PZL P.1 prototype 1929, scale 1/32

[Marcin_Matejko]

Hello everyone🙂

 

I am starting to build a prototype model of the Polish fighter plane PZL P.1 from 1929. The plane had an innovative all-metal construction that had a big influence on the development of fighter concepts in the early thirties. The wing covering was made of corrugated sheet metal using the method of the French company Wibault, for which PZL purchased a license. The prototype was characterized by very good performance and excellent maneuverability. It reached a speed of 302 km/h with a Hispano-Suiza 12Lb engine with 640 HP. The plane was a demonstration machine, it had no armament, it had a civil air registration SP-ADO. I will make the model from scratch using classic methods supplemented with details made using 3D printing.

 

Starting materials:

 

I started the construction by making the fuselage, which I made from a polystyrene block glued together from many layers of tiles. I processed the block using classic methods until I obtained the right shape in accordance with the plane drawing and archival photos:

 

The whole process is very simple. All you need are common tools and abrasives. Add a few hours of free time, some practice in sawing and a big dose of determination. I recommend it as a therapeutic activity after a hard day. The only downside to all this work is the pile of chips that is created during processing😁

 

The wings are made based on elements from the PL P.11c Silver Wings resin kit. I received this kit as a gift from a friend. However, it was outclassed by the P.11c injection kit from IBG, so it's a waste of time on resin, especially since it contains a lot of errors. There will be a lot of modifications necessary to form the P.1 wings because they differ significantly from those of the P.11. But there's no drama and they can be modified without any problems. You just have to widen them, change the wingspan, completely reshape the middle part of the wing, enlarge the cutout for the ailerons and change the outline of the wing tips. The following photos will illustrate the entire modification process:

 

The stabilizers are very simple, I made them from a polystyrene board:

 

I fitted the made elements and checked their geometry against the drawings:

That's all for now.

 

To be continued

 

[MikeMaben]

Wow, now 'that's' model building. Nice work Marcin.

[LSP_Kevin]

Incredible work, Marcin! I love following your epic scratch-builds. You make it seem so simple! What do you use to glue the styrene tiles together with? Plastic cement or super glue?

 

Kev

[scvrobeson]

Awesome project!  Would love to see a 1/32 kit of this appearing. More Polish subjects on the market would be great

 

 

Matt 

[Jaro]

That's a huge challenge! I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

 

I love your threads—it's so fascinating to follow the scratch building of iconic Polish planes!" I'm pretty sure the final result will be great!

Edited September 18, 2024 by Jaro

[Shoggz]

Very cool!

[TankBuster]

Fantastic work, I  love to see people create models this way. Cheers.

[Marcin_Matejko]

Thank you for your positive opinions 😀

Quote

What do you use to glue the styrene tiles together with? Plastic cement or super glue?

I used super glue.

 

I used a rotary file to remove material from the inside of the hull.

 

I made the wing ailerons from a polystyrene plate

 

I used a similar method to make the landing gear legs, which I reinforced with steel wire. The model will be quite heavy, so the landing gear must be strong.

 

To be continued

[LSP_Kevin]

Superb!

 

Kev

[Daniel Iscold]

Marcin Matejko strikes again!!! Please. Could someone hire a Polish mobster to break this guy's fingers? Congratulations Marcin, as usual S T U N I N G work!!!!!!! 

 

[scvrobeson]

Another fantastic and unique project

 

 

Matt 

[Marcin_Matejko]

Thank you 😀

 

The next element I made is the propeller spinner. I made its simple shape on a lathe from a polystyrene block:

 

Then I made small fittings where the landing gear rods will be anchored:

 

I also started making the dividing lines of the metal panels on the hull. At the same time, I also made holes in which the radiators will be mounted:

 

I also evened out the surface of the wings:

 

I took the easy way out and designed 3D models of the landing gear and radiators that will be printed.

 

To be continued 😉

 

Edited September 30, 2024 by Marcin_Matejko

[MikeMaben]

[LSP_Kevin]

So inspirational!

 

Kev

[scvrobeson]

Excellent work!  Do the wings require corrugations like the later PZL planes did, or are they smooth?

 

 

Matt