1/72 PZL P.23 Karas #247. ++ Finished ++

[fightersweep]

Well, you can't build one without the other can you? This one has been shouting at me to build it for some time. "Patience" I said. "The Heller GB will soon be upon us". And now it's time to put this model out of it's 40 year boxed misery and be set free!

 

 

Yep! Another classic Heller "black box" kicks off my GB.

 

 

A peek at the sprues reveals a solid looking kit. It's not Carp at all! More fine details, crisp mouldings and no flash in sight once again. I seem to remember my original build being that olive coloured plastic that Heller seemed fond of, but for this one, we've got John Major grey.

 

 

More of the same on the instructions, and more lovely yellowed decals. No mummified glue though this time. Another shop around at the Big H needed. Last time I built one of these, I think it was 1984 so therefore, another kit I can't wait to get cracking on. It just looks like a really nice kit. Got me thinking that I may proceed through the GB building themed pairs. I quite like the idea of that.

 

Steve

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Hello Steve... I have the IBG kit and its been laying dormant for two years due to my lack of any correct Polish paint colors. What are you using for the colors if I may ask ? 
 

Dennis

[Wez]

I made one of these when it first came out sometime between 1980-1982 IIRC?

 

I always likened it to a Polish Battle cum Lysander for some reason.

 

It will be no surprise that this one also lurks in the Wez Heller Hoard.

 

Welcome and good luck.

[fightersweep]

5 minutes ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Hello Steve... I have the IBG kit and its been laying dormant for two years due to my lack of any correct Polish paint colors. What are you using for the colors if I may ask ? 
 

Dennis

That is a really good question! Despite having a huge hoard of enamels, I don't think I have any of the relevant Polish colours. A bit of research will be needed as I'm not even sure of the correct cockpit colours for Polish aircraft of the period!

 

4 minutes ago, Wez said:

Welcome and good luck.

Thanks again Wez! Will we be seeing your Heller PZL duo here also?

[Wez]

4 hours ago, fightersweep said:

Thanks again Wez! Will we be seeing your Heller PZL duo here also?

No Steve, I've got some other's that need to have their place in the sun!  Glad that you're building the duo though.

[TonyOD]

Another one on my hit list. Following with interest.

[Rabbit Leader]

Why not build them both, Im hoping someone takes the plunge and builds all six Saab kits too! 
 

Another crisp cracker there Steve. Now I have this kit (had it for three days now) and can contour how lovely it all looks. Mines a later type box, however the mould seems to have held out rather well. I too have no idea about Polish colours so will watch on to see how you get on. 
 

Cheers and best of luck.. Dave 

[fightersweep]

@Rabbit Leader

 

Yes! Heller certainly waved the SAAB flag. I've got a Tunnan on route to me, so I might grab the J.21 for a SAAB pair. Next Heller pair maybe the 109B and 109K, or Ar 69 and Ar 196A.

 

I've been doing a bit of research into PAF colours. For Humbrol, it seems the following colours are suggested: For the P.11, upper surfaces Hu 142 with a dash of Hu 163 added. Undersides Hu 127 or anything RLM 76 as that apparently is very close. Interior should be a blue/grey very close to Hu 144. For the PZL P.23: Upper surfaces Hu 155 with Hu 127 again for the underside. Hu 144 again for the interior. That's info I found elsewhere on BM.

 

Steve

[Rabbit Leader]

Much appreciated Steve, I’m sure this paint info will be handy to many. 
Cheers.. Dave

[Wez]

Catalogue number 247 first released in 1979 BTW...

[fightersweep]

1 hour ago, Wez said:

Catalogue number 247 first released in 1979 BTW...

Thanks Wez! I'll amend my title btw.

[fightersweep]

Right! Despite a weekend full of two birthdays and end of month accounts, I managed to grab a little bench time, so let's get this GB on the road. Finally, after months of waiting, I could attack the sprues.

 

 

It's been a very long time since I built a Heller kit. Despite loving them in my younger modelling days, I have no idea why I haven't built any in such a long time. This kit looks lovely, nice and crisp and a few cursory dry fits show no problems. So, not much progress, but the cockpit has been assembled, and the wings glued together ready for the clean up. My! Those trailing edges are so thin! Got to hand it to Heller. They were making great kits at this time. So! Not a lot of progress, but the ball is rolling.

 

 

Now! Does anyone have any ideas on the interior colours of the P.23? The instructions call out aluminium and a thread elsewhere on BM suggests a blue/grey close to Humbrol 144. I also found a Polish chap by Googling and he had painted the interior a 1/48 kit with a similar colour to the exterior top colour. I am now officially confused!

 

Steve

[fightersweep]

Greetings fellow Hellerphiles!

