Bucker Bu 131D
ICM 1/32 Bucker Bu 131D Second World War German Training
Aircraft by Tim Upson-SmithMANUFACTURER: ICM
SCALE:1/32
KIT NUMBER: 32030
PARTS: 89 injection moulded, 4 clear
injection moulded
MARKINGS OPTIONS: 4I
do like an ICM box!
Underneath the top-opening
cover (which has some
rather fine artwork of a winter-
camouflaged Bu 131), you will
find a stiff cardboard-lidded
box that really keeps the parts
safe. Inside this are two grey
sprues bagged together, the
A4 colour instruction booklet,
another bag containing the
clear parts, and at the bottom
of the box the decal sheet.
The Bucker is rather surprisingly
small for a two-seater, being even
smaller than a Sopwith Pup! The
plastic parts look really good on
the sprues, with no flash visible
anywhere and just a few minor
mould seams to clean up. All of
the control surfaces are moulded
separately, as are the engine
panels and cockpit access doors.
The instrument panels are
moulded in clear plastic, with
the dials being supplied on the
decal sheet. The cockpit detaillooks superb out of the box, with
the interior framework all being
supplied. The only thing that the
cockpit will need is the addition of
some homemade or aftermarket
seatbelts (I am sure that I have some
in m stash that will be suitable).
The kit includes a multi-part 100
hp Hirth HM 504 engine that will
repay careful painting. The engine
to my eye looks good enough out of
the box if you want to leave one or
more of the panels off, but the basic
shapes are there if you want to add
wiring or more detail. The exhaust
stubs are solid but these can be
easily drilled out or even replaced
with some Albion Alloys tubing.
The wing strut location points
look really positive and should give
a nice firm joint. The instructions
supply a rigging diagram which,
when used in conjunction with
the box art, will show you exactly
where the few rigging wires need
to be added. Being a single bay
biplane, this one will be fairly
simple to rig and an ideal kit to start
the dark art of biplane rigging.48 • MAY 2018 • SCALE AVIATION MODELLER INTERNATIONAL
FIRST LOOK!
044-51-FirstLooks-0518.indd 48 13/04/2018 14:11