IBG PZL 23B Karas - Polish Light Bomber [late production] 1:72

IBG PZL 23B Karas - Polish Light Bomber [late production] 1:72

Not the first PZL P.23 kit in 1/72 scale, the type has been well kitted by domestic Polish manufacturers for decades, but they all seem to be using the same mold first issued in 1964 ! Heller's nice 1979 issue is best known & very good for it's time, and if you can get your hands on both of the intense sets of photo-etch details issued for this Heller kit by PART [from Poland- still available from jadarhobby.pl] is still very much worth working on.

All eyes now will be on this new tool, modern rendition of the exotic 'Karas' [ Carp in Polish, as in the big bottom feeding fish ], virtually unknown to western enthusiasts. Just another fine Polish aircraft desperately thrown into battle during September 1939 without much needed fighter support, performing low level bombing attacks against German targets & taking heavy losses from ground fire as well as enemy fighter aircraft. In spite of their attrition, the Karas squadrons were able to give as much as they received & their crews did inflict serious damage to attacking German armour. The P.23 crews were also able to defend themselves in the air & did score several air-to air kills. On September 2,1939 a single P.23 aircraft gained credit for being the first allied aircraft to bomb the Third Reich when it attacked a factory in Ohlau, Germany [ now Olawa,Poland as per post-war restructuring ].

A lovely short run all plastic kit, looking very much like a modern AIRFIX kit but requiring just a smidge more effort to put together. Short run manufacturers all over the world have been evolving rapidly & many of their modern kits rival many mainstream manufacturers efforts in detail & engineering. If you are considering taking the leap from Hasegawa or Revell Germany kits to something in the short run field, any kit by IBG or ARMA HOBBY could be your starting point. Just a nice kit & highly recommended as a change of pace from Spitfires & Bf109's.

From Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PZL.23_Kara%C5%9B