 

Progress has been a bit hampered, not due to the model itself, but due to my camera. Obviously, being a group build, there needs to be updates and all I have is a little Nikon point and shoot. It's trash. Quite possibly the most miserable excuse for a camera I have ever owned. It is completely useless and fails at every task asked of it. It apparently has a macro function. Well, it might have a macro button, but that's just a ruse. To cut a long story short, this miserable piece of Chinese junk is going in the bin.

 

So, to enable me to continue this GB, I'll post a couple of blurred, horrible photos that was about the best this thing could manage. It even makes what I have done so far look awful. Honestly, it's looks better in the plastic. 

 

So, progress so far includes cockpit, wings, wheel spats, engine, cowling and prop. It's all ready to be buttoned up now, so things should speed along a lot quicker now. No major issues so far, and all in all, a nice, enjoyable kit. 

 

 

Here it is nestling in the WIP box with the P.11c

 

 

Normal service will be resumed once I have killed this Nikon with fire and bought something fit for pupose.

 

Steve

[JOCKNEY]

Looks great Steve 

I have had this kit in the stash for a blooming years, so I'm really looking forward to following this one.

Cheers Pat 

[Toryu]

Progress looks great, Steve, as well as the photos. For WIP pictures I take my smartphone. They are more than sufficient (maybe with a little Photoshop help). Only for the exhibition photos I use a proper camera.

[fightersweep]

@JOCKNEY @Toryu Thank you gents! I've been struggling for the last couple of days to get at least a couple of photos. It really is that bad and it just makes what I've done look rubbish! Ho hum.

 

Being a total tech simpleton; I do have a smartphone with a fairly decent camera. How do I get those photos to my laptop to go via Flickr? Do I email them to myself? 

 

Steve

[JOCKNEY]

Hi Steve

As a luddite I email them to a tablet and use that so your laptop would work in the same way.

You can of course put the Flickr app on your phone and cut out the middle man. But my phone is short on usable memory due to its general decrepitness so I don't have that option. 

Cheers Pat

[fightersweep]

Cheers Pat! I'll give that a go tomorrow. The phone I have comes with a half decent camera, but I didn't know how to get photos to my laptop. Silly really, as it's probably fairly easy, but I'm tech useless.

 

Steve

[Rabbit Leader]

Great to see this coming along Steve and from what I see things look quite good. I’ve long done away with camera equipment and just use my phone and the various photo hosting apps available. I too use the Flickr app and it’s pretty simple to just upload your photos to Flickr all on the one device. Once you get the hang of it, it’s just like riding a bike. Looking forward to seeing the next updates. 
Cheers.. Dave 
 

[fightersweep]

Hi all!

 

Hope you're all have a fun filled Heller weekend. Managed to get some bench time in today, so that meant some more progress on the Karas. Got the airframe together on this kit, and what a lovely little kit it is too, requiring only a dab of filler here and there....

 

 

 

 

Couldn't put this off any longer. Those pesky canopies had to be masked, and pesky they were. On and off, this took over a couple of days to do, and it's drove me nuts. @TonyOD, if you're reading this, I feel your Leo masking pain. I have no desire to do this again anytime soon!

 

 

Right! I think we're ready for the old skool hairy sticks and Humbrol Authentics and time to add some colour to this old Carp!

 

Steve

[Rabbit Leader]

Lovely progress and one hell of a making job on those clear bits Steve. This is looking very nice indeed, well done and good luck with the upcoming paint application. 

Cheers.. Dave 

[fightersweep]

Salut fellow Heller GB'ers;

 

More progress. Been busy on the Karas with the hairy stick and a lovely old bottle of DBI paint. First off was to get the glazing fixed in position. No dramas there, and once again a nice fit from Heller.

 

 

Next up was the underside, which I had read here is close enough to RLM 76....so a trusty tin of Humbrol Authentic RLM 76 it was. This puppy must be 40 odd years old but what great paint! All slapped on and masked for the topside colour.

 

 

Topside paint nearly there as I think it could do with one more thin coat and then some future for decals. We're getting there!

 

 

I hope my cobbled together masking has done the trick. Not long before I find out!

 

Steve

[JOCKNEY]

Lovely work Steve

This is such a distinctive aircraft I am expecting to see more of these being built in this GB.

The great thing is we can follow your excellent example, so no pressure eh ! 

Cheers Pat 

[Rabbit Leader]

Excellent update of a classic Heller kit Steve. She looks great with paint on and will look even better once the decals have been applied. 

Cheers.. Dave 

[klr]

On 9/25/2020 at 2:45 PM, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Hello Steve... I have the IBG kit and its been laying dormant for two years due to my lack of any correct Polish paint colors. What are you using for the colors if I may ask ? 
 

Dennis

When I built this about 15 years ago or so, I used the now discontinued Humbrol 142, rightly or wrongly: