1:72 R-7 Racek mask

The Racek that stayed the only one

Behind this small machine stands the designer Zdenek Rublic and an intention that sounded very practical: to give flying clubs a simple aerobatic aircraft that was easy to maintain and needed no expensive support. The prototype first flew in the spring of 1964. The trials ran into difficulties, the modifications needed went slowly and a promisingly launched project ended in the end without ever reaching production.

That is exactly what makes the Racek attractive to a collector. It stands for a dead end in postwar Czechoslovak aviation that little is known about today, and on a shelf beside military types it looks pleasantly out of the ordinary. Its charm lies in the simplicity of its shapes and in a colorful civil finish.

A small aircraft, a large area of glass

On machines of this size the cabin takes up a disproportionately large part of the whole model, so the final impression stands or falls on the quality of the frame. A mistake cannot be hidden here under armament or under weathering, as it can be on combat equipment.

Cut-out shapes therefore save a great deal of frustration. Apply them to a clean and dry part, touch only the edges of the film with your fingers and lay the paint on in two thin passes. Uncover slowly from one corner, ideally with pointed tweezers. Finally polish the cabin with a soft cloth, so that the glass gains depth and the frame stands out. Admirers of Czech aviation will appreciate the very possibility of building this type, since prototypes from the 1960s appear only rarely. The finished machine suits a display case of civil aircraft just as well as a place among sports specials.