Choroszy Modelbud's 1/72 scale resin jewell
Heath “Baby Bullet”

by Piotr Dmitruk

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Edward Bayard Heath was born in New York state in 1888. In 1913 he founded E.B. Heath Aerial Vehicle Company in Chicago, starting without capital, but with a lot of enthusiasm. He constructed several types of light aircraft: low- and high-wing, biplanes, gliders and floatplanes, some of them built even today by amateurs.

He founded also a flying school for future pilots of his aircraft.

He succeeded in air races too. In 1928 with designer Claire Linstead, he constructed the diminutive race plane “Baby Bullet”, aka “Bluebird”.

Designed especially for five feet tall, and weighting only hundred ten pounds Ed Heath, having only 18'6" span, and 14'9" length, powered with 32 hp Bristol Cherub engine and handcrafted propeller, it won every race it entered, including the National Air Races held in Los Angeles.

Its 150 MPH top speed with only a 32 hp engine is unequaled to this day.

Newer and bigger versions of this aircraft succeeded for next three years.

Ed Heath himself was killed on February 1, 1931 in sudden crash of an experimental aircraft.

The Choroszy Modelbud resin kit is very well designed (including complete cockpit interior and engine), finely moulded without pinholes, and builds without putty.

The only modification I made was open cockpit hatch, added seatbelts and tailskid.

The butt-joined and very delicate undercarriage needed much care, but once rigged, it was suprisingly rigid.

My model was painted with Alclad II Polished Aluminium and Tamiya Flat Silver paints.

Circles made by polishing were imitated on engine and cockpit covers, using pencil lead. Shading was made also with pencil lead.

Decals are superb, very thin, and good reacting to Agama Tensol. No silvering, although settled on matt surface.

I can wholeheartedly recommend this kit.

 

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Model, Images and Text Copyright © 2007 by Piotr Dmitruk
Page Created 14 May, 2007
Last Updated 24 December, 2007

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