PZL P-11c - Polish Defender ***FINISHED***

[PeterB]

Hi Richard,

 

That would make some sense.

 

Pete

[PeterB]

Nearly there - the decs are now all on.

The kit comes with 17 decs and I have used 8 of them. The rest were either wrong or reluctant to bed down so I made a further 12, including both replacements and also new ones for those Revell missed out.

 

For anybody thinking of building this kit, the colour scheme/decal placement drawing aka “Collectors 3 view drawing” is not particularly helpful as it only shows one wing and one side of the fuselage, and like the box art it has the identification/call sign N-142 the wrong way round – the “N” indicates a machine belonging to one of the units which formed the 1st Air Regiment and was under the Port wing, not the 142 as shown!

These are later instructions - mine still carry the Revell-GB address on them although the box is a later "normal" Revell US one.

I mentioned earlier that the data table at the bottom of the rudder was missing so I made a couple of those, together with a couple of serial numbers, both in red. The kit sheet actually only has one serial number and in black. Incidentally it seems that the Poles, like the Finns, used a form of serial that also identified the type of aircraft, but instead of using letters as in MG*** for a Mig 21, they used numbers so the “8” in 8.121 meant PZL.11C serial 121. I also mentioned earlier that the decs were for a plane operated by 111 Flight of III/I Squadron which carried the name of Tadeusz Kosciuszko, and the kit badge is almost right, but instead of being on a clear background so that the fuselage colour shows through ( see a previous post), it should be on a white disc so I have replaced that, so now it has the red and white vertical stripes and blue stars representing that gentleman's service in the US War of Independence, together with a peasant's hat and crossed scythes from his involvement in the 1794 Polish uprising. The red "blob" below the "11c" on the tail is in fact the PZL insignia which may be a crane or maybe a stork - some sort of bird anyway unless it is meant to be a winged arrow like one of the flight markings!

The final error was the large national insignia under the wings, where the various white elements should have been clear so that the wing colour showed through and I have replaced them too, and added the missing pitot tube.

Bit more touching up to do then I will spray it with flat varnish and add the windscreen.

 

Pete

Edited July 25, 2022 by PeterB

[stevej60]

Nearly there Pete look's great I well remember building this kit mid seventies, the newsagent's I delivered paper's for only sold Revell kit's and this one

and it's Polish origin really interested me as I normally stuck to British and German aircraft.

[PeterB]

4 hours ago, stevej60 said:

Nearly there Pete look's great I well remember building this kit mid seventies, the newsagent's I delivered paper's for only sold Revell kit's and this one

and it's Polish origin really interested me as I normally stuck to British and German aircraft.

Thanks Steve,

 

I have built several RAF kits with Polish Squadron markings over the years, and a Polish flown and marked Caudron 714 in the Heller Classic a while back, but this is the only actual Polish plane I have ever built (twice now). I have considered adding a Los and Karas a few times but never got round to it, and probably never will now unless I win the Lottery! I think the fact that it was one of a kind may be why I never kept the original as it did not quite "fit in" with the rest of my kits, but I have corrected that error now, hopefully.

 

Pete

Edited July 26, 2022 by PeterB

[Troy Smith]

5 hours ago, stevej60 said:

I well remember building this kit mid seventies

mine came as part of a set of 4  Revell kits courtesy of Green Shield stamps!  I even found a scan of the catalogue online which has this.

Anyway, as a result, I ended up with this, a Ki-61, Sopwith Camel and Fokker Eindekker.

Late 1975, I also got the 1/32nd Revell Spitfire via Green Shield as well IIRC, I know they all got done in Humbrol 30 as the local shop had run out of the proper Airfix M3, and this was 'the same'....  even then H30  was a blue green.   Memory is fallible, remains of old kits are another thing...

The Spitfire got sent to someone who wanted a basic airframe.

 

Re Polish colours and IPMS Stockholm.  It's pretty dated,  I think more information has come to light since then, and there are different Khaki's. 

this is from @GrzeM from Arma Hobby]

and from @Wojtek Bulhak

http://armahobbynews.pl/en/blog/2017/06/19/pzl-p-7a-colours-and-markings/

 

"Also in mentioned book colour shades were discussed according to Nobiles colour chart. Nobiles was one of Polish Aviation lacquer paint supplier in 1930s. There were following colours used:

1930-1935 –khaki early Nobiles 499/999, dark earth tone, model paint: HTKC011 Polish Light Khaki

1935-1938 –khaki medium Nobiles 469/969, olive green tone, model paint: HTKC018 Olive Drab

1938-1939 –khaki late  Nobiles 499/999, dark brown tone,  model paint: HTKC010 Polish Dark  Khaki

Undersurfaces colour: Nobiles blue 475/975 mixed with light grey 459/959. Mixing ratio is unknown. Early shade was pale rand late shade darker. Model paint: HTK-036 Light Blue-Grey."

 

Anyway Pete, your model is some kind of khaki, and looks excellent.

[Ed Russell]

On 7/25/2022 at 6:44 AM, PeterB said:

For anybody thinking of building this kit, the colour scheme/decal placement drawing aka “Collectors 3 view drawing” is not particularly helpful as it only shows one wing and one side of the fuselage, and like the box art it has the identification/call sign N-142 the wrong way round – the “N” indicates a machine belonging to one of the units which formed the 1st Air Regiment and was under the Port wing, not the 142 as shown!

Nice work on the Revell kit.

For anybody thinking of building this kit, I would go a bit further and say they should buy an Arma kit and do them in parallel, using the spare Arma decals.

[PeterB]

Zakończony, which according to Google Translate is Polish for completed (probably!

 

Sprayed with flat varnish and the tiny windscreen fitted. Just a little touching up to do - as ever - and then I will get it in the gallery.

 

A nice simple build which I thoroughly enjoyed and it is not a bad looking plane, even if it was approaching obsolescence by the time the war started. I was sorry to have lost the original but now I have replaced it with what I hope is a slightly better rendition.

 

That will be my one and only entry in this GB so it only remains to thank the organisers, and also those who have provided information, encouragement and other helpful comments along the way. Good luck to all who are still building - I will watch with interest over the coming months, whilst I have a break from GB's and get a few other kits from my stash either completed or, in some cases at least, started - there is always the KUTA to fall back on should the need arise. I guess now I can start the decorating my wife has in mind!

 

Cheers

 

Pete

[Mottlemaster]

Looks great Pete Enjoy your decorating

 

Cheers Alistair

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Thank you Pete … The plane is quite good looking and we thank you for joining us.