Search the Community

Spitfire Mk.IXc Club Line Kit (CLK0006) Pilot Sqn. Leader Johnny Plagis 1:72 Kovozávody Prostějov The Supermarine Spitfire was the mainstay of British Fighter Command for the majority of WWII, in conjunction with the Hurricane during the Battle of Britain, with the Mk.IX being the most popular (with many) throughout the war, seeing extended periods of production with only minor alterations for the role that it was intended for that differentiated between the sub-variants. Originally requested to counter the superiority of the then-new Fw.190, a two-stage supercharged Merlin designated type 61 provided performance in spades, and the fitting of twin wing-mounted cannons in wing blisters gave it enough punch to take down its diminutive Butcher-Bird prey. The suffix following the mark number relates to the wings fitted to the aircraft, as they could vary. The C wing was also known as the Universal Wing, and saw extensive use because it mounted two 20mm cannon in each wing, the outer barrel usually covered by a rubber plug. The main gear was adjusted in an effort to give it more stable landing characteristics, and bowed gear bays removed the need for blisters on the upper wing surface, helping aerodynamics. The gun mounts were redesigned to need smaller blisters in the wing tops to accommodate the feeder motors, and there was even more room for fuel than earlier wings. Lastly, the wings were able to have longer or clipped tips fitted, the resulting shorter wingspan giving the aircraft a faster roll-rate, which would be useful in low-altitude combat especially. The Kit The original tooling of this kit debuted in 2012, so is still a relatively modern tooling. This reboxing with a special decal sheet under the Club Line branding arrives in a small end-opening box with a painting of the subject just completing a victory over a fiery Fw.190, and on the rear there are four profile views of the decal option, as well as some words about the pilot, Sqn. Leader Johnny Plagis. Inside are two sprues in grey styrene, a single canopy part in clear styrene, two sheets of decals and the instruction sheet that is also intended for E-wing Spits, so take care to follow the appropriate instructions when building your model. Detail is crisp, and the outer skin of the model has a polished surface that shows off the engraved panel lines and restrained rivets. Construction begins with the cockpit that a lot of modellers will find instantly familiar. There is a decal for the instrument panel, and the Mk.IXc uses an unaltered armour panel behind the seat. The control column, mass of greeblies in the footwell and the Bakelite resin seat with pencil quilted cushion in the rear are all added during the painting process, with plenty of additional detail moulded into the interior face of the fuselage, although possibly a little soft by today’s standards. The cramped cockpit and scale means that this probably won’t notice however. The fuselage is closed up around the cockpit and exhaust stacks that are inserted from inside, and a gunsight is applied to the top of the instrument panel. The wings are full span out to the tips on the underside, and have narrow boxes glued over the tunnel where the struts rest in flight, before the upper wings are dropped over the top and glued down. For the C-wing, the tips, gun barrels and shallow blister fairings are all fitted into their respective spots, taking extra care to get the blisters aligned with the airflow and each other, as there are no pegs or outlines to follow. It might be wise to glue them on before the fuselage is between them, making alignment easier. Under the wings are two big box fairings for the radiators, which have front and rear faces fitted within, their location shown by cross-hatching in the shallow bay in which the parts sit. An offset T-shaped pitot probe is inserted into the port side of the wing, then the landing gear with separate oleo-scissors and captive bay doors are made up along with the chin scoops of long and short variety. The fuselage is inserted into the space between the wing uppers, a choice of elevators are slotted into the tail, with another choice of two styles of rudders plus the tail wheel underneath. By this time the Spit’s extra power was being delivered by a four-bladed prop, which is a single part clamped in place between the spinner cap and back plate, joined by the longer chin scoop on the C-wing variant. A choice of two tyre types are fitted to the axles at the end of the main gear legs, the other end of which is inserted into a hole in the inner edge of the bays. A scrap diagram shows the correct angle of the revised undercarriage from the front. Markings The stencils for this kit are shown on the back of the instruction sheet using quite small diagrams, but a lot of us could probably put them in the correct place blindfolded, but if you’re not one of those, just make sure your glasses or magnifier are to hand. There is just one decal option in this boxing, but that’s the whole point of the Club Line. From the box you can build the following: The decals are well-printed in good register, with a thin glossy carrier film close to the printed edges for the most part, but with a few that are a little larger. This shouldn’t cause too much of an issue however, as the film is thin and has a relatively soft edge. There are seatbelts and an instrument decal on the sheet, which should add a little realism to your finished cockpit. Conclusion A Spitfire model is a pretty easy sell to most modellers, and this one no different, having the additional interest of being the mount of a well-known Rhodesian pilot that fought against the Nazis during WWII, with 16 confirmed kills, many of which were over Malta. It’s also keenly priced. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Sk 61 Bulldog In Swedish Service (KPM0300) 1:72 Kovozávody Prostějov The Bulldog was originally designed by Beagle Aircraft, who sadly went bust before they could honour any orders for this two-seat prop-driven trainer, the first customer being Sweden. A new concern, Scottish Aviation took over and brought the Bulldog to market where it was used most notably by the RAF and Swedish Air Force, but by other countries too, as we’ll find out in later boxings. There were several models made, many of which were designed for the export market, with the RAF using the 121 as the T.1, while the 101 was developed for Sweden, where it was designated Sk 61 in the Air Force, or Fpl 61 in army use. The Swedish aircraft differed mainly due to the additional two seats in the rear of the crew compartment behind the pilots who sat two abreast, with a wide expanse of Perspex giving excellent forward visibility over the relatively short nose. The last RAF airframes left service just after the new millennium, and many have gone into private hands from all variants across the world. The now familiar Grob Tutor replaced the Bulldog as the entry-level trainer with the RAF and continues to serve today, with some avionics upgrades to keep pace with technology. The Kit This is the third in a new range of boxings in 1:72 from KP that brings modern levels of detail to this scale. The kit arrives in a small end-opening box with an attractive painting of the type on the front and the profiles for the decal options on the rear. Inside is a single sprue in grey styrene, a small clear sprue, decal sheet and instruction booklet, the clear parts safely enclosed in their own Ziploc bag. Detail is good, although there’s a tiny amount of flash here and there, but it’s minimal and mostly confined to the sprue runners. If you’ve been reading the reviews of the various boxings, you’ll be getting a feeling of déjà vu around about now, but when a similar model is put together in exactly the same way, what more can one say? Construction starts predictably with the cockpit, with the blank instrument panel receiving an instrument decal to detail it, and both seats getting decal belts. Check your references to see whether the option you want to depict will have the rear seats fitted, but you’ll have to make those up yourself as they’re not included in the box. The floor is moulded into the one-part wing and has raised areas for the seats that are detailed with a pair of control columns, centre console and rear bulkhead, while the instrument panel is glued into the front of the cockpit opening after closing up the fuselage halves. A pair of side windows pop in from the inside, and the front is closed up by adding the nose cowling, which has a depiction of the front bank of piston inserted behind it that will show through the oval intakes either side of the raised prop shaft surround. The wings and fuselage are joined, and the single-part elevators with their ribbed flying surfaces moulded-in are glued into their slots in the rear. The canopy is a single piece that has the framing engraved in, and it’s a crystal-clear part that will show off your work on the interior once its finished. There are a couple of choices of antennae on the spine behind the cockpit, and a clear landing light fits into a recess in the leading edge of the starboard wing. To finish off the build, the landing gear legs are glued onto raised teardrop shapes under the cockpit, and it might be an idea to drill and pin these for extra strength, with the one-part wheels attached to the stub-axle on each leg. The nose leg has its oleo-scissor link moulded in, and the wheel fixes to the axle moulded into the one-sided yoke. The two bladed prop is moulded as one piece with a spinner sliding over it, and behind it there’s a cowling under the nose with two exhaust stacks sticking out, then at the rear are another pair of antenna and a blade antenna under the trailing edge of the wing/fuselage. Markings The stencils are numerous and they are covered on the rear of the instruction booklet to avoid overly-busy diagrams on the back of the box, and there are three decal options, from which you can build one of the following: The decals are well-printed in good register, with a thin glossy carrier film close to the printed edges for the most part, but with a few that are a little larger. This shouldn’t cause too much of an issue however, as the film is thin and has a relatively soft edge. There are seatbelts and an instrument decal on the sheet, which should add a little realism to your finished cockpit. Conclusion The Bulldog is a small aircraft, so the model is commensurately small and a simple build that’s very friendly to your pocket. Clean up those moulding seams and you should end up with a really nice replica of this Swedish trainer. If you don’t do it in splinter camo, I’ll be coming round to slash your tyres. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Kovozávody Prostějov (KP) is to release in 2021 a family of 1/72nd Hawker Tempest kits. Source: http://www.modelarovo.cz/novinky-kovozavody-prostejov-na-1-q-2021/ - ref. KPM0219 - Tempest Mk.V - Wing Commanders https://www.aviationmegastore.com/hawker-tempest-mkv-wing-commanders-kovozvody-prostejov-kpm72219-scale-modelling/product/?action=prodinfo&art=175515 - ref. KPM0220 - Tempest Mk.V - Clostermann https://www.aviationmegastore.com/hawker-tempest-mkv-clostermann-kovozvody-prostejov-kpm72220-scale-modelling/product/?action=prodinfo&art=175516 - ref. KPM0221 - Tempest Mk.V - Srs.1 https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/KPM72222 https://www.aviationmegastore.com/hawker-tempest-mkv-srs-1-kovozvody-prostejov-kpm72221-scale-modelling/product/?action=prodinfo&art=177481 - ref. KPM0222 - Tempest Mk.V - 486.(NZ) SQ https://www.aviationmegastore.com/hawker-tempest-mkv-no-486nzsq-kovozvody-prostejov-kpm72222-scale-modelling/product/?action=prodinfo&art=175517 - ref. KPM0226 - Tempest Mk.II - Export - ref. KPM0227 - Tempest Mk.II/F.2 - ref. KPM0228 - Tempest F.2 - Silver Wings V.P.

