Eduard 1/72 L-39 Albatros Dual Combo
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Overview
The Aero L-39 Albatros is the most widely used jet trainer in the world
today, a rather impressive record for a plane designed in the early 1960s.
The L-39 was also the first turbofan-powered trainer, and it can be found
in the air forces of over 30 nations worldwide. It is also quite popular
among civilian pilots, with quite a few seen on the air show circuit.
A search at some of the popular aviation photo sites such as jetphotos.net
or airliners.net will result in quite a few photos of these diminutive
jets, offering up some excellent reference material and exhibiting the
wide range of color schemes the L-39 wears.
The Kit
 About
the only thing that could improve the Eduard kit of the L-39 would be
to have two in the box, and with this Dual Combo release, that is exactly
what they did. Molded (twice) in tan plastic, this kit features nicely
recessed panel lines, simple construction, but plenty of detail. Toss
in a pre-painted photoetch set, and you’ve really got everything
you need. The decal sheet in this release is equally impressive, with
enough choices to make you buy two or three of these Dual Combo kits.
 So,
without further adieu, let’s take a look at what you get. The first
thing that jumps out is that Eduard gave you too many instrument panels
on their photoetch. The reality is that they have done their homework
and in fact provide the proper panels for the different L-39 variants.
This means that you will have to do your own bit of research if you choose
to build an option not on the decal sheet, to make sure you use the right
panel. Once you decide that, though, the cockpit should go together quickly.
With photoetch instrument panels and side consoles already painted, all
that is left for the modeler is to paint the basic tub and put all the
pieces together. The seats are a nice combination of plastic and photoetch,
with the end result rivaling a nicely cast resin seat.
 The
finished tub fits nicely into the fuselage, and along with an engine face
and an exhaust piece, the fuselage can be closed up. There is no mention
of nose weight in the instructions, but you might want to drop a bit in
there, just in case. There is not much room in front of the cockpit, but
there is behind the rear bulkhead, and it is likely that not much will
be needed anyway. With the fuselage together, all that’s left for
that assembly is to put the air intakes on, which have separate splitter
plates, and add the stabilizers.
 For
the wings, they come in two pieces, a full-span top and bottom piece.
This incorporates a large section of the lower fuselage as well, which
will make assembly simple. Take care, though, to make sure that the wing
is positioned properly, as it would be all too easy to get the alignment
slightly off, an end up with the finished model looking lopsided. For
underneath, the kit comes with two drop tanks and two rockets for underwing
stores. The landing gear is simple, much like the real thing. Do note
that the gear doors are molded closed, which is correct for the L-39.
Those doors only open when the gear is extending or retracting. Some additional
antennae and the canopy are all that’s left before it is time to
throw paint down on this kit.
For
markings, there are no less than eight options included in this kit. As
there are two kits in the box, that still leaves quite a few left over
(which is why you should buy several of these Dual Combo releases). If
you like small air forces, this kit is a virtual treasure trove, with
Iraq, Cuba, Algeria, Libya, Cambodia, Nigeria, Bangladesh, and Ghana all
included. Additionally, there are stencils included to finish both kits
with lots of tiny markings. Here is a brief description of the eight options:
L-39ZO, Iraq, 1986: sand & olive uppers, blue gray lower
L-39C, Cuba, 1988: green & olive uppers, blue gray lower
L-39ZO, Algeria: sand & olive uppers, blue gray lower
L-39ZO, Libya, 2006: sand, olive & green uppers, blue gray lower
L-39C, Cambodia: sand & green wraparound camouflage
L-39ZA, Nigeria: sand & olive uppers, blue gray lower
L-39ZA, Bangladesh: sand & olive uppers, blue gray lower
L-39C, Ghana: brown & green uppers, blue gray lower
All but the Cambodian example have high visibility yellow or red markings,
mainly on the wings (with the Nigerian and Bangladesh examples also having
red noses). The individual markings vary, with some including badges and
serials, while others having little more than the national insignia. The
decals are nicely printed and aside from choosing which aircraft to do,
they should pose no problem in application.
Conclusion
This is an excellent kit of an attractive aircraft, and with two in
the box you will have twice the fun. My thanks to Eduard
for the review sample. |
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