1:72 Bu 131 / T-131 Bi plane trainer

The Bü 131 trainer biplane in 1:72 scale

A kit of the Bü 131 trainer biplane in 1:72 scale. The name also states the designation T-131, under which the machine was built in license production outside Germany. The small two-seat aircraft with open cockpits one behind the other belongs to the types that are not lost in a modeling display cabinet even beside combat machines.

The real subject

The Bü 131 is a single-engine trainer biplane of the 1930s, built for basic training. The crew was a pupil and an instructor sitting in tandem in open cockpits, and the power came from an air-cooled inline four-cylinder. The machine was built under license in several countries and flew in the role of a trainer and sporting aircraft long after the Second World War, so a very varied range of color schemes is linked with it.

Building tips

• With a biplane the geometry decides: glue the upper wing on only once the struts have dried and keep checking the dihedral and the alignment from the front.
• The open cockpits are visible right through, so it pays to spend time on the interior and the seat belts.
• Rig the bracing wires between the wings only after varnishing, from thin fishing line or rigging thread.
• Mask the cockpits before spraying and pick the frames of the glazing out only at the end.

Who the kit is for

For builders of interwar and training aircraft in 1:72 scale and for anyone who wants a small biplane with a striking silhouette in a display cabinet. The range of the parts, the variants of markings and the exact procedure of the build are given by the instructions of the manufacturer. Paints, glue and supplementary sets are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.