Encore's 1/72 scale
PZL P.24

by Mark Davies

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The PZL P.24 was a development of the PZL P.11 and found a number of export orders for this leading Polish aircraft manufacturer in the 1930s.

I have a penchant for inter-war aircraft, and especially those that represent transitional types form the dominant post WW1 formula of braced biplane to all-metal monoplanes. The PZL P.24 appealed by meeting this formula with the “Bonus” of a modern enclosed canopy and anachronistic fixed undercarriage to add appeal.

I bought the Encore sight unseen about 10 years ago when it was being specialed for a dollar or two. No some Encore kits are boxings of quite respectable and good kits like Heller’s Arado Ar 196. The PZL P.24 kit was, aside from quite good decals for several air forces (including the Bulgarian markings I used), was anything but good or respectable.

In truth the kit is the worst I have ever finished, and the only model in my cabinet entirely brush painted.

I suspect that the original tooling may have been pre-democracy Polish origin using resin moulds. Suffice to say that getting at most parts was more like an archaeological dig through flash and elephantine sprue gates. Many parts were unusable, and my following description of the build is in no way exaggerated.

If I explain that I simulated the corrugated metal finish on the flying surfaces by coating them in liquid cement and then dragging a home-made “rake” through the softened plastic using a straight edge. The rake was made by flattening the copper wires in some lighting flex to make a simple rake-type tool. The flat strips between were made using thin strips of 5 thou plasticard.

Having decided I could live with my home-made surface finish I then moulded a canopy using the plunge-mould method. The engine was donated from the spares box, as were the prop blades. The spinner was made from the tip of an Airfix Hurricane spinner, and the wheels were obtained from a friend’s spares box (ex-Frog Fw 190 I think). Guns, struts and small details were also scratch-built.

There has to be an easier way to build a 1:72 PZL P.24. My advice is don’t buy the Encore kit, just keep looking for an alternative.


 

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Model, Images and Text Copyright © 2007 by Mark Davies
Page Created 15 May, 2007
Last Updated 24 December, 2007

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