Blanik

[JayBee]

Recently I posted in the "My stash just grew again" thread that I had got the Mark 1 kit of the L-13 Blanik in 1/144scale, and I have decided to build one of them (you get two in the box) as I have a cunning plan for a WhatIf.

The model is small and not for the fainthearted, those with failing eyesight, or those with degenerating hand/eye co-ordination.
Why the He11 am I building this?

So here are a couple of photos of the cockpit interior, next to a Swan Morton No. 10A blade. What you are seeing has three parts, the floor and the seat backs. The rear seat includes the cockpit bulkhead.
As you may see there are two small holes for the control columns that are provided.
DON'T BE SILLY off course I am not going to fit them.








Watch this space, possibly with a magnifying glass.

[Weaver]

Nice one. I picked  up the old-but-good Modela 1/48th one recently for next to nothing because it had a grotty box and no decals. You could pinch the wing and put it on something 1/72nd to make Kit like it more, but it'd have to be something small...

[PR19_Kit]

You could pinch the wing and put it on something 1/72nd to make Kit like it more, but it's have to be something small...

Yes, nice looking wings on a Blanik. Swept forward AND with the tip fairings, they look rather out-of-worldly somehow.

And they go 'CLANG' if you tap them too, very weird on a sailplane. 

[NARSES2]

Flippi' heck Jim that's tiny 

[JayBee]

The wings are now on. Here it is in the jig that I am using to make sure that  the dihedral is correct.





Next are the instrument panels, and they are rather small. Here they are still attached to the sprue runner.

[PR19_Kit]

That's looking great Jim, brings back fond memories. 

As I recall the cockpit sides were a LOT thinner than that though, more like the thickness of a bean can. 

[Weaver]

Next are the instrument panels, and they are rather small. Here they are still attached to the sprue runner.

I do hope you're going to check all your reference photos carefully to make sure you use the right font when you paint the markings on the dials...

[zenrat]

There is no way I could put that together.

You da man.

[Tophe]

That is a rare subject but a beautiful little model. Go on!

[NARSES2]

There is no way I could put that together.

Me neither

[JayBee]

Next are the instrument panels, and they are rather small. Here they are still attached to the sprue runner.

I do hope you're going to check all your reference photos carefully to make sure you use the right font when you paint the markings on the dials...

Done, but they are so small I doubt if your eyes would be able to see them. 

[PR19_Kit]

Next are the instrument panels, and they are rather small. Here they are still attached to the sprue runner.

I do hope you're going to check all your reference photos carefully to make sure you use the right font when you paint the markings on the dials...

Done, but they are so small I doubt if your eyes would be able to see them. 

But are they in Metric or Imperial? 

[JayBee]

In this case, Imperial.

[PR19_Kit]

In this case, Imperial.

[JayBee]

The next step was to fit the canopy so that I could see just where the instrument panels should go. Tricky, it did not fit. However all that was required was a bit of carving away of the wing roots, and here it is.





Then I glued some small pieces of plasticard to the back of the kit instrument panels. This is to make them wide enough to fit into the cockpit and also to give the correct shape for the coming that protects them. Unfortunately, as they are so small, neither of my cameras will take a picture close enough, even in Macro mode, to show what I am talking about.