1:10 Bust of Josef František

The real subject

Josef Frantisek is among the best-known Czech fighter pilots of the Second World War. In 1940 he served with No. 303 Polish Squadron of the Royal Air Force, flew the Hawker Hurricane and in the Battle of Britain he ranked among the most successful Allied fighter pilots. He did not survive the autumn of that year. The bust is therefore a portrait of a specific man, not a generic pilot figure.

What a bust is and how big it is

A bust captures the head and the chest, so its scale is worked out from the size of the person, not from the height of the finished piece. Scale 1:10 is the most usual one for busts: it gives enough room for the eyes, for the features of the face and for the detail of the collar and the straps, and the result still fits on an ordinary shelf. The exact height, the number of parts and the form of the plinth are stated in the manufacturer's description and photographs.

Painting tips

• wash and degrease the piece before painting, otherwise the paint will not hold on the smooth surface
• lay down a base coat; without it the skin tones will run into blotches
• paint the face in thin layers and build the transitions up gradually, not with one dark coat
• a bust is looked at from close up, so it is worth working out the lips, the eyebrows and the light beard stubble
• leave the eyes for the very end and work with the finest brush you have

Who it is for

The bust is for modelers who enjoy painting figures for its own sake and for collectors who want a reminder of a particular airman at home. Unlike figures for a scene it needs no aircraft model and no diorama; a shelf and a light are enough. The same subject is also made as a figure in modeling scales. Paints and glue are not part of the delivery, unless stated otherwise.