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Silesian Eagle 1/72 Douglas O-38A/B

By Matt Bittner

History

The Douglas O-38 is considered one of the best-known observation aircraft of the US Air Corps.  Douglas built 156 O-38s between 1931 and 1934. (If it's considered one of the best known observation aircraft, then why is this history so short, Matt? Ed.)

The Kit

The Silesian Eagle (SE) O-38A/B consists of approximately 75 resin pieces and a decal sheet for two schemes.  The first, an O-38B, was with the 119^th Observation Squadron, New Jersey National Guard, July 1933.  The second decal scheme is for an O-38A that was the personal aircraft of the under-secretary, War Department for Militia Bureau 1932/33.  The kit comes with two options, one is the O-38A the other the O-38B.  The only external difference being the cowl and exhaust arrangement.

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.  Unfortunately the wings in my kit are warped, but nothing a bout with hot water won't fix.

Construction naturally starts with the cockpit, and here is where you can tell the awesome amount of detailing that SE 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, both the pilot's and rear gunner's seats, control column and rudder bar.  There are resin ammo boxes as well as a wonderfully detailed radio.  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 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.  Once the upper wing is together then painting can commence.

Unfortunately, here is where I have my biggest complaint with all SE 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.  This is exactly what happened to me.  Most of the parts for the rear gun mount are broken, and not easily fixed (especially since most are pretty small).  If SE can correct this, then there I would have no complaints at all.

Conclusion

Finally!!  Someone is producing USA between the war aircraft, and two-seaters at that.  If US 'tweeners interests you at all, you are doing yourself a disservice by not purchasing this kit.  Highly recommended.  If the back of the box is to be believed, then SE is planning more US 'tweeners – a couple more A-3s, doing a natural continuation with the O-1 series, and finally a Boeing PWD-9.  Cool!