1/72 Azur Ikarus IK-2

[Stew Dapple]

I've just finished this; the Azur Ikarus IK-2 "VVKJ":

I enjoyed building this, it is quite a simple kit, not that many parts, a bit of photo-etch but no resin parts. It went together very well and I built it more-or-less OOB though I did replace the tail struts and one of the undercarriage support struts which were provided as etched metal with micro-strip, I just thought the plastic would be easier to work with. I did my first go at rigging seeing as there was not much required, the tailplane bracing wires on the topside and the 'x'-shaped bracing wires on the main undercarriage - these were done with lycra knitting-in thread and I consider it a success. Incidentally although that undercarriage may look hideously complex it was remarkably easy to put together and quite strong once it was assembled.

I used the Humbrol colours recommended by 'Lift Here!' decals which were 65 for the underside and 84/98/116 for the three-colour topside camouflage. Either I was lucky, or Humbrol enamels are getting better, I hope it was the latter. I used a couple of coats of Klear to give a glossy-ish finish as the instructions and other sources advise that the finish on the IK-2 and IK-3 camouflage was glossy. I can't say for certain that this is correct, from the limited number of pictures I have seen I am not really qualified to judge so I went along with it.

The kit provides decals for most of the (I believe) 12 IK-2's produced by Ikarus, 5 in pre-war Aluminium dope and 5 in camouflage, of these camouflaged aircraft one wears the earlier national markings and the remainder the smaller wartime markings. I chose V.E.Br.2112 by the simple expedient of ruining the tiny rudder number decals for 2105, 2109 & 2110 with my big stupid fingers. No.2112 was one of the aircraft that helped resist the German invasion in April 1941 and which, along with the surviving IK-2s, IK-3s and the remaining VVKJ Bf109s, were eventually destroyed by their crews at Veliki Radici aerodrome on 12 April 1941 to prevent them falling into the hands of the Germans. The decals are by Aviprint in the Czech Republic and applied beautifully and really deserved a more skilful application than I was able to offer, but they all went on beautifully.

Cheers,

Stew

[Luftwaffe]

She looks really fast, a really nice fuselage design. Can't find any flaws About the thing that the undercarriage is strong....i personally like such things - when you can see and feel on a model how and if the construction worked in reality

Edited October 10, 2014 by Luftwaffe

[Procopius]

I chose V.E.Br.2112 by the simple expedient of ruining the tiny rudder number decals for 2105, 2109 & 2110 with my big stupid fingers.

This is often how I select my choice of marking option as well.

EDIT: Incidentally, I have this problem with Aviaprint decals more than any other brand. I think they're very thin and curl up with alarming rapidity.

[F-32]

Very cool, and very weird too!

[Cookenbacher]

Stew, you've expanded my horizons once again - now I know what an Ikarus IK-2 is. Wonderful build.

[jean]

Now that's a rather surprising albeit sexy aeroplane.

You are right: the undercarriage looks like a nightmare to put together. I am surprised that it goes together fairly easily. I have dealt with far less evil-looking oneS that have gained me a lot of unwanted grey hair!

A great build.

JR

[Learstang]

Brilliant job on a rather "snazzy"-looking aeroplane! Very 1930's. Rather reminiscent of the PZL P.24. I love those transitional types between the strut-braced biplanes and the cantilever monoplanes.

Regards,

Jason

[PlaStix]

Lovely job Stew of another unusual aircraft. Thank you for sharing - very interesting.

[HOUSTON]

STUNNING build. .

Sent from Samsung Mobile on O2

[Manipled Mutineer]

Another great build and fascinating subject!

[CliffB]

Cool

Cliff

[Paul A H]

Very nice

[Mitch K]

Lovely! I hope when I mine it comes out anything like as nicely!

[JWM]

Nice model and good work!

I have to add, that this machine use to be one of my favorite subject - many years ago I even made an IK2 out of scratch...

[Stew Dapple]

Thomas, thank you - I have yet to build a model without flaws, but most are fairly well-hidden on this one but I was pleased that the undercarriage was strong enough to support the model...

