Redeemed by the decals, Part II, the MisterCraft PZL 11 in 1/72

       I have been on a roll building 1930's aircraft and decided to add another plane to my tiny Polish Air Force. A couple of years back I had purchased a few of these kits from an Ebay source in Poland at very reasonable prices. Up until now they have been tucked away in The Vault. I figured that I ought to add another PZL P-11 to the force since it was three years since I built the first one (a Heller kit which was very nice). Despite being rather newer (and having much better art-work and decals) this kit was a bit of a trudge. Flash on the delicate parts, vague and inaccurate instructions, fit issues and poor design all contributed to a less-than-happy build. What kept me at it was the bold and attractive decal schemes that the kit came with. It seems that in the 1930's every Air Force was more concerned with a flashy appearance than they were with the practicalities of camouflage.

 

flashy box-art, yes, I am a sucker for it

 

 

I'm also a fool for thin, precisely printed decals

 

poor molding work doesn't make my day

it's really too bad because the surface detail is very delicate

 

I have seen cleaner castings of the old Revell I-16 (which dates back to 1964!)

 

the instructions are silent as to how this piece is installed,

 I tried it both ways neither fit well or was accurate

 

 

eventually (using the Heller kit as a reference) I got it finished

 

the paint-job was very simple

 

 

but the decals made the deal!

 

looking all flashy in a coat of gloss

 

 

a shot of Vallejo matte finish brought things back to earth

 

 

 

 

 

 

       Despite the truly excellent decals I might well consider Revell or Heller for further P-11 kits. They are simpler to build, and the Revell kit comes with a pilot!