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Kovozávody Prostějov (KP) is to release 1/72nd Scottish Aviation S.A. Bulldog kits. - ref. KPM0298 - Scottish Aviation S.A. Bulldog T.1 - RAF Source: https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/s-a-bulldog-t-1-raf/ - ref. KPM0299 - Scottish Aviation S.A. Bulldog T.1 - RAF Special Source: https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/s-a-bulldog-t-1-raf-special/ - ref. KPM0299 - Scottish Aviation S.A. Sk.61 Bulldog - In Swedish services Source: https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/sk-61-bulldog-in-swedish-services/ - ref. KPM0300 - Scottish Aviation S.A. Bulldog T.1 - Overseas services Source: https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/s-a-bulldog-t-1-overseas-services/ V.P.

Kovozávody Prostějov is to release 1/72nd Avia BH-10 kits - ref. KPM0421 - Avia BH10 - Czechoslovak sports plane of the 1920-30s Source: https://www.aviationmegastore.com/en/modelling/avia-bh10-czechoslovak-sports-plane-of-the-1920-30s-kovozvody-prostejov-kpm0421-199216.html - ref. KPM0422 - Avia B-10 - Military Source: https://www.aviationmegastore.com/en/modelling/avia-b-10-military-kovozvody-prostejov-kpm0422-199217.html - ref. KPM0428 - Avia BH-10 - Special Markings (CzAF, Czechoslovak Aeroclub) Source: https://www.aviationmegastore.com/en/modelling/avia-bh-10-special-markings-czaf-czechoslovak-aeroclub-kovozvody-prostejov-kpm0428-199218.html V.P.

Kovozávody Prostějov (KP) is to release new tool 1/72nd Avro 504K kits Source: https://www.modelarovo.cz/avro-504k-1-72-kovozavody-prostejov/ V.P.

KP did release a BH-10 boxing last year, and the colourful OK-AVO is a scheme that I would like to build. But the real aircraft that is hanging from the museum ceiling in Prague has a fairing partially covering the engine. KP does not provide a part for that. Is it possible that the fairing was removable, so that it flew also without it?

Kovozávody Prostějov is to release 1/72nd Piper PA-25 Pawnee kits Source: http://www.modelarovo.cz/kp-pripravuje-piper-pawnee-1-72-praskujeme-dal/ Parts in design V.P.

Source: https://www.modelarovo.cz/kovozavody-prostejov-azmodel-co-noveho-v-roce-2024/ "I would like to start by wishing all our supporters a Happy New Year and especially good health. I also want to thank all our workers, subcontractors, our dealers and distributors for a job well done in 2023. I believe that 2024 will be a challenge for all of us to do even better and we will certainly have many nice new models to come. So, what’s coming and what’s coming? So, short and to the point: We will start with the first quarter of 2024, when we will continue our long-running line of 1/72nd scale Mustangs. After the successful P-51B/C and Mk.III series, the moulds for the two-seat TP-51B versions are in the pipeline. The same is also true with the P-51D-5 versions, and we will continue with the P-51D-10/15/20, P-51K and others in this extensive „Mustang“ family. Fans of modernity of our air force will be pleased with the brand new LET L-410UVP in 1/72 scale. Yes, we once released in AZmodel the vintage Turbolet by Gavia , but times are different and so now the molds for the new , shape and size correct Turbolet are in preparation. Later on there will also be a version of L-410A/M. Here I want to thank Firma49 for their help with 3D modelling. Fans of the First War will be pleased this year with the new Halberstad CL.II and Cl.IV models, Nieuport Ni- 11 Bebe / Ni-16 and the Avro 504K family. We will also offer you other Bf 109 and DH.9. For the „civil airline collector“ we have, after a long delay, finished moulds for the SAAB-340 and SAAB 2000 models in 1/200 scale. In 1/144 we are resuming production of the Yakovlev Yak-40 and from the new moulds the Tupolev Tu-134A/B. We have also prepared many modified reissues of older models from our or cooperating production. Unwanted PUR parts and etched parts are „removed“ from the models according to the latest trends. Everything is replaced with new plastic parts or even new transparent parts. In this format are in preparation for example models of Breda 65-A-80, MiG-17F, Fiat G-50, Fokker C-X , Messerschmitt Bf 108, H.P. Hampden Mk.I, Airspeed Oxford and others. In 1/48 scale there is MS.406, Ki-48 Lily and Gotha G.V. Also our company has purchased several molds from „second“ hand in 2023. Sales or preparations for distribution of Sukhoi Su-22M4, Sukhoi Su-22UM, Robinson R-44, Zlin C-106/Z-381 models are underway. From the cooperation with the company Směr Praha is surprisingly successful sale of the Hawker Hurricane Mk.IIc model in the KP-Club line edition. These models are intended for beginners, unpretentious modellers, and in comparison to the Směr models they contain „plastic in grey“, new camouflage schemes and new decals (can be used also for older Směr models). We are now preparing for sale Yakovlev Yak-3, Messerschmitt Me-262A, Bloch MB-152, LeO 451 etc. Finally, for the pleasure of your eye, we present a few boxart of our upcoming new kits by our court painter – Carlos Alonso from Spain, who is inherently and rightfully part of the KP/AZ team. I have to say many compliments from our customers on his awesome work! I hope that everyone will choose their model from our new products and once again I wish you a pleasant and beautiful modeling in 2024. Petr Muzikant and the entire KP/AZmodel team" V.P.

Kovozávody Prostějov is to release 1/72nd Morane-Saulnier AI kits - ref. KPM0453 - Morane Saulnier MS.AI - Over France Source: https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/morane-saulnier-ms-a-i-over-france/ - ref. KPM0454 - Morane Saulnier MS.AI - French service Source: https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/morane-saulnier-ms-a-i-french-service/ - ref. KPM0455 - Morane Saulnier MS.AI - Other services Source: https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/morane-saulnier-ms-a-i-other-services/ - ref. KPM0456 - Morane Saulnier MoS (AI) - Polish service Source: https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/morane-saulnier-mos-a-i-polish-service/ V.P.

