RS Models 1/72 Praga E-241 Luftwaffe
By Matt Bittner
The Kit
The RS Models Praga E-241 consists of 38 pieces of injected plastic, two injected clear windscreens, and six pieces of resin. RS' latest models - this one included - are very well cast and the resin is top notch. There are decals for three German aircraft - an over-all silver aircraft, a two-tone machine of RLM 71 (green) over RLM 65 (blue), and finally an aircraft that is overall RLM 02 with yellow "highlights". At least I think it's all-over RLM 02. The color profile on the back of the box almost looks like it could have some silver in it as well, but the color painting on the front of the box has it overall RLM 02.
This time the construction starts with the cockpit. Unfortunately there is no sidewall detail, but I'm also not exactly sure how much can be seen through the small openings. The rest of the pieces for the cockpit consists of the floor, seats, control columns and resin instrument panels with decals for the instruments. Once the cockpit is glued into one fuselage half, then the fuselage halves can be glued together.
Now construction moves to the engine which looks very decent. Firewall, engine, collector and exhausts all glued together, followed by (lastly) the coaming over the engine and then the prop. Naturally you'll want to paint these pieces separately prior to assembly. However, you can assemble them as one piece and at the end put this whole assembly onto the airframe, as you glue the firewall to the fuselage.
Now you glue the lower wing and tail pieces to the fuselage. The instructions have you create the steps now and glue them to the fuselage, but to save them from being broken off repeatedly, I would wait until the end.
The last construction step you'll add the rest - tail wheel, landing gear, struts and upper wing. There is also a rigging diagram contained within the instructions.
Conclusion
Another great kit by RS Models. I'm building their Ar 76 now, and fit is very good and the detail is extremely nice. So, I have no qualms recommending their Praga E-241 to those with biplane modeling experience, especially with the multi-bay interplane struts.
Thanks to RS Models for the review kit.