Cessna U-17A Skywagon (KPM0231) 1:72 Kovozávody Prostějov Cessna have a history of producing civil aircraft with the occasional military variant forthcoming now and again. The C-185 was a development of their own 180 series, which was a 4-6 passenger light aircraft although the last two passengers would have to be children or headless. It had a strengthened fuselage and more powerful motor from Continental (with some exceptions) that allowed it to fly at a maximum speed of almost 180mph. It first flew in 1960, with production beginning the next year and continuing well into the 80s, with a hiatus after which a reduced selections of variants were available of both the 185 and the 180 from which it was developed. The military U-17 was sold in numbers and a few variants by America to various overseas customers, many from South America but also other parts of the world where cost was a major consideration. Like many Cessna aircraft it was a jack of all trades, but the back seats are particularly cramped, and only just qualify as back seats because of children needing less headroom, so many operators and owners removed them and used the space for baggage or equipment. Its rugged engineering and fuel-injected engine led to a light maintenance burden, and it was a relatively easy aircraft to fly although it is known to be somewhat tail heavy at times. Its low stall speed of just under 60mph was particularly useful when landing in very cramped fields in remote places, which could be advantageous, especially if carrying out clandestine missions. Although production finished to all intents and purposes in the early 80s, there are still a good number of the civilian variants pottering around, although not so many of the militarised version survive. The Kit This is a new tooling from KP, and it’s the initial military boxing. The Skywagon is a relatively small aircraft even in 1:1, but at 1:72, it’s about the size of a WWII fighter, so arrives in the same style of small end-opening box, with a single sprue of parts in grey styrene, plus a separately bagged clear sprue, a sheet of decals and a short instruction booklet. Staring at the solitary sprue, there is a little flash in evidence on the sprues, a modicum of which has strayed onto the parts themselves, but it’s quick work getting rid of it and is always preferable to short-shot parts. The surface of the aircraft’s skin is moulded with finely engraved panel lines and a few rivets, with a choice of two rudder fins, wheel types and a two- or three-bladed prop, as either could be fitted at the owner or operator’s preference. One of the tails and an underslung stowage locker aren’t used on this edition of the kit, but will doubtless come in useful for other boxings. Construction begins with the cockpit, which is based around the floor, which has moulded-in rudder pedals and a shallow centre console, plus bases for the twin front seats, and the bench-style rear seats, then a bulkhead behind where the fifth and six seats would otherwise be. The seats have decal shoulder straps, and the instrument panel has a decal included to add some detail to the area before inserting the yokes in the left, right or both as befits your decal choice. The fuselage halves are prepped by adding three window panes in each side, and upon joining the halves together around the cockpit, a front bulkhead is inserted too, but you are advised to adjust this by sanding in order to get a good fit with the fuselage and the rounded windscreen part. The fuselage is completed by adding the front of the engine cowling with the two mirrored D-shaped intakes and central hole for the prop shaft. The elevators are both single parts each and have the prototypical corrugated flying surfaces moulded-in, as does the full-width wing, which has curved tips moulded-in, but they can be cut off and replaced by a pair of straight tips that are on the sprues. A pair of strakes are added to the half-way joint on the topside, and a clear lens is inserted into the leading edge of the port wing, then the wing is glued to the top of the cockpit to form its roof, so remember to paint inside. The wing supports stretch from holes in the underside of the wing to the sides of the fuselage, and the landing gear struts are mounted in more holes nearby, with two-part tyres at the end of each. The instructions include mounting twin rocket-launchers under each wing for the military variant, as it was capable of carrying light armament if necessary, although this was by no means its primary role. The tail-wheel with integral strut is mounted under the rear. You have a choice of three props, two blades with or without spinner, and a three-bladed unit with a different spinner for obvious reasons. Adding the rudder finishes the structural part of the build, then you have a choice of three sensor fits on the top of the fuselage. The first option has a single blade antenna on the spine, the second has a raised blister in the same place, while the third has twin blades over the cockpit, and another two on the starboard fuselage just next to the tail fillet. There may also be some additional antenna fits for the various decal options, so check the profiles on the back of the box and your references if you want to get it as accurate as possible, as I spotted one under the belly that’s not mentioned in the instructions. Markings There are three decal options on the sheet, all of which are camouflaged for their role in the military. From the box you can build one of the following: Cessna U-17A, 291, Greek Air Force Cessna U-17A, 721, South African Air Force Cessna U-17A, Jamaica Defence Force, Jamaica The decals are well-printed in good register, with a thin glossy carrier film close to the printed edges for the most part, but with a few that are a little larger. This shouldn’t cause too much of an issue however, as the film is thin and has a relatively soft edge. There are seatbelts and an instrument decal on the sheet, which should add a little realism to your finished cockpit. Conclusion This is the first group of kits in injection moulded plastic of this type in any scale, so if you’re in the market for one and you find some unusual military operators in camouflage attractive, you now have what you’ve been waiting for! Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Cessna C-185 Skywagon (KPM0234) 1:72 Kovozávody Prostějov Cessna have a history of producing civil aircraft with the occasional military variant forthcoming now and again. The C-185 was a development of their own 180 series, which was a 4-6 passenger light aircraft although the last two passengers would have to be children or headless. It had a strengthened fuselage and more powerful motor from Continental (with some exceptions) that allowed it to fly at a maximum speed of almost 180mph. It first flew in 1960, with production beginning the next year and continuing well into the 80s, with a hiatus after which a reduced selections of variants were available of both the 185 and the 180 from which it was developed. Like many Cessna aircraft it was a jack of all trades, and it found itself being used in many situations, even with floats added to some airframes so they could land and take-off from rivers, lakes and even the sea. The back seats are particularly cramped, and only just qualify as back seats because of children needing less headroom, so many owners removed them and used the space for baggage or for some other function. Its rugged engineering and fuel-injected engine leads to a light maintenance burden, and it is a relatively easy aircraft to fly although it is known to be somewhat tail heavy at times. Its low stall speed of just under 60mph led to some aircraft being fitted with balloon tyres and used as bush aircraft, landing in very cramped places at the back of beyond. Although production finished properly in the early 80s, there are still a good number of the type about. The Kit This is a new tooling from KP, and it’s a very civil offering. The Skywagon is a relatively small aircraft even in 1:1, but at 1:72, it’s about the size of a WWII fighter, so arrives in the same style of small end-opening box, with a single sprue of parts in grey styrene, plus a separately bagged clear sprue, a sheet of decals and a short instruction booklet. Staring at the solitary sprue, there is a little flash in evidence on the sprues, a soupçon of which has strayed onto the parts themselves, but it’s quick work getting rid of it and is always much better than short-shot parts. The surface of the aircraft’s skin is moulded with finely engraved panel lines and a few rivets, with a choice of two rudder fins, wheel types and a two- or three-bladed prop, as either could be fitted at the owner or maintainer’s preference. One of the tails and an underslung stowage locker aren’t used on this edition of the kit, but will come in useful for other boxings. Construction begins with the cockpit, which is based around the floor, which has moulded-in rudder pedals and a shallow centre console, plus bases for the twin front seats, and the bench-style rear seats, then a bulkhead behind where the fifth and six seats would otherwise be. The seats have decal shoulder straps, and the instrument panel has a decal included to add some detail to the area before inserting the yokes in the left, right or both as befits your decal choice. The fuselage halves are prepped by adding three window panes in each side, and upon joining the halves together around the cockpit, a front bulkhead is inserted too, but you are advised to adjust this by sanding in order to get a good fit with the fuselage and the rounded windscreen part. The fuselage is completed by adding the front of the engine cowling with the two mirrored D-shaped intakes and central hole for the prop shaft. The elevators are both single parts each and have the prototypical corrugated flying surfaces moulded-in, as does the full-width wing, which has curved tips moulded-in, but they can be cut off and replaced by a pair of straight tips that are on the sprues. A pair of strakes are added to the half-way joint on the topside, and a clear lens is inserted into the leading edge of the port wing, then the wing is glued to the top of the cockpit to form its roof, so remember to paint inside. The wing supports stretch from holes in the underside of the wing to the sides of the fuselage, and the landing gear struts are mounted in more holes nearby, with two part tyres at the end of each. The instructions mention mounting twin rocket-launchers under each wing, but that’s for the military variant. You wouldn’t be very popular with control if you pressed the wrong button and launched a few rockets at them on approach. The tail-wheel with integral strut is mounted under the rear. You have a choice of three props, two blades with or without spinner, and a three-bladed unit with a different spinner for obvious reasons. Adding the rudder finishes the structural part of the build, then you have a choice of three sensor fits on the top of the fuselage. The first option has a single blade antenna on the spine, the second has a raised blister in the same place, while the third has twin blades over the cockpit, and another two on the starboard fuselage just next to the tail fillet. Markings There are three decal options on the sheet, all of which are pretty colourful compared to your average military aircraft, in vibrant red, white or blue. From the box you can build one of the following: C-GTAA, Canada G-BDKC, Great Britain F-BNLC, France The decals are well-printed in good register, with a thin glossy carrier film close to the printed edges for the most part, but with a few that are a little larger. This shouldn’t cause too much of an issue however, as the film is thin and has a relatively soft edge. There are seatbelts and an instrument decal on the sheet, which should add a little realism to your finished cockpit. Conclusion This is the first kit in injection moulded plastic of this type in any scale, so if you’re in the market for one, you now have what you’ve been waiting for! Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Kovozávody Prostějov (KP) is to release 1/72nd Dornier/Dassault-Breguet (DDB) Alpha Jet A/1B/E/MS.1 & MS.2 kits. A new tool kit or an updated, with some new parts, from the vintage Heller kit, like the 1/50th Gazelle (link) or 1/72nd Potez 540 (link)? Today, with KP/AZmodel you never know. Wait and see. Sources: http://www.modelarovo.cz/dassault-dornier-alpha-jet-a-1-72-kp-kovozavody-prostejov/ https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1632027106991132&id=182206638639860 V.P.