Kovozávody Prostějov is to release 1/72nd and later 1/48th Zlín Z-43 kits. Source: https://www.modelarovo.cz/zlin-z-43-1-72-kovozavody-prostejov "Another news from Kovozávody is long awaited Zlin Z-43. It’s a bit crazy in today’s model market situation, but thanks to the sales of Kápeček models like mainstream P-51 Mustang, Spitfire, or Bf 109 family, we can afford to release such Czechoslovak types that belong to KP…. Simply these „still selling mainstream types“ have to, for these marginal Czechoslovak types for the world market, make money. And fortunately they are doing that. So you can expect L-40 Meta Sokol, LF-109 Pionýr, L-23 Super Blaník, L-410FG and others. 1/48 modelers will not miss out either – Z-43 and Z-142 kits in this scale are already in the works. The new Zlin Z-43 kit in 1/72 scale is fully developed in „synthetic“ 3D modelling and you can expect this kit in 3Q/2024. As always, you can expect the first four different boxes with boxart of Carlos Alonso and a lot of cool camouflages, from which everyone interested in this beautiful machine will surely choose." V.P.

Kovozávody Prostějov (KP) is to re-release 1/72nd Zlín Z-142 kits - ref. KPM0142 - Zlín Z-142 Source: https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/zlin-z-142/ - ref. KPM0143 - Zlín Z-142 Military Source: https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/zlin-z-142-military/ V.P.

Kovozávody Prostějov (KP) is to release (in April 2024 ?) 1/72nd Ansaldo S.V.A.9 and S.V.A.10 kits. - ref. KPM0445 - Ansaldo S.V.A.9 - Italian Eagles Source: https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/ansaldo-s-v-a-9-italian-eagles/ - ref. KPM0446 - Ansaldo S.V.A.9 - Other services Source: https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/ansaldo-s-v-a-9-other-services/ - ref. KPM0447 - Ansaldo S.V.A.10 - Italian Service Source: https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/ansaldo-s-v-a-10-italian-services/ - ref. KPM0448 - Ansaldo S.V.A.10 - Other services Source: https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/ansaldo-s-v-a-10-other-services/ V.P.

Messerschmitt Bf.109E-0 ‘First Emils’ (AZ7869) 1:72 AZ Model by Kovozávody Prostějov With almost 34,000 examples manufactured over a 10-year period, the Messerschmitt Bf.109 is one of the most widely produced aircraft in history and it saw active service in every theatre in which German armed forces were engaged. Initially designed in the mid-1930s, the Bf.109 shared a similar general arrangement with the Spitfire, employing monocoque construction and a V12 engine, albeit an inverted V with fuel injection rather than the carburettor used in the Spit. Initially designed as a lightweight interceptor, like many German types during WWII, the Bf.109 evolved beyond its original brief into a bomber escort, fighter bomber, night fighter, ground-attack and reconnaissance platform. The E variant, or Emil as it was more affectionately known was the first major revision of the original design, including an uprated engine and the attendant strengthening of the airframe that was required. It first saw service in the Legion Condor fighting in the Spanish civil war on the side of Nationalist forces of Military Dictator Franco, and then in the Battle of Britain where it came up against its nemeses the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane during the critical fight for the survival of the RAF, which was key to halting Operation Seelöwe, the invasion of Britain by the Nazis. As the Spitfire it fought was improved incrementally through different marks, the Emil was similarly tweaked to keep pace, with the E-7 having additional long-range tankage, plus structural improvements and a simpler squared-off canopy with clear frontal armour, but apart from various field modifications and a few low-volume sub-variants, it had reached the end of its tenure, and was phased out in favour of the Friedrich. The Kit This is an Emil from KP Models’ 1:72 line of Bf.109s, which is quite broad already but is still growing steadily. We have seen some of the plastic already, and this boxing represents the earliest Emils to reach service, which must have been quite a treat for the pilots lucky enough to fly them, as the Emil was quite an improvement over the Dora. The kit arrives in a small end-opening box with a painting of the aircraft on the front, and four-way profiles of the markings on the rear. Inside are three sprues in grey styrene, a tiny sprue of clear parts, two small decal sheets and the instruction booklet, which is printed in black and white on a folded sheet of A4, with the stencil locations in a diagram on the rear page. Detail is good throughout, including sidewall and gear bay roof detail, plus instrument and seatbelt decals to add detail into the cockpit. Panel lines and rivets are finely engraved, as are other raised/recessed details that all add visual interest. Construction begins with the cockpit, with detailed painting instructions provided in colour, giving the modeller plenty of detail plus the decals for the instrument panel and seatbelts, and a clear gunsight. The cockpit and platform for the chin radiator are sandwiched between the fuselage halves, the flush exhaust exits moulded into the sides of the fuselage. The lower wing is single span, and is joined to the two upper wing halves after adding radiator details in the fairings and painting the cooling pathway. It is joined to the fuselage, and a scrap diagram shows that the dihedral should result in a 10mm gap between both wingtips and the surface when the model is laid flat on its belly. The narrow-track landing gear is made up from the strut, wheel and captive bay door on each side, locating in sockets in the upper wing halves, while the tail-wheel is a single part that slots into the underside of the rear fuselage. The cannon troughs on the upper engine cowling are a separate insert that receives a pair of cannon stubs from within before it is glued in, while one decal option has the guns removed and the troughs faired over, so a little filling will be needed here. The prop has a clipped spinner that slips over the three-bladed prop, enclosing it by adding the back-plate that has a peg moulded into the rear to attach it to the nose. A tubular supercharger intake is applied to an outline on the port side of the engine cowling, and the single-part canopy is glued down, adding an aerial to the rear. At the rear the elevators are fixed in their slots and are supported by a pair of diagonal struts, then you can choose to load a bomb or additional fuel tank on a pylon on the centreline, adding a pitot and two horn balances to the ailerons while the model is inverted. A scrap diagram shows the correct placement for each carrier, although the diagram is a little on the small side for us older folks, so don’t forget your magnifier glass. Markings There are three decal sheets in the box, the stencils covered on the instruction sheet, and each of the decal options are wearing a similar dark green camouflage scheme, as shown on the rear of the box. From the box you can build on of the following: The decals are printed using a digital process and have good registration, sharpness, and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut loosely around the printed areas. This means that the carrier film on their decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier film free, making the completed decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the carrier film. It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view, and saves a good quantity of precious modelling time into the bargain. There are seatbelts and an instrument decal on the sheet, which should add a little realism to your finished cockpit. Conclusion If you’re a WWII modeller and like the Bf.109, the E-0 is an unusual option for your collection, with the red fuselage bands adding a bit of colour. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Kovozávody Prostějov (KP) is to release new tools 1/72nd and 1/48th Pilatus PC-9 kits. Source: https://www.modelarovo.cz/pilatus-pc-9a-b-m-1-72-kovozavody-prostejov/ The release from the 1/72nd kits is expected in late May 2024. I like the words "Royal Scale" for the 1/48th scale kits, expected (maybe) in Q3 2024. I also like the idea of a 1/48th PC-9 kit but to be honest the average quality of KP's latest productions is hardly encouraging. Time will tell. V.P.

