"Kovozavdy Prostejov"
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Alpha jet in 1/72 scale from Kovozavody Prostejov (new KP)
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The brand name KP was acquired and new kits of "Kovozavdy Prostejov" appeared. One of these is for a 1/72 Alpha jet with several kits released in 2021 and 2022.
I had 2 kits...
Kit #KPM0269 "Over Africa" has markings for:
[1] Alpha jet A, Nigerea air force, 2016
[2] Alpha jet E, Morocco air force
[3] Alpha jet E, Egypt air force
and..
Kit #KPM0268 "international" has markings for:
[1] Alpha jet A, Royal Thai air force, grey scheme, 2016
[2] Alpha jet A, Portugal air force, 2022
[3] Alpha jet E, Belgium air force, 2017 in grey camouflage.
Decals are provided for instrument panels, side consoles and even pilot harnesses. The decals look good but rather thin.
The other KP kit releases are 'Qinetic", "Bundesluftwaffe" and more, with different decals.
The parts are identical in all released kits and alternative parts are provided for an Alpha jet A, E or MS with different noses.
The later MS has a sort of glass cockpit, decals cope with these.
The new KP moulds use short-run technology but are fine with engraved panel lines. The about 64 plastic parts are in the light grey/blue soft plastic. The large canopy is a single part to be set closed. If you want open canopies, you will need the razor saw to get the 4 parts.
Pylons, underwing fuel tanks and a central gun pod are provided and are optionable.
The canopy is one piece and rather thick. (not shown).
The kit instructions show Humbrol paint numbers. The rear box print is needed as it provides the schemes with suggested colours, the smaller stencils are shown in the kit instructions. Some colours are rather an interpretation, so check the camouflage colours for your desired scheme.
No part numbers are found on the sprues, you will need the parts' layout drawing to identify these.
The kit looks accurate with the exception of the exhausts that look rather small.
No alignment pins are present on the parts so aligning the parts takes care.
To avoid damage, all parts are better separated from their sprues with a fine razorsaw and the surfaces sanded smooth. This is a lot of work though. Some ejector pin marks and mould pips need to removed as well. Though the moulds are new, already some flash needs to be removed as well.
My first kit will be made as a Alpha jet E of the Egypt air force with the kit decals but also with a some extra Print Scale decals I had. On the Paris Le Bourget air show decades ago I saw an Alpha jet with a desert camouflage paint scheme but it had no air force markings.
The kit assembly was done rather straight from the box. Added was a piece of card inside the fuselage to close up a bit the main gear bays. The landing gear can be installed at a later stage after all the sanding needed at the lower fuselage joints.
Sanding is needed at the fuselage joints and the wing halves needed sanding as well to avoid a "step" height difference.
The wing has 4 parts and aligning these to a correct dihedral needs care and also the slots should be opened up a bit more.
The intakes are a bit shallow, black paint was used at the mating area, it is than not that obvious.
Putty and sanding is needed.
Putty and sanding is needed particularly at the lower belly joint. This is a short run kit.
A lot of nose weight is needed to avoid a "tail sitter".
The landing gear was also now installed, it can be painted later easily. The gear parts are very vulnerable. The four wing pylons were also installed as were the horizontal tail planes.
The tail fins #30 and #31 are very thick and better replaced with card.
The model got a base grey coat airbrushing my usual Revell Aqua 75 grau acrylic. This will reveal any repair work still needed and gives a paint primer.
For the Egypt Alpha jet scheme, the colours were determined looking at photos. Airbrushed were these acryllic paints:
- lower surfaces: blue-grey with a mix of 70% Gunze Sangyo Mr Hobby H323 + 30% H317;
- sand (approx. 30219) with Gunze Sangyo Mr Hobby H310;
- earth-grey: Gunze Sangyo Mr Hobby H301;
- green (approx. 34079) with Gunze Sangyo Mr Hobby H309.
Masking was done with tape at the lower edges but "soft" with pieces of paper hand held while airbrushing.
The cockpit interior was painted medium grey.
Decals were set after several gloss varnish coats had been airbrushed to avoid "silvering" spoiling the model appearance. The decals as per kit #KPM0269 were applied. The decal pair #9 is much too large and for the Egypt machine the French "NE PAS MARCHER" wing texts were not set such as decals #6. I had a Print Scale set to get some additional decals.
NOTE: the decals are very noticeable, a later mat varnis will "blend these in".
The final details were now done. The kit seat parts are too high and 2 millimeter plastic was removed from each seat base.
In the cockpit some stretched sprue and bits were used also to detail the cockpit like the control pedals and controls.
The landing gear legs were painted aluminium and wheel tyres coal/tyre black.
The canopy was to be installed closed. Trimming on the inside was needed at the rear in order to fit in place. The frames were hand painted, scrape away any paint spills with a cocktail wood stick.
On the nose a few sensors were set made from black stretched sprue and a blade antenna on the spine. The anti-collision light were also painted.
The model got finally a semi-mat varnish through a mix of Johnson Future / Pledge + 10% Tamiya Flat Base X-21. That was it.
EGYPT
[ area: 1,000,000 sq.km (mostly desert) | population: 101 million | capital: Cairo | GDP 3700 USD per capita nom. ]
In 1978 a contract was signed to acquire 30 Alpha jets MS1 by the Egyptian Air Force (" Al Quwwat al Jawwiya Il Misriya "). Many were locally manufactured by AIO. In 1980 some 14 additional MS2 jets were ordered with a HUD and other systems. Apparently in 2020 2 squadrons at Mansourah still fly with the Alpha jet MS2.
For more information about the Egypt air force, look at my F-16 page here...
"3501" Alpha jet, Egyptian Air Force
(The other kit purchased is still to be made).
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this page created
Sept 20, 2025