Adding some detail to the Trumpeter 1/32 MiG-3

I recently grabbed the 1/32 MiG-3 (by Trumpeter) from someone on TradeMe. On looking through the sprues I have a short-shot cockpit floor - since this would at least require repair, this firmed up my decision that I would make some effort to correct kit design deficiencies (or at least what appear to be deficiencies from my light internet research...). Most of the problems that I want to fix are in the cockpit, but I decided to start with something a little simpler - the missing intake vanes.

The kit has an open intake mouth going straight to a (solid) mesh filter:

 

Walk-around photos from online show some vertical and horizontal vanes in front of this, which were also drawn in a cross-section (courtesy Massimo Tessitori's site massimotessitori.altervista.org/sovietwa...ig3/mig3.html#engine ):

Walk-around photo of intake showing grill:

 

Cross-section has grill drawn in (number 17, which is described as "air intake deflector of glycol cooler (2 vertical + 2 horizontal blades)":

 

Acknowledging someone more knowledgable might come along and tell me this particular variant didn't have the grill fitted - I decided to try making my own. Designing something to fit an existing kit was an interesting challenge, because none of the original parts are every quite as exact and straight as you think they might be - and my first attempt was too thin to hold its own form:

 

A second attempt turned out better, although I needed to make the supports easier to remove - my initial plan of razor-saw removal wasn't working due to how fine and fragile the parts are (or at least not with my clumsy sawing efforts):

 

Some adjustment of orientation and support design later (and a little sanding of the top of the printed piece, where it meets a curve I didn't design for very well), and we have a snappy looking grill fitted:

 

For comparison, here's how it looks without it, looking down at the kit's mesh filter part unimpeded - seems a bit bare now:

 

I've also started design work on a bigger cockpit replacement design, but that's going to take quite a bit longer than this did...
 

Nice one, that grill looks geat!