1:72 Avia BH-33E „Over Europe“

Avia BH-33E Over Europe (1:72, Kovozavody Prostejov)

An injection-molded plastic kit of the Czechoslovak Avia BH-33E fighter biplane in 1:72 scale from Kovozavody Prostejov (KP), in the Over Europe edition focused on European operators and export markings. Unlike the Letov S-39 family, this really is a biplane. KP kits tend to be short-run; the exact contents of the package and the number of decal schemes follow from the manufacturer's part number.

The real subject

The Avia BH-33 was a fighter biplane built in Czechoslovakia at the end of the 1920s. The BH-33E version brought a redesigned fuselage of oval cross section welded from steel tubing and ranked among the leading fighters of its day. It was powered by the Bristol Jupiter radial engine (built under license as the Walter Jupiter) and its armament consisted of a pair of synchronized machine guns. The BH-33E also drew interest abroad: aircraft or licenses went to European operators, among them Belgium, Poland and Yugoslavia, which matches the focus of the Over Europe edition.

Building and painting tips

With short-run kits, clean up the flash and dry-fit the parts, because they may have no locating pins. On a biplane, pay attention to seating the interplane struts accurately and to tensioning the bracing wires if you add them; assembling the wing box against a jig helps. Glue with a thin plastic cement and finish the engine and the cowling separately. A primer, an airbrush and a clear coat to fix the decals are all worth using; the export schemes allow a colorful finish.

Who the model is for

• Collectors of Czechoslovak interwar fighter aviation in 1:72 scale
• Anyone interested in fighter biplanes of the 1920s and 1930s and their export operators
• Slightly advanced modelers used to short-run kits and to building biplanes
• Fans of the Avia marque and of colorful European finishes

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