Promotion to celebrate 100th WAK number

[WAK]

Between 7/16-7/31 recommend Promotion to celebrate 100th WAK card model. Therefore, to end July all our models purchased at Wydawnictwo WAK - Sklep On-Line are 10.0% discount.

[Leif Ohlsson]

Thank you! On that page I found this, the 100th model of WAK:



The caption about a transatlantic flight caught my attention, and I looked it up. Turns out (Wikipedia) that Stanislaw Skarzynski (1899-1942) was a Lt. Colonel in the Polish Air Force, previously famous for his transatlantic solo flight in 1933 between Senegal and Brazil. The RWD-5bis remains the smallest plane to ever have flown across the Atlantic.

More about the RWD-5bis here (Wikipedia). More images of other RWD-5bis here.

During WWII Skarzynski organized the transfer of no less than 17,000 (sic!) Polish airmen to Britain. He became Commanding Officer of the Polish Flying Schools at RAF Hucknall and then RAF Newton.

Requesting combat posting he flew Wellington bombers. Returning from a mission over Bremen, his Wellington had to ditch in the North Sea due to engine damage. He managed the ditching on a stormy sea so well, that all of the crew were able to get out and survived. Being the last to get out, he was washed out to sea and drowned.

At the WAK page for RWS-5bis you can study an almost complete preview of the model offered (formers and text missing). This is an excellent feature that other publishers ought to follow. You really want to see what a model looks like inside before starting to dream about it and plan for it. (See the attached images.)

This seems like a very interesting model. Note particularly the interior detailing, including the large fuel tank in the fuselage. Also, note the propeller design. Study the photos, and you'll see what a great improvement that kind of prop means for a paper aircraft model. The prop is among the first things you note on an aircraft. If that looks clumsy, the overall impression is dragged down.

You can download a similar prop for WWI aircraft here on the site. In fact, that might even work for the RWD-5bis model and similar, if properly scaled.

I would probably recolor the insignia to a slightly less bright red, and possibly the overall silver grey to something a bit lighter. For those who are into printing on silver paper, this would make an outstanding subject to scan and print with black lines only (I'm just surmising here that the original aircraft was silver doped). The model may already come printed on silver paper; I can't really tell for sure from the preview. The test build doesn't seem to be on silver, though.

- Leif

[WAK]

I do not know how well you understand, but RWD-5 shall be as we printed - matt-silver. The plane was covered with a canvas, and simply can not "shine" as the jets, the color of aluminum.

[Leif Ohlsson]

Thank you, Przemyslaw! I got the fabric covering, but thought it might be painted with aluminium powder dope, which would have been the standard at the time. So it should be some kind of grainy aluminium perhaps, not shiny like polished jet planes. Have I got it right?

The kit perhaps has exactly this grainy aluminium texture - yes?

Kind regards, Leif

PS. Again, congratulations on the propeller design!

[WAK]

More about Stanislaw Skarzynski.
Born 1899. As 19 joined Polish Army (In 1918, Poland became independent after 123 years of occupation) and fought in the Polish-Soviet War (1919-1920). Twice wounded, was awarded the Virtuti Military (highest Polish medal of valor). Because of the wounds, he was unable to continue serving in the infantry (he limped) but he managed to transfer to the military aviation arm. He was interested in long-distance sport flights (apart from serving in the Polish Air Force). In 1931 he flew around Africa (plane PZL Ł.2 - distance nearly 26 000 km), in 1933 he flew over teh Atlantic from Warsaw to Rio de Janerio (plane RWD-5bis - distance nearly 18 000 km). He was awarded, as only Polish, the Louis Bleriot Medal by FAI.
"17,000 airmen" from wikipedia is a misrepresentation. I think (I'd have to check with sources) that are here, both pilots, technical services, and regular soldiers. It was due to the age and rank, at that time more staff officer and dealt with efficiently (during rapid fall of France) evacuation of Poles.
Maybe in 2013 (or 2014) we will release models of both trans-atlantic planes (RWD5bis and Spirit of St.Louis) in 1:50 scale in one model - models are ready and waiting for its time.