1:48 W-3A Sokol TOPR for Answer

Yahu Models 1:48 W-3A Sokol TOPR - instrument panel

An instrument panel rendered in color from Yahu Models for a model of the W-3A Sokol helicopter in 1:48 scale, in the version designated TOPR. The part is supplied finished, so painting the panel falls away and so does the laborious writing out of the individual dials, where legibility is easily lost at this scale. The package contains this accessory only, no other part of a model. The panel is made for a particular Sokol kit in 1:48 scale - it need not fit another tooling without sanding and modification.

The real subject and the designation

The W-3 Sokol is a twin-engine multipurpose helicopter of Polish design, which is used among other things in rescue and mountain services. The abbreviation TOPR in the name refers to the operational version of the machine with the mountain rescue service, for which the panel is rendered.

Fitting tips

• Remove the plastic panel from the kit or level it flat, so that the new panel sits without a gap.
• Stay with cyanoacrylate or with glue for photo-etched parts; polystyrene glue does not bond here.
• Apply the glue only in spots - an excess fogs the printing of the panel as well as the cockpit glazing.
• Check dry that the part does not foul the cockpit frame and the seats, before you start painting the interior.
• A drop of gloss clear on the individual dials creates the impression of glass, and the panel then looks markedly more alive.

Who the part is for

• Builders of helicopter models in 1:48 scale
• Modelers who want a convincing interior without painting the instruments by hand
• Anyone interested in the civilian rescue version of the Sokol

The package contains the detail part only. A model, paints and glue are not part of it.