The 1920s and 1930s were a golden age for air racing, a time when companies like Supermarine, Curtiss and deHavilland built their reputations on the wings of revolutionary aircraft. In order for these manufacturers to rack up the important wins, there had to be competitors; today, these also-rans have slipped from popular memory except in their nations of origins.
Such is the case with the Letov Š-8, an aircraft that today is so completely forgotten that no mention of it can be found anywhere but in a few fleeting references in several obscure volumes on Golden Age air racing. The pride of the fledgling Czech aircraft industry, the Š-8 was powered by a British 480-horsepower Napier Lion engine. A sleek, open-cockpit monoplane, the plane had a broad, untapered wing mounted high on the fuselage. The wing was braced by two large struts that connected to the stalky undercarriage.
While the Š-8 looked fast, it made a top speed of just 192 mph, and in the President's Cup races of 1923 and 1924 that was not fast enough. But the plane did make a contribution toward building the Czech aircraft industry, and Letov is still in business to this day as an independent company - something that cannot be said of Supermarine, Curtiss or deHavilland.
The Kit
Omega Models' kit of the Š-8 shows the kind of care that only a company in the Czech Republic could devote to the subject. The kit contains 30 parts and details and decals for both the 1923 and 1924 racers. All are cast with very lovely detail and few air bubbles, though the surface texture is a little rough and could use some gentle sanding before assembly.
The kit is based around two major components: single-piece wings and fuselage. The wings are very lovely and even include a linkage stretching from the cockpit to just behind the engine area. The fuselage is also nice, but despite the use of a standoff resin keel - a trick resin casters use to avoid warp - my example veers to the right. The wing fits into a cutout atop the fuselage, effectively defining the cockpit opening.
The cockpit interior is somewhat sparse, with just a seat, control stick, rudder bar and control panel with no detail. The addition of some formers and stringers, simple lap belts and an instrument or two to the panel should suffice in bringing the cockpit up to snuff.
When the cockpit is done, the wing goes into place. The wing has some flash around its edges, but also features a most wonderfully restrained rib-and-fabric effect. The Napier's annular radiator is perhaps the least convincing part of the kit; the cooling fins are simply not even. Some careful work with an X-Acto knife could improve the detail here; two identical radiators are provided, so this can be done without worry of fatally ruining a part. The propeller, which is acceptable in profile, and spinner go into the radiator's center. The instructions provide diagrams for the 17 exhaust pipes; these are not provided and would best be made from small-diameter metal tubing. The tail surfaces, which are comically small, butt join the fuselage. These will need some clean-up and perhaps a little work to reduce the fabric effect.
The landing gear provide both the strutted gear legs of the 1923 racer and the solid legs of the 1924 racer. Between this goes a center brace with axles for the wheels. An option also exists for the 1923 aircraft's belly plate and the 1924 aircraft's exterior tank. From these landing gear legs two large struts brace the wings. Control horns and poles to protect the pilot in a roll-over accident complete the assembly. The modeler has to make the small windscreen on his own.
The decals are exceptionally simple, with four numerals for each race - 4 for 1923, 8 for 1924. These go on the fuselage sides and under the wings. The instructions fail to spell out which markings go with which year, but the cover photo provides all the clues needed to make sense of this. The plane is painted silver lacquer overall.
Conclusion
More advanced modelers with a bit of experience with resin who are looking for a change of pace will get a kick out of this little Czech gem. Even Golden Age specialists will find it a unique addition to their collections.