Kovozávody Prostějov (KP) is to release a 1/72nd Hillson Praga E-114 Air Baby kit Source: http://www.modelarovo.cz/fr/nova-praga-e-114-od-kp-rendery/j V.P.

SA Bulldog T.1 RAF Service (KPM0298) 1:72 Kovozávody Prostějov The Bulldog was originally designed by Beagle Aircraft, who sadly went bust before they could honour any orders for this two-seat prop-driven trainer, the first customer being Sweden. A new concern, Scottish Aviation took over and brought the Bulldog to market where it was used most notably by the RAF and Swedish Air Force, but by other countries too, as we’ll find out in later boxings. There were several models made, many of which were designed for the export market, with the RAF using the 121 as the T.1, while the 101 was developed for Sweden, where it was designated Sk 61 in the Air Force, or Fpl 61 in army use. The Swedish aircraft differed mainly due to the additional two seats in the rear of the crew compartment behind the pilots who sat two abreast, with a wide expanse of Perspex giving excellent forward visibility over the relatively short nose. The last RAF airframes left service just after the new millennium, and many have gone into private hands from all variants across the world. The now familiar Grob Tutor replaced the Bulldog as the entry-level trainer with the RAF and continues to serve today, with some avionics upgrades to keep pace with technology. The Kit This is the first in a new range of boxings in 1:72 from KP that brings modern levels of detail to this scale. The kit arrives in a small end-opening box with an attractive painting of the type on the front and the profiles for the decal options on the rear. Inside is a single sprue in grey styrene, a small clear sprue, decal sheet and instruction booklet, the clear parts safely enclosed in their own Ziploc bag. Detail is good, although there’s a tiny amount of flash here and there, but it’s minimal and mostly confined to the sprue runners. Construction starts predictably with the cockpit, with the blank instrument panel receiving an instrument decal to detail it, and both seats getting decal belts. The floor is moulded into the one-part wing and has raised areas for the seats that are detailed with a pair of control columns, centre console and rear bulkhead, while the instrument panel is glued into the front of the cockpit opening after closing up the fuselage halves. A pair of side windows pop in from the inside, and the front is closed up by adding the nose cowling, which has a depiction of the front bank of piston inserted behind it that will show through the oval intakes either side of the raised prop shaft surround. The wings and fuselage are joined, and the single-part elevators with their ribbed flying surfaces moulded-in are glued into their slots in the rear. The canopy is a single piece that has the framing engraved in, and it’s a crystal-clear part that will show off your work on the interior once its finished. There are a couple of choices of antennae on the spine behind the cockpit, and a clear landing light fits into a recess in the leading edge of the starboard wing. To finish off the build, the landing gear legs are glued onto raised teardrop shapes under the cockpit, and it might be an idea to drill and pin these for extra strength, with the one-part wheels attached to the stub-axle on each leg. The nose leg has its oleo-scissor link moulded in, and the wheel fixes to the axle moulded into the one-sided yoke. The two bladed prop is moulded as one piece with a spinner sliding over it, and behind it there’s a cowling under the nose with two exhaust stacks sticking out, then at the rear are another pair of antenna and a blade antenna under the trailing edge of the wing/fuselage. Markings The stencils are numerous and they are covered on the rear of the instruction booklet to avoid overly-busy diagrams on the back of the box, and there are three decal options, from which you can build one of the following: The decals are well-printed in good register, with a thin glossy carrier film close to the printed edges for the most part, but with a few that are a little larger. This shouldn’t cause too much of an issue however, as the film is thin and has a relatively soft edge. There are seatbelts and an instrument decal on the sheet, which should add a little realism to your finished cockpit. Conclusion The Bulldog is a small aircraft, so the model is commensurately small and a simple build that’s very friendly to your pocket. Clean up those moulding seams and you should end up with a really nice replica of this much-loved RAF trainer. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIa "Far From Home" (KPM0304) 1:72 Kovozávody Prostějov The Spitfire was the champion of the Battle of Britain along with the Hurricane and a few other less well-known players, and it’s an aircraft with an amazing reputation that started from a bit of a damp squib in the shape of the Supermarine Type 224. The gull-winged oddity was the grandfather of the Spitfire, and despite losing out to the biplane Gloster Gladiator, designer R J Mitchell was spurred on to go back to the drawing board and create a more modern, technologically advanced and therefore risky design. This was the Type 300, and it was an all-metal construction with an incredibly thin elliptical wing that became legendary, although it didn’t leave much space for fuel, a situation that was further worsened by the Air Ministry’s insistence that four .303 machine guns were to be installed in each wing, rather than the three originally envisaged. It was a very well-sorted aircraft from the outset, so quickly entered service with the RAF in 1938 in small numbers. With the clouds of war accumulating, the Ministry issued more orders and it became a battle to create enough to fulfil demand in time for the outbreak and early days of war from September 1939 onwards. By then, the restrictive straight sided canopy had been replaced by a “blown” hood to give the pilot more visibility, although a few with the old canopy still lingered. The title Mk.Ia was given retrospectively to differentiate between the cannon-winged Mk.Ib that was instigated after the .303s were found somewhat lacking compared to the 20mm cannon armament of their main opposition at the time, the Bf.109. As is usual in wartime, the designers could never rest on their laurels with an airframe like the Spitfire, as it had significant potential for development, a process that lasted throughout the whole of WWII, and included many changes to the Merlin engine, then the installation of the more powerful Griffon engine, as well as the removal of the spine of the fuselage and creation of a bubble canopy to improve the pilot’s situational awareness. Its immediate successor was the Mk.II with a new Mk.XII Merlin, followed by the Mk.V that had yet another more powerful Merlin fitted, which returned the fright of the earlier marks’ first encounters with Fw.190s by a similar increase in performance of an outwardly almost identical Spitfire. The Kit This is a new 2021 boxing in KP's line of Spitfire kits from 2016. As is usual, they have produced a number of boxings that vary in decals and parts, giving the modeller plenty of choice which one(s) to get. The kit arrives in a small end-opening box, and inside are three sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue, decal sheet and A5 instruction booklet, with the decal options printed in colour on the back of the box. Detail is excellent for the scale, and clever engineering has resulted in a modular kit that can squeeze additional versions from the plastic just by swapping out some of the parts. There are plenty of unused parts on the sprues including other set of wings, different props, spinners, masts, a chin intake filter; and exhausts which suggest different marks can be made from this kit, or you will have a fair few spare parts. Construction begins with the cockpit, the front bulkhead gets its instrument panel, with the instruments being provided as decals. The seat back and head armour attaches to the rear bulkhead and this is fitted to the floor members. The control column is added followed by the seat. Belts are supplied as decals. At the front of each fuselage half blanking plates go in for the exhausts and then the cockpit can go in the and halves be closed up. Moving onto the wings the left and right uppers can be added to the single part lower wing making sure the small parts for the wheels wells go in first. The radiator and oil coolers go on. The wing can now be fitted to the fuselage and at the rear the tail surfaces and rudder are fitted, along with the tail wheel. The main gear can be built up and added along with the chin intake and prop. On top the canopy and aerial mast is added. Markings There are three decal options in the box to represent Czechoslovak units in the RAF. From the box you can build one of the following: Decals are printed in-house and have good registration, colour density and sharpness, with a very thin carrier film cut close to the printing. Conclusion Another great release from KP with excellent detail, and plenty of choices. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Kovozávody Prostějov (KP) is to release 1/72nd Miles M.2 Hawk Major kits. Source: https://www.modelarovo.cz/kp-kovozavody-prostejov-azmodel-2022/ Box art V.P.

In 2020 Kovozávody Prostějov (KP) is to rebox the 1/72nd Italeri Saab JAS 39 Gripen kits. Source: https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235010228-kpaz-central-discussion-questions-answers/&do=findComment&comment=3565762 - ref. KPM0161 - Saab JAS 39C Gripen "International" - ref. KPM0162 - Saab JAS 39 Gripen "Over Sweden" Box art Source: https://www.facebook.com/208070375871052/photos/a.208144655863624/3050767308267997/ V.P.

After the single seat variants (link & link), Kovozávody Prostějov (KP) is to release a 1/72nd Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21UM "Mongol-B" kit - ref. KPM0108 Source: https://www.kovozavody.cz/2018/09/mig-21-um/ Box art V.P.