Avia B-10 ‘Military’ (KPM0422) 1:72 Kovozávody Prostějov Designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia in the mid-1920s, The BH-10 was a civilian aircraft that was intended as an acrobatic sports plane, and unusually for the era, it was a monoplane. It was developed from the earlier BH-9, adding a tall anti-roll bar behind the pilot, as the aircraft had been known to nose-over, resulting in injury or death to the pilot in the open cockpit. Only twenty-one examples were built, ten of which were bought by the Czechoslovakian army and used under the designation B.10 as trainers for their newly formed air arm, the rest being used by civilian owners and flying clubs. It was powered by a small Walter NZ 60 engine that output 60hp through a two-bladed wooden propeller with a maximum speed of 100mph, below that of a modern passenger car, although granted that was in three dimensions, rather than just two. Of the small number that were built in the 20s, a few still survive in museums and collections around the world, which is quite surprising, considering that WWII was waiting in the wings only a decade later. The Kit This is the second boxing of a recent new tool from Kovozávody Prostějov of this little aircraft, and the kit arrives in a small end-opening box with a painting of a camouflaged B-10 being followed by another on the front, and the decal options on the rear. Inside the box is the same sprue of grey styrene as the civil BH-10, a small clear sprue, a decal sheet, and the instruction booklet printed in black and white on a folded sheet of A4, with a line drawn set of profiles on the back page. Despite the small size of the kit, detail is good, and includes a cockpit, some nice rib and fabric detail on the flying surfaces, and a representation of the five-cylinder Walter radial engine. Construction begins with the sub-assemblies, starting with painting the instrument panel, which has a staggering total of three whole instruments, typical of aviation’s early days. The engine is a single part, and benefits from being painted four contrasting shades, then the pilot’s seat is painted and has four-point decal seatbelts applied, before it is glued to the rear bulkhead of the cockpit, which has the floor added at a right angle. The cockpit is completed by a straight control column that inserts in a hole at the forward end of the control lines moulded into the floor. The fuselage has a little internal detail moulded-in, despite being only 6cm long, so after detail-painting, it is trapped between the fuselage halves along with the semi-circular instrument panel, inserting the elevators and tail fin into slots in the rear of the fuselage, adding a skid under the tail. The main gear is made from three V-shaped struts, linking them with an aerodynamically faired axle, which has the wheels applied to each end, allowing the model to stand on its own wheels (and skid). Each of the two wings are moulded as a single part, and have a lot of nice detail moulded-in, depicting the ribs, flying surfaces and fastenings, attaching to the fuselage sides on a pair of short pins. They are supported by a pair of thick struts, two on each side of the fuselage, and the instructions advise that there should be a small gap at the trailing edge of the wing, illustrated by a scrap view from above. The engine is exposed, and simply glues directly to the front of the fuselage on a large peg, showing off your work on painting it earlier. It is finished off by a two-bladed prop, and the model is completed by adding a choice of two styles of windscreen in front of the cockpit, and the highly visible triangular roll-over bar that is covered for aerodynamic reasons behind. Markings There are three decal options included on the sheet, two in more typical military colours, one in silver with a crest on the sides of the fuselage. From the box you can build one of the following: The decals are printed using a digital process and have good registration, sharpness, and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut loosely around the printed areas. This means that the carrier film on their decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier film free, making the completed decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the carrier film. It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view, and saves a good quantity of precious modelling time into the bargain. Conclusion The BH-10 was a new one on me, and its small stature was quite appealing, something that follows on with the militarised B-10, which other than the painting and decaling is identical to all intents and purposes. The surface detail is nicely done, and if you really want to push out the boat, you could add the exhaust stacks behind the engine from brass rod or tube. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Kovozávody Prostějov (KP) is to release a family of 1/72nd Cessna 150/152/180 & U-17 Skywagon kits Source: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234931186-azmodellegatoadmiral-wwii-aircraft-comments-questions-and-wishes/?p=1518104 V.P.

Avia BH-10 (KPM0421) 1:72 Kovozávody Prostějov Designed and manufactured in Czechoslovakia in the mid-1920s, The BH-10 was a civilian aircraft that was intended as an acrobatic sports plane, and unusually for the era, it was a monoplane. It was developed from the earlier BH-9, adding a tall anti-roll bar behind the pilot, as the aircraft had been known to nose-over, resulting in injury or death to the pilot in the open cockpit. Only twenty-one examples were built, ten of which were bought by the Czechoslovakian army and used under the designation B.10 as trainers for their newly formed air arm, the rest being used by civilian owners and flying clubs. It was powered by a small Walter NZ 60 engine that output 60hp through a two-bladed wooden propeller with a maximum speed of 100mph, below that of a modern passenger car, although granted that was in three dimensions, rather than just two. Of the small number that were built in the 20s, a few still survive in museums and collections around the world, which is quite surprising, considering that WWII was waiting in the wings only a decade later. The Kit This is the first boxing of a recent new tool from Kovozávody Prostějov of this little aircraft, and the kit arrives in a small end-opening box with a painting of a bright blue BH-10 on the front, and the decal options on the rear. Inside the box is just one sprue of grey styrene, a small clear sprue, a comparatively large decal sheet, and the instruction booklet printed in black and white on a folded sheet of A4, with a line drawn set of profiles on the back page. Despite the small size of the kit, detail is good, and includes a cockpit, some nice rib and fabric detail on the flying surfaces, and a representation of the five-cylinder Walter radial engine. Construction begins with the sub-assemblies, starting with painting the instrument panel, which has a staggering total of three whole instruments, typical of aviation’s early days. The engine is a single part, and benefits from being painted four contrasting shades, then the pilot’s seat is painted and has four-point decal seatbelts applied, before it is glued to the rear bulkhead of the cockpit, which has the floor added at a right angle. The cockpit is completed by a straight control column that inserts in a hole at the forward end of the control lines moulded into the floor. The fuselage has a little internal detail moulded-in, despite being only 6cm long, so after detail-painting, it is trapped between the fuselage halves along with the semi-circular instrument panel, inserting the elevators and tail fin into slots in the rear of the fuselage, adding a skid under the tail. The main gear is made from three V-shaped struts, linking them with an aerodynamically faired axle, which has the wheels applied to each end, allowing the model to stand on its own wheels (and skid). Each of the two wings are moulded as a single part, and have a lot of nice detail moulded-in, depicting the ribs, flying surfaces and fastenings, attaching to the fuselage sides on a pair of short pins. They are supported by a pair of thick struts, two on each side of the fuselage, and the instructions advise that there should be a small gap at the trailing edge of the wing, illustrated by a scrap view from above. The engine is exposed, and simply glues directly to the front of the fuselage on a large peg, showing off your work on painting it earlier. It is finished off by a two-bladed prop, and the model is completed by adding a choice of two styles of windscreen in front of the cockpit, and the highly visible triangular roll-over bar that is covered for aerodynamic reasons behind. Markings There are three decal options included on the sheet, two in a cream colour, one in blue as shown on the box art. From the box you can build one of the following: The decals are printed using a digital process and have good registration, sharpness, and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut loosely around the printed areas. This means that the carrier film on their decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier film free, making the completed decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the carrier film. It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view, and saves a good quantity of precious modelling time into the bargain. Conclusion The BH-10 is a new one on me, and its small stature is quite appealing. The surface detail is nicely done, and if you really want to push out the boat, you could add the exhaust stacks behind the engine from brass rod or tube. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Kovozávody Prostějov (KP) is to release 1/72nd Nieuport Ni.11 Bébé kits. - ref. KPM0449 - Nieuport Ni-11 Bébé - French Aces Source: https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/nieuport-ni-11-bebe-french-aces/ - ref. KPM0450 - Nieuport Ni-11 Bébé - Italian Aces Source: https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/nieuport-ni-11-bebe-italian-aces/ V.P.

