Kit review - Special Hobby 1/72 scale Aero 11 -L-BUCD "Blue Bird"

[Dave W]

Special Hobby 1/72 scale Aero-11 L-BUCD “Blue Bird”



Reviewed by: Dave Wilson

Item:  SH 72471
Scale: 1:72
Price:   Special Hobby on-line €17.91
Review Sample kindly provided by Special Hobby. Available at: www.specialhobby.eu 
And through quality model shops worldwide.

Contents:
Plastic Injection moulded parts; PE fret, colour instructions; decals for single scheme; clear parts.

History:
The Aero A.11 may not be well known outside Europe but this type served as a biplane bomber/reconnaissance aircraft in Czechoslovakia in the interwar period. Around 250 were built, with some remaining in service to the outbreak of World War II. The Finnish air force were the only other operators of the type.
Perhaps the most famous of the Aero A.11 machines was Blue Bird, a distinctive blue painted aircraft used for a notable epic flight across Europe, Africa and Asia by General Vilem Stanovsky in 1926.
It’s this aircraft which Special Hobby is recreating with its new tool 1/72 scale kit.



Special Hobby’s kit:
Special Hobby have become well known for kitting esoteric subjects ignored by other model manufacturers and their Aero AB-11 model certainly fits this criteria.
This is a wholly new tool production with finely detailed parts on two grey styrene frames plus a small clear parts frame and PE fret.





As far as I know this is the only plastic kit available for this aircraft but while it’s obviously a niche subject choice, the parts quality is up there with the best of them all.
Mould quality is carried throughout the parts with nicely detailed wings, detailed fuselage interior and even detailed instrument panels- impressive in 1/72 scale!



The Assembly Instructions:
The Instructions are in a 16 page booklet of near A4 size quality paper in colour. The full instructions can also be downloaded from the Special Hobby website.
The instructions are well printed and the assembly sequence is easily followed, with a color key to the Gunze line of paints. A detailed parts list diagram is included with a few parts not used for this version- suggesting another version in the future?





Decals:
The decal sheet is small and devoted to the subject scheme – L-BUCD “Blue Bird”. The decals, printed in the Czech Republic, are in excellent register and are sealed in their own protective plastic bag.





SUMMARY:
The Aero AB-11 “Blue Bird” is an unusual addition to the Special Hobby catalogue but it has been treated as a quality project and the resulting kit is a beautifully realised 1/72 production.
Modellers of the interwar period are rarely catered for by mainstream model companies but Special Hobby have delivered an excellent value for money kit that nicely honours a distinctive aircraft in Czech aviation history.
VERDICT:
Highly recommended.

The Review Kit was kindly provided by Special Hobby.

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