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various kits
seen at Kbely, Prague museum
The Aero L-29 Delfin was developed as a military trainer aircraft by the Czechoslovak company Aero Vodochody. The L-29 prototype first flew August 1959. The design was straight forward with an unswept wing, with two root intakes. Its maximum speed was about 650 km/hr.
The L-29 would become a primary important jet trainer for all Warsaw Pact countries with production starting in 1963. It was a very good trainer and the L-29 was used by dozens of air forces with over 3,600 aircraft manufactured. Some were used in attack roles in local conflicts.
READ MORE ABOUT THE REAL L-29 ON THE PAGE HERE....
Several 1/72 scale models will be made: the old familiar KP kit, the newer AMK kit and a Bilek kit.
real L-29
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KP Aero
L-29 Delfin
This dual jet trainer and light attack jet aircraft was also widely used obviously by the Czechoslovakia air force during the Cold War.
The 1/72 kit used here is the Kovozavody Prostejov (KP) kit #1 that was released in the 1970s and for many years was the only kit. It is quite basic but was the only option at tte time.
The fit is basic and it needed sanding and filling the gaps. The decals are very rudimentary and in the box turn out to be very "yellowed" with marking for a Czechoslovakia bare metal scheme and Uganda aircraft with a peculiar camouflage.
I used a PAVLA cockpit and canopy resin set #72023 to vastly improve this KP kit.
The kit undercarriage was replaced with a scratch one made from metal paperclip and plastic bits.
The flying surfaces trailing edges were thinned down and a nose wheel bay made with the main bays encapsulated with plastic card.
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After filling and sanding, the kit was finished in a metallic silver Humbrol HU11 enamel with some light grey mixed in finish.
Note the blast screen between the two pilots.
Seats and interior was drybrushed and painted further. Metal needles were added as pitot tubes, intake covers were made from card and painted red.
PROPAGTEAM decals set # 72043 replaced the unusable yellow kit decals.
As the kit rear canopy rear fairing is moulded in the KP kit, I selected not to make cuts but only to open the forward canopy.
NOTE: on this old model I incorrectly set the forward nose wheel door down; this is incorrect as on parked aircraft it sits horizontal with only a small gap.
The model needs some "help" to keep it standing on its nose wheel. I added a very thin adjustable metal rod aft to achieve this.
The kit represents a plane of no. 9 squadron, "993240" based at Bechyne, Czech AF.
The end result is rather nice looking L-29 model!
I obtained another basic KP kit and made it as a Uganda Air Force aircraft, coded "U-110" (ex "U-510") and c/n 993328 and probably delivered in 1969. It has a "mottled camouflage" scheme (Note: Ugandan L-29 also flew with more standard camo schemes for which some sources suggest grey/blue FS36192, brown FS30108 and lower blue surfaces).
This simple kit was made rather straight out the box. A lot of putty was needed and I tried to retain many of the raised panellines.
The cockpit was a bit detailed with bits and pieces. The side consoles were "closed" with very thin card.
For the "mottled camo" paint scheme acrylic paints were used:
- lower blue surfaces AKAN blue 73008
- sand/ tan Gunze Sangyo 313
- for the green patches about FS34079 Gunze Sangyo 309.
I used a simple mask to airbrush all the patches.
I taped the decals from the KP kit on a bright window on the sun side. It would be exposed to sun, bleaching out the"yellow" varnish within a few days. The Uganda roundels were than cut out and applied
The wing tips were painted red after and the red stripes were added. I got these red decal stripes from the decal box.
The detailed cockpit is seen here. The canopy was fitted closed and all gaps closed with white glue. When dry, this was painted with a brush in the tan colour.
I used a straw to added the jet pipe....
The undercarriage got some hydraulics with metal wire and also tiny sensors and pitots were set in place made from meal wire and needles.
A final semi-gloss varnish coat was airbrushed on top in a few thin layers. That completed the model.
In 1962 Uganda became an independent country. The armed forces were trained by the British but various internal conflicts arose and in mid 1960 an agreement was made with the Soviet block to deliver arms such as some MiG-17's and MiG-15 UTI trainers.
Idi Amin grabbed power in 1971 and over the next years exercised a terrible suppression. In the 1970s some MiG-21 were delivered, some Mil Mi-8 helicopters and the Uganda forces had also a dozen of L-29 aircraft. Various conflicts with neighbourig countries also often were the case. Amin was also supported by Gadaffi's Libya and even declared to be an Islamic republic that also supported the PLO. In 1979 hostages were taken and there was the Entebbe hostage saving raid by Israel. Amin started also a conflict with Tanzania that led that Amin was thrown out and fled.
Still, after the regime change the Soviet influence remained with many newer MiG-21 delivered but also types like the Il-76 transport and even Sukhoi SU-30 fighters. Mi-24 helicopters are also used.
L-29 DELFIN UGANDA PEOPLES ARMED FORCES
coded "U-110" (ex "U-510") and c/n 993328, probably delivered in 1969. Unclear from what air base it was used.
and set in some sceneries...
NOTE: on this old model I incorrectly set the forward nose wheel door down; this is incorrect as on parked aircraft it sits horizontal with only a small gap.
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(c) Copyright Meindert "designer"/ All rights reserved. Your comments are welcomed by webmaster
this page created
Oct 28, 2005.
Updated October 9, 2017