1/72 Gavia Let L-410 Turbolet

by Jirka Dominec

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  Czech Republic National Day 2004  

 

Let L-410 Turbolet is a commuter aircraft produced in Czechoslovakia since the seventies till the nineties  in quantity exceeding 1000 units. Firstly it was utilised in the East Block, above all the Soviet Union, after the fall of the Soviet Block it spread in many other countries.  

The kit represents aircraft as used by CzAF for NATO inspections (the reason for the vivid coat) in the early nineties. It is in fact the L-410 UVP version, distinguished clearly by longer wings from the former L-410 and by three blade propellers from the later L-410 UVP-E. 

Click on images below to see larger images

The kit is a short run, 1/72 by Gavia. It is of soft grey plastic, with injection moulded "glass" and a photoetched sheet.  

The kit dimensions correspond to scale, its shape corresponds to drawings (my friends, however, raised doubts that the front part is not too long). 

I built it "straight from the box", without any further accessories bought. I have just replaced side windows (those in the kit are clear, but not flat), added landing lights with cover (omitted by the producer for unknown reasons) and added ribs in the rudder ( I made notches, but in reality they protrude from the rudder). 

The colours correspond to photographs of the plane, a mistake is on the lower surface of the wing: national insignia should be on a strip of grey, not on the yellow base (I have found this much later after finishing the kit).

Jirka

Photos and text © by Jirka Dominec