APC Decals 1/72 Závodní Bejk Avia BH-3
By Matt Bittner
Overview
The Avia BH-3 was called Bejk/Bull, for its not very good flight characteristics. Flying with her was like riding a bull.
I recently finished a long-languishing build of a KP 1/72 Avia BH-3. I finished it out-of-the-box and I remember the decals definitely showed their age. In fact, I thought the Czech flag insignia decals - which were placed on the wings - were completely unuseable so I decided to paint them on instead. They didn't turn out great and I had the colors in the wrong locations, so I think it's a good time to finish another BH-3 kit. Lo and behold, APC Decals has us covered.
The Decals
APC Decals provides two different BH-3s, both took place in 1923 during the "Race for the Prize of the President of the Republic":
- Avia Av-B-3.01, Race for the Prize of the President of the Republic, 1923, pilot rtm. Václav Kolomazník
The machine was probably in the colors of the material. Fuselage and stabilizer in the color of lacquered plywood, surfaces covered with canvas in the color of lacquered canvas. Lighter rib tapes were visible on the wing in place of the ribs. Aluminum engine panels in the color of natural sheet metal. The machine bore the starting number 17 in black on both sides of the fuselage and on the lower surfaces of the wing. The aircraft was a one of the prototypes and has a slightly different shape of the rudder and a non-standard engine cover with ten slots and a different shape of tank ventilation. - Avia BH-3.1, Race for the Prize of the President of the Republic, 1923, pilot rtm. Karel Brabenec. (The rtm./rotmistr is a rank, probably similar to a sergeant.)
The machine carries standard camouflage, ie irregular fields of brown, green and ocher colors on the upper and side surfaces and aluminum on the lower surfaces. Each aircraft had a different shape and color layout of individual fields. The reconstruction below is therefore a qualified estimate based on a few available photographs. Flag insignias in common positions. The color orientation is always blue forward and red always to the center of the aircraft on the wings and down on vertical surfaces. Starting number 22 in white was on both sides of the fuselage and in black on the lower surfaces of the wing.
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Reconstructions of camouflages are based on the article by Michal Dub „Závodní Bejk aneb Avia BH-3 soutěží o cenu prezidenta republiky”/ "Racing Bull / Avia BH-3 competes for the Prize of the President of the Republic" printed in issue 7/2007 of the magazine Historie a plastikové modelářství (HiPM).
The decals are really well printed and look in register. I'm definitely looking forward to working on another BH-3, this time I'll finish it as BH-3.1, as above.
Huge thanks to APC Decals for the review set.