Scale aviation modeller international

Let L-13 Blanik

Planet Models 1/32 Let L-13 Blanik by John “Tigger” Wilkes

MANUFACTURER: Planet Models

SCALE: 1/32

TYPE: Resin

PARTS: 25 resin, 2 vac-form clear

OPTIONS: 2

THE KIT

Since 1956, the Czech manufacturer

Let has produced the l-13, the most

numerous and widely used glider

in the world. This aircraft is the

subject of this kit build, which

hails from the Planet Models

stable. I happened to purchase

the model at the IPMS UK scale

Modelworld kit swap about three

years ago, and only just got around

to building it. Two years later the

same model show became the

impetus for me to finally finish it.

The kit is all resin, in a light buff

colour, and displays fine surface

detail. A pair of clear vac-formed

canopies is also supplied, along with

instructions and a painting and

decal guide. Finally, within the stiff

top-opening box is a set of some of

the best decals I have ever used.

There is a choice of a fairly

anonymous bird in silver, with red

trim, or the one I have modelled,

which is in varying tones of

metallic finish with red trim

and Japanese markings; the best

part is that rising sun rudder!

CONSTRUCTION

Construction is nice and simple

and I used super glue throughout.

I did add some seat belts to the

simple cockpit, along with some

placard decals from the excellent

Airscale range. In order to disguise

the seam in the floor of the cockpit,

I laid sections of paper cut to size,

then dripped thin superglue over

it. This soaks in and plasticises

the material: once painted there

is nothing to indicate that it is

anything other than the same

material as the rest of the kit.

Instruments are a clear film

that sits behind a resin part, which

needs to have the holes opened up.

Painting the back of the film creates

the white of the dials. Once this was

completed I closed the fuselage.

The one omission from the kit

appears to be that there are no

rudder pedals, but since I built this

model from the box, I didn’t add

any (although you may want to).

The fit of the slender fuselage was

good and I had no issues sealing

it all up with thick superglue.

This also filled any slight seams,

which were then polished out.

To add strength to the wing

joint, I took the liberty of drilling

and adding a wing spar made from

Albion Alloys brass rod. I also did

the same to the tail fin, just in case.

Before the addition of the

wings, the canopy must be fitted,

and this, like all vac-formed clear

parts, will need to be carefully cut

out from its backing sheet. I used a

set of high quality scissors to trim

as close as possible to the final

shape, then with a sanding pad I

carefully sanded a little section

at a time to get to the final shape.

The canopy was then attached with

Gator Glue and sealed in place.

Once the Gator Glue had dried,

a couple of drops of superglue

helped fill the gaps in the area

around the nose and rear section.

At this stage, the canopy

was masked and the main wing

attached. My addition of a wing

spar made a nice, strong joint, and

assisted in getting everything in

place. Some filling was required

at the joint, and after the glue had

set I applied Mr. Surfacer 500 in

several coats. In between, I gently

rubbed a cotton bud soaked with

alcohol over the filler to remove any

excess. This makes the joint nice

and smooth, ready for some paint.

PAINTING AND DECALS

Now I cleaned the model in

preparation for painting, finishing

with a light rub with a tack rag to

ensure that the surface was free of

grease and dust. I started painting

with the internal silver sections

of the canopy frames, as I realised

they would be visible later on. A

coat of Tamiya Fine Surface Primer

followed, which was lightly sanded

between the first and second coats.

72 • JANUARY 2018 • SCALE AVIATION MODELLER INTERNATIONAL

KIT REVIEWS

072-79-Reviews-0118.indd 72 08/12/2017 17:04