Bf.109S ‘Kampf-Zweisitzer Emil’ (AZ7872) 1:72 AZ Model by Kovozávody Prostějov With almost 34,000 examples manufactured over a 10-year period, the Messerschmitt Bf.109 is one of the most widely produced aircraft in history and it saw active service in every theatre in which German armed forces were engaged. Initially designed in the mid-1930s, the Bf.109 shared a similar general arrangement with the Spitfire, employing monocoque construction and a V12 engine, albeit an inverted V with fuel injection rather than the carburettor used in the Spitfire. Initially designed as a lightweight interceptor, like many German types during WWII, the Bf.109 evolved beyond its original brief into a bomber escort, fighter bomber, night fighter, ground-attack and reconnaissance platform. The E variant, or Emil as it was more affectionately known was the first major revision of the original design, including an uprated engine and the attendant strengthening of the airframe that was required. It first saw service in the Legion Condor fighting in the Spanish civil war on the side of Nationalist forces of Military Dictator Franco, and then in the Battle of Britain where it came up against its nemeses the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane during the critical fight for the survival of the RAF and Britain, which was key to halting Operation Seelöwe, the invasion of Britain by the Nazis. Like the Spitfire it fought against, it was improved incrementally through different marks, the Emil was similarly tweaked to keep pace, with later variants having additional long-range tankage, plus structural improvements and a simpler squared-off canopy with clear frontal armour, but apart from various field modifications and a few low-volume sub-variants, it had reached the end of its tenure, and was phased out in favour of the Friedrich and later the Gustav. It’s known that the Gustav had a two-seat trainer variant, extending the cockpit to the rear to make space for another crew member, offsetting other equipment as necessary, but an Emil variant of the type isn’t so well documented. It’s possible that the origin of the Gustav’s trainer came from experience with a field modified Emil at some point, but it’s also very possible that this isn’t the case. The Kit This boxing is based on a 2020 tooling from AZ Model with a new fuselage sprue providing the same parts as the previous two-seat boxing, and it arrives in a small end-opening box with three sprues of grey styrene, a small separately bagged clear sprue, two decal sheets, and instruction booklet that is printed on both sides of a folded A4 sheet. Detail is good, and extends into the cockpit and wheel bays, as well as finely engraved panel lines with judicious use of riveting where they are most prominent on the real airframe. You may have noticed that there are two sets of fuselage halves, because the main sprue holds many of the parts that will be needed to complete the model, while the correct fuselage parts with two cockpits are moulded on a new sprue with more parts that are needed for the rear cockpit. Construction begins predictably with the two almost identical cockpits, adding decals to the instrument panels and detail painting the sidewalls that are moulded into the fuselage interiors. A double trim wheel and gunsight are made up for the forward pilot, the control column details painted with three colours, then the seats are inserted on the rails in the two cockpit rears, mounting the adjustment mechanism on the port side of the forward cockpit, which also has the trim wheels sited there. The forward instrument panel is fitted to the front bulkhead, while the rear panel is fitted to the divider between them and glued in place along with the control column, painting and installing the gunsight to add to the centre of the front coaming. The propeller is moulded as a three-bladed part that is sandwiched between the spinner and back-plate ready for closing of the fuselage. The cockpits are glued together into the starboard fuselage half after painting the interior and inserting the two airway parts in the nose for the chin-mounted oil-cooler before bringing the fuselage halves together, taking care that the inserts line up properly. The lower wings are full-span, and have radiator faces fitted, while the upper wings are in halves and have bay detail moulded-in, requiring a little detail painting as you go, sliding them into the cut-out in the lower fuselage, ensuring that there is the required dihedral on both sides, which should leave both wingtips 10mm from the ground when the model is placed upright on a flat surface. The main wheel legs are each single parts with a wheel placed on the axle at the bottom, and a captive gear bay door glued to the inner face, plugging into the inner end of the gear bays under the wing, which was a source of the type’s instability on the ground, leading to many nose-overs and much embarrassment. An insert over the engine cowling is installed along with a C-shaped carrier of two gun barrels and the prop, a supercharger intake fairing on the port side of the engine cowling, plus a tail-wheel with moulded-in strut. A belly-mounted fuel tank can be fitted, and the instructions note that its mount is offset to one side, making the tank from two halves if you intend to use it. If not, the underside is completed by a pitot-probe under the port wing, and mass-balance horns on the ailerons. With the model on its wheels, the single-part double-length canopy should be installed with a non-fogging glue, adding an aerial to the rear, and the elevators are slotted into the sides of the tail fin, supporting them with diagonal struts from underneath. Markings There are three decal options on the sheet, and the profiles can be found on the rear of the box, all in variations of early WWII camouflage, wearing a swastika on the tail. The stencil placement instructions can be found on the bottom of the back page of the instruction sheet, reducing the number of lines and confusion on the main profiles. If the kit has been dispatched to a locale where the swastika is frowned upon under law, the corner of the sheet will have been snipped off, otherwise it’s up to you whether you apply them for historical accuracy or not. From the box you can build one of the following: The decals are printed using a digital process and have good registration, sharpness, and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut loosely around the printed areas. This means that the carrier film on their decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier film free, making the completed decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the carrier film. It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view, and saves a good quantity of precious modelling time into the bargain. Conclusion Another two-seater 109 with new decal options for those that enjoy building in this scale. Detail is good, the decal choices interesting, and the number etched from the dotted camouflage option is reminiscent of a famous photo of a single-seater. