Author Topic: Polish Air Force c.1939  (Read 9380 times)

Offline Paul Wagner

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Polish Air Force c.1939
« on: March 31, 2012, 08:48:50 PM »
I have finished my little collection of  1/72 Polish aircraft c.1939.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34860818@N06/6885354462/#in/photostream

First, the PZL 23 Karas dive-bomber. This is the Heller kit, with some Revell crewmen – the 3rd of whom is manning the lower gun turret…

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34860818@N06/6885340216/#in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34860818@N06/7031447115/#in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34860818@N06/7031447635/#in/photostream

Kit review – very positive, even the aged decals worlked just fine.

Second, the PZL 11c fighter – in this case, the Encore re-boxing of the Heller kit. Kit review – beautiful little model, exquisite external detail, great decals. Still amazed they managed to shoot down anything flying them, though….

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34860818@N06/6885341444/#in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34860818@N06/7031441883/#in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34860818@N06/7031445031/#in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34860818@N06/6885349296/#in/photostream

Third, the PZL 37 Los bomber. The kit was the top boxing of this Scala kit:

http://www.1-72scaleplanes.com/index.php?pg=pzl-p37

Real piece of cold war history too – it came with a receipt, in Polish, dated 1984… god knows how I ended up with it! It seemed to be a nice enough early Airfix/Matchbox equivalent, but turned out to need major surgery to get the wings and tail to sit symmetricaly…. Though the decals were in great nick, no yellowing or crumbling at all. Amazing!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34860818@N06/7031449511/#in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34860818@N06/7031440751/#in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34860818@N06/7031448353/#in/photostream

Finally, the Lublin R.XIII recon plane. This was a weird Polish kit – hopefully viewable here:

http://www.gasolinealleyantiques.com/kits/images/Aviation172/lublinrxiiid.JPG

…that can be best described of consisting of vaguely aircraft-shaped lumps of strange, brittle plastic. It comes in two boxings – wheels and floats – but both landing gears are included in the same box. A real struggle, to be honest, but an obscure subject, and with some nice crew, nice camo, and a replacement gun it looks decent enough

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34860818@N06/7031443093/#in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34860818@N06/6885342782/#in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/34860818@N06/7031444025/#in/photostream

Paul


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Re: Polish Air Force c.1939
« Reply #1 on: April 01, 2012, 12:50:22 AM »
Paul, these look great! I've always liked polish markings so I may be a bit biased.  :)
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Re: Polish Air Force c.1939
« Reply #2 on: April 01, 2012, 03:46:42 AM »
You know, it is just as easy to post the actual images as well - here is the first photo in your set:


Polish Air Force 1939 by puddingisacat, on Flickr

In Flickr all you do is click the "Share" tab above the image, and then select "Grab the HTML/BBCode" at the bottom of the little window that pops up.  Choose the "BBCode" option (once again at the bottom) and also the size of the photo you want in the pull down box just above that (for this one, I chose Medium 500).  Once you have done that, just follow the instruction and "Copy and paste the code" shown in the main window.  Bingo!

Of course, I still find Photobucket easier...but everyone has their own preference. ;)

BTW, nice models!

Regards,

Greg
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Offline Dr. YoKai

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Re: Polish Air Force c.1939
« Reply #3 on: April 01, 2012, 03:51:07 AM »
 Beautiful work! The Karas is one of my favorite attack aircraft from that period, and you've done a wonderful job with the Heller kit- the figures really enhance the presentation.

 

Offline Paul Wagner

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Re: Polish Air Force c.1939
« Reply #4 on: April 01, 2012, 06:18:48 AM »
The Karas is one of my favorite attack aircraft from that period

Making it I really grew to like the design, and I got the impression that, given some retractible gear and an inline engine, an enhanced Karas would have been a beautiful plane. Whiffing option there!

the figures really enhance the presentation.

I think so. I always put crew in - don't know why it seems untrendy in modelling circles. Anyone with a box full of unused 1/72 pilots, I'm happy to take them off your hands!

Paul

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Re: Polish Air Force c.1939
« Reply #5 on: April 01, 2012, 06:21:10 AM »
I always put crew in - don't know why it seems untrendy in modelling circles. Anyone with a box full of unused 1/72 pilots, I'm happy to take them off your hands!

I suspect it might be because people are daunted with painting figures.
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Offline Paul Wagner

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Re: Polish Air Force c.1939
« Reply #6 on: April 01, 2012, 06:30:19 AM »
You know, it is just as easy to post the actual images as well - here is the first photo in your set:


Y'know I did try that, but obviously did it wrong. Missed a button, it seems. So if I do THIS:


PZL 23 Karas by puddingisacat, on Flickr

....I should get a picture?!?

Paul

Offline Paul Wagner

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Re: Polish Air Force c.1939
« Reply #7 on: April 01, 2012, 06:31:59 AM »
I suspect it might be because people are daunted with painting figures.

