Avia BH-22 Czechoslovak Training Aircraft - 1:72 Fly

[Paul A H 2,442]

Avia BH-22 Czechoslovak Training Aircraft

1:72 Fly

 

 

The BH-21 was a single-seat fighter aircraft designed by Pavel Beneš and Miroslav Hajn of Czech aircraft manufacturer Avia. Entering service in 1925, the aircraft became the mainstay of the Czech Air Force in the interwar years. A number of examples were license built in Belgium and used by the Belgian Air Force as well.

 

Powered by a 304 HP V8 engine developed by Hispano Suiza, the BH-21 was capable of 152 mph and could achieve a service ceiling of over 18,000ft. Armament was comprised of a pair of .303 inch Vickers machine guns mounted in the front fuselage above the engine. 

 

The Avia BH-22 was a trainer aircraft developed from the BH-21 fighter. The armament was deleted and replaced with a camera gun, whilst the airframe itself was strengthened to allow the aircraft to cope better with aerobatics. Thirty were produced, with a number of examples finding their way into private ownership.

 

Although a relatively new name on the scene, Fly have already produced some interesting and much sought-after types, including a 1:72 Armstrong Whitworth Whitley and a 1:48 BAC Jet Provost/Strikemaster. The Avia BH-22 will probably be less familiar to you, but it is nonetheless good to see Fly continue their tradition of tackling some of the less obvious subject out there. Inside the sturdy, end-opening box are two sprues moulded in beige plastic, a small bag of resin parts, an injection moulded windscreen, a vac formed windscreen and a sheet of decals. The quality of the injection moulded parts looks very good. There is little or no flash and fine details and features such as the fabric wings have been captured very well.

 

 

 

The cockpit is comprised of seven parts, including a floor, seat, control column, instrument panel, rudder pedals and rear bulkhead. The level of moulded detail is pretty good.  Some basic structural details are moulded in place on the inside of the fuselage halves, and there is some basic raised detail on the instrument panel. The seat is cast in cream coloured resin with harnesses sculpted in place. It looks an excellent piece of work by Fly and should show the cockpit off the best effect. The radiator, mounted under the centre of the fuselage, is cast in resin too.

 

 

 

Once the cockpit is finished, you have both a vac formed and injection moulded canopy to choose from. I like this approach as it encourages the builder to try the vac formed version, with the knowledge that should it go wrong, there is an injection moulded version to fall back on. The rudder is provided as a separate part, which means it can be finished in the deflected position if desired. The horizontal stabilisers are moulded as solid parts, as are the wings. The fabric effect is quite nicely rendered.

 

The upper wing has locating points for the struts, but the lower wing just has raised bumps which will have to be drilled out in order to fit the struts in place. Diagrams are provided to help the builder line everything up properly. A choice of exhaust systems is included. One is a full length version which runs down the side of the fuselage, the other is a shorter version which is cast in resin. The undercarriage is pretty nice, and a choice of two different wheels is provided. From the look of the sprues a pair of skis is provided too, but these are not used for any of the aircraft depicted on the decal sheet.

 

 

The decals themselves look pretty good, although there were a couple of very slight smudges on the sheet provided in my kit. Four options are provided:

• Avia BH-22, Prague-Kbely, finished in a green/brown/sand camouflage pattern;
• Avia BH-22, VLU Military Air Training Establishment, Prostejov, Early 1930s, finished in clear doped fabric;
• Avia BH-22, Cheb, 1933, finished in olive green; and
• Avia BH-22, Prague-Kbely, finished in olive green.

 

Conclusion

 

This is an interesting kit of an attractive interwar biplane which will bring something a little different to your display cabinet. If you’ve got a couple of similar kits under your belt and are prepared to take your time, this looks as though it should be a rewarding and enjoyable kit to build. Recommended.

 

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Review sample courtesy of