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Aero Ae-45 (KPM0430) 1:72 Kovozávody Prostějov Designed by Czech company Aircraft Industries, who traded as Let, the Aero-45 was intended as a civilian utility aircraft, and was first flown in 1947, with the first production airframes completed after uneventful testing of the prototypes. Some say it could be based upon the Siebel 204, which was built in Czechoslovakia during WWII, but the likeness is purely from the front, and the sizes of the aircraft are substantially different. The fact that it has an aerodynamically smooth nose with flush glazing and twin engines slung under low-mounted wings probably led at least partially to those musings. Around 200 of the initial variant were made before the -45S was released, improving on the base model and altering the engine cowlings, with almost 230 built before the next variant came into existence. The -145 was larger than its predecessors, with seating for an extra passenger, bringing the total to 5, briefly toying with tricycle landing gear, and initially with a new 6-cylinder Walther Minor 6-III and then a newer M332 engine by Walther, who had by now changed their name to Motorlet, and were later produced by Avia. Almost 150 of those were built with other options in mind that never reached fruition, and an unlicensed copy of the 45S from China by the name of Sungari-1. The Kit This is the earliest variant of a new tooling that has been released by Kovozávody Prostějov in numerous boxings and a smattering of variants of this little aircraft. It arrives in a small end-opening box with a painting of the subject on the front, and the decal option profiles on the rear in full colour. Inside the box are two sprues of grey styrene, a clear sprue in a separate Ziploc bag, decal sheet, and the instruction booklet printed in black and white on a sheet of folded A4. Detail is good and typical of KP’s output, with a few options visible on the sprues and in the instructions, a well-detailed cockpit, and fine engraved panel lines on the exterior. Construction begins with the cockpit, which sits two abreast, mounting the seats on raised blocks and giving them decal seatbelts, adding trapezoid control columns and a dial decal to the instrument panel that is fixed in a slot near the front of the floor. Behind the crew, a two-part bench seat with more decal belts is glued over a cross-hatched area of the floor, installing the rear bulkhead behind, detail painting the completed assembly and putting it to one side while the engine nacelles are made. The two are built identically, using the halves that have no gills on the starboard cowlings, and using a cranked exhaust underneath, then setting them aside too. There is no detail within the gear bay sides in the rear of the nacelles, but there is some moulded into the upper wing depicting the roof, so if you have references to hand, a little strip styrene should improve matters on the walls if you think it will be seen. Attention shifts back to the fuselage, trapping the cockpit between the halves, adding a coaming, two quarter-lights behind the canopy, a landing light in the nose, and the canopy itself, which for this variant has more side frames than its successors. The tail fin is moulded into the fuselage, but the rudder is a separate part, and can be posed deflected if you wish. The elevators are each moulded as a single part that butt-joins to root fairings on either side of the tail, and would benefit from some pins to give the joints extra strength, helping to keep then perpendicular to the tail fin. The main wings are made from two halves that create the upper surface, and a single underside that extends out to the mid-wing, leaving the tips moulded in their entirety in the upper wings. There are a couple of ejector-pin marks on the underside of the outer panel, but they are in the middle of an open area away from panel lines and are raised, so shouldn’t take much effort to remove, which is always nice. The wings are mated with the fuselage, then the engine nacelles are brought in from below, taking care to align them as well as you can to reduce clean-up of seams. The main gear legs are simple struts with a cross-axle at the lower end, which accommodates the wheel, and is braced from behind by a long diagonal strut that is a separate part, bracketed by a pair of doors running down the sides of the gear bays. The tail wheel is fixed, and has the wheel moulded into the strut, slotting into the fuselage from below, then the two-blade props with blunt spinners applied to the front, one plugging into a hole in the front of each nacelle. An extended T-shaped pitot-probe is fitted into a hole in the underside of the port wing to complete the structural work on the model. If you're getting a little deja vu about the text, there are only so many ways you can describe putting 90% of the same parts together in the same order, so we didn't Markings There are three decal options on the small sheet, all wearing differing schemes, and based in different countries. From the box you can build one of the following: The decals are printed using a digital process and have good registration, sharpness, and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut loosely around the printed areas. This means that the carrier film on their decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier film free, making the completed decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the carrier film. It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view, and saves a good quantity of precious modelling time into the bargain. Conclusion A sleek and interesting little aircraft that has been well-depicted by Kovozávody Prostějov for you to create a nice model that has plenty of appeal, with a large range of options between the various boxings. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Source: https://www.modelarovo.cz/l-29-delfin-1-https://www.modelarovo.cz/l-29-delfin-1-72-kovozavody-prostejov/ "First traditional for you in close cooperation with AMK and MN modeler prepared for the end of April a kit of this beautiful machine in 1/72 scale. For KP the Delfín is an icon , the company’s first kit and the beginning of a whole pleiad of beautiful models continuing to this day. Originally we had in 3D CAD-CAM preparation our brand new model , but thanks to the offer of the above mentioned companies we finally agreed to buy nice mouldings from AMK company for which we are very grateful. Nevertheless, we used part of our 3D designs to produce new frames for the L-29R, L-29RS and single-seat aerobatic L-29A versions, which will suitably extend the original kit with other versions of the Delfín that are currently missing on the market. As always, there will be several covers and decal versions , so everyone interested in this kit can choose. We present you the first pictures from our „court“ painters Jaroslav Velc (the picture was originally created for our 1/32 model, which was resold to the cooperating company FLY together with Arad 96/Avia C-2) and Carlos Alonso from Spain. The models will be available at the beginning of May at all good retailers and E-shops for around 14.20,- Euro. We believe that this info will please those interested in Czechoslovak aviation and I can promise that this is not the last „piece“ of cooperation of the above mentioned companies. Important notice!!! Now in May we will release only the basic model of L-29 – AMK mouldings. L-29R, L-29RS and the single-seat aerobatic L-29A will be released during this year’s holidays!!!" V.P.

