The Avia B-534 aircraft was built around the engine Hispano HS-12Ycrs which Avia bought in 1932. The origins of the aircraft goes to previous design of Frantisek Novotny, Avia B-34. The aircraft had very fine shape, fixed undercarriage and open cockpit.
The aircraft was aproved by Czechoslovak army and the squadrons got the first aircraft in 1934. Further development continued and there were altogether four series, the last more distinctive, with closed cockpit, different position of the coolers and instead of tail skid appeared little wheel.
By the Munchen crises the type was obsolete but after occpation of Czechoslovakia, the Luftwaffe used it for towing, some stayed in Slovak Air Force, some were sold to Hungary and Bulgaria and served as a trainers. During the Slovak National uprising pilot Cipro shot down Ju-52 on one of the remaining B-534, it is supposed to be last victory of the biplane in WWII.
There are no original survivers but in 1970' was one aircraft rebuild by enthusiast and now is on exhibition in Air muzeum in Kbely near Prague, Czech republic and although there are some differences, it serves as a good reference for those who like "wind in wires".
More about Avia B-534 on wikipedia
The model contains some 40 gray resin parts, photoeched details, rubber wheels (you can sand of the resin ones) and clear canopy. The parts are with very nice detail. The cockpit side details are part of the fuselage halves. I had to repair few bits, where there was a missing material, but it was not big deal. The only dificulty I can see is that there are no adjusting pins, so the set the correct lines for the biplane is pretty hard work.
The kit offers four camouflages, all of them for pre-war aircraft. The difference is basically the letter codes used because there was not used many art work on Czechoslovak airplanes. The exeption is the plane that served in Slovakia that belonged to one of the most colourful aircraft in Czechoslovak air force at that time.
I started with cleaning of the parts, first the fuselage halves and wings. I had to use some Miliput on cracked bottom tail part and was bent little bit inside on both halves of the fuselage, and I needed some Miliput to repair the cracks on the wings left after the sanding of the resin.
June 2009