Breguet Bre-14A & B (KPM0321 & KPM0322) 1:72 Kovozávody Prostějov The Breguet 14 was an impressively fast and agile light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft that was developed by French aviation pioneer company that was innovative because it used substantial quantities of aluminium in its structure that made it lighter and stronger than its contemporaries to such an extent that it could actually outpace some of the fighters of the era. As a result, it remained in service longer than many aircraft of the day that were typically short-lived due to the speed that aviation was advancing at the time. It first flew at the end of 1916 at the hands of its designer, reaching squadron service the following April as both a bomber and recon aircraft, where it performed very well overall, taking part in many operations as the war progressed to its conclusion, toward the end of 1918. The A2 was the reconnaissance variant, while the B2 was the bomber. It sold well to other countries due to its performance and utility, seeing service in substantial numbers with America, Siam, Spain, Brazil and China to name a few from the many. After the war a number of other variants were built, including a new improved wing, a twin-float seaplane and a passenger option known as the Salon, as well as an air ambulance and transport. Production continued until 1928, by which time around 8,000 airframes had been made in total, achieving over a decade of production during a rapidly changing period of aviation technology. The Kit These are reboxing with new parts of a 2006 tooling from AZ Model, switching brand lines to KPM for this pair of boxings, which have been released in tandem, as they contain most of the same plastic but different decals and instructions. The differences are reasonably apparent, as the bomber has a four-pane window in the sides of the gunner’s station, and a quartet of bombs, two under each wing, which are also slightly different between the two variants. Time has been kind to the moulds, but my sample had a little flash here and there, mostly confined to the sprues, but as I always say flash is easier to remedy than short-shot parts. Common Sprues Bre-14A Sprue Bre-14B Sprue Construction begins with the fuselage, which is where the windows come into play on the bomber variant, and clearly don’t for the recon bird. A little mould-damage has crept in around the upper fuselage opening on both variants, and I’ve marked those on the sprues in red for your ease, but it’s a simple job to remove, as the edges are readily apparent along the straight boundaries, so should pose no problem unless you have really shaky hands, poor vision and a blunt blade. A T-shaped platform is inserted into the forward cowling, windows or otherwise in the rear, after which you can insert the cockpit floor, which consists of two floor panels, the forward one having rudder bar and both control sticks moulded-in, the aft cockpit having just the rudder bar, the rear stick projecting back on a long extension into the co-pilot/gunner’s area. The pilot’s seat sits on a H-shaped cross-member, while the rear seat is an odd-shaped part that fixes into the fuselage side, both getting a set of decal lap-belts after painting. The rear seat has an ejector-pin mark on the top, but it’s raised on a flat surface, so should be simple to remove. The fuselage can be closed up once interior areas are painted, and the tail-skid with a short piece of 0.3mm wire is inserted into the aft of the fuselage. After closure, the top insert that fills the gap around the crew is dropped in, and the rhino-like exhaust system is glued onto the top of the cowling, with the square radiator and two-blade prop attached to the front. The bomber fuselage also has another slim insert with window frames facing up, and these should be glazed with Clear-Fix, or some acetate sheet if you’re feeling adventurous. A pair of inverted-V cabane struts are added to the top, and a single Vickers machine gun is fitted to the top side of the fuselage, then the elevator and rudder fin are fixed to the rear. The landing gear assembly is built around the aerodynamically faired axle, which slips through the two supports, trapped in place by adding the two wheels at the ends of the axle. It would be wise to glue these and test-fit them to the underside of the fuselage until they are dried to ensure that they line up correctly. The lower wings are each attached to the fuselage on a pair of pins, so alignment will be key here too, as will your choice of glue to achieve a strong joint. Ignoring the rigging, and we’d all like to at some point, there are four interplane struts joining each wing together, each one having a depression to ensure a good fit. A trio of wiring diagrams at the bottom of the page show the location of the rigging lines, which you are recommended to use 0.1mm thread to complete. The remaining parts make up the twin Lewis guns on a ring mount that fits on the rear seater’s circular aperture, then they both get a windscreen each from the clear parts sprue and a small circular part (possibly a rear-view mirror?) is glued to the trailing edge at the centre of the upper wing. The bomber variant finally gets two tubular bombs under each wing, with their location shown in the instructions. Markings Each boxing has three decal options that are printed on the rear of the box, and strangely the first two of the A boxing is marked as a B, although it doesn’t have the side windows fitted, so whether it’s a typo or a B that had its windows removed, you’ll have to decide for yourself. From each boxing, you can build one of the following: Breguet Bre-14A2 Breguet Bre-14B2 The decals are well-printed in good register, with a thin glossy carrier film close to the printed edges for the most part, but with a few a little larger. This shouldn’t cause too much of an issue however, as the film is thin and has a relatively soft edge. Conclusion A pair of interesting reboxings of another lesser-known WWI subject that was quite a technological innovation for the day. Good detail and some colourful decal options round out the package. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Kawasaki Otsu-1 Sal.2A2 (KPM0326) 1:72 Kovozávody Prostějov Salmson was a French aviation manufacturer that created the Model 2 reconnaissance aircraft for a WWI requirement, and the resulting type saw substantial service with the French Air Force during the last years of the Great War. As the American aviation industry was somewhat behind Europe due to their country’s late entry into the war, the type was also pressed into service with the nascent US Air Service, with an impressive 700 used. Salmson originally made pumping equipment, but changed to automobile and aviation manufacturing during the early part of the 20th century, even producing their own aviation engines. They eventually went back to their roots, leaving aviation behind them and are currently still operating in that industry. The Salmson 2 was available in a number of variants, the 2A2 being the standard edition that was equipped with a Z9 Water-cooled 9-cyl radial engine of their own manufacture, and as they had originally built the Sopwith 1.5 Strutter under license, its replacement bore some resemblance to its forebear. They were also license built by Kawasaki as the Otsu-1 in Japan where it served into the 20s. The Kit This is a reboxing of the 2022 kit, so effectively a new tool as it differs by the decals included in the kit. It arrives in a small end-opening box that has a painting of the type on the front, and the decal options on the rear. Inside are two sprues in grey styrene, a small sheet of printed acetate sheet, a decal sheet, and instructions inside a resealable clear foil bag. The instruction booklet is identical between the American and Kawasaki kits, as they build identically and differ only in their painting and decaling. Our reviews will be very similar in that way, as we don’t believe in reinventing the wheel. Construction begins with the cockpit, starting with the fuselage top with its twin cockpit openings, an instrument panel in the front of the forward bay and a headrest upstand behind it. A pair of short struts fit between the two openings, and another two struts are inserted into the cockpit floor, exiting through the rear of the pilot’s aperture, with a simple basket seat, control column and rudder pedals for his use, and a fuel tank between the