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September Sky 1939 2 in 1: PZL 37 B II and PZL P.11a (72528)


Paul A H

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September Sky 1939 (72528)

2 in 1: PZL 37 B II and PZL P.11a

1:72 IBG Models

 

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In the early hours of 1 September 1939, German forces began the invasion of Poland, triggering a global conflict that would endure for over 2000 days and claim the lives of millions of combatants and civilians. At the time of the outbreak of war, Poland's air force comprised around 800 aircraft. Some types were outdated but many, such as the PZL 37 B were state of the art designs. In this box, IBG Models have packaged two of their kits to represent the Polish Air Force during the early days of the campaign. Included in IBG's package is their PZL P.11a fighter aircraft and PZL 37 B II bomber kits. In usual IBG Models style, there are photo etched parts provided to enhance detail and also marking options appropriate to the period depicted. As we've already review the PZL P.11a here, I will focus on the 37B II bomber for this review. 

 

The PZL 37 Łoś (Moose) was a medium bomber designed in-house at the PZL factory in Warsaw. Early 'A' versions were fitted with a single vertical stabilizer, while later 'A' and 'B' version featured an improved twin tail. At the time of its entry into service, the PZL 37 was one of the most advanced bomber aircraft in the world and there was significant interest in both acquisition of export variants and licence production by a number of foreign nations. The PZL 37 was used by the Polish Air Force following the invasion in September 1939. 26 survivors were withdrawn to Romania and were eventually used by the Romanian Air Force. Captured examples were also tested by Germany and the USSR. Of the original production batch, none survive today.

 

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Construction of the twin-engined bomber starts with the interior. The internal elements of the bomb bay must be assembled first, as the roof of the bomb bay forms the floor of the cockpit. Four (two small and two large) bombs are provided. The crew area comprises seats for the pilot and bomb aimer, as well as a nicely detailed bomb sight, control column, three 7.92mm machine guns and plenty of sidewall detail. The fret of photo etched parts contributes extra details for the control column, throttle controls and seat harnesses. Aside from the rather nice extra details, there is also plenty of detail moulded into the fuselage sidewalls. Once the interior sub-assembly is complete, the whole lot can be sandwiched between the fuselage halves. The instructions recommend fitting the rather nice transparent parts at this stage. Once in place, it becomes clear just how sleek this aircraft is. As is the norm with IBG Model kits, the control surfaces are all moulded separately and can be posed if desired. Construction then turns to the engines and wings. Two different engine types are provided, each of which comprises a main block, photo etched ignition wiring, a three-part cowling and propeller with two-part spinner. Construction of the wings is more complex that you might think. Each of the main landing gear bays is built up from photo etched parts, while the wing root bomb bays are a plastic frame moulded in just one part. For some reason I would have thought this method of assembly would have been reversed, but the photo etched parts shouldn't be too difficult to fold and glue in place. eight small bombs are provided to fill the wing bomb bays. Again, the flaps and ailerons are separate parts. 

 

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The decal sheet provides two options for each type:

  • PZL P.11a, 112th Fighter Squadron, Zielonka Airfield, Poland, September 1939;
  • PZL P.11a, 111th Fighter Squadron, Zielonka Airfield, Poland, September 1939;
  • PZL 37 B Łoś, 16th Bomber Squadron, September 1939; and
  • PZL 37 B Łoś, 17th Bomber Squadron, September 1939.

The decals are nicely printed and a small selection of stencils has been included too.

 

Conclusion

 

There has been a noticeable resurgence of interest in the early WWII period, with the likes of Airfix and IBG Models releasing a number of types in recent years. It's nice to see IBG Models paying tribute to the brave men of the Polish Air Force with such a high quality set. I've reviewed the PZL P.11 a couple of times before, but this is the first time I've seen their PZL 37B. Happily the kit doesn't disappoint and it displays the characteristic crisp moulding and fine detail we've come to expect from the Polish manufacturer. Highly recommended.

 

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Review sample courtesy of 


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