Aero Ae-145 Special Markings (KPM0434) 1:72 Kovozávody Prostějov Designed by Czech company Aircraft Industries, who traded as Let, the Aero-45 was intended as a civilian utility aircraft, and was first flown in 1947, with the first production airframes completed after uneventful testing of the prototypes. Some say it could be based upon the Siebel 204, which was built in Czechoslovakia during WWII, but the likeness is purely from the front, and the sizes of the aircraft are substantially different. The fact that it has an aerodynamically smooth nose with flush glazing and twin engines slung under low-mounted wings probably led at least partially to those musings. Around 200 of the initial variant were made before the -45S was released, improving on the base model and altering the engine cowlings, with almost 230 built before the next variant came into existence. The -145 was larger internally than its predecessors, with seating for an extra passenger, bringing the total to 5, briefly toying with tricycle landing gear, and initially with a new 6-cylinder Walther Minor 6-III and then a newer M332 engine by Walther, who had by now changed their name to Motorlet, and were later produced by Avia. Almost 150 of those were built with other options in mind that never reached fruition, and an unlicensed copy of the 45S from China by the name of Sungari-1. China sold three airframes to the Vietnam People’s Air Force, where they operated at the K-75, which was the same designation used by Czechoslovakia for their aircraft, which were used as police and army liaison aircraft post WWII and into the 50s. The Kit This is another boxing of a new tooling that has been released by Kovozávody Prostějov with several boxings and a smattering of variants of this little aircraft yet to come. It arrives in a small end-opening box with a painting of the subject on the front, and the decal option profiles on the rear in full colour. Inside the box are two sprues of grey styrene, a different clear sprue in a separate Ziploc bag, decal sheet, and the instruction booklet printed in black and white on a sheet of folded A4. Detail is good and typical of KP’s output, with a few options visible on the sprues and in the instructions, a well-detailed cockpit, and fine engraved panel lines on the exterior. Construction begins with the cockpit, which sits two abreast, mounting the seats on raised blocks and giving them decal seatbelts, adding trapezoid control columns and a dial decal to the instrument panel that is fixed in a slot near the front of the floor. Behind the crew, a two-part bench seat with more decal belts is glued over a cross-hatched area of the floor, installing the rear bulkhead behind, detail painting the completed assembly and putting it to one side while the engine nacelles are made. The two are built identically, using the halves that have gills on the starboard cowlings, and using a cranked exhaust to the starboard side of each one, then setting them aside too. There is no detail within the gear bay sides in the rear of the nacelles, but there is some moulded into the upper wing depicting the roof, so if you have references to hand, a little strip styrene should improve matters on the walls if you think it will be seen. Attention shifts back to the fuselage, trapping the cockpit between the halves, adding a coaming, two quarter-lights behind the canopy, a landing light in the nose, and the canopy itself, which for this variant has fewer frames than its predecessors. The tail fin is moulded into the fuselage, but the rudder is a separate part, and can be posed deflected if you wish. The elevators are each moulded as a single part that butt-joins to root fairings on either side of the tail, and would benefit from some pins to give the joints extra strength, helping to keep then perpendicular to the tail fin. The main wings are made from two halves that create the upper surface, and a single underside that extends out to the mid-wing, leaving the tips moulded in their entirety in the upper wings. There are a couple of ejector-pin marks on the underside of the outer panel, but they are in the middle of an open area away from panel lines and are raised, so shouldn’t take much effort to remove, which is always nice. The wings are mated with the fuselage, then the engine nacelles are brought in from below, taking care to align them as well as you can to reduce clean-up of seams. The main gear legs are simple struts with a cross-axle at the lower end, which accommodates the wheel, and is braced from behind by a long diagonal strut that is a separate part, bracketed by a pair of doors running down the sides of the gear bays. The tail wheel is fixed, and has the wheel moulded into the strut, slotting into the fuselage from below, then the two-blade props with longer spinners applied to the front, one plugging into a hole in the front of each nacelle. An extended T-shaped pitot-probe is fitted into a hole in the underside of the port wing to complete the structural work on the model. Markings There are three decal options on the small sheet, all wearing differing schemes, and based in different countries. From the box you can build one of the following: The decals are printed using a digital process and have good registration, sharpness, and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut loosely around the printed areas. This means that the carrier film on their decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier film free, making the completed decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the carrier film. It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view, and saves a good quantity of precious modelling time into the bargain. Conclusion A sleek and interesting little aircraft that has been well-depicted by Kovozávody Prostějov for you to create a nice model that has plenty of appeal. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Kovozávody Prostějov (KP) is to release 1/72nd Nieuport Ni.16 kits. - ref. KPM0451 - Nieuport Ni-16 - Aces Source: https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/nieuport-ni-16-aces/ - ref. KPM0452 - Nieuport Ni-16 - Other services Source: https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/nieuport-ni-16-other-services/ V.P.

