Planet Models BFW M.20b2, resin, 1/72nd scale

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

 

The BFW M.20 (Or Messerschmitt M.20) was a passenger plane of the 30's built in several versions and used extensively by Lufthansa and subsidiaries.

The version here (M.20b2) was able to carry 10 passengers in comfort, even providing a restroom with toilet and sink, necessities always appreciated on board.

A monoplane of metallic construction and elegant lines, it was a truly modern plane, considering its contemporaries.

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

Another resin kit from Planet of a very graceful civil plane, along the lines of the similar ones the firm released long time ago.

Although I find commendable that Planet took a step in that direction, this is the same case as the F.W. 19a Ente I already built, that is, a reasonable platform, but with a number of inaccuracies that have to be dealt with. Most of these are quite obvious and frankly evident after just 5 minutes of looking at photos, easily accessible online.

I will cite just a few: the top of the cabin door on the fuselage side is angular, with three sides, and not rounded as depicted on the kit. Part of the exhaust goes inside the fuselage nose, not completely outside as wrongly depicted in the kit parts. There are three ventilation devices and a wind-driven generator on the back of the plane, but the kit provides less parts, and one in the wrong position. The model has decals for a Lufthansa plane, D-2026, and a Brazilian plane, PP-VAK "Aceguá". Whilst some planes had a two-blade prop, Aceguá had a four-blade prop -actually two props set one across the other- and so did D-2026, but the kit has just one two-blade prop. So you have to concoct your four-blade prop yourself.

It is not that hard to use a computer and do a simple Internet search and find all these inaccuracies before you commit to production.

Needless to say, most of these mistakes come, as usual, from basing the kit on drawings, and not cross-referencing with photos, a vice many manufacturers can't be cured of.

Flare dispensers are seen in many photos at the wing tips too. The kit omits little details like aileron linkages and such, easily scratched by any modeler with a modicum of experience.

These Planet kits fetch now pretty high prices, mainly due to their scarcity.

I always welcome civil kits. And they many times entail a risk for the manufacturer, as they apparently tend not to sell as well as the killing machines (a side note on humanity's general proclivities). But this effort, as meritorious as it may be -as with the Ente-, has its little shortcomings, some of which are quite evident.

Still, onward we push, as there is no other game in town to depict these significant and rather appealing machines of the Golden Age of aviation.

 

Planet kits, compared to some offers from other resin manufacturers now on the market, feel chunky, a bit rough, and heavy. And heavy this one indeed is, no doubt, with solid thick wings and solid nose. Fortunately the manufacturer provides the relief of landing gear white metal parts, but still the tailskid is resin.

A full interior is provided, cockpit and cabin with nice seats, with even the -almost unheard of- luxury of a toilet and sink. All doors and hatches are closed, though, internally and externally, therefore they will have to be opened if you want to show all the goods inside.

 

Whoever thinks that scale modeling is a passive hobby that has little to do with physical effort, is sorely misinformed.

Resin kits offer plenty of gymnastic opportunities, starting right away with that strenuous discipline called "Sawing the Very Chunky and Hefty Pouring Blocks", soon to be included in the Modeling Olympics event that is scheduled to be celebrated at Telford this year, for which @Martian Hale , @John Aero, and @general melchett have been named judges.

To that follows the endurance discipline named "Sanding the Mating Parts" and the sister activity "Sanding the interior parts that never fit". If we add to that the stamina tasks like "Picking the Smallest of Parts from the Dark Space Under the Building Area" , we see that the life of a modeler is anything but about being inactive.

It is necessary to add that some of these activities, in the case of resin models, are performed in the "Modeling Water Sports Area", namely the kitchen, laundry room or restroom sinks.

 

As another water sports sub-discipline, performed in the heated-pool area, we should also mention "Straightening the Bent Parts".

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

Sturdy box, welcome, and contents:

 

Some parts have pierced their bags and were rattling in the box:

 

Decals, metal parts and instructions:

 

A common sight upon arrival in resin kits:

 

The Modeling Water Sports Event begins:

 

The white metal parts, necessary due to the weight of this kit;

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

The small bits department:

 

 And something you don't see often (unless it's in my models) a toilet!

 

 

Nice seats>

 

A sink!

 

The roof of the fuselage close to the wing is very thin (no matter, since another part will be added later as fuselage top):

 

Bent fuselage top:

 

Slightly bent wing:

 

Slightly bent other wing:

 

All these warped parts were fixed in less than five minutes under running hot water (sink tap) and straightening them by hand.

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

The door has a curved top, which is inaccurate, should be a three-sided one:

 

The transparencies are provided as two vac canopies (thanks for spare, Planet!) and a chunk of clear material for you to make the windows:

 

The molding of the canopies isn't really sharp, but the plastic is reasonably clear:

 

The prop (which is inaccurate, should be a four blade one) had a bubble on the tip. Easily solved, though:

 

The exhausts are inaccurate. They go partially inside the nose:

 

After 3,556,334 hours of sawing and sanding the nose pouring block was eliminated:

 

Things nice and clean now:

 

[Andwil]

Another informative Moa build, I’m in.

