1:48 Avia S-199 Bubble Canopy Hybrid Brassin Edition

Avia S-199 Bubble Canopy – Hybrid Brassin Edition 1:48 (Eduard)

This kit from Eduard covers the Czechoslovak Avia S-199 fighter with the bubble canopy in 1:48 scale. It is a so-called hybrid boxing: the basis is formed by injection-molded plastic parts (fuselage, wings, propeller, canopies, control and flying surfaces, clear parts), and to these Eduard adds 3D-printed resin Brassin parts for the most visible places – the cockpit, the undercarriage bays, the wheels, the exhausts and the machine gun barrels. Masks and decals with several marking options are included as well. The model can therefore be built straight out of the box with a markedly higher level of detail than the plastic alone offers.

The real subject

The Avia S-199 was a postwar Czechoslovak fighter that came about as a continuation of production of the German Messerschmitt Bf 109G in Czechoslovakia. Because of the shortage of the original engines it received a Junkers Jumo 211 with a massive propeller, which earned it the nickname Mezek, meaning mule. It gained an unhappy reputation for difficult takeoffs and landings, yet it wrote itself into history – in 1948 it became the first fighter of the newly established Israeli Air Force. The version with the bubble canopy offered the pilot a better view than the older framed cockpit.

Building and painting tips

Glue the plastic parts with a thin modeling cement for plastic, and the 3D-printed Brassin parts with super glue (cyanoacrylate); first free the resin parts of any print supports and residue. For a clean result use a primer and an airbrush, and the enclosed masks make spraying the canopy framing easier. The 3D-printed cockpit and undercarriage bays come to life once a wash and a dry brush have been used. The painting follows the marking option you choose from the instructions.

Who the model is for

• modelers who want a high level of detail without hunting for separate accessories
• anyone interested in Czechoslovak and Israeli aviation history
• fans of the Bf 109 family and of fighters from the end of the Second World War

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.