Aero K-75 Military (KPM0429) 1:72 Kovozávody Prostějov Designed by Czech company Aircraft Industries, who traded as Let, the Aero-45 was intended as a civilian utility aircraft, and was first flown in 1947, with the first production airframes completed after uneventful testing of the prototypes. Some say it could be based upon the Siebel 204, which was built in Czechoslovakia during WWII, but the likeness is purely from the front, and the sizes of the aircraft are substantially different. The fact that it has an aerodynamically smooth nose with flush glazing and twin engines slung under low-mounted wings probably led at least partially to those musings. Around 200 of the initial variant were made before the -45S was released, improving on the base model and altering the engine cowlings, with almost 230 built before the next variant came into existence. The -145 was larger than its predecessors, with seating for an extra passenger, bringing the total to 5, briefly toying with tricycle landing gear, and initially with a new 6-cylinder Walther Minor 6-III and then a newer M332 engine by Walther, who had by now changed their name to Motorlet, and were later produced by Avia. Almost 150 of those were built with other options in mind that never reached fruition, and an unlicensed copy of the 45S from China by the name of Sungari-1. China sold three airframes to the Vietnam People’s Air Force, where they operated at the K-75, which was the same designation used by Czechoslovakia for their aircraft, which were used as police and army liaison aircraft post WWII and into the 50s. The Kit This is another boxing of a new tooling that has been released by Kovozávody Prostějov with several boxings and a smattering of variants of this little aircraft yet to come. It arrives in a small end-opening box with a painting of the subject on the front, and the decal option profiles on the rear in full colour. Inside the box are two sprues of grey styrene, a clear sprue in a separate Ziploc bag, decal sheet, and the instruction booklet printed in black and white on a sheet of folded A4. Detail is good and typical of KP’s output, with a few options visible on the sprues and in the instructions, a well-detailed cockpit, and fine engraved panel lines on the exterior. Construction begins with the cockpit, which sits two abreast, mounting the seats on raised blocks and giving them decal seatbelts, adding trapezoid control columns and a dial decal to the instrument panel that is fixed in a slot near the front of the floor. Behind the crew, a two-part bench seat with more decal belts is glued over a cross-hatched area of the floor, installing the rear bulkhead behind, detail painting the completed assembly and putting it to one side while the engine nacelles are made. The two are built identically, using the halves that have gills on the starboard cowlings, and using a cranked exhaust to the starboard side of each one, then setting them aside too. There is no detail within the gear bay sides in the rear of the nacelles, but there is some moulded into the upper wing depicting the roof, so if you have references to hand, a little strip styrene should improve matters on the walls if you think it will be seen. Attention shifts back to the fuselage, trapping the cockpit between the halves, adding a coaming, two quarter-lights behind the canopy, a landing light in the nose, and the canopy itself, which for this variant has more side frames than its successors. The tail fin is moulded into the fuselage, but the rudder is a separate part, and can be posed deflected if you wish. The elevators are each moulded as a single part that butt-joins to root fairings on either side of the tail, and would benefit from some pins to give the joints extra strength, helping to keep then perpendicular to the tail fin. The main wings are made from two halves that create the upper surface, and a single underside that extends out to the mid-wing, leaving the tips moulded in their entirety in the upper wings. There are a couple of ejector-pin marks on the underside of the outer panel, but they are in the middle of an open area away from panel lines and are raised, so shouldn’t take much effort to remove, which is always nice. The wings are mated with the fuselage, then the engine nacelles are brought in from below, taking care to align them as well as you can to reduce clean-up of seams. The main gear legs are simple struts with a cross-axle at the lower end, which accommodates the wheel, and is braced from behind by a long diagonal strut that is a separate part, bracketed by a pair of doors running down the sides of the gear bays. The tail wheel is fixed, and has the wheel moulded into the strut, slotting into the fuselage from below, then the two-blade props with longer spinners applied to the front, one plugging into a hole in the front of each nacelle. An extended T-shaped pitot-probe is fitted into a hole in the underside of the port wing to complete the structural work on the model. Markings There are three decal options on the small sheet, all wearing differing schemes, and based in different countries. From the box you can build one of the following: The decals are printed using a digital process and have good registration, sharpness, and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut loosely around the printed areas. This means that the carrier film on their decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier film free, making the completed decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the carrier film. It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view, and saves a good quantity of precious modelling time into the bargain. Conclusion A sleek and interesting little aircraft in military service that has been well-depicted by Kovozávody Prostějov for you to create a nice model in some unusual schemes that has plenty of appeal. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Messerschmitt Bf.109T-2 Toni over the North Sea (AZ7873) 1:72 AZ Model by Kovozávody Prostějov The Messerschmitt Bf.109 was certainly the most numerous, and probably the best known of all the aircraft used by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War. Almost 34,000 examples were produced between 1937 and 1945, and the type saw active service in every theatre in which German armed forces were engaged. Driven initially by the relatively low powered Junkers Jumo engine, and later by various iterations of the more powerful Daimler Benz DB600 series of inverted V-12 engines, the later variants of the Bf.109 could achieve speeds of up to 400mph. When Germany first laid down the ill-fated Aircraft Carrier DKM Graf Zeppelin in 1936, the question of its complement of aircraft was already settled. It would carry a variant of the Bf.109 as a fighter, and the doughty Ju.87 Stuka as bomber, and as such was engineered with those airframes in mind, averting the need to have folding wings that add weight to an aircraft. The 109 was given the variant T for Träger, which mean Carrier in English. It had extended wings with larger flying surfaces, plus a tail-hook and catapult launch gear for taking off and landing on carriers. The T-1 was the first airframe to be completed, and underwent catapult tests before it was ordered in small numbers. With the cancellation of the carrier, those airframes were apportioned elsewhere, and a T-2 variant was created without the carrier specific components. Some of the T-1s were cross-graded to T-2 standard, which found their way to Norway with 11./JG 11, and when the carrier project was temporarily re-started it was decided that the T was outdated by then, so an alternative was sought. That too was re-assigned in a remarkable chronologically close case of history repeating itself, while the T-2s continued in service in Norway until mid-1944, flying from Lister Base, after which time any remaining airframes were used as trainers. As far as we know none of them survived the war or the culling of Axis hardware that followed it, but if you extended the wings of a full-sized Bf.109E-4/N that you happened to have lying around with the DB601N engine, you’d be 90% of the way there. The Kit This boxing is based on a 2020 tooling from AZ Model, and it arrives in a small end-opening box with three sprues of grey styrene, a small separately bagged clear sprue, two decal sheets, and instruction booklet that is printed in colour on both sides of a folded A4 sheet. Detail is good, and extends into the cockpit and wheel bays, as well as finely engraved panel lines with judicious use of riveting where they are most prominent on the real airframe. You may have noticed that there are two sets of wings, because the main sprue holds many of the parts that will be needed to complete the model, while the correct wing parts with longer span are moulded on a new sprue on their own. Construction begins predictably with the cockpit, adding decals to the instrument panel and detail painting the sidewalls that are moulded into the fuselage interiors. A double trim wheel is made up, the control column detail painted with three shades, then the seat with decal seatbelts is inserted on the rails in the cockpit rear, mounting the adjustment mechanism on the port side, which also has the trim wheels sited there. The instrument panel is fitted to the front bulkhead and glued in place along with the control column, painting and installing the gunsight to add to the centre of the coaming. The propeller is moulded as a three-bladed part that is sandwiched between the spinner and back-plate, with a choice of two spinner types, one without the centreline cannon installed. The cockpit is glued into the starboard fuselage half after painting the interior and inserting the two air-path parts in the nose under the exhaust stubs for the chin-mounted oil-cooler before bringing the fuselage halves together, taking care that the inserts line up properly. The lower wings are full-span save for the tips, and have separate radiator faces fitted inside, while the new upper wings are in longer halves and have bay structure moulded-in, requiring a little detail painting as you go, sliding the completed assembly into the cut-out in the lower fuselage, ensuring that there is the required dihedral on both sides, which should leave both wingtips 10mm from the ground when the model is placed upright on a flat surface, although whether this remains true given the longer wingspan, I don’t know, as it’s a standard diagram. You could use the standard wings as a marking guide to place supports for measuring near the tip of the extended parts. The main wheel legs are each single parts with a wheel placed on the axle at the bottom, and a captive gear bay door glued to the inner face, plugging into the inner end of the gear bays under the wing, which was a source of the type’s instability on the ground, leading to many nose-overs and associated embarrassment. A scrap diagram from the side shows the forward canting of the gear legs once installed. An insert over the engine cowling is prepared by adding a pair of gun barrel stubs linked together on a carrier from inside the troughs, with the option of drilling out the barrels to add realism. The cowling is installed over the engine along with the prop to the front, plus the air-intake fairing on the port side of the cowling, and a tail-wheel with moulded-in strut. A pair of wing-mounted cannons are slotted into holes in the leading-edge, just outboard of the prop’s rotation. A belly-mounted fuel tank or bomb can be fitted, and the instructions note that its mount is offset to one side, making the tank or bomb from two halves if you intend to use either option. If not, the underside is completed by a pitot-probe under the port wing, and mass-balance horns on the ailerons. With the model on its wheels, the single-part canopy is installed with extra armour externally using a non-fogging glue, adding an aerial to the aft portion, and slotting the elevators into the sides of the tail fin, supporting them with diagonal struts from underneath. Markings There are three decal options on the sheet, and the profiles can be found on the rear of the box, in variations that make heavy use of mottling. If the kit has been dispatched to a locale where that Swastika symbol is frowned upon or forbidden under law, the corner of the sheet will have been snipped off, otherwise it’s up to you whether you apply them for historical accuracy or not. From the box you can build one of the following: The decals are printed using a digital process and have good registration, sharpness, and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut loosely around the printed areas. This means that the carrier film on their decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier film free, making the completed decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the carrier film. It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view, and saves a good quantity of precious modelling time into the bargain. Conclusion Those that often complain about “another 109” might just like this one, as it’s not a standard ‘Yellow-Nosed Bleeper’ option, and its longer wings will be evident when positioned next to a more standard 109 in the cabinet. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Kovozávody Prostějov (KP) is to release a 1/72nd Fokker S-11/T-21 Instructor kits. - ref. KPM0371 - Fokker S-11 Instructor Source: https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/fokker-s-11-instructor/ - ref. KPM0372 - Fokker S-11 Instructor - Israël Source: https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/fokker-s-11-instructor-israel/ - ref. KPM0373 - Fokker T-21 Instructor Source: https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/fokker-t-21-instructor/ - ref. KPM0374 - Aermacchi M.416 Source: https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/aermacchi-m-416/ V.P.

