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Marek Halas
28 articles

1/48 Avia S.92

May 27, 2013 · in Aviation · · 15 · 3.5K

An Me.262 with a twist! This is an Avia Turbina converted from the very old Me.262.

The decals are from Tally Ho, and represent one of five Avia built Me.262's that served with the Czechoslovak airforce up until 1951.

This was a very cheap project since the kit was donated by a fellow IPMS Queensland club member, and the decals bought second hand from another club member who was clearing out his stash of 1/48 goodies.

What can I say about the kit itself, well on the plus side it is a pretty accurate representation of an Me.262. No heavy handed recessed panel lines & overdone rivet detail like some more modern offerings one might care to mention. The raised panel lines would be more representative of how the planes would have looked in service since the panel gaps were puttied in.

However, it may look like a simple weekend build, but in reality it wasn't.

This is a kit that's pushing forty years and it shows in the engineering.

Part fit was lousy, especially around the engine nacelles and where the wing assembly meets the underside of the fuselage. Yes, the more modern kits might have the heavy handed recessed panel lines but they're still accurate & a darn sight easier to build.

So it was a bit of a fight to the finish. It makes me appreciate how far model kits have progressed since this was first released. The Czech scheme appealed to me the Grey Green draws attention to the sleekness of the design, and there's still a splash of colour from the roundels,

On the subject of colour, I'm also posting a couple of black & white shots for that 40's retro feel.

Thanks for looking.

Reader reactions:
5  Awesome

15 responses

  1. Profile Photo
    said on May 27, 2013

    Way cool! I love the 262, and its good to see it in different markings. Great model.

  2. I love it !.
    N.

  3. Thanks guys, glad you like it.

  4. Good job all-around...love the base, nice photos and last but not least, the build looks great. Nice work.

    • Thanks Craig. The base is one of my "generic" bases I use for model photography & club meetings. The frame came from a charity shop & cost me the princely sum of $1. The grass mat is from the Polak range available from Modellers Warehouse. I'm just blown away how realistic this stuff looks & really helps to lift the model.

  5. So nice to see one of these done in model form! Well done!

    I never finished my Monogram 262 but I remember it as a good model.

    Magnus

    • Cheers Magnus. There were times when I felt like giving up with the kit, there were just so many fit issues to contend with. However it is worth sticking with it as it scrubs up ok in the end.
      My next Me.262 project however is going to use the Tamiya kit!

  6. Marek...WOW... that's something you don't often see. Very nice.

    • Thanks Jack. It is surprising that postwar 262 markings are really that rare. I was lucky to have stumbled upon a set by chance & thought this was a scheme I just had to do. Would love to see the two seater in similar markings.

  7. Actually the Monogram me-262 is only 35 years old, having been released in 1978.

    Nice work on this, I remember how hard it was to get right and all the rescribing I had to do once all the seams and gaps were filled.

    • Hi Tom, the re-scribing bit I suspect is the clincher for most folks to use the Tamiya kit instead. I actually re-instated the raised panel lines on this one using vinyl tape as a guide & gently building up a feathered edge of Mr Surfacer with my airbrush. The resolution of the website photos probably won't show the line continuity, but it is there. So I developed the technique only to discover that Archer decals do a resin raised panel line decal that makes life so much easier for building these vintage kits!

  8. very cool love the czeck markings love the grass and display

  9. Thanks Steven, much appreciated.

  10. beautiful presentation and model

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