1:72 PZL 23B Karaś (late) Polish Light Bomber

The real subject

The PZL.23 Karas was a Polish light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft of the nineteen thirties. It was a high-wing monoplane with fixed landing gear in spats and a crew of three, rounded out by the characteristic gondola under the fuselage for the bombardier and for defensive fire below. The power came from a Bristol Pegasus radial engine, and the B version was more powerful than the first series.

In September 1939 the Karas formed the backbone of the Polish bomber force and was sent against the advancing columns. Against modern fighters, however, it stood no chance and the losses were heavy. That is precisely why it is among the subjects that hold a firm place in modeling collections: these are not victorious machines but aircraft whose use says a great deal about the first stage of the war.

The form of the kit

This is a polystyrene kit in 1:72 scale in the late production form. It is supplied unassembled and unpainted, the parts are separated from the sprues and glued with modeling cement for plastic.

Building and painting tips

The landing gear in its spats and the ventral gondola deserve attention, because both decide how the model stands once finished and how it reads in profile. It is better to mask the cockpit glazing before spraying, not once the paint has dried. Small scales forgive less than it seems, so it pays to dry fit the parts before gluing. The finished model shows well in a diorama of a field airfield, where the machine does not look alone.

The box holds no paints, glue or tools, unless stated otherwise.