1:72 I-153 propeller

The real subject

The Polikarpov I-153 is a Soviet single-seat biplane fighter of the late 1930s. Its upper wing is cranked into a gull shape, which is where its nickname Chaika comes from, and unlike older biplanes it has retractable landing gear. On a machine like this the propeller is always in view: it sits on the axis of the fuselage and the viewer has it right in front of them in every head-on view.

What the set contains

A replacement propeller for an I-153 model in 1:72 scale. It will replace the part from the kit if its shape or the thickness of the blades does not suit you. It is a small part in a prominent place, so swapping it shows up in the overall impression of the finished work more than its size would suggest.

Building and painting tips

Cut off the excess material with a sharp blade a little way from the part and sand the remainder carefully, so that the shape of the blades is preserved. The parts are not polystyrene and ordinary plastic cement has no effect on them; use super glue. Before painting, wash and degrease the part, otherwise the paint will hold badly. Fit the propeller only after the nose has been painted, and watch that its axis is at right angles to the front of the fuselage, because a propeller set crooked shows at first glance. The exact procedure for preparing the part is given in the manufacturer's instructions.

Who it is for

For modelers who are bothered by coarsely shaped propeller blades on interwar subjects, and for anyone building an I-153 from an older kit. The set completes a kit you already own and assumes work on a model under construction. The model itself, paints and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.