1:72 Cessna U-17B Asian users

The military Skywagon in Asian service, 1:72 scale

This injection-molded plastic kit captures the military form of a single-engine civil high-wing aircraft with fixed landing gear. The release comes from the Czech Kovozavody Prostejov and focuses on the aircraft that served with Asian users, to whom they came through military aid.

A small aircraft with a wide reach

The designation U-17 was carried by the military form of the well-known civil high-wing aircraft with fixed landing gear and wing struts. The B version received a more powerful engine and with it a better ability to operate from short, unprepared strips. That was exactly what made it useful: it flew liaison missions, carried the wounded, supplied remote garrisons and directed strike aircraft onto targets. This unassuming machine therefore spent far more hours in the air than many more famous types, and in many countries it stayed in service for decades.

Building tips

• Dry-fit the parts, as the joints on smaller production runs tend to be looser.
• Cut the sprue gates away with a margin and level the surface with a file.
• Mask the extensive cabin glazing carefully, as it makes up a large part of the silhouette.
• Fit the wing struts only once the fuselage has set, or the angles will drift.

Who the kit is for

• For anyone interested in the aviation of Southeast Asia and in equipment supplied under military aid.
• For collectors of civil types in uniform.
• For modelers who can cope with more demanding fit.

This is an unassembled kit without a finish. The glue and shades needed are not included, unless stated otherwise.