The Little World

Experience with Czech short-run kits can be mixed. Fit issues, over-complex construction, and unclear instructions all loom every time you pop the box top or open the side door. However, the first stages of the Electra Junior have been pleasant.

The cockpit is a resin casting. though nowhere near as complex as it might have been. As with most Czech kits, It has no definite locating ledge or pins inside the fuselage. The instructions point it to the side of the moulded fuselage and just let you get on as best you can.

Fortunately, this model has a passenger or cargo compartment that is well proportioned and sits inside the rear of the fuselage well. It. at least, provides a positive rear stop for the resin unit. – plus it attaches with normal styrene cement. The resin bits need PVA, Cyanoacrylate glue, or epoxy resin. I am content that it went in and needed little fettling to do so.

The other subassembly work was the engines and the tyres. Both are injected so the engines will cement easily to the nacelles. I’m falling into the pattern of painting radials silver to start with and then griming them up with a brown acrylic wash. They never seem bad for this, and I pick out the crankcase cover occasionally in grey or blue.

Hint for painters: Tamiya lacquer paint LP 65 Rubber Black is the best colour for Allied rubber. The Mr Color Tyre Black is best for German.