crew stations. This assembly is trapped between the fuselage halves, which have detail moulded inside them where it will be seen as well as externally to replicate the fabric exterior. The cockpit openings insert joins to the fuselage, threading the afore mentioned struts through the pilot’s slot, and adding the engine cowling to the front, which is made up from a three-section cowling ring and separate front lip that has a multi-blade fan moulded inside that hides the engine, doing an impression of a jet engine until you add the two-blade prop of course. The pilot’s deck is outfitted with a tube sight and a Vickers machine gun that fires through the prop, and the acetate sheet is cut to the printed shape to form the small windscreen that keeps at least some of the engine oil off his face. Another windscreen keeps the oil off the back of the gunner’s head, and his circular opening has a simple C-shaped mount for twin Lewis guns that can be glued in place at any angle to simulate the ring that it was mounted on. The tail of the beast is simple and yet complex, having a single part depicting the elevators, and another for the rudder. There are two V-shaped supports under the elevators, and a tripod made from three individual lengths to steady the rudder fin, with another diagram showing where the control wires should be. The lower wing is full-width and passes under the fuselage, and there are eight interplane struts that looks a little like baguettes in the diagrams due to their narrow ends, but I digress. Under the wing the main gear legs consist of two tripodal braces with an aerodynamically faired axle onto which the two wheels are glued at the ends. Individual radiator fins are glued under the cowling, and a wind-powered fuel pump is fitted to the gear legs, then it’s time to put the upper wing on. Attaching the wing should be relatively simple, lining up the twelve struts with the holes in the underside of the upper wing, but that is without considering the rigging. A drawing shows where the various rigging wires should go, and you can use your preferred method of getting the task accomplished and make good any repainting that may be required after hiding the holes for the rigging material. For the avoidance of doubt, you will need to supply your own rigging thread, and folks have their own preferences here too. Markings There are three options on the rear of the box, all in Japanese service in the 1920s, a litte variation of scheme between them, and plenty of Hinomaru on display. From the box you can build one of the following: Black 316, 1920s Black 1123, Mid 1920s Black 1190 Mid 1920s The decals are well-printed with good register, sharpness and colour density, which includes a simple instrument panel decal to assist you with the cockpit. Conclusion The 2A2 was a fairly important reconnaissance aircraft in the later part of WWI, and its design is relatively modern-looking when compared to some of the earlier stringbags. The contrast of the silver or plain fabric finish and the bright red of the markings really stand out. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Siebel Si.204D (KPM0331) 1:72 Kovozávody Prostějov The Siebel Si 204 was based on the earlier Siebel Fh 104 Hallore, and was originally designed as a light transport and trainer aircraft. It was initially ordered by the Luftwaffe with its canopy altered to the stepless type, possibly to replicate that of the He.111 that pilots might later progress to. The last variant, the 204E was intended to be a light bomber and trainer, although it was perilously close to the end of the war, so not many were made. As a footnote to its German service a 204 had the dubious honour of possibly being the last aircraft to be shot down by the Allies in WWII on the 8th May 1945. After WWII, Czech company Aero produced almost 200 airframes in training (C-3A), bombardier training (C-3B), transport (D-44) and civilian (C-103) flavours, which carried on in service until the end of the 40s and beyond, while a few airframes soldiered on a little longer in Hungarian service. The Kit This kit’s origins can be traced back to a relatively recent tooling in 2010, and has been re-released as a Si.204D in German, Swiss and Hungarian colours. It arrives in a strong end-opening box with a painting of the subject matter on the front and the decal options on the rear. Inside is a re-sealable clear bag that holds two sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue in a separate Ziploc bag, and the decal sheet in the A5 portrait instruction booklet, printed in colour on an inkjet printer. The detail is good, having fine engraved panel lines and rivets over the surface, and fabric effect on the flying surfaces. Construction begins with the cockpit, with two pilot seats side-by-side in a wide cockpit, separated by a central console, having moulded-in seatbelts and separate rudder pedals in the footwells below the twin binnacles that house the instrument panels, which have decals depicting the dials. The cockpit is finished off with a pair of yokes, then it is inserted into the starboard fuselage half along with two partial bulkheads that hold it square in the fuselage halves, with another bulkhead with doorway just behind the pilots, then two more sections of interior floor that stretch back to the rear of the passenger compartment. Before the two fuselage halves are closed up the four windows are inserted from the outside on each side, after which you can glue and clamp the fuselage while you prepare the wings. The first step is to create the main gear bays, adding the thick gear legs to the bay roof along with three retraction jacks. The gear strut will need a little fettling here, as the moulding has a fairly obvious seam along the length of its moulding. The completed assemblies are inserted through the bay aperture from inside and are glued in place so that the upper wing can cover them over, and the engine nacelles can be made up. The exhausts are inserted from within the two cowling halves with a bulkhead at the front that has a depiction of the cylinders that will be seen through the opening in the front of the cowling, which is next to be glued in place. The twin-bladed prop is made from a centre spinner with serrated top cap, which have the two blades inserted into holes in the sides and after the glue has dried the prop is butt-joined to the front of the cowling. The nacelles are attached to the wings by a seam with a ledge around the edge, and the gear bays are each given a pair of doors, with a small tail-wheel fixed to the back of the fuselage. The elevators are fitted to the rear of the fuselage on a single pin per side, relying on contouring of the mating surface at the root to conform to the shape of the fuselage. Care will need to be taken when fitting them to ensure that they are correctly oriented and aligned with each other, as a mistake here will be amplified when adding the H-tail rudders. There are two horn balances on the elevator surfaces, two on the top and two more on the bottom. The canopy comprises two parts, the domed nose, and the large greenhouse canopy behind it, both of which are nice and clear to see your hard work on the cockpit when the model is complete. Another clear dome is supplied for the spine for one of the decal options, and a pair of fairings fit over the top seam of the fuselage, which if you plan ahead could save you from seam sanding some sections of the upper fuselage. The final task is to make the main wheels from two parts each, and fix an antenna to the rear of the main canopy that inserts into a small slot in the back of the glazing for ease. A final set of profiles show the location of the various antenna wires that the 204 carried, running from the antenna pole behind the cockpit to the starboard rudder panel, with a line running up from the cabin behind the cockpit. Markings There are three decal options included on the sheet, as previously mentioned, and although those are based mainly on shades of green, the markings are different enough to appeal to a great many modellers. From the box you can build one of the following: Decals are printed in-house, with good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion There has been quite an influx of Si.204 kits of late, and it’s quite an interesting-looking aircraft. This kit is well-detailed and should build into a creditable replica. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

