Maquette 1/72 Polikarpov R-1/Camoner P-1

MAQUETTE 1:72 POLIKARPOV R-1/CAMONER P-1

Reviewer: Steve Hedworth (rec.models.scale)
Kit Review submitted: 31 October 2008

Aircraft History:

The Polikarpov R 1 was a reversed engineered copy of the British DH9A, an example of which had been captured during the Allied intervention in the Russian civil war. The work was overseen by Nicholi Polikarpov who was to become the leading pre war Soviet designer. The aircraft served from late 1923 until well into the thirties. Early types were powered by foreign engines, for example the German 260 hp Mercedes, until the Soviet copy of the American Liberty engine, the M5, became available.

It’s RAF stablemate served as a light bomber and general purpose machine from August 1918 until the late 20’s throughout the British Empire. Trainers were phased out by 1931. Nearly 2,500 were built by British manufacturers and a further 2,800 in the USSR.

The Kit:

The parts are grey plastic and there was no flash. The pieces were cleanly moulded and the application of a knife or file was all that was needed if any tidying up was required. The wings and stabilizers have well defined ribs which has never bothered me but others will probably want to tone them down. The undersides are the exact opposite. The ribs are almost invisible and I highlighted their position with a sharp knife as they can be made out when tilted into the light. There are two small indentions on the underside of each wing that should be filled. Everything else looked good and clean.

Instructions:

Single page of A4, mostly in Russian, with a potted history in English. Rigging can be worked out from the box art and the part showing the transfer positions. Other side shows a diagram of the sprue to check the parts and two exploded diagrams to explain construction. There is no step by step but it is fairly straight forward and I don’t believe many will have any problems understanding them.

Construction:

Very few problems. Seats, floor and instrument panel assembled, engine, exhausts and propeller, I fitted a homemade washer so that it would turn as none is provided, then once the fuselage halves receives the floor unit and they are brought together. They are a good fit and the engine section equally so.

The lower wing mates well and no filler was required. Next the interplane struts and here not so good. There are small locating cut outs to aid positioning and one of mine was ill formed. Using a file and a power drill I managed to shape it to a usable shape but the struts have locating pins at right angles to further assist positioning. A good idea except the fuselage cut outs do not possess any holes to accept them. So, either drill holes or cut off the pins. I did the latter. Polystyrene cement was used and allowed to go tacky.

The struts fitted and left for several hours. At this stage they can still be tweaked but the cement is supportive. The upper wing was set onto the struts and manoeuvred until I was happy. Two of the struts were then firmed up with superglue, final check, the wing was removed, and the kit was left overnight. Next day, orientation is checked again, is OK, remaining struts superglued, and the top wing can be secured. Before I forget the underside of the top wing and the top side of the lower wing, plus the forward fuselage had been painted before the top wing is fitted. Also I made and Aldis sight from scrap and a windscreen. I pre drilled the wings and fuselage for rigging and glued those wires which emanate from the forward fuselage into position before the wing was located. The rest is simple enough. The main struts are popped into place and superglued for strength.

The tail parts are separate but are a good fit. I didn’t fill the small gaps as paint proved sufficient. The tail fin is in two parts which proved handy when applying rudder stripes. The under carriage was not a problem and I have substituted the Soviet rear gunner’s apparatus for an Aeroclub Lewis gun and Scarff ring for reasons cited below. The pilot’s Vickers looks like a cannon but I didn’t have a spare so it was used. I like to be crewed up so two crew members were installed and then the dreaded rigging was done. Finally, an additional tropical radiator was installed mid way between the nose and undercarriage. A piece of 60 thou plastic card, a smidgeon less than fuselage width and about 2/10, or 5mm, deep was cut and scored with a knife. Glued into place with a tiny piece of sprue as the out flow pipe. Incidentally, a similar radiator can be fitted to the Bristol Fighter if you’re outfitting it as an overseas 1920’s version.

Colour Schemes:

This kit offers only one option. The instructions are only in Russian so you have to look at the box art. The upper surfaces are dark green with pale blue/green under surfaces. The transfers are for two aircraft which probably represent examples which participated in the long distance flights mentioned in the potted history. Myself, I used neither because I wanted to create a RAF DH9A of the 20’s. I had googled both these aircraft and compared the kit with photographs of British aircraft and could find little difference. So I painted the model aluminium, used Almark roundels and some letters from the spares box.

Accuracy:

The wings are spot on and the fuselage scales out at just over 30 feet and then the prop. It looks like what it is supposed to be and that’s good enough for me.

Recommendation:

First Maquette I have built and quite impressed. Parts fitted together well enough and there were no major problems. Disappointed that a bomber did not have some racks and bombs and my pet gripe why are there no aircrew. Otherwise recommended. If like me you were looking for RAF between the wars this is the ideal solution for a DH9A unless you are prepared to pay up to five times as much for a resin version.

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