JohnAnthony
Senior Airman
- 340
- Jul 26, 2010
Hello folks, new poster here. A few shots of a recent build, a bit of history etc. Hope you like it, John.
The historical importance of the Zlín Z-XII rests in the fact that it was one of the last and most popular touring planes of the so-called Golden Age of Aviation. Built in Czechoslovakia, two prototypes were extensively tested in 1935 and the subsequent production model quickly became a mainstay of sport and courier flying throughout Europe. It even found operators in Egypt, Brazil, Japan, and South Africa. During the Second World War the Z-XIIs were utilized by both the Slovakian Air Force and the Luftwaffe. A total of 201 units were built (a large number for its day when it came to recreational aircraft), making it Zlín's first substantive commercial success. Production ceased in 1939 when Germany invaded Czechoslovakia and took over the Zlín factory.
The plane is a tandem two-seater low-wing aircraft designed by Jaroslav Lonek. The airframe is constructed entirely of wood and the power plant consists of a Persy II engine delivering 45 horsepower. The Z-XII came with the option of an open or enclosed canopy, and a choice of two different horizontal stabilizer layouts. Most of these planes, if not all of them, were destroyed during the Second World War. I could not locate any extant examples of the original aircraft. I did however discover one static replica on display at the Kbely museum in Prague, and another flying replica registered to a private Czech operator at the Pardubice Airport. Fortunately for modelers, there are a sufficient number of black-and-white photographs of the original aircraft to study its construction. Cut-away schematics are also readily available and contribute some important information to the construction of this kit.
This particular plane is first listed in Czech civil air registries in March of 1938 as OK-LZM. Then in August of 1939 it appears in Yugoslavian registries as YU-PFU, owned by the Bata Company based in Borovo, an eastern municipality of modern day Croatia. After that I could find no information on the aircraft. It's probable that it was destroyed during World War Two like so many of its contemporaries.
The kit is RS Models #92041 and it's really an excellent short-run issue. The plastic is crisply-molded and the fit is snug throughout. It includes a resin-cast nose and air-cooled cylinders. There's also a fret of Eduard PE detail which enhances the cockpit. The only criticism I have is that the canopy plastic is too thick. A thin vacuform canopy would have been more to scale and would have allowed the excellent cockpit features to be better viewed. The decals are by Propagteam and they're exquisitely-made but very temperamental: thin as a hair and easy to tear. At any rate I liked this quick-build kit very much. I've got a few more in the stash to pull out when I want to whip something together in a short time. Kits of Golden Age civvies aren't that common either and this one's a real pleasure to assemble.
The historical importance of the Zlín Z-XII rests in the fact that it was one of the last and most popular touring planes of the so-called Golden Age of Aviation. Built in Czechoslovakia, two prototypes were extensively tested in 1935 and the subsequent production model quickly became a mainstay of sport and courier flying throughout Europe. It even found operators in Egypt, Brazil, Japan, and South Africa. During the Second World War the Z-XIIs were utilized by both the Slovakian Air Force and the Luftwaffe. A total of 201 units were built (a large number for its day when it came to recreational aircraft), making it Zlín's first substantive commercial success. Production ceased in 1939 when Germany invaded Czechoslovakia and took over the Zlín factory.
The plane is a tandem two-seater low-wing aircraft designed by Jaroslav Lonek. The airframe is constructed entirely of wood and the power plant consists of a Persy II engine delivering 45 horsepower. The Z-XII came with the option of an open or enclosed canopy, and a choice of two different horizontal stabilizer layouts. Most of these planes, if not all of them, were destroyed during the Second World War. I could not locate any extant examples of the original aircraft. I did however discover one static replica on display at the Kbely museum in Prague, and another flying replica registered to a private Czech operator at the Pardubice Airport. Fortunately for modelers, there are a sufficient number of black-and-white photographs of the original aircraft to study its construction. Cut-away schematics are also readily available and contribute some important information to the construction of this kit.
This particular plane is first listed in Czech civil air registries in March of 1938 as OK-LZM. Then in August of 1939 it appears in Yugoslavian registries as YU-PFU, owned by the Bata Company based in Borovo, an eastern municipality of modern day Croatia. After that I could find no information on the aircraft. It's probable that it was destroyed during World War Two like so many of its contemporaries.
The kit is RS Models #92041 and it's really an excellent short-run issue. The plastic is crisply-molded and the fit is snug throughout. It includes a resin-cast nose and air-cooled cylinders. There's also a fret of Eduard PE detail which enhances the cockpit. The only criticism I have is that the canopy plastic is too thick. A thin vacuform canopy would have been more to scale and would have allowed the excellent cockpit features to be better viewed. The decals are by Propagteam and they're exquisitely-made but very temperamental: thin as a hair and easy to tear. At any rate I liked this quick-build kit very much. I've got a few more in the stash to pull out when I want to whip something together in a short time. Kits of Golden Age civvies aren't that common either and this one's a real pleasure to assemble.
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