RPM 1/72 PWS-26 "Slepak"

RPM 1:72 PWS-26 "SLEPAK"
'INBOX Review'

Reviewer: Carlos Giani (carlos_giani2002@yahoo.de)

Aircraft: The PWS („Podlaska Wytwornia Samolotow“) 26 was a development of the PWS 16, the main difference being a strongly reinforced structure which allowed the trainer to make dives and to perform complicated aerobatic figures. Dimensions, engine and equipment were the same as the PWS-16, with the overall weight increased only by some 25 kg. 250 PWS-26s were produced, some of them being captured by the Germans after war break and used in the Luftwaffe, other 28 being transferred to Romania.

Parts: Inside a rather flimsy end-opening box you get two short-run sprues containing 42 parts in ocean grey, one sprue containing 6 transparent parts and one small decal sheet, everything bagged together. The few panel lines (remember, this was a biplane, mostly fabric-covered) are acceptable and engraved. The surface detail is quite good, although the parts are not absolutely crisply molded; you will find some small molding imperfections here and there, nothing fatal but still noticeable. Although there's no flash the mention worth, everything will benefit of an all-round clean-up with the X-acto knife. Fortunately, there are no ejector pin stubs/marks on exterior areas. If you want to take a look at the sprues, then please look at my Inbox-Review of the PWS-16bis.

Breakdown is absolutely conventional, with fuselage split vertically, two-piece lower wing, one piece upper wing, one piece rear stabilizer, separate tail fin, one outer wing „N“-strut each side and conventional landing gear with rear skid.

The only external difference to the PWS-16bis is the fairing which covers the rear pilot's cockpit (see image below; you will only need this part if you build the German-captured version), and the faired main gear struts. The rest is absolutely identical to the PWS-16bis.

Instructions: Just one A4-sheet printed on both sides. The front side brings a brief history/technical data in Polish (my kit was bought in Warsaw), sprues diagram, decals layout and 2-1/2 views for three subjects. The rear side shows construction in seven very vague and confusing steps, which would be absolutely frustrating for a novice modeller. A small rigging diagram is given. There's also a small insert which deals with the rear-cockpit-fairing. There are no detail colour call-outs.

For the main painting there are numbers given which, although not stated, obviously are Humbrol-ones. The first subject (German) has upper surfaces H30 and lower surfaces H65. The second machine (see please „Versions“ below) shows overall H26 with over painted rectangles in H114 (Russian green). The third plane (Romanian) is painted upper surfaces H26, lower surfaces H65 with a H24 (yellow) fuselage band and tailfin in H132 (satin red), H24 and H25 (blue).

Versions: Three versions can be built out of this kit:

1) A German-captured plane converted to single crew trainer, code VG+AS, showed in the Air Museum Berlin.

2) One plane in Russian service, with the polish national emblems just over painted in green in order to „ground“ the Russian star.

3) A German-captured unit sold to Romania.

Decals: Absolutely basic, very glossy and overweighted with thick carrier film.

Detail: Acceptable.

Options: The only option are the rear-cockpit-fairing and the alternative landing gear struts.

Impressions: It is much like the PWS-16bis, although not Tamigawademy-standard. It may work out into a beautiful model of a "back row" subject.

Recommendations: A must for collectors of the odd and rare.

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