Kit Reviews
Czech Master Resin: 1/72 Harvard AT-16 conversion kit revie
By R.S.
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Ask a person today to name an iconic Second World War aircraft and you’re bound to get an answer like the P-51 or the Spitfire. Yet for many allied servicemen the Texan or Harvard II trainer may come to mind. A majority of individuals who flew for the British Commonwealth after 1939 made their first flights in one of their cockpits. Harvards were a peculiar aircraft to operate, possessing a number of foibles that rookie pilots had to be aware of. It was difficult to handle on the ground and tricky to land. In the air however it was a dream to fly, able to undertake almost any acrobatics maneuver that an operational fighter could. These two characteristics made it an excellent aircraft for new pilots to prepare them for their future charges. Moreover the Harvard enjoyed a certain charm with a seemingly oversized canopy, big radial engine and long graceful wings.
Inside Canada, Noorduyn Aircraft Limited built most of the aircraft under license. Yet they were not all purchased outright by the Royal Canadian Air Force. Over a thousand were eventually acquired by the United States and transferred to the Royal Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force through Lend-Lease terms. Moreover not all of these aircraft served as trainers. Harvards’ versatility brought it into a number of roles, including light liaison duties. This was a critical mission, considering the long distances Allied forces needed to travel in North America and the underdeveloped state of infrastructure. On the west coast of British Columbia, a number of squadrons, including the 133rd Fighter and the 166th Communication squadrons, held several on strength.
The options available for 1/72 modelers’ wishing to build a Harvard are limited. No maker offers a proper Second World War version; Academy and Heller/Airfix’s offerings are T-6Gs/Harvard IV, which came into service after the war. As with many of its models, the Academy kit is basically a copy of the Heller model but with recessed panel lines and greater cockpit detail. The differences between Harvard IV and the Harvard II are significant enough to require modification. Really only two options exist: scratch-build the alterations or purchase Czech Masters Resin’s modification kit. Since one of the key differences is in canopy design, a daunting prospect for all but the most experienced modelers, the latter seems accessible to most.
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Originally introduced in the early 1990s, The CMR add-on kit is one of the oldest they still produce. Opening the box there is a sense of underwhelment. The kit consists of three parts: a resin exhaust pipe, canopy and a round observation window for the spine. In the picture above you see the resin exhaust as well as the CMR vacuform canopy on the left with the kit’s injection molded version on the right. Nevertheless the price of $8 dollars and Heller Texan kits going for around five dollars on Ebay, it's a very affordable price.
In many ways it is unmistakably a CMR kit; there are doubles for each of the vacuform parts. Yet there are some aspects where its not. The most lamentable aspect of this kit is the lack of supporting documentation. The company’s award winning Westland Wyvern Kit includes six pages of diagrams and photos that are invaluable for constructing the kit. By comparison, all that is included with the parts is a single line art photo that vaguely identifies where the pieces should be attached. Considering the limited quality of the heller/airfix kit, extra documentation would go a long way to help modelers to build a top-notch model.
The lack of references places the onus of research on the modeler to build an accurate Harvard II. You need to procure your own decals and paint scheme, because neither is offered with the kit. I know for the particular aircraft I wanted to build the observation bulge was absent. I re-scribed the entire plane and removed some of the features exclusive to the T6G, like the rocket mounting points. While the cockpit required a lot of work, I was assisted by the photos at this helpful site:
http://uscockpits.com/Trainers/Trainers.html#T6
I also picked up a set of cockpit details decals from www.Mikegrantdecals.com for the panels, which I drilled holes for, placed the decals and covered up with drops of future to give it that realistic glass sheen. They go on great and are a lifesaver for building any older kit’s cockpit with non-existent details.
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Another issue with the instructions is that they give no indication what is actually required to incorporate the parts into the kit. It took me awhile to realize that both the canopy and its base are required for a proper fit. This proved to be one of the build’s most problematic aspects, as the piece did not sit flush with the airframe. I ended up mixing mori-mori putty with black paint to fill in seam (since once the canopy was attached it could not be painted) then sanding it down. Although this should have made it easier to attach the canopy (allowing the seam to be easily filled in), I couldn’t get it perfectly flat and some bumps remained. I think it is partly a function of my own limited skills as well as a less than perfect design.
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By comparison, painting and decaling was a far easier task. I decided to build the aircraft as FE-310, which was attached to the RCAF 133rd Squadron between 1942 and 1944 at various airfields in British Columbia. The airframe was a bit of a workhorse, flying frequently throughout the region on patrols and liaison duties. I planned to give this model to a family friend who flew in the aircraft during her service. Unfortunately no photos of the airframe turned up after an extensive search with some very helpful and knowledgeable subject experts. FE-310 however was a lend-lease aircraft, which generally had a common scheme applied to them. A photo search at the Canadian Aviation Museum turned up the FE-267, the first of the Noorduyn produced aircraft for the contract (its an invaluable resource for any Harvard build.)
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Masking the model takes some time, as the AT-16s birdcage canopy filled with iron bars, which are actually quite narrow. My discovery that came a little too late, and I feel as if mine are slightly too thick. This was compounded by the fact that my primer coat leached under the tape mask and needed a lot of cleanup. By comparison the extended exhaust went on with a minimum of trouble, and looked perfect after being airbrushed with Alclad II jet exhaust. For decals I raided a couple of kits to scavenge their RAF roundels, particularly an old Airfix Hurricane. I had originally intended to use a serial number set from Arrow Decals (now defunct), but later found the lettering to be too big. Instead I cut a lettering stencil out of tape and airbrushed the black on, touching it up with an artist pen. I was on a bit of a deadline so I decided to forego the underwing serials, which wouldn’t be that visible under the model’s base anyway. One thing CMR could have offered that would have greatly increased the value of their kit was a generic set of Harvard stencils. As such the aircraft looks a bit barren; next time I’ll spruce it up with a few generic looking serials from Wave’s decal option set. After sealing the decals with future I did an oil wash and added my final coat of Floquil flat finish. A carpenter friend provided me with this bloodwood base, which I drilled holes into with a dremel and then inserted paperclip pieces. They were fitted into corresponding holes I made in the bottom of the wheels and glued into place with epoxy resin.
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Conclusion
CMR has indicated they will release a proper Harvard II kit in the future, bringing this little add-on’s long life seems to an end. While it probably will be in the $40+ dollars price range, it will be well worth it if adds more detail and avoids some of the more troublesome aspects of this build. In the mean time, the modification kit is the only game in town for someone wanting to build a 1/72 Harvard II. This is not exactly an easy build with some of the fit issues and complete lack of documentation. It definitely requires a modeler to do their homework. Yet the price is reasonable and with some basic modeling skills and patience the kit can shine.
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