The KP 1/72 Spitfire PR.XI will be my build. This particular one will wear the markings of PM142 of 400 Squadron in 1945. 400 Squadron, 09 May 1945, Supermarine Spitfire PR.XI PM 142 Pilot: Lawrence McMillan RCAF DFC AM (US) On 09 May 1945, F/Lt P.G. Wigle (No.1) and F/Lt Lawrence McMillan RCAF (No.2) were on a shipping recce over the Danish waters. The Spitfires were heading south when they at 16:56 hrs observed a convoy of four German ships in the Langelandsbælt 1 mile off Spodsbjerg on the island of Langeland. F/Lt Wigle led the two Spitfires down to sea level and passed within 100 yards of the ships on the port side. All four ships were flying the Nazi flag and three of the ships were loaded with troops. Wigle noticed the name “Ubena” on the second ship in line. The Spitfires continued around to the starboard side of the ships still flying at about 50 feet. At 17:00 hrs Wigle saw his No. 2 (McMillan) explode in mid-air in a large sheet of flames and plunge into the sea. At the same time Wigle observed machine gun strikes in the sea. He climbed to 4500 feet and circled the position but could not observe any debris whatsoever. Only an oil slick could be seen on the water. Danish fishermen sailed to the site but all that could be seen was an oil slick on the surface. The German version of events was “After (the convoy) entered Langelands Bælt at 17:00 hrs two Spitfires were seen flying around the convoy at very low level. Suddenly one Spitfire touched the water and exploded while the other immediately started climbing and disappeared. The incident was reported to the bridge who in turn reported to the Naval command via radio. At the same time light flak was manned just in case the other Spitfire pilot might believe that his comrade had been shot down.” (1) The Squadron circumstantial report stated that “Due to the sudden nature of the attack it is in my opinion that F/Lt McMillan was killed outright and in any event, because of the low height, would be unable to get out of his aircraft before it plunged into the sea/” (2) Neither the aircraft nor Pilot F/Lt Lawrence McMillan has ever been found. McMillan is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Burial details: J/10231 Flight Lieutenant Lawrence McMillan. Aged 23. Son of Frederick and Mary Alice McMillan, of Miami, Manitoba. Runnymede Memorial Panel 278 (3) Sources as quoted below: 1. Spitfire XI PM142 crashed in Langelandsbælt 9/5 1945 (flensted.eu.com) 2. Circumstantial Report on https://www.veterans.gc.ca 3. Commonwealth War Graves Commission, www.cwgc.org 4. RAFWEB, RAF Casualties Index 1940-1949, www.Rafweb.org This aircraft and its pilot has been in my head as a build for years ever since I first read the details of the incident.

Legato/AZModel is to release a family of 1/72nd Piper J-3, L-4 Cub & Pa-18/L-21 Super Cub kits. Source: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234931186-azmodellegatoadmiral-wwii-aircraft-comments-questions-and-wishes/?p=1518104 V.P.

Kovozávody Prostějov (KP) is to release in 2017 a 1/72nd Messerschmitt Bf.108B Taifun kit - ref. KPM 0081 & KPM 0082 Reported to be the Fly kit. Source: https://www.facebook.com/kovop/photos/a.182240158636508.1073741828.182206638639860/567316046795582/?type=3&theater Fly Bf.108: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234947435-172-messerschmitt-bf108cd-taifun-nord-100010011002-pingouin-by-fly-released/ V.P.

Kovozávody Prostějov is to release 1/72nd Sopwith Triplane kits Sources: https://www.facebook.com/kovop/posts/1291967567663756 http://www.modelarovo.cz/novinky-kp-po-delsi-dobe-opet-ctvrtka/ - ref. KPM72181 - Sopwith Triplane "Black Flight" https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/KPM72181 https://www.aviationmegastore.com/sopwith-triplane-black-flight-kpm72181-kovozvody-prostejov-kpm72181-aircraft-scale-modelling/product/?action=prodinfo&art=169605 - ref. KPM72182 - Sopwith Triplane "In red Soviet Service" https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/KPM72182 https://www.aviationmegastore.com/sopwith-triplane-in-red-soviet-service-kpm72182-kovozvody-prostejov-kpm72182-aircraft-scale-modelling/product/?action=prodinfo&art=169606 - ref. KPM72183 - Sopwith Triplane "Aces" https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/KPM72183 https://www.aviationmegastore.com/sopwith-triplane-aces-kpm72183-kovozvody-prostejov-kpm72183-aircraft-scale-modelling/product/?action=prodinfo&art=169607 - ref. KPM72184 - Sopwith Triplane "In French Service" V.P.

Kovozávody Prostějov (KP) is to release 1/72nd Avia B-3 kits - ref. KPM0341 - Avia B-3 Bejk (Bull) - Military Source: https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/avia-b-3-military/ - ref. KPM0342 - Avia B-3 Bejk (Bull) - Racer Source: https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/avia-b-3-racer/ - ref. KPM0343 - Avia B-3 Bejk (Bull) - International Source: https://www.kovozavody.cz/produkt/avia-b-3-international/ V.P.

Kovozávody Prostějov is to release a family of 1/72nd Mig-23 Flogger kits. http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234931186-azmodellegatoadmiral-wwii-aircraft-comments-questions-and-wishes/?p=1891334 New tool? That's the question. Some sources quoted these future kits as repop from the R.V. Aircraft moulds. V.P.

