1/72 - Aero A(b)-11 by Special Hobby - Ab-11 & A-11HS released

[Homebee]

In (June?) 2022 Special Hobby is to release a 1/72nd Aero Ab-11 - L-BUCD "Blue bird" on a long flight over Europe, Africa and Asia - kit - ref. SH72471

Source: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/SH72471

 

V.P.

 

Edited January 12 by Homebee

[Homebee]

Source: https://www.specialhobby.net/2022/02/norimberk-online-den-1.html

- ref. SH72471 - Aero 11 - L-BUCD Blue bird on a long flyight over Europe, Africa and Asia 

Quote

We are preparing the Aero A-11/12 family in 1/72 scale. As the first model in this series, we would like to release Aero A-11 škpt Stanovského and mechanic Šimek in June on the anniversary of their long-distance flight. Perhaps you will enjoy the renders, so far the military version of the A-11 

 

 

 

 

V.P.

[Homebee]

Box art - ref. SH72471 - Aero 11 - L-BUCD Blue bird on a long flyight over Europe, Africa and Asia 

Ltd edition release expected in June 2022

Sources: 

https://www.specialhobby.net/2022/04/blue-bird-on-long-flyight-over-europe.html

https://www.specialhobby.net/2022/05/drobnosti-k-pripravovanym-modelum.html

https://www.specialhobby.net/2022/06/sh72471-aero-ab-11-prace-pokracuji.html

 

 

 

Moulds in progress

Source: https://www.facebook.com/specialhobby/posts/395768859222911

 

 

V.P.

Edited June 3, 2022 by Homebee

[Homebee]

Source: https://www.specialhobby.net/2022/06/sh72471-blue-bird-on-long-flight-over.html

 

 

V.P.

[Homebee]

Test sprues

Source: https://www.specialhobby.net/2022/09/sh72471-aero-ab-11-modry-ptak-172.html

 

[Taylor Durbon]

Nice boxart. And a really nice example how a company waste money and time for a product, which nobody knows. Donˋt understand that.

[Graham Boak]

This arrogant expression of ignorance explains why manufacturers dread to step outside Spitfires/Phantoms/Bf.109s.  Guess what: some of us actually have heard of this aircraft.  In particular, I would suggest, Czech modellers will be well aware of this widely used aircraft which set international records in its time.  And guess what - Special Hobby is a Czech company.  Japanese model companies have produced and continue to produce kits of little-known Japanese types.  Ditto German, French, Italian, Russian and British companies.  Why should the Czechs be any different?

 

Look at it another way: here is modelling widening your knowledge and enlightening you on aspects of history that have otherwise escaped you.  Not that difficult to understand, surely?

[Taylor Durbon]

I agree with you in therms of the roots of sh. Nevertheless has a manufacturer to look at the possible costumer numbers. And in fact we dont need another Spit and 109. But there are so many beautiful birds out there without a descent reprasentation in 72nd scale. The chech Aero-45 for example, Beech Staggerwing and other beautiful birds from the 1930-40s. My opinion.

 

 

[occa]

If you compare the test build with the box cover it appears they completely missed the shape of the nose contours, it's much too rounded sidways and too sharp edged seen from the sides, above and from below.
Oh well another blunder.that likely comes from crappy misinterpretation of drawings

Edit:
As @VMA131Marine just has proven below it is obviously the box cover which is wrong and the kit is correct which is much better than vice versa.

[Homebee]

Test build

Source: https://www.specialhobby.net/2022/10/overujeme-fungovani-murphyho-zakonu.html

 

 

V.P.

[VMA131Marine]

On 9/12/2022 at 3:27 AM, Taylor Durbon said:

Nice boxart. And a really nice example how a company waste money and time for a product, which nobody knows. Donˋt understand that.

It’s a Czech aircraft produced by a Czech company; there’s nothing surprising or controversial about that. I would guess the aircraft is much better known in Czechia than elsewhere and Czech model companies have a long history of catering to indigenous subjects. Furthermore, no company puts out products to intentionally lose money.

[VMA131Marine]

On 9/12/2022 at 9:05 AM, occa said:

If you compare the test build with the box cover it appears they completely missed the shape of the nose contours, it's much too rounded sidways and too sharp edged seen from the sides, above and from below.
Oh well another blunder.that likely comes from crappy misinterpretation of drawings

Maybe the box cover is in error? It looks like SH captured the shape pretty well to me.

[Shorty84]

On 9/12/2022 at 9:27 AM, Taylor Durbon said:

how a company waste money and time

Maybe a 'waste' for you but a delight for others.

For me personally, a new Bf 109 may be a waste but there are enough people which are happy about such a release which I fully support. 

Thankfully the market is big enough for a lot of companies, catering for any of our preferences. So does it really matter if one of them is releasing a subject you are not interested in? I'm sure they know what they do. 

For my part, I'm happy about any manufacturer bringing diversity into the market, regardless if the subject is well known or not. 

 

Cheers

Markus

[Homebee]

Released - ref. SH72471 - Aero 11 - L-BUCD Blue bird 

Sources: 

https://www.specialhobby.eu/vlastni-produkce-1/special-hobby/blue-bird-on-a-long-flyight-over-europe-africa-and-asia-aero-ab-11-l-bucd-1-72.html

https://www.specialhobby.net/2022/10/modry-ptak-aero-ab-11-stabniho-kapitana.html

 

 

V.P.

