APC Decals 1/72 Škoda D.1
By Matt Bittner
Overview
APC Decals is a great source of Czech decals, especially because they're based in the Czech Republic. They cover a lot of aircraf that no one else covers, including the Škoda D.1.
The Škoda D.1
I'm told that if you don't learn something new everyday, that day was wasted. Well, I didn't know - until performing research - that the Škoda D.1 was a license manufacture of the Dewoitine D.21. So if you didn't know that either, now you do. According to Wikipedia there were "only" 26 Škoda D.1s built.
Now APC Decals allow you to build three of those 26. The first release, APC 72117, contains decals for two D.1s, both mainly finished in overall "silver" (probably aluminum):
- Škoda D.1.6, čs. letectov. 4.letecký pluk; with some blue aircraft and squadron markings and a large, black '16' on the fuselage sides
- Škoda D.1, čs. letectvo, 4.letecký pluk, manévry; blue and white aircraft and squadron markings on the side, with the tail surfaces finsihed either in blue or black
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The second decal sheet, APC72129, consists of markings for one aircraft. The following is a translation of the instructions "thanks" to Google (all errors theirs):
- Škoda D.1.13 Gendarmerie air patrols, Czechoslovakia 1936 The machine had a typical CLH coloring "Cetnice green on all surfaces. In addition to the first wing strut and landing gear strut, the leading edges of the wing and tail surfaces on both sides were painted with the so-called Sarlat red (ie very dark red). This color was also the matriculation of OK-PAA on the fuselage and on the wing on both sides. The letters of matriculation were lined in white. A sovereign sign in the form of a white-lined red-blue-white spherical triangle was placed on the SOP. We recommend the use of LK .8-10 1990 on the usual mislé on the black type and for the arrangement of piece numbers.
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References for that aircraft (again, Google translated):
- The air is our sea, J. Rajlich, J. Sehnal, Nase Vojsko Praha, 1993
- serial Ceskoslovenská kridla 1918-1939, J.Krumbach, L K 1975-1977
- Vzdušni donkichodi. J. Marek, Svet Alidel. Cheb, 2001
All decals are very nicely printed and appear in register. One thing to keep in mind with APC Decals. The "base lacquer" is on the entire sheet so you need to cut as close to the decals as possible when removing them from the sheet.
I definitely thank APC Decals (found via Hobbyshop.cz) for the review decal sets.