Kit: Si-204 (Aero C.3)

Scale: 1/72

Kit Number: 10

Manufacturer: KP

Price: $5.98

Media:  Injected Plastic

Decals:  two aircraft, both Aero C.3 in Czech service

Date of review: 8 October 1997

Reviewer:  Scott Van Aken

The Si-204 was a standard twin engined hack and general transport aircraft that served with many units during WWII.  Most were built under license in Czechoslovakia as the Aero C-3.  After the war, the Czechs continued to produce the aircraft and it served well into the 1950s.

The KP kit is typical of KP kits with soft white plastic, great raised detail,  mediocre clear parts and a good instruction sheet.  Fit of parts is better on this than other KP kits and I sanded away a lot less detail than normal. Fit problems were the engine to wing area and the lower fuselage. These areas received quite a bit of putty during construction.  The clear nose actually fit rather well after some trimming.  The interior is relatively well appointed in the cockpit, but there is no interior in the rest of the fuselage.  Not a problem as little can be seen through the distorted windows. Care does need to be taken with the horizontal stabilizers and tails to ensure that they are properly aligned.

There was quite a bit of flash that needed to be cleaned up prior to construction and there were a few sink marks opposite where pins and other thick sections of plastic were molded. Again, the most troublesome area was the engines where almost all the detail was lost due to sanding and filler. The kit was painted with Gunze Acrylics with RLM 71 upper and RLM 65 lower surfaces.  The kit decals were surprisingly opaque for a KP kit and responded well only to the strongest solvents.  I understand that this kit is being re-released as a true Si-204 complete with turret.  It will be interesting to see just how much of the old kit has been retained as it being marketed at $10.00 in the latest Squadron flyer.

A nice kit that takes up quite a bit of room thanks to its long wings.  Recommended, for where else will you find a kit of this interesting aircraft.