1/72 KP Aero A-100

by Phillip Steele

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I came across this little gem in my favorite shop on the trade in shelf. The addresses of the two previous owners of this 20 year old kit were in the box: one domestic & one foreign. Things do get around. This particular machine won a design competition and the first 11 were ordered by the Czechoslovakian Ministry of National Defense in October 1933. It went into service as a two seat, long range reconnaissance and bomber aircraft.  

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Molded from a hard and some what brittle light gray plastic, it provided some construction challenges. The outboard wing struts were replaced with scratch builds, as were the shock absorbers. Other minor items were made referencing photos. Exhausts were drilled out and replaced with tubing. The forward facing guns also got this treatment. The aft guns were well molded, with separate magazines. The double/single run cross thru cables required some precise work as well. This was one of the more complex rigging operations I'd attempted, and it looks very in scale in the photos. The crew came from spares.  The decals were still in good order and caused no problems. The clear plastic was also well done and very thin in cross section. The paint was mixed to match the box art and on completion, I have a nice addition to my biplane collection.  

Phillip Steele

Photos and text © by Phillip Steele