PC, yes I agree that the decals are very thin indeed and with the smaller ones it was a bit of a problem for me, however I found (eventually) that if I could transfer the decal from the backing paper to a waiting puddle of Klear on the kit by the use of a paintbrush rather than my traditional method of big stupid fingers then it worked... if you can get the decal on the kit and in position without folding it up that thinness becomes a blessing and once pressed gently down really do settle to no thicker than a layer of paint

F-32 - thank you very much

Cookie - thank you - I was myself made aware of the existence of this aircraft and inspired to build one by Vanya#66's excellent dual build of this and the IK-3 here; as a result I also have an IK-3 for my own future amusement now

Jean, yes, the undercarriage... well I looked at it for a very long time before I dared touch it but if you follow the procedures that we are always supposed to follow: look, understand what goes where, test fit and so on before glueing anything then it becomes quite easy. The instructions are not always crystal clear but there are several views of the undercarriage along with a rigging guide and by comparing these you can see which parts connect to which. I am glad though that I substituted plastic strip for the etched metal bracing strut, as super-glue would not have allowed much time for adjustment in the way that poly cement does - incidentally, the grey hairs come eventually anyway

Jason, thanks yes, I think the inline engine and streamlined enclosed cockpit gives a much more racy appearance than with, say the P.11C or P.24 which were close contemporaries but it does share many features with them (the gull-wing design was based on Pulawski's design according to the kit instructions) Dammit, now you have me thinking about getting a Greek P.24

Stix - thank you very much mate

Houston - thank you

MM - thanks very much

Cliff - thank you

Thank you Paul

Thanks Mitch - I hope you will post your build up for that

Jerzy-Wojtek - thank you very much - to scratch build one of these must have been quite a task my hat is doffed

Thanks for your attention gents,

Cheers,

Stew

[Luis Alfonso]

Hi Stew:

Congratulations!!!

Just another masterpiece from the Strew Dapple Skunk Works, just a way to watch the the real stew Dapple joy of life!!!

The nicest way in which you built this strange and a little obscure subject, does real justice to this plane made by a "special products" manufacturer. i liked the way you have finished her, in resplendent "Museum Quality" looking, well and lively painted and sure, after looking at your work, if for any reason one of this would be infront of me, I'll buy it ASAP!!!

Thank you very much for sharing My Friend, real quality build in any presentation you do!!!

Cheers,

Luis Alfonso.

PD: I was wondering what happened with the Airfix 1/72 Hurricane Mk II, as my friend Bruno and I were looking for one in this side of the pond but seems that each one produced have found owner and the rest were vanished from the earth's face.....This kit now is so rare to find as gold dust, .anyone knows what happened???

[JWM]

Stew,

My IK 2 is nothing to take hat off - it was my second (I think) attempt of doing a model completely out of scratch.

It is very far pefecty, really. Perhaps I will try to improve it a bit now.... And post again.... Anyway, I hope you do not mind if I post here photo of it.

It looks like this:

I have now motivation to do some work on it again...

Cheers

Jerzy-Wojtek

Edited October 11, 2014 by JWM

[AdrianMF]

Nice one - certainly off the beaten track! That's a lovely paint job and the photo etch gunsight really sets it off, too.

Regards,

Adrian

[Learstang]

Go on, Stew! You know you want to do a Greek P.24. I think I'll eventually get around to doing a Romanian P.24 as used on the Eastern Front. Now I'll need to see if the IK-2 were ever used on the Eastern Front. Even if not, I may have to pick one up - that is a sharp-looking aeroplane!

Regards,

Jason

Edited October 17, 2014 by Learstang

[Stew Dapple]

Luis, thank you, it is nice to hear from you thank you for your excessively kind words - as for the Hurricane II, I am not sure what has happened to it, I had a quick look and there are none on the UK ebay either... I would like to hope that Airfix have decided not to re-issue it and will make a new mould as it is one of the early Hornby-Airfix efforts and not in any way up to the standard of the new Hurricane I... however I expect it is simply a production delay and that we will see the old one again soon . In any case, patience will be rewarded Luis

Jerzy-Wojtek, that is very impressive indeed, I think that a talent for scratchbuilding entire kits would be a wonderful thing - any aircraft you are interested in you can just make one rather than wait hopefully for one of the kit manufacturers to produce one ... good work mate

Adrian, thank you very much; I agree about the gunsight though I have to note that the one-piece etched ring-and-bead that you see in the pictures gave me more grief than the entire rest of the kit; I lost count of the number of times I bent one end of it or the other while adding it to the kit and while painting afterwards, eventually knocking the ring sight off altogether and having to re-glue it... but in the end, it was worth the effort as it does add a certain something

Jason, yes, I do see a Greek P.24 in my future now, once that sort of seed has been planted it seems it always germinates sooner or later - as for the IK-2's use, the four survivors from the VVKJ were transferred to the Croatian Air Force and Azur make a kit of that version too (though the camouflage is decidedly less sexy being dark green over light blue as far as I can tell from the box-art) - I don't think they would have been suitable for use as fighters but possibly as trainers or perhaps they could have been used in anti-partisan work?

Cheers,

Stew