Aero Ae-45S (KPM0431) Super Aero Part.1 1:72 Kovozávody Prostějov Designed by Czech company Aircraft Industries, who traded as Let, the Aero-45 was intended as a civilian utility aircraft, and was first flown in 1947, with the first production airframes completed after uneventful testing of the prototypes. Some say it could be based upon the Siebel 204, which was built in Czechoslovakia during WWII, but the likeness is purely from the front, and the sizes of the aircraft are substantially different. The fact that it has an aerodynamically smooth nose with flush glazing and twin engines slung under low-mounted wings probably led at least partially to those musings. Around 200 of the initial variant were made before the -45S was released, improving on the base model and altering the engine cowlings, with almost 230 built before the next variant came into existence. The -145 was larger than its predecessors, with seating for an extra passenger, bringing the total to 5, briefly toying with tricycle landing gear, and initially with a new 6-cylinder Walther Minor 6-III and then a newer M332 engine by Walther, who had by now changed their name to Motorlet, and were later produced by Avia. Almost 150 of those were built with other options in mind that never reached fruition, and an unlicensed copy of the 45S from China by the name of Sungari-1. The Kit This is the first of a new tooling that has been released by Kovozávody Prostějov in numerous boxings and a smattering of variants of this little aircraft. It arrives in a small end-opening box with a painting of the subject on the front, and the decal option profiles on the rear in full colour. Inside the box are two sprues of grey styrene, a clear sprue in a separate Ziploc bag, decal sheet, and the instruction booklet printed in black and white on a sheet of folded A4. Detail is good and typical of KP’s output, with a few options visible on the sprues and in the instructions, a well-detailed cockpit, and fine engraved panel lines on the exterior. Construction begins with the cockpit, which sits two abreast, mounting the seats on raised blocks and giving them decal seatbelts, adding trapezoid control columns and a dial decal to the instrument panel that is fixed in a slot near the front of the floor. Behind the crew, a two-part bench seat with more decal belts is glued over a cross-hatched area of the floor, installing the rear bulkhead behind, detail painting the completed assembly and putting it to one side while the engine nacelles are made. The two are built identically, using the halves that have gills on the starboard cowlings, and using a cranked exhaust to the starboard side of each one, then setting them aside too. There is no detail within the gear bay sides in the rear of the nacelles, but there is some moulded into the upper wing depicting the roof, so if you have references to hand, a little strip styrene should improve matters on the walls if you think it will be seen. Attention shifts back to the fuselage, trapping the cockpit between the halves, adding a coaming, two quarter-lights behind the canopy, a landing light in the nose, and the canopy itself, which for this variant has more side frames than its successors. The tail fin is moulded into the fuselage, but the rudder is a separate part, and can be posed deflected if you wish. The elevators are each moulded as a single part that butt-joins to root fairings on either side of the tail, and would benefit from some pins to give the joints extra strength, helping to keep then perpendicular to the tail fin. The main wings are made from two halves that create the upper surface, and a single underside that extends out to the mid-wing, leaving the tips moulded in their entirety in the upper wings. There are a couple of ejector-pin marks on the underside of the outer panel, but they are in the middle of an open area away from panel lines and are raised, so shouldn’t take much effort to remove, which is always nice. The wings are mated with the fuselage, then the engine nacelles are brought in from below, taking care to align them as well as you can to reduce clean-up of seams. The main gear legs are simple struts with a cross-axle at the lower end, which accommodates the wheel, and is braced from behind by a long diagonal strut that is a separate part, bracketed by a pair of doors running down the sides of the gear bays. The tail wheel is fixed, and has the wheel moulded into the strut, slotting into the fuselage from below, then the two-blade props with longer spinners applied to the front, one plugging into a hole in the front of each nacelle. An extended T-shaped pitot-probe is fitted into a hole in the underside of the port wing to complete the structural work on the model. Markings There are three decal options on the small sheet, all wearing differing schemes, and based in different countries. From the box you can build one of the following: The decals are printed using a digital process and have good registration, sharpness, and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut loosely around the printed areas. This means that the carrier film on their decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier film free, making the completed decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the carrier film. It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view, and saves a good quantity of precious modelling time into the bargain. Conclusion A sleek and interesting little aircraft that has been well-depicted by Kovozávody Prostějov for you to create a nice model that has plenty of appeal. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of