The kit is an old
Blue Max limited run one. It was actually made about 5 years ago when the Eduard
kit was not available yet. Those who know me from other forums know that I am
known as the "serial modeler" for my passion of doing several models
of the same aircraft in the same scale at the same time, just showing different
markings or slightly different versions. In the case of the Camel I simply had
no option to make more then one, since the whole Polish Air Force only operated
this one, well known and documented copy of the British fighter.
First, however the model. It was a Blue Max, limited edition short run.
The fit of the parts was not the best, lots of sanding and patching had to be
endured. The struts in the original kit were promptly thrown out and new ones
were fashioned out of plastic. They were then decaled in Tauro Models wood grain
decals to give the impression of a natural wood finish. One of the more
laborious efforts, unfortunately not pictured here, was my imitation of the
wicker pilot's seat. It was made of a fine skeleton of wire and simple sewing
thread wound around the structure and then painted. The seat itself took one
whole evening! The Blue Max kit comes with land and naval wing types for the
Camel but the one used by the Polish Air Force had a non-standard, huge, cut-out
in the top wing above the pilot's seat. That I had to do by carefully
filing and cutting it out.
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Now a little bit
about the history of the kit. It had an unusual origin as it was a personal
plane of Kenneth M. Murray. One of the American Volunteers, who fought beside
the newly born nation against the Bloshevik hordes in the 1920 war. Kenneth not
only joined the AVG Poland, but also brought his own personal plane, which was
shipped to Gdansk, and then moved by rail to Lwow, where the AVG was stationed
during 1920. It was assembled and painted to match the rest of the 7 Squadron
machines but it is doubtful whether it saw any actual action or combat. After
the Bolsheviks were defeated and the AVG returned to America the plane was left
behind as a gift to the Polish Air Force. Kenneth Murray wrote an excellent book
about his experiences and those of the AVG titled "Wings over Poland",
which was my inspiration to build the plane in the first place.
The plane also had an infamous
ending. In 1921 it had the honor of being crashed and written off during a test
flight undertaken by the future chief of the Polish Air Force, General Ludomil
Rayski. Ludomil is probably one of the most fascinating characters to have flown
planes with the Polish Checkerboard. He started his career in the Turkish Air
Force flying AEG's over the Aegian and the Bosforus. He then fought in the
Bolshevik war alongside the Americans in 1920, and then quickly rose through the
ranks to achieve the status of Chief of the Air Force in the 30's. He resigned
in protes in 1939, when he saw that the development of the air force was leaving
Poland dangerously vulnerable to attack by the superior Luftwaffe. This still
did not stop the authorities for scapegoating Rayski for the lost campaign and
demoting the General and literally throwing him out of the airforce. This did
not bother him much and he used his influence with the RAF to be allowed to fly
as a simple sargeant pilot. The fifty year old General during the wars first
flew ferry routes across Africa and the Middle East, then he flew reconnaissance
fighters in Northern Italy and even took part in the suicidal supply missions
flown from Italy to supply the insurgents of the Warsaw Uprising in August and
September of 1944.
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This kit as all my other models has
been inspired by the people that flew it and the interesting times it was
associated with. Its markings in the Bolshevik war and its famous Kosciuszko
badge make it a perfect subject for the November 11 Polish Independance Day
Gallery.
Artur
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