PZL P.11c, Revell, 1/72

[Old Man]

This proved on examination to be a real treat of a kit. I remember when it first came out, though I was a bit past building model airplanes then. This is an English boxing. While there is some serious flash here and there, the moulding is excellent. In its travels down the years, the kit has shed its windscreen, but I expect I would replace that in any case. I am leaving the surface detail of this old kit intact, so far as I can manage, anyway; with the excellent corrugation, somehow the rivets and raised panel lines seem appropriate. I hope to be able to use the kit decals; they match pictures of a machine in a photograph of the 111th 'Kosciuszko' Flight taken in September, 1938, when Poland took advantage of the Munich settlement to help itself to a small slice of Czechoslovakia.

Edited July 26, 2011 by Old Man

[Old Man]

I have been working on this over the weekend, and have got a great deal done on it.

First was making an interior. It was also necessary to cut open the forward area (that the wind-screen sits over).

Edited July 26, 2011 by Old Man

[Old Man]

Here is the fuselage closed....

Note how the cowling, moulded to the fuselage, presents a solid blank to the rear. I set out to cut a lip into this, and so backed into the first, and hopefully only real alteration I am making to the kit: in cutting in to make a lip, I found I pierced completely through in spots, so there was nothing for it but to keep going and separate the cowling (and motor assembly) completely....

Here is a shot with the cowling temporarily tacked on....

Edited July 26, 2011 by Old Man

[Old Man]

Here is the model with horizontal stabilizers and wing attached, and painted...

Paints are PollyScale, cut with Future: the pale blue is an RLM light blue, a powder blue shade, and the khaki is a mix of one part French Earth (a tan in which red does not predominate) and two parts British Dark Earth (which in the PollyScale line is a wholly inaccurate yellowish olive green). The corrugation is hit with a darker wash after a couple of base color coats (Azure Blue and an RLM dark brown), and then dry-brushed with the base color.

The final thing done was to replace an oval hatch under the nose that had been damaged cleaning the fuselage seam (with an oval cut from five thousandths card), and then to add the struts.

Here is bit of a look into the cockpit (the instruments are Mike Grant decals):

Next steps will be to add the undercarriage and attach the cowling assembly....

Edited July 26, 2011 by Old Man

[VG 33]

Hi Old Man

This is another gem you've dug out. I did not know revell had produced this little Polish fighter and I supposed there was only the Heller kit.

It seems that this GB fits paticurlaly well your expectations.

Patrick

[Luno13]

This looks like a great kit. I think I'm going to look for it next time I'm in the shop :) The oval part is actually the fuel tank. According to what I've read, it could be jetissoned in an emergency, dropping out of the bottom of the plane.

[Old Man]

Hi Old Man

This is another gem you've dug out. I did not know revell had produced this little Polish fighter and I supposed there was only the Heller kit.

It seems that this GB fits paticurlaly well your expectations.

Patrick

Thank you, Sir.

The Heller kit is better, as a model: better surface detail, including finer corrugation, the cockpit opening is much better, the cowling is separate. I do not like the three part wing, though; it puts a seam amid the corrugations, and being hollow, could well be pressed down too far. When I do one of mine (I have two), I expect I will put a brace in there, to hold the levels right, at least.

I was just overcome with a burst of nostalgia when I opened this one --- damnit, this is what kits are supposed to look like, like when I was a kid. And it is well done; the fuselage sides needed no thinning, the trailing edges are razor sharp, the joining for the horizontal stabilizers is very well engineered. The right fuselage half, though, is a hair taller than the left, which made for some work on the underside.

This is one of my favorite periods for model subjects, so this GB was right up my alley.

[Old Man]

This looks like a great kit. I think I'm going to look for it next time I'm in the shop :) The oval part is actually the fuel tank. According to what I've read, it could be jetissoned in an emergency, dropping out of the bottom of the plane.

Thank you, Sir. That is an interesting bit about the tank. I confess I do not know too much about this aircraft.

You will not find the kit in stores, though; it is long out of production. I got mine from a fellow selling off his old 1/72 kits, as he moves on to 1/48. You can find them, though, if you keep an eye out. But as I said above, the Heller (also out of production, unfortunately) is a better model.

I am glad you saw this, and if the period interests you, perhaps you would like to start a build here?

