1:48 W-3A Sokol Czech for Answer

Yahu Models 1:48 W-3A Sokol - instrument panel, Czech version

This is a detail accessory for the cockpit of a helicopter model in 1:48 scale: an instrument panel rendered in color from the manufacturer Yahu Models, which replaces the plastic part from the kit. Yahu Models supplies these panels finished and in color, so there is no need to paint them or to write the dials out by hand - that is the main reason they are bought. There is no other part of a model in the package. The panel is shaped to suit a particular W-3A Sokol kit in 1:48 scale; before buying, therefore, check that you have the corresponding kit, because it need not fit another tooling without modification.

The real subject

The W-3 Sokol is a twin-engine multipurpose helicopter of Polish design, used in transport, rescue and lift tasks. The designation Czech in the name refers to the operational version with the equipment fit of the Czech user.

Fitting tips

• Carefully cut the original plastic panel out of the model or sand it flat, so that the new panel sits without a gap.
• Glue it in spots with cyanoacrylate or with glue for photo-etched parts; a solvent cement for plastic will not help here.
• Dose cyanoacrylate as sparingly as possible - the fumes can fog the printing as well as the cockpit glazing.
• Try the part dry before you paint the interior, mainly to see whether it clashes with the instrument console and the cockpit frame.
• The dials stand out after a dot of gloss clear, which imitates the glass of the instrument.

Who the part is for

• Modelers who want a legible interior without painting the instruments by hand
• Builders of helicopters in 1:48 scale
• Anyone who is building a model with a clearly visible cockpit

The package contains the detail part only. A model, glue and paints are not part of it.