{"product_id":"kp-letov-s-328-reconnaissance-light-bomber-kit-no-5-1-72-scale-plastic-model-kit","title":"KP Letov Š-328 Reconnaissance \u0026 Light Bomber Kit No. 5 — 1\/72 Scale Plastic model kit","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis is one of the classic early KP kits and is quite a bit more historically interesting as a model-kit subject than its modest price might suggest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe identification is supported by several independent references: the KP kit is catalogued as kit 5, 1\/72 scale, and contemporary modelling references identify it as an old KP release.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe kit dates from the early period of KP's catalogue. One source dates its original release to 1972, while another catalogue describes the particular boxing\/tooling lineage as dating to around 1980. There were consequently several production periods and boxings of this kit, which is important when valuing an individual example.\n\u003cbr\u003eKit details\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Manufacturer: KP \/ Kopro\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Country: Czechoslovakia \/ Czech Republic\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Kit number: 5\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Subject: Letov Š-328\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Scale: 1\/72\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Type: Injection-moulded plastic aircraft kit\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Aircraft configuration: Two-seat biplane\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Variants represented: Depending on boxing\/decals, the kit can represent the standard wheeled aircraft and the distinctive Š-328V floatplane.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Original tooling: Early KP tooling, dating to the 1970s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    Typical decal options: Czechoslovak, Slovak and floatplane subjects have appeared with different releases.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe original kit is now very much a vintage tooling. A modeller who built a late-1980s example reported considerable flash and even the need to replace some small parts, which is characteristic of an ageing mould rather than a modern precision kit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA later review of the related KP tooling describes the kit as one of KP's earliest 1\/72 subjects and notes its detailed raised surface treatment for its period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThere are also modern aftermarket products specifically designed for the KP\/Smer kit. For example, Brengun produces a 1\/72 photo-etched detail set specifically compatible with the KP\/Smer Letov S-328, confirming the continuing availability of the old tooling as a modelling subject.\n\u003cbr\u003eA particularly interesting feature — the floatplane\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Š-328 kit is notable because the real aircraft had an unusual floatplane version, designated Š-328V.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFour aircraft were fitted with British Short floats. They were intended primarily for target towing and training duties, including operations connected with anti-aircraft training in the Adriatic area. The aircraft could subsequently be converted back to conventional wheeled landing gear.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is why vintage KP examples can be particularly interesting when they contain the floatplane parts. The exact contents should nevertheless be checked against the particular boxing, because different production runs and decal options existed.\n\u003cbr\u003eThe full-size Letov Š-328\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Letov Š-328 was a Czechoslovak two-seat reconnaissance, observation and light-bomber aircraft developed by Letov in Prague during the early 1930s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt descended from the earlier Letov Š-28 family, with development work carried out under chief designer Alois Šmolík. The \"Š\" designation came from Šmolík's name.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe aircraft's origins are particularly interesting because it was initially developed in response to Finnish requirements. The prototype, initially associated with the Š-328F configuration, was fitted with a Bristol Pegasus engine. Finland ultimately did not purchase the aircraft, however, and the design was adapted for Czechoslovak military requirements.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe prototype made its first flight on 19 July 1933. After testing, the Czechoslovak military ordered the aircraft into production, with the first production examples being delivered in the middle of the 1930s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Š-328 was a conventional-looking but versatile inter-war biplane. It had a metal structural framework with extensive fabric covering and a fixed undercarriage. Its duties included:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    reconnaissance;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    artillery observation;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    liaison;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    light bombing;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    ground attack;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    training;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    target towing;\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e    and, in a small number of aircraft, night-fighter work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe aircraft was powered by a Walter-built Bristol Pegasus radial engine. Later production batches received the improved Walter Pegas III-M2. Published technical figures vary according to the production batch and specification, but a typical Š-328 had a maximum speed of approximately 320 km\/h.\n\u003cbr\u003eProduction\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe commonly cited production figure is 412 aircraft, produced in a number of batches before the German occupation of Czechoslovakia. Some sources quote slightly different totals depending upon whether prototypes and aircraft produced under the occupation are counted, so 412 is the most useful figure for the standard production total.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Š-328 became one of the most numerous aircraft types in the pre-war Czechoslovak Air Force. It was already becoming technologically outdated by the second half of the 1930s, but its robust construction and versatility meant that it continued to perform useful work long after faster monoplane designs had appeared.\n\u003cbr\u003eCzechoslovak service\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBefore the German occupation, Š-328s served extensively with Czechoslovak military aviation. The type was used for reconnaissance and bombing, with different production batches receiving progressively improved equipment and engines.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThere were also specialised versions. The Š-328N was adapted for night-fighter duties, while the Š-328V received floats.\n\u003cbr\u003eGerman, Slovak and Bulgarian service\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing the German occupation in March 1939, surviving aircraft passed into the hands of the German authorities and the newly established Slovak state.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eApproximately 73 aircraft went to the Slovak Air Force, while 62 were supplied to Bulgaria according to historical sources. Bulgarian aircraft were used for patrol and anti-partisan duties, while Slovak Š-328s saw considerably more active wartime service.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSlovak Š-328s participated in the invasion of Poland in September 1939 and subsequently operated on the Eastern Front following Slovakia's participation in Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union. They performed reconnaissance, patrol, bombing and anti-partisan missions.\n\u003cbr\u003eThe Slovak National Uprising\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the most remarkable chapters in the aircraft's history came in 1944.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDuring the Slovak National Uprising, surviving Š-328s were taken over by the insurgent air force and used against German forces. They were employed for reconnaissance, bombing and ground attack despite being a design dating from the early 1930s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOn 7 September 1944, an Š-328 engaged a German Focke-Wulf Fw 189 reconnaissance aircraft. The German aircraft was damaged by machine-gun fire and forced to land in territory controlled by the insurgents. This is generally regarded as one of the last combat victories achieved by a biplane.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThat makes the humble KP model a particularly interesting representation of an aircraft that had an unexpectedly long and varied combat career.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"KP","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57512971829628,"sku":"KP-5","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0432\/8584\/0033\/files\/B9A0EF28-AD44-4293-A615-DC4F87FE95D6.jpg?v=1790664213","url":"https:\/\/sussex-model-centre.co.uk\/products\/kp-letov-s-328-reconnaissance-light-bomber-kit-no-5-1-72-scale-plastic-model-kit","provider":"Sussex Model Centre","version":"1.0","type":"link"}