[ross blackford]

:D, Hello again Old Man. That's a great little PZL P-11 you're building there and I must say you're doing it justice. A great job on your lttile Polish fighter. Somewhere in my stash I have one of those Revell kits and a much more modern Polish kit along with the Polish P-7 kit. I used to have the Heller kit but for some reason I can't find it anymore so I'm watching out for one to turn up on ebay or elsewhere.

,

Ross.

[Old Man]

:D, Hello again Old Man. That's a great little PZL P-11 you're building there and I must say you're doing it justice. A great job on your lttile Polish fighter. Somewhere in my stash I have one of those Revell kits and a much more modern Polish kit along with the Polish P-7 kit. I used to have the Heller kit but for some reason I can't find it anymore so I'm watching out for one to turn up on ebay or elsewhere.

,

Ross.

Thank you, Sir.

What company makes the more modern kits? I would very much like a P.7 kit.

[ross blackford]

:D, Hello Old Man,

I'm pretty sure the Polish company is ZTS. I'll have to look up to be sure though.

,

Ross.

[johnsan]

I, too, have fond memories of this kit. Neat little model, let down only by the lack of alternate markings.

Looking good, Old Man!

[Old Man]

Into the home stretch with this one, Gentlemen: all that remains is decals, tail struts, putting in wing gun barrels, and making the windscreen....

A few points worth mentioning....

The propeller is one area that need modification for accuracy. The spinner is supposed to make a smooth cone with the front-plate; the kit piece leaves a distinct step. I added about a millimeter of plastic sheet at the rear of the spinner,trimmed the propeller blades off,and re-mounted them a little bit back of their original position.The spinner is just tacked in place for these pictures,it still needs a little more paint.

The kit's interface of wing struts and landing gear is a bit a tricky. The struts and legs are supposed to meet,and there is a sort of slot for this in the fuselage pieces. But the wing struts are a bit too long, and I just piled them in,pretty much filling the slots. The legs are but-jointed to where the struts meet the fuselage sides, which took a bit of trimming and custom fitting. The joints are weak,and the rigging (.25mm/.01" styrene rod) is functional; it keeps the legs from spreading under the weight of the model....

The wheels are over-engineered: the inner hubs/brake discs are on the legs, there is a doughnut for a tire,and then the hub-caps is added as a separate piece. The latter did not fit very well,and I made new little discs from thin sheet.

Having read many good things about using Future to snuggle down decals, I intend to try that method on this build; with all its corrugations, it should be an 'if it will do it here,it'll do it anywhere' sort of test....

Edited September 3, 2011 by Old Man

[El pibe vitina]

Having read many good things about using Future to snuggle down decals, I intend to try that method on this build; with all its corrugations, it should be an 'if it will do it here,it'll do it anywhere' sort of test....

Be very careful and cautious with the use of Future as decal setting. Since Future dries fast you will have a little time to place the decals. You can use Windex as Future's retardant and to thin it, and its helps to avoid create a mountain of Future under the decal.

I only use Future as decal settig if the decals are very old or dont glue and dont conform in engraved panels or curved sufaces.

Good luck!

Bye for now...

Edited September 3, 2011 by El pibe vitina

[dnl42]

Very nice! You did some serious work on that kit. I have a soft place in my heart--OK, maybe my head--for some of these old kits of rare subjects. But, in this case, nice modern 1:48 is available.

Modern 1:48 kits (w/ a small PE fret and a resin bit) are available from Mirage. They have the 11.c in various forms (fighter, fighter-bomber, export); I have all three of these. Part has their typically extensive PE for this, too. Vector has a resin Bristol Mercury engine and True Details has weighted wheels. For decals, Techmod has several decal sheets; Aeromaster has 1 sheet (AFAIK). I might be over-remembering, but I think, Kagero has a book w/ decals too (usually Techmod). There are quite a few reference books available.

In 1:72, RPM has a reissue of the old ZTS Plastyk kit. I was fairly certain that Ardpol had a kit too, but I don't see it in their catalog. Part has PE for a Siedlce kit (saw one on eBay; perhaps also related to the current RPM?). Techmod also has decals.

If you like this period, Ardpol has a lot of 1:72 you would probably like.

[Old Man]

Be very careful and cautious with the use of Future as decal setting. Since Future dries fast you will have a little time to place the decals. You can use Windex as Future's retardant and to thin it, and its helps to avoid create a mountain of Future under the decal.

I only use Future as decal settig if the decals are very old or dont glue and dont conform in engraved panels or curved sufaces.

Good luck!

Bye for now...

