1:72 Avia Ba.222 1 decal v. for Czechoslovakia RP+PE

The Avia Ba.222 in 1:72 scale from RS models

RS models is among the Czech brands that systematically map domestic aviation history, and the family of Avia aerobatic biplanes is a long-running subject of theirs. The Ba.222 fits into it as the less known relative of more famous machines. The name states that resin and photo-etched parts come with the set and that the decals cover one Czechoslovak finish.

An aerobatic special of 1934

The subject is a machine that came about in an exceptionally short time in the spring of 1934, because the Czechoslovak Air Force decided to send its pilots to an international aerobatic competition in Paris. The designers had only a few weeks to work with, and yet what emerged was an agile biplane that could be thrown into any figure without reservation. The Avia factory later used the machine mainly as a demonstration and competition piece, so it never reached large-scale production, which makes it all the more interesting a subject for a collection.

A short-run build step by step

Expect short-run technology: the mating surfaces have to be cleaned and leveled, you often have to drill the holes for the struts yourself, and dry-fitting is a necessity here rather than a recommendation. Wash the resin parts before gluing and attach them with cyanoacrylate. Bend the photo-etched parts over a sharp edge and glue them with cyanoacrylate too. On a biplane, plan the order of work in advance so that the upper wing is not left without support at the end.

Who the kit is for

• Collectors of Czechoslovak interwar aviation
• Modelers with experience of short-run molds and biplanes
• Anyone interested in the history of air sport and aerobatics

The parts wait unassembled and unpainted, so glue, filler and paints have to be supplied from your own stock.