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MINIPLAST |
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| As far as I know there are only
2 model kits of this aircraft produced in 1:48 scale: Top Gun resin kit
and Miniplast vac-formed kit, both from Poland (Editors
note; the Wings 48 have also vac formed Sum in their catalog ).The
subject is unusual, but interesting and makes an excellent addition to
September 1939 collection.
I have not seen the resin kit and therefore, cannot comment on it, but I read that the price of Top Gun's kits is high. I bought my Sum long ago in Poland, when I did not think that I can build a vacumformed kit. Then I tried a few, but decided not to go this way. But recently I asked myself - what are you afraid of? So I gave it a go and I have to admit I liked it, although it takes a bit more time and care and a bit more putty to fill gaps. And there is a of dust or mud all over your desk after all the sanding is done. |
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The kit itself is good and has correct dimensions. The panel lines are a bit too big, but acceptable. There is one major mistake ñ a sidewalk was on the port wing, however, in this model it is on the starboard wing. Relatively easy to correct, but it is nicely represented and I left it on the starboard side. There is a choice of closed or open gunner gondola under the fuselage, but there is no internal details. Probably nowadays this kit will come with a bag full of resin parts with cockpit details, wheels, propeller and machine guns. And the kit needs them!! All you get in the cockpit is a floor, oversized pilot seat and radio operator and gunner seats. My model has no guns, because these supplied in the kit do not look like machine guns at all, but anyway you need only one (the second one is for lower gunner position, but this was closed when the aircraft was on the ground). The spinner was slightly damaged in my kit and I destroyed it completely when fixing the problem. My spare parts box helped here. I also scratch built the instrument panel. Vac-formed canopy is not up to today's
standards and is a bit thick, but
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Camouflage: this is a standard Polish camouflage scheme used in 1939. Upper surfaces are khaki and undersurfaces are light blue with Towned's ring and exhaust pipes painted rust. I have a few references, which give different upper colour: khaki, olive green or dark green. However, all colour drawnigs I have, show that the aircraft was painted khaki (or khaki-green colour) and I decided to use Tamiya XF-49. It seems a little bit too light though. Underside blue is my own mix of Revell 55 blue and Revell 5 white. Both prototypes did not have any markings until September 1939, when PZL P-46/II got national insignia. |
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The final conclusion: good kit of an interesting aircraft, definitely worth having in a collection. And I heard that it is still available in Poland. |
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