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Ardpol 1/72 Consolidated NY-1

By Matt Bittner

History

The NY-1 was a two-seat flying and gunnery trainer of the mid-1920s.  Operated by the US Navy in considerable numbers until the end of the 1930s, there were two versions made – one on wheels and the other on floats.  This kit represents the wheeled version.

The Kit

The Ardpol Consolidated NY-1 consists of approximately 76 resin pieces and a decal sheet for a single scheme of Marine Fighting Squadron VF-2, 1927.  Also included with the instructions is a set of 1/72 plans which will not only help with parts placement, but will also help with rigging.  The resin is exquisite and is definitely the best I have ever seen.  While there are some pin/air holes, they are few and far between.  I think the Poles have the edge in resin kit design.  Ardpol, Silesian Eagle and Choroszy Modelbud all are producing the best resin aircraft kits seen to date.

Construction this time doesn’t start with the cockpit, according to the instructions.  The instructions have you first add the detail outside of the cockpit on the underside of the fuselage.  However, I think this is a “typographical” error on the instructions, as it shows adding this detail on the glued together fuselage halves.  Either way I won’t add this detail until as one of the last steps, just to be sure the parts don’t accidentally get knocked off during construction.  From there you move onto the cockpit, and here is where you can tell the awesome amount of detailing that Ardpol has achieved.  There are a lot of wonderfully molded in details, better than any injected kit I have seen.  To the fuselage halves you add the floor, the supports that hold up both the pilot’s and rear gunner’s seats, control columns and the instrument panel.  With the right amount of washes and dry brushing the detail will definitely come to life.

From here one follows the normal course of model construction.  The lower wings are added next followed by the tailpieces.  The upper wing is in three parts due to its length – breaking the wing up in three places ensures that over time the wing shouldn’t warp.  As with all resin kits, I will replace all the struts supplied in the kit.  This is just because I feel that resin struts don’t offer the strength of either injected plastic or brass, and includes the landing gear.  The struts are very frail in resin, and definitely need the strength of “something else”.  Once the upper wing is together then painting can commence.

Unfortunately, here is where I have my biggest complaint with Ardpol kits – the packaging.  Everything is packaged in two zip-lock bags, one for the major parts, the other bag containing all the smaller details.  This means that the smaller parts can “bang around” each other, with the possibility of breakage.  If Ardpol can correct this, then I would have no complaints at all.

Conclusion

Now that both Silesian Eagle and Ardpol are producing between the wars USA aircraft, a much-neglected niche is being fulfilled.  If you like US ‘tweeners at all, you are doing yourself a disservice by not purchasing any of either the Ardpol or Silesian Eagle kits.  Highly recommended!