Supermarine Spitfire PR.Mk.X (KPM0290) 1:72 Kovozávody Prostějov The Spitfire was the champion of the Battle of Britain along with the Hurricane and a few other less well-known players, and it’s an aircraft with an amazing reputation that started from a bit of a damp squib in the shape of the Supermarine Type 224. The gull-winged oddity was the grandfather of the Spitfire, and despite losing out to the biplane Gloster Gladiator, designer R J Mitchell was spurred on to go back to the drawing board and create a more modern, technologically advanced and therefore risky design. This was the Type 300, and it was an all-metal construction with an incredibly thin elliptical wing that became legendary, although it didn’t leave much space for fuel, a situation that was further worsened by the Air Ministry’s insistence that four .303 machine guns were to be installed in each wing, rather than the three originally envisaged. It was a very well-sorted aircraft from the outset, so quickly entered service with the RAF in 1938 in small numbers. With the clouds of war accumulating, the Ministry issued more orders and it became a battle to create enough to fulfil demand in time for the outbreak and early days of war from September 1939 onwards. By then, the restrictive straight sided canopy had been replaced by a “blown” hood to give the pilot more visibility, although a few with the old canopy still lingered. The title Mk.Ia was given retrospectively to differentiate between the cannon-winged Mk.Ib that was instigated after the .303s were found somewhat lacking compared to the 20mm cannon armament of their main opposition at the time, the Bf.109. As is usual in wartime, the designers could never rest on their laurels with an airframe like the Spitfire, as it had significant potential for development, a process that lasted throughout the whole of WWII, and included many changes to the Merlin engine, then the installation of the more powerful Griffon engine, as well as the removal of the spine of the fuselage and creation of a bubble canopy to improve the pilot’s situational awareness. Its immediate successor was the Mk.II with a new Mk.XII Merlin, followed by the Mk.V that had yet another more powerful Merlin fitted. Following the introduction of the FW 109 the Mark XI was developed with a new two-stage supercharged Merlin 61 engine. This was markedly better above 20,000 ft and could easily climb to, and fight at 38,000 ft. The PR XI we converted XI's as well as the camera equipment, a wrap-around PR type windscreen was fitted, and a larger oil tank was installed under the nose. All armament was removed , the aircraft lacked "wet wing" tanks, meaning that the PR Mk IX relied on drop tanks for extra range. With the new Merlin 60 powered Spitfires the Mk VII and VIII were to have photo-reconnaissance (PR) variants, and 70 aircraft were ordered, provisionally designated PR Mk VIII. Based on the revised MK VIII airframe these aircraft were to be powered by Merlin. A policy change resulted in the pressurised PR variant of the Mk VII being renamed PR Mk X. This followed the PR Mk XI into production and was based on the Mk VII airframe with PR Mk XI wings and cameras. It had the pressurised Mk VII cockpit, the Lobelle sliding canopy, and retained the fighter style windscreen with the bullet-proof glass panel. A long thin air intake to the cockpit pressurisation system was fitted under the exhaust stacks on the starboard cowling. The performance was similar to that of the PR XI although the pressurised cockpit meant that this version could stay at altitudes of over 40,000 ft for longer without affecting the pilot. Sixteen Mk Xs were built during 1944. All saw limited service in 541 Squadron and 542 Squadron for high altitude reconnaissance. Experience with this version led to the development and production of the pressurised version of the PR Mk XIX The Kit This is a new tool 2022 boxing in KP's line of Spitfire kits. As is usual, they have produced a number of boxings that vary in decals and parts , giving the modeller plenty of choice which one(s) to get. The kit arrives in a small end-opening box, and inside are two sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue, decal sheet and A5 instruction booklet, with the decal options printed in colour on the back of the box. Detail is excellent for the scale. Construction begins with the cockpit, the front bulkhead gets its instrument panel, with the instruments being provided as decals. The seat back and head armour attaches to the rear bulkhead and this is fitted to the floor members. The control column is added followed by the seat. Belts are supplied as decals. At the front of each fuselage half blanking plates go in for the exhausts and then the cockpit can go in the and halves can be closed up. Moving onto the wings the left and right uppers can be added to the single part lower wing making sure the small parts for the wheels wells go in first. The radiators go on. The wing can now be fitted to the fuselage and at the rear the tail surfaces and rudder are fitted, along with the tail wheel. The main gear can be built up and added along with the chin intake and prop. On top the canopy and aerial mast is added. At the front the prop is fitted. Markings There are three decal options in the box to represent 541 Squadron and 542 Squadron aircraft. Decals are printed in-house and have good registration, colour density and sharpness, with a very thin carrier film cut close to the printing. Conclusion Another great release from KP with excellent detail, and plenty of choices. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Kovozávody Prostějov is to release in 2018 a 1/72nd Zlín/LET Z-37 Čmelák kit - ref. KPM0103 Source: http://www.modelarovo.cz/kovozavody-prostejov-v-roce-2018/ V.P.