Well all those years of painting role-playing figures has finally proved worthwhile :)

Paul

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Re: Polish Air Force c.1939
« Reply #8 on: April 01, 2012, 06:38:20 AM »
You know, it is just as easy to post the actual images as well - here is the first photo in your set:


Y'know I did try that, but obviously did it wrong. Missed a button, it seems. So if I do THIS:


PZL 23 Karas by puddingisacat, on Flickr

....I should get a picture?!?

Paul


Yep, worked perfectly!
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline Artoor_K

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Re: Polish Air Force c.1939
« Reply #9 on: April 01, 2012, 09:38:23 PM »
Nice to see here planes from my country :) Great work with Łoś and Lublin. One thing to mention...if you going to make another model of P-11 or Łoś or any model of polish plane of this era (I hope so :)): Towend ring ( the part that you painted gold) is more rust than gold (in fact , Towend rings were painted in color of fuselage - polish khaki , more or less Humbrol 29 but because of temperature paint began to pell off and the ring looked like rusted  ) . One and only survived P-11 is in Museum of Aviation in Cracow (where I live). Here is the photo, check it out:


I really hope that I'll see more polish planes from you , maybe P-24 or P-11 with retractable gear , close cockpit and in-line engine ? :)
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Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: Polish Air Force c.1939
« Reply #10 on: April 02, 2012, 03:49:49 AM »
Outstanding, Mr Wagner! You've built some real eye-poppers there! I really like your paintwork and how clean and sharp your models are!

Brian da Basher

Offline Paul Wagner

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Re: Polish Air Force c.1939
« Reply #11 on: April 02, 2012, 04:15:50 AM »
Nice to see here planes from my country :) Great work with Łoś and Lublin. One thing to mention...if you going to make another model of P-11 or Łoś or any model of polish plane of this era (I hope so :)): Towend ring ( the part that you painted gold) is more rust than gold (in fact , Towend rings were painted in color of fuselage - polish khaki , more or less Humbrol 29 but because of temperature paint began to pell off and the ring looked like rusted  ) . One and only survived P-11 is in Museum of Aviation in Cracow (where I live). Here is the photo, check it out:


I really hope that I'll see more polish planes from you , maybe P-24 or P-11 with retractable gear , close cockpit and in-line engine ? :)


All, useful information! The kit reference said "bronze" (I think) thus the colour, but I might go back and repaint them... though they do look kinda sharp as it :)

Paul

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Re: Polish Air Force c.1939
« Reply #12 on: April 02, 2012, 04:59:25 AM »
nice models, Paul :)

      have a look at the Karas profiles I've put here ...
             http://beyondthesprues.com/Forum/index.php?topic=1153.0

love to see them in plastic ;)

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Re: Polish Air Force c.1939
« Reply #13 on: April 02, 2012, 08:16:53 AM »
Paul: Excellent collection. The PZL.23 Karaś was reputed to have a weak wing structure. Sounds like a perfect excuse to rework that wing for a retractable undercarriage  ;D  It's easy to imagine the whiffed Karaś looking rather like a retractable gear PZL.46 Sum with the HS.12Y engine of the PZL.56 Kania fighter.

artoor_k: Thanks for the P.11c photo ... never seen it with the cowl off before. Nice! BTW, I have just begun work on a 'Poland 1935' storyline which may include a P.11 derivative with a retractable undercarriage -- still radial engine though and no enclosed cockpit.
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Offline Artoor_K

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Re: Polish Air Force c.1939
« Reply #14 on: April 02, 2012, 08:35:52 PM »
Kit review – beautiful little model, exquisite external detail, great decals. Still amazed they managed to shoot down anything flying them, though….

P-11 was one of the best fighters of these times. With 4 machineguns it was also very well armed. Whet it came on Paris Aviation Exhibition the people were fascinated by it's gull wing guaranting stability , agility and visibility from cockpit. P-11 had suprising technological solutions like rejected internal fuel tank in case of fire and scissor's type dampers. It was also very fast (360 km/h for these times was amazing). In 1939 , 6 th September Lt. Gnyś flying of P-11 shoot down two Do-17 near Olkusz. Hermann Goring was so fascinated by P-11 that he gained one airplane for Museum of Aviation in Berlin. What is surprising? He took P-11 from Rakowice airfield (now Museum of Aviation) in Cracow. P-11 was in Berlin from 1939 to 1945. Then Germans tried to export it out of Germany but the transport was found in north of Poland. Partially destroyed P-11 was renovated and came back to her own airfield :) Now it's possible to start her engine :)  I have more photos of P-11, I can put it here or send via mail if you want :)

If you going to make P-11 again better kit is the P-11 by PZW (now Mastercraft). They also make P.7 - precedensor of P-11.\

artoor_k: Thanks for the P.11c photo ... never seen it with the cowl off before. Nice!

On the photo the cowl is on :)
« Last Edit: April 03, 2012, 12:56:54 AM by artoor_k »
Sickening, weakening
Don't let another somber pariah consume your soul
You need strengthening, toughening
It takes a bit of dark to rekindle the fire burning in you
Ignite the fire within you

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Re: Polish Air Force c.1939
« Reply #15 on: April 04, 2012, 05:47:50 AM »
On the photo the cowl is on :)

Wow, what an odd angle  :-\  In that case, thanks again for an even more informative photo!
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."