PZK-3 - Austro-Hungarian Naval Observation Helicopter

[RAFF-35]

The premise of this build is to create a free-flying version of the tethered Petróczy-Kármán-Žurovec PZK-2. Why would the Austro-Hungarians want a free-flying version of this human blender? Because they want to use it for naval reconnaissance! Obviously having a tethered helicopter attached to a pitching and rolling ship would be dangerous. So the k.u.k. Kriegsmarine asked PZK to create a vehicle that could be "controlled" independently of the umbilical tethers.

The 1/72 Roden PZK-2 kit turned up today, so I have begun construction this evening.

[PR19_Kit]

That's so wonderfully bizarre, a perfect entry for this GB. 

[jcf]

Assigned to support the Danube Flotilla, flying off of the aft deck of one of the large monitors Temes or Bodrog?
SMS Bodrog

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Bodrog became Sava post-war in Yugoslavian possession. She survived and was restored a few years ago.

[jcf]

At 55.56m long it wouldn't be all that large in 1/72nd; 771.67mm (30 3/8").
Plus it's basically a plank.

[RAFF-35]

Assigned to support the Danube Flotilla, flying off of the aft deck of one of the large monitors Temes or Bodrog?
SMS Bodrog

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Bodrog became Sava post-war in Yugoslavian possession. She survived and was restored a few years ago.

That's a really cool looking ship! I don't know too much about all things nautical, for the back-story I was thinking of using the SMS Admiral Spaun? My thinking is that the water will be choppier out to sea, making primative helicopter landings more of a bad idea 

[RAFF-35]

Update: After today's progress, I have now built a PZK-2.  Tomorrow (hopefully) I shall start making the modifications necessary to turn it into a PZK-3   

[kerick]

Assigned to support the Danube Flotilla, flying off of the aft deck of one of the large monitors Temes or Bodrog?

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Bodrog became Sava post-war in Yugoslavian possession. She survived and was restored a few years ago.

I had to look it up and check if that was one of the better AI pics or real! At least it was real!

[frank2056]

Yeah, it looked like a toy boat at first glance.

[frank2056]

Update: After today's progress, I have now built a PZK-2.  Tomorrow (hopefully) I shall start making the modifications necessary to turn it into a PZK-3   

Wow - that went together quickly and it looks good. A glance at the sprues in my kit and I thought it would require a lot of effort to build a nice model.

[Old Wombat]

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Bodrog became Sava post-war in Yugoslavian possession. She survived and was restored a few years ago.

I noticed there was a model of of one of these ships in one of the dioramas in Tom Z's photos of the Intermodellbau 2025 show.

[RAFF-35]

Update: After today's progress, I have now built a PZK-2.  Tomorrow (hopefully) I shall start making the modifications necessary to turn it into a PZK-3 

Wow - that went together quickly and it looks good. A glance at the sprues in my kit and I thought it would require a lot of effort to build a nice model.

Thank you! Although I can tell you it IS fiddley and it has taken a fair bit of effort to get it to look acceptable from a distance. The issue with this kit is that with a lot of the components, you have to worry about them being aligned in all three axis.

[RAFF-35]

You cannot view this attachment.

Bodrog became Sava post-war in Yugoslavian possession. She survived and was restored a few years ago.

I noticed there was a model of of one of these ships in one of the dioramas in Tom Z's photos of the Intermodellbau 2025 show.

Well spotted! Did the k.u.k kriegsmarine paint their ships green? 

[Wardukw]

That does not look like an easy thing to build mate...bloody nice job 👏 👍 

[NARSES2]

Does look good 

[RAFF-35]

It is now, officially,  a PZK-3! I've just got to paint all the details, add decals and then potentially weather it a tincey bit