Czech Master Kits

1/48 detail sets for MPM's Aero L-39C/Z Albatros

Product Article by Jörgen Toll in 2004

 

 

CMK has made 3 detail sets for the Albatros. None of which you can do without, in my opinion...

The Interior kit contains your basic cockpit accessories. Seats, tub, panels, walls and frames in resin. Just as Aires they use the sandwich method for the instrument panels. Printed acetate film between photo etched metal and resin. Very simple and good looking method to display the gauges! The set also has PE canopy frames to be used on the inside of the canopies. The most delicate part is the fuselage frame for the cockpit. The glare shield was broken. Nothing I can't fix of course.

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The Exterior set is basically control surfaces and wheel wells. Everything is cast in the same type of resin as the other kits in the series. The Main gear Wheel well and doors are very good! Too bad they are almost entirely covered on the Albatros, except when the gear is transitioning in and out, of course.
If you want to drop the flaps, the elevators or display the ailerons off center, this is the kit for you! I don't like the uniform look of an aircraft which has its control surfaces exactly centered. Most surfaces on real aircraft drop and sag a little when hydraulic pressure is off.

The elevators have very delicate vortex generators that unfortunately were almost completely worn down in my. I'll probably grind them down and replace with scrap PE parts instead... There is also a frame of photo etched metal containing hinges and antennas.

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The third kit is called, somewhat misleading, "Air Intakes". They do contain resin air intakes, with splitter plates, but also a compressor front to put inside your model. There are also weighted wheels, a turbine exhaust face and a tail pipe. Everything resin made here... The wheels may need some sanding on the bulges of the tires. They look almost as if they had a flat..!

One thing I miss in these kits are steps! The Albatros has some very cool steps on the lower left side of the forward fuselage. Clearly visible on the box of the MPM L-39C kit. These steps open and close with the canopy. Maybe something for Eduard to catch on to..?

Jörgen

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Photos and text © by Jörgen Toll