Thank you for the advice, Sir. I think this does meet your qualifications,as the decals are about thirty years old, and there is a lot of surface irregularity for them to go down over. What proportion of Windex do you recommend?

If it does not work, I will have to change field and some new markings; either pirate from one of my Heller kits (I could spare Polish markings as I want to do one as a Romanian machine),or get a modern sheet (someone,I think Trech-Mod, has a sheet for a 1/72 P.11).

[Old Man]

Very nice! You did some serious work on that kit. I have a soft place in my heart--OK, maybe my head--for some of these old kits of rare subjects. But, in this case, nice modern 1:48 is available.

Modern 1:48 kits (w/ a small PE fret and a resin bit) are available from Mirage. They have the 11.c in various forms (fighter, fighter-bomber, export); I have all three of these. Part has their typically extensive PE for this, too. Vector has a resin Bristol Mercury engine and True Details has weighted wheels. For decals, Techmod has several decal sheets; Aeromaster has 1 sheet (AFAIK). I might be over-remembering, but I think, Kagero has a book w/ decals too (usually Techmod). There are quite a few reference books available.

In 1:72, RPM has a reissue of the old ZTS Plastyk kit. I was fairly certain that Ardpol had a kit too, but I don't see it in their catalog. Part has PE for a Siedlce kit (saw one on eBay; perhaps also related to the current RPM?). Techmod also has decals.

If you like this period, Ardpol has a lot of 1:72 you would probably like.

Thank you, Sir. I do enjoy fussing with these old things.

My preference for 1/72 runs pretty deep, though there have been some serious temptations....

Have you seen the re-issued kit? I was poking around about this,wellafter I started it,mind, and found some comments on a Polish board which, shall we say, displayed scant respect for the ZTS item.

I have only done one resin kit, so far,but I have a couple of Olimp kits, of Curtiss and Boeing types in the thirties. Some of the Ardpol stuff does look very interesting.

[El pibe vitina]

I think this does meet your qualifications,as the decals are about thirty years old, and there is a lot of surface irregularity for them to go down over. What proportion of Windex do you recommend?

I usually thin it using a mix of 2 parts of Future by 1 of Windex, but as Im not using the Future brand (mine is a spanish local formula, not a Johnson & Johnson product) I prefer you can test and try using spare decals and spare plastic part.

In this link you can read about another way to apply Future in decals, avoiding to brush Future directly to your model:

http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/tnt1/001-100/TnT080_Silvering-decals_Kwan/tnt080.htm

As always, using a spare decal from same sheet be sure if the decals really dont glue or conform, if the decals still can do it, you dont need use Future as decal setting.

Bye for now...

Edited September 6, 2011 by El pibe vitina

[johnsan]

She's looking pretty good, Old Man.

If you can find it, the Encore rebox of Heller's kit had some really nice decals. 3 subjects as I recall, but the trick is finding one.

The PZL 11 is a subject sorely needed a new kit in 72nd. I'm sure the Mirage kits are very nice, but they are not 72nd scale.

[dnl42]

You might find page, The Complete Future, helpful.

[Old Man]

Decals are applied now, Gentlemen...

Old as they were, the kit decals performed splendidly. I did take the precaution of leaving them to soak till they were floating off of their own accord.

I am very happy with the Future-as-setting-agent method. I brushed a bit on where the decal would go, pressed the decal when applied, then brushed a bit more over the decal. There was enough time for some fiddling when necessary. In a few places, I did have to burnish a little with a toothpick the next day, but only minor touching-up amounts of this were requited. I did a bit of wash-work, using a wash of a very reddish Italian brown camouflage color in the grooves of the red, and a wash of I.J.A. grey (a very pale slightly blueish grey) in the grooves of the white.

[The Mikester]

Nice, I'd love to see this plane in 1/32.

[VG 33]

Very nice little fighter eager to down some bombers...

Patrick

[Old Man]

This one is finished, Gentlemen: it, too, had been stuck at the 'putting off the ####### windscreen!' stage, but that has now been tended to....

The windscreen is assembled on the model from four pieces of .005" clear sheet....

I am happy with how this turned out: a nice little kit,and a reasonably trouble-free build, with an excellent technique (Future for decals) assimilated during it. Were I doing this again, though, I expect I could make a better job of the inter-face between the wing-struts and the landing gear struts.

By the way,I noticed the Azur Frrom people have a PZL 24 in 1/72 out; perhaps this means a new 1/72 P.11 is on the way....

[VG 33]

Fantastic built. Congratulations.

Patrick