Aero L-29 Delfín 1/72 AMK

    The L-29 Delfín is one of the famous plane of the Czechoslovak aviation industry. In 1961, the prototype of this trainer aircraft participated in comparative tests in the USSR. It won against its competitors, the Polish TS-11 Iskra and the Soviet Yak-32. The L-29 thus became the primary jet aircraft for basic training of military pilots in the Warsaw Pact countries.

    My first build kit is an L-29 from the 1st Fighter Regiment in České Budějovice in 1969. Building this AMK kit was almost straightforward and I enjoyed it. During assembly, it’s important to ensure the weight in the nose. The fitting of the canopies when closed needs attention. To achieve an authentic pose, I shortened the main landing gear legs by cutting in area of the actuators about 0.5 mm. While building the model, I watched the TV series “The Flying Dolphin”. This interesting 7-part Czechoslovak serial, shot in 1989, tells the story of the development of the L-29. I was very impressed by how close the main protagonists and events were similar to reality. It was quite good benefit to the build even though it’s quite a vintage production in the style of the better known Czechoslovak serial “Engineering Odyssea”.