Hawker Tempest Mk.II/F.2 Silver Wings (KPM0228) 1:72 Kovozávody Prostějov The Hawker Tempest was a development of the Typhoon, originally called the Typhoon II, it was envisioned to solve all of the issues that bothered its designer, Sir Sidney Camm. The main difference was a much thinner wing which reduced drag and improved aerodynamics of the laminar airflow. The wings could accommodate 20mm Hispano cannons that packed an enormous punch, and lent itself to the low-level attack role that it was designed for. The engines considered as candidates to power the aircraft were the Centaurus, Griffon and Sabre IV, and initially the Rolls-Royce Vulture, which was terminated early in the design phase, leaving the three options going forward and necessitating substantially different cowlings for each to accommodate their differing shapes. The Mark V was the leading option and was split into two series, with the Series 1 having the Sabre II that had a similar chin intake to the Typhoon and many Typhoon parts, while the later Series 2 used fewer Typhoon parts and had their cannon barrels shortened so they fitted flush with the leading edge on the wings. Because of the impending entry into service of jet-engined fighters, the initial order of Mk.IIs was fairly low, even though it was intended to fight in the expected Pacific Theatre after Germany surrendered. There were over 400 made, many of them fitted with a tropicalised filter just in front of the canopy, which became a de facto standard later in the production run. After the war they saw action in the Malayan emergency, and some were later transferred to the Indian Air Force, with more finding their way into Pakistani service, with the last of them flying until 1953. The Kit This is a new 2021 line of toolings from KPM of what was the pinnacle of piston-engined fighters, the Hawker Tempest. As is usual, they have produced a number of boxings that vary in decals and parts, giving the modeller plenty of choice which one(s) to get. The kit arrives in a small end-opening box, and inside are three sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue, decal sheet and A5 instruction booklet, with the decal options printed in colour on the back of the box. Detail is excellent for the scale, and clever engineering has resulted in a modular kit that can squeeze additional versions from the plastic just by swapping out some of the parts. Construction begins with the cockpit, which is slightly simplified because the real one is a mass of tubular frames and no traditional floor to speak of. The floor part has the foot trays and rudder pedals moulded-in, to which the rear bulkhead is joined along with the seat and control column. The seat supports are a little soft, but as they won’t be seen this doesn’t matter one bit. The triple-faceted instrument panel is a single part with a stunning level of detail for the dials and instruments, and a separate gunsight to which you’ll need to add a small slip of clear acetate, with the sizes given alongside that instruction step. The cylindrical engine cowling as next, consisting of three sections plus a toroidal lip part, and two more parts depicting the Centaurus engine, which again is well-detailed but mostly hidden by the central disc and later the prop. It is locked inside the nose cowling and put to one side until the fuselage has been mated, which is next. The cockpit, instrument panel and tail wheel with bay are all trapped inside the cockpit, with the addition of a small trim-wheel on the port interior, and here the detail is a little soft too, but as it is painted black and inside an extremely cramped cockpit with small opening, it’s unlikely to matter much unless you have a very small endoscopic camera that you carry round with you for annoying your fellow modellers. After the glue is set, the nose and fuselage are mated, and attention turns to the wings. The wings have two inserts in the leading edges at the wing-root, which are made from separate parts with three making up the starboard side, and two the narrower port side. The lower wing is full-width, and has two upper halves that trap the main gear bay walls, the three landing/recognition lights in the underside, and the twin cannons in the leading edges, which have slots already cut for them, then it’s time to fix the elevators, both comprising a single part each. The inner Landing gear bay doors are triangular in shape, and fix to the inner edges of the bays, while the retractable tail wheel bay has a pair of curved doors to the sides. The main gear legs are a single part each, with a retraction mechanism added low-down on the leg, a captive gear bay door, and a single-part wheel with hub detail moulded-in. The wheel detail is excellent, having block tread and sharp four-spoke hub detail that defies the scale and moulding limitations to this modeller’s eye. Outboard of the main gear legs are a pair of small additional doors, which can be posed correctly by referring to the scrap diagram nearby that shows how everything should look from the front. In between the gear bays is a small ovoid panel, an antenna and the crew boarding stirrup, after which the four-bladed prop is made up from a moulded blade set that is sandwiched between the back plate and spinner cap with a short moulded-in axle fitting through a hole in the nose to glue or leave loose at your whim. The canopy is provided as two parts, with a separate windscreen glued to the front of the ‘pit, and the canopy opener either butted against it for a closed canopy, or pushed back to allow access and that wind-in-your-hair experience during flight. Red marks on the diagrams show where the parts should fit against the fuselage, and there are a pair of optional bottles on the aft deck for you to use or lose after checking with your references. The Tempest was a capable fighter-bomber, and often carried a an additional war-load for targets of opportunity on sorties or extra fuel if it was a long mission. KP have supplied a set of eight rockets on their rails, two bombs on slim mounts, or a pair of fuel tanks for you to use if you wish. Markings There are three decal options in the box, and all are wearing the paint-free option that became fairly common of the period toward the end and following WWII when camouflage wasn't considered important. From the box you can build one of the following: Decals are printed in-house and have good registration, colour density and sharpness, with a very thin carrier film cut close to the printing. In addition to the seatbelt decals there is a decal for the grille that covers the tropical filter, which you can apply if you need to. Conclusion Another great release from KP with excellent detail, plenty of choices of load-out, and other extras that rounds out the package. You also have spare parts for a Mk.VI on the sprues and a pair of five-spoke wheels, just in case that’s of interest. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hawker Tempest F.6 (KPM0223) 1:72 Kovozávody Prostějov The Hawker Tempest was a development of the Typhoon, originally called the Typhoon II, it was envisioned to solve all of the issues that bothered its designer, Sir Sidney Camm. The main difference was a much thinner wing which reduced drag and improved aerodynamics of the laminar airflow. The wings could accommodate 20mm Hispano cannons that packed an enormous punch, and lent itself to the low-level attack role that it was designed for. The engines intended to power the aircraft were the Centaurus, Griffon and Sabre IV, and initially the Rolls-Royce Vulture, which was terminated early in the design phase, leaving the three options going forward and necessitating substantially different cowlings to accommodate their differing shapes. The Mark V was split into two series, with the Series 1 having the Sabre II that had a similar chin intake to the Typhoon and many Typhoon parts, while the later Series 2 used fewer Typhoon parts and had their cannon barrels shortened so they fitted flush with the leading edge on the wings. The Mk.VI or F.6 was based upon the Mk.II but with a more powerful Napier V engine that required a bigger radiator that necessitated the removal of the carburettor and oil-cooler radiators to the leading edges of the wings, just to keep the beast of an engine cool. Because of the impending entry into service of jet-engined fighters, the initial order was scaled back and the Mk.VI has the sad distinction of being the last piston-engined fighter aircraft to enter service with the RAF. Unlike the Mk.Vs, the F.6 doesn’t seem to have been used as a target tug in its dotage, as no evidence has yet been found. The Kit This is a new 2021 line of toolings from KPM of the pinnacle of piston-engined fighters, the Hawker Tempest. As is usual, they have produced a number of boxings that vary in decals and parts, giving the modeller plenty of choice which one(s) to get. The kit arrives in a small end-opening box, and inside are three sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue, decal sheet and A5 instruction booklet, with the decal options printed in colour on the back of the box. Detail is excellent for the scale, and clever engineering has resulted in a modular kit that can squeeze additional versions from the plastic just by swapping out some of the parts. Construction begins with the cockpit, which is slightly simplified because the real one is a mass of tubular frames and no traditional floor to speak of. The floor part as the foot trays moulded in along with the rudder pedals, to which the rear bulkhead is joined along with the seat and control column. The seat supports are a little soft, but as they won’t be seen this doesn’t matter one bit. The triple-faceted instrument panel is a single part with a stunning level of detail for the dials and instruments, and a separate gunsight to which you’ll need to add a small slip of clear acetate, with the sizes given alongside the instruction step. The engine cowling as next, with an internal set of bulkheads supporting the visible intake grille, which again is well-detailed. It is locked inside the nose cowling and put to one side until the fuselage has been mated, which is coming up. The cockpit, instrument panel and tail wheel with bay are all trapped inside the cockpit, with the addition of a small trim-wheel on the port interior, and here the detail is a little soft too, but as it is painted black and in a very cramped cockpit with small aperture, it’s unlikely to matter much unless you have a very small endoscopic camera that you carry round with you for annoying your fellow modellers. After the glue is set, the nose and fuselage are mated, and attention turns to the wings. The wings have two inserts in the leading edges at the wing-root, which are made from separate parts with three making up the starboard side, and two the narrower port side. The lower wing is full-width, and has two upper halves that trap the main gear bay walls, the three landing/recognition lights in the underside, and the twin cannons in the leading edges, which have slots already cut for them. A small insert fits in the underside of the wing assembly as it is being joined to the fuselage, which is also the time to fix the elevators, both comprising a single part each. The exhaust stubs are fixed into the slots in the sides of the engine cowling too, although these could be left of until main painting is complete to save having to mask them off. The inner Landing gear bay doors are triangular in shape, and fix to the inner edges of the bays, while the retractable tail wheel bay has a pair of curved doors to the sides. The main gear legs are a single part each, with a retraction mechanism added low-down on the leg, a captive gear bay door, and a single-part wheel with hub detail moulded-in. The wheel detail is excellent, having block tread and sharp hub detail that defies the scale and moulding limitations to this modeller’s eye. Outboard of the main gear legs are a pair of small additional doors, which can be posed correctly by referring to the scrap diagram nearby that shows how everything should look from in front. In between the legs are a small ovoid panel, an antenna and the crew boarding stirrup, after which the four-bladed prop is made up from a one-part set of blades that are sandwiched between the back plate and spinner cap with a short moulded-in axle fitting through a hole in the nose to glue or leave loose at your whim. The canopy is provided as two parts, with a separate windscreen glued to the front of the ‘pit, and the canopy opener either butted against it for a closed canopy, or pushed back to allow access and that wind-in-your-hair experience during flight. Red marks on the diagrams show where the parts should fit against the fuselage, and there are a pair of optional bottles on the aft deck for you to use or lose after reference to your… errr, references. The Tempest was a capable fighter-bomber, and often carried a war-load on sorties, or extra fuel if it was a long trip. KP have supplied a set of eight rockets on their rails, two bombs on slim mounts, or a pair of fuel tanks for you to use if you wish. Markings There are three decal options in the box, and all are wearing the late war camo typical of the period after WWII. From the box you can build one of the following: Decals are printed in-house and have good registration, colour density and sharpness, with a very thin carrier film that is a wee bit larger than required on some of the letter code decals. It is very thin however, so should disappear quite well, even if you don’t cover them with coats of clear gloss varnish and sand them back to hide them. Conclusion Another cracking release from KP with excellent detail, plenty of choices of load-out, and other extras that rounds out the package. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of