Kit: 8191
Scale: 1/48
Manufacturer: Eduard, 420-47-611- 8259, www.eduard.cz
Price: $29.95
Comments: Injection-molded, 180 parts (70 photoetched-metal), die-cut paint masks, decals.
Pros: Historically interesting subject; fine moldings with engraved and raised detail; multi-part prepainted photoetchedmetal instrument panel; prepainted seat belts
Cons: Short upper wing; frustratingly tiny, folding photoetched-metal parts

Eduard is justly proud of its new Avia B-534 III.série kit, which features raised and engraved panel lines, finely molded wing and cabane struts that fit, separate, posable rudder and elevators, and a detailed cockpit.

Khaki-colored plastic parts are flashfree with minimal mold-seam lines. Clear parts are appropriately thin and reveal no distortion. Decals on the five-color sheet printed by Eduard are thin and in-register. Markings are provided for three different aircraft (one of them at two different times). My model is painted to represent Avia B-534.165 of No. 4 Air Regiment, 34th Fighter Flight, at Hradec Kralove, Czechoslovakia, in August 1937.

The instruction booklet, written in five languages, provides a brief history, technical specifications, instruction symbols, a good parts map, a Gunze color list, and excellent assembly drawings with lots of color.

With the exception of troublesome, very small photoetched-metal parts, assembly was easy. Parts fit was excellent; everything fits with tabs and slots or pins and holes. The fuselage, with cockpit, instrument panel, radiator, and propeller spinner installed, all fit perfectly without clamps or fillers. Just one part – No. D3, the top of the nose extending from the cockpit opening to the propeller – was a poor fit, being too wide for the assembled fuselage. I added widening braces to the fuselage to improve the fit of part D3 but, in the end, was not totally successful.

The upper wing is probably the most difficult part of the assembly. I glued the wing struts to the lower wings and the cabane struts to the upper fuselage. While the adhesive was soft, I aligned the struts with the locator holes in the upper wings as closely as possible. When the struts were thoroughly dry, I inverted the upper wing and the lower airframe assembly on my table, propped up the tail, and aligned the struts with the holes on the underside of the upper wing. A drop of solvent on each joint completed the assembly.

For upper surface paint, I used AeroMaster Warbird Colors 9093 medium Army green with a thinned coat of Testors Model Master gloss clear lacquer finish to provide a smooth surface for decal application. The lower surfaces are Hawkeye’s SnJ spray metal aluminum. The green trim is Testors enamel 1171 beret green, a reasonable match with the four-view color and marking drawings and color chart. The wood grain on the propeller is decaling from Super Scale International (sheet TF-29, medium wood grain trim film). All rigging is stretched, clear sprue.

I dipped the decals in a small drop of water to prevent curling and enable me to move the decals to their proper location. Micro Sol helped the decals settle.

I found the small photoetched-metal parts – especially the bomb fins and the rigging turnbuckles – completely frustrating and elected to not use them.

My attempts with the photoetchedmetal parts cost a me a lot of unproductive time. My log says I spent more than 50 hours, long for a single-engine airplane.

My measurements indicate a slightly short upper wing, but most other measurements are spot-on. The biplane layout with rigging makes this a kit for experienced modelers who will appreciate the excellent engineering and design.

– Al Jones