Kit: No. 48131
Scale: 1/48
Manufacturer: Mirage (Poland), distributed by Stevens International, P.O. Box 126, Magnolia, NJ 08049, &609-435-7645
Price: $55
Comments: Injection molded, 241 parts, decals
Pros: Unusual subject, recessed panel lines, good detail, decals, and instruction diagrams
Cons: Tricky fit in spots, rough-texture finish, Polish-only instructions
The Polish Air Force of World War II is mostly remembered for being the first victim of the German Luftwaffe, but the skill of its pilots and the quality of some of its aircraft have been overlooked. The PZL-37 Los was an excellent light bomber for its day, equal to or better than most of its 1939 contemporaries.
Produced in small numbers, the Los gave a good accounting in attacks against German invasion forces. Captured PZL-37s were handed over to Germany’s ally Romania, where they soldiered on into the 1950s!
My first impressions of Mirage’s Los were good – nearly flash-free moldings with recessed panel lines, but the surface has a rough texture and minor pitting. Several sink holes mar the wings, and the transparent parts are thick, although clear. The instruction booklet is well illustrated, but the text is in Polish – despite my surname, I can’t read it, and I’m sure there were a few tips printed that would have been handy!
Mirage’s kit is loaded with features. By modifying the bomb bay doors, you can display them open to show the 16 bombs provided. The interior cabin is detailed from the bombardier’s position to the rear gunner’s station. This includes floors, seats, guns, ammo cans, instrument consoles, and more. The wing flaps are detailed and can be dropped. The vertical and horizontal tail surfaces are designed to be movable! Alternate landing gear and prop spinners provided are for use in Mirage’s twin tailed PZL-37B-model kit.
Construction starts with the fuselage interior. After adding the floor components, I dry-fitted the fuselage halves. The interior floor parts were a bit too wide, creating a few gaps. I thought this was acceptable, and with a little pressure and quick setting cement, the problem was solved – but more on this later. The windscreen is molded with part of the fuselage. I masked off the clear areas and installed it during this phase.
I decided to show the bomb bays closed but when installing the doors, I found the fit to be poor if the internal spars are not properly set. The wing root fit needs to be improved. Test fit the upper and lower wings to themselves and then to the fuselage, making adjustments at the contact points. Even after making some improvements, I had to fill large gaps at the wing roots. I took care of the sink holes while working in this area, but didn’t try to smooth out the rough surface texture; most of that disappeared after painting.
The cockpit and gunner’s canopies fit OK, but my decision to force the fuselage together came back to haunt me here. The two-part nose section was noticeably narrower than the fuselage! It appears the cockpit flooring widens the fuselage if forced together. I recommend test fitting the interior, fuselage halves, and clear nose sections early in construction.
The instruction sheet lists Humbrol paints. I matched the numbers listed to Gunze Sangyo paints, which I used instead. A nice page of color profiles is included as part of the markings guide.
Decals for one Romanian and two Polish machines are provided. They went on easily and set down well with no decal solution. They are a bit fragile, so be careful when moving them into position. Several maintenance stencils are also included.
I used the Aircraft Profile 258 PZL-P.37 Los by Jerzy B. Cynk as my reference, and the model measures close to the listed dimensions. Also, the Polish-language book Samolot Bombowy PZL P-37 Los, also by Cynk, is useful.
My Los required 21 hours to complete. Though there were some problems, the results capture the unique look of the Polish bomber. It’s not a beginner’s kit, but most modelers will be able to handle the small challenges.
– Jim Zeske