[MarkoZG]

On 9/12/2022 at 12:48 PM, Taylor Durbon said:

I agree with you in therms of the roots of sh. Nevertheless has a manufacturer to look at the possible costumer numbers. And in fact we dont need another Spit and 109. But there are so many beautiful birds out there without a descent reprasentation in 72nd scale. The chech Aero-45 for example, Beech Staggerwing and other beautiful birds from the 1930-40s. My opinion.

 

 

I am surprised by the courage you have to write about something you have so little knowledge of.

Others have already explained the first part of your questions and let me conclude with the second. Both Aero 45 and Beech Staggerwing have already been released as injection kits, while Aero 11 hasn't.

So once again, this is very welcomed release, and for the kits you mentioned, try Ebay.

Edited October 23, 2022 by MarkoZG

[Piotr Mikolajski]

10 minutes ago, MarkoZG said:

I am surprised by the courage you have to write about something you have so little knowledge of.

 

Indeed. Just a quick look at the history of this aircraft would be enough to see that several hundred were produced in various versions, which was quite an achievement in the inter-war period.

 

On 10/5/2022 at 4:08 PM, VMA131Marine said:

Furthermore, no company puts out products to intentionally lose money.

 

Looking at the multitude of versions I expect many boxes from Special Hobby and certainly no one will lose money on this kit:

• A-11 - bomber and recon, 108 built;
• A-11N - A-11 equipped for night flights, 43 built;
• A-11HS - export version with different engine, Finland bought 8 aircraft;
• A-21 - night flying trainer derived from A-11N, 8 built;
• A-25 - lightweight unarmed training version with different engine and dual controls, 25 built;
• A-29 - float version derived from Ab-11, nine built with two different engines;
• Ab-11 - bomber version with different engine, 84 built;
• Ab-11N - four Ab-11 equipped for night flights;
• Ab-111 - different engine, 15 built;
• Aš-11 - trainers rebuilt from decommissioned A-11s.

 

Production of the A-11 began in 1924, with aircraft in service until the occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1939, and a few made it to the Slovak Air Force. I feel that for so many years of service a few interesting markings can be found.

[VMA131Marine]

13 hours ago, Piotr Mikolajski said:

Production of the A-11 began in 1924, with aircraft in service until the occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1939, and a few made it to the Slovak Air Force. 

If duration of production of the prototype were a good indicator of kit profitability then we would be overrun with kits of the Cessna 172.

[rickpeck]

I got one coming. I have heard of the Aero A-11 but not the markings. I look forward to this as it will look good in the case with my 10 P-40's, 12 P-47D's and a hand full of others off the wall planes. 

I don't see any Bf-109's though 🤔. Maybe one of these days.

[Piotr Mikolajski]

8 hours ago, VMA131Marine said:

If duration of production of the prototype were a good indicator of kit profitability then we would be overrun with kits of the Cessna 172.

 

Nope. The point is that the Cessna 172 is a civilian post-war aircraft. Such kits sell noticeably worse, the same goes for post-war aircraft. If we combine these two indicators, sales come out very poorly. And that is why post-war civil aircraft are so rarely produced and in fact close to 100% of them are produced as short-run or resin models. If you check new tool releases from mainstream manufacturers since 2000, you'll see how few of such kits were released.

[Radar]

I’ve just taken delivery of this kit. After having a good look at it in the box, it looks nice and crisply moulded with not a hint of flash. Also in the box are the parts for the military version gun rings and MG’s etc. I’ve perhaps jumped the gun a bit but with no idea of the military version release date, a bird in the hand is better than none. Thanks Special Hobby for a strong sturdy box that survived Evri’s efforts to crush it.

[TheKinksFan]

On 11/03/2023 at 12:39, Radar said:

I’ve just taken delivery of this kit. After having a good look at it in the box, it looks nice and crisply moulded with not a hint of flash. Also in the box are the parts for the military version gun rings and MG’s etc. I’ve perhaps jumped the gun a bit but with no idea of the military version release date, a bird in the hand is better than none. Thanks Special Hobby for a strong sturdy box that survived Evri’s efforts to crush it.

Was the bigger frame in your kit straight? When the kit was first released the frame was too big for the box, and as a result the wing was bent, this was something that all reviews mention. Have they perhaps made bigger boxes, or removed the outer edge of the frame? 

[Homebee]

New boxing announced - ref. SH72464 - Aero A-11HS

Sources: 

https://www.specialhobby.net/2023/12/sh72464-aero-11hs-boxart.html

https://www.specialhobby.net/2023/11/kamuflaze-chystaneho-modelu-sh72464.html

https://www.specialhobby.net/2023/11/nahled-arsiku-pro-finske-aero-a11hs.html

Box art, schemes & decals

 

 

 

 

V.P.

Edited December 11, 2023 by Homebee

[MarkoZG]

Until when was this plane used in Finland?

[TheKinksFan]

1 hour ago, MarkoZG said:

Until when was this plane used in Finland?

From 1927 to 1939.

 

[MarkoZG]

In 1939. still after 1st September or until then?