1:72 Vickers FB-19 Mk.I „Bullet“ In Russian services

Vickers FB-19 Mk.I Bullet in Russian service 1:72 (Kovozavody Prostejov)

This injection-molded plastic kit in 1:72 scale captures the early British single-seat Vickers FB-19 Mk.I fighter biplane, nicknamed the Bullet. The package contains a gray plastic sprue frame and waterslide decals for three color schemes of machines deployed in Russian service. It is a short-run kit from the Czech manufacturer Kovozavody Prostejov with finely engraved surfaces.

The real subject

The FB-19 was a British single-seat fighter reconnaissance aircraft of the First World War period. It served with the Royal Flying Corps and some of the aircraft were delivered to tsarist Russia, where the machines continued in service during the Russian Civil War with the Soviet Air Force as well. It was a compact single-engined biplane with a rotary engine, typical of its era.

Building and painting tips

With short-run kits it pays to clean the flash and the sprue nubs off the parts first and to dry-fit them. A thin cement for plastic and a thin primer before painting work well. Prepare the bracing and the struts of the biplane in advance; the fine bracing wires can be added from stretched tube or from thread. Apply the paints with an airbrush in thin coats.

Who the model is for

• Modelers with an interest in the aircraft of the First World War
• Collectors of early biplanes and less usual types
• Builders with experience of short-run kits

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.