the detail integrally would have been asking for problems. Finally, there's a pitot tube to add to a small raised mounting on the starboard top of the nose.

Fitting the nose should be straightforward with a little care. The nose itself requires no clean-up - it's supplied ready to use - and the instructions show clearly where the kit must be cut. Looking at photos of the full-sized aircraft, there does seem to be a panel line at the position of the cut (which Trumpeter missed on the kit), so if you work cleanly the result you won't want to totally eradicate the joint.

Once the nose is ready to fit, you can either use the standard kit cockpit, or SBS's own superdetailed "office" - set #48025.

The instructions are neatly drawn and simple to follow. They don't mention whether nose-weight will still be needed to avoid the kit being a "tail-sitter", but the replacement nose is quite a substantial lump of resin, so it should certainly help on that count.

conclusion

SBS Model's Mig-19 nose correction is beautifully cast, and should be a simple set to use for anyone with a little experience modifying kits. It offers a very worthwhile improvement over the standard Trumpeter kit nose - now I just need to convince them to produce a similar set for the Hobby Boss MiG-17PF... Highly recommended.