 

AW

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

The openings are marked for excision:

 

 There was another small hatch not marked in the kit but present in photos, therefore that one is also marked:

 

All open now. Next task is to make the make the doors/hatches from styrene replicating the detail:

[billn53]

This is going to be great! 

[general melchett]

Just my cup of tea, looking forward to the big fight. I trust you’ll give the dear thing a sporting chance though I suspect there won’t be much of the original resin left by the cessation of hostilities. Though I’ve built many resins I’ve never attempted a Planet kit.(although I did nearly acquire a Ju-390V-1 a few years ago).
 

As for judging this year, you do realise that putting us three in the same room is a recipe for disaster, Martian has a highly active digestive tract (several in fact) and John’s, well, incorrigible. Naturally I shall perform my duties with the due diligence and solemnity appropriate to the occasion and will limber up for the event by downing a few slugs of home brewed Shredded Sporran followed by a cold shower and a vigorous towelling down...

[billn53]

2 hours ago, Moa said:

... a restroom with toilet and sink

Moa’s in heaven now! Ha ha!

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

The person bagging the parts was perhaps too pending of the soccer match. There were supposed to be two pilot/copilot seats, and 10 passenger seats, but I got only a pilot seat and 11 passenger seats:

 

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

To the left a bulkhead that seems to separate the radio/navigator station from the cabin, no door to be seen, although that's unlikely:

 

The internal doors are opened too:

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

New doors:

 

(EDIT: the stiffeners DO NOT go over the doors as I painstakingly made them, they have a plain surface. Talk about overdoing!)

Back to the board!

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

If you are choosing Aceguá as the plane you are representing, not only do you need to adjust the inaccuracies already described, but also correct the decal placement on the wings, which the instructions wrongly tells you that they are all on the right wing, whilst in fact they were separated on both wings, as per this image:

(From Varig-airlines.com):

https://www.varig-airlines.com/20.htm8.jpg

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

Same goes for underneath PP-VAK wings, the regs were separated, and not together as the instructions wrongly indicate.

From the Net, the image to the left is not relevant):

 

Amazing the things that pop on the Net by just doing a search for the type you want to represent. Instead of guessing or following inaccurate drawings.

Sigh..........

[Martian]

5 hours ago, Moa said:

Whoever thinks that scale modeling is a passive hobby that has little to do with physical effort, is sorely misinformed.

Resin kits offer plenty of gymnastic opportunities, starting right away with that strenuous discipline called "Sawing the Very Chunky and Hefty Pouring Blocks", soon to be included in the Modeling Olympics event that is schedule to be celebrated at Telford this year, for which @Martian Hale , @John Aero, and @general melchett have been named judges.

 

Who forgot to give Moa his medication?

 

Martian 👽

[roginoz]

Hope you're gonna scratch build a lid for the dunny, Moa.

 

Gotta have something for the ladies to criticise as having been left up..........

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

38 minutes ago, roginoz said:

Hope you're gonna scratch build a lid for the dunny, Moa.

 

Gotta have something for the ladies to criticise as having been left up..........

Not only that, but the tap, the mirror, and let's not forget the humble toilet roll!

What good is a loo if after the facto you look around in dismay realizing that it's not there?

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

1 hour ago, Martian Hale said:

Who forgot to give Moa his medication?

 

Martian 👽

Yeah! that's what I say! Nurse, where is that Laphroaig?

[Martian]

46 minutes ago, roginoz said:

Hope you're gonna scratch build a lid for the dunny, Moa.

Complete with dunny spider of course! 

 

Martian 👽

 

 

[Andrew.S]

I am looking forward for your another build! I will be great as always!
The scheme will be german Lufthansa as seen on the box?

[Courageous]

Another build Moa, do you ever sleep. Off to a good start and Planet have kindly supplied a toilet and sink but no loo roll, (tsk).

I share your thoughts about Planet Model kits. I done one last year, the casting blocks, the weight...not as bad as my Dujin kit though.

 

Stuart

[general melchett]

Whoever said research was a dying art...well, Planet apparently. Still, all the more fun for us. Having done research for a few manufacturers now I can tell you it's not rocket science. I agree with Moa that many seem to rely heavily on drawings (often inaccurate) rather than sift through abundant photographic evidence and first hand knowledge. 

 

Quote

not as bad as my Dujin kit though.

If you think Dujin are bad Stuart have a go at an early Unicraft kit. Ultimately, very satisfying to produce something approaching the subject matter from a pile of builders rubble.

 

[Andwil]

5 hours ago, Andrew.S said:

I am looking forward for your another build! I will be great as always!
The scheme will be german Lufthansa as seen on the box?

Oh no, not our Moa.  He’ll get a set of bespoke decals printed for an interesting South American, or Madagascan airline,  or most likely Tibetan, possibly his guru Master Sandpaper’s private plane.  The more to keep us enthralled as he weaves his magic.

 

AW

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

10 hours ago, Andrew.S said:

I am looking forward for your another build! I will be great as always!
The scheme will be german Lufthansa as seen on the box?

Nope.

It may be the Brazilian one (PP-VAK), but I have to look at those decals and see if they are accurate.

I don't think there are more options, other than different German machines (some with later "D-AAAA" registrations).

So far, Brazil (which reminds me of the great Terry Gilliam).