70015 PZL P.11c Expert Set 1/72!

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PZL P.11c Expert Set, Arma Hobby 1/72

New tool of classic PZL P.11c Polish fighter from 1939 September Campaign. Plastic kit for experienced modelers, contains extra photoetched parts, canopy and wheel masks as well as big Cartograf decals..

Set contains:

• plastic parts - completely new tool, metal moulds
• photoetched parts with minute details plus canopy and wheel masks
• Techmod decals with markings for 4 aeroplanes from 1939 Campaign

Colour and Markings options

• PZL P.11c, 113. Fighter Squadron from Warsaw, in 1939 in the Pursuit Brigade. Airplane of 1st Lt. Hieronim Dudwał (4 victories in September 1939). Before the war the airplane armed also with wing MGs, removed in 1939.
• PZL P.11c after new camouflage tests in the Aviation Technical Institute. In 1939 assigned to one of the squadrons of the Pursuit Brigade. Crashed near Pułtusk during operational sortie.
• PZL P.11c, 131. Fighter Squadron from Poznań, in 1939 in „Poznań” Army. After encirclement by the Germans on 17^th September 2^nd Lt. Henryk Bibrowicz (2 victories) and 2^nd Lt.  Lech Grzybowski (2 victories) flew this airplane to Małaszewicze airbase and left there. After the war outbreak squadron marking on the fuselage and national markings on the wing upper surface overpainted.
• PZL P.11c, 141. Fighter Squadron from Toruń, in 1939 in „Pomorze” Army. On 2^nd September on this airplane, during attack against German motorised column, was shot down and died Cpt. Florian Laskowski, III/4 Wing Commander.

Video Review PZL P.11c Arma Hobby

History of the PZL P.11c fighter

Legendary PZL P.11c is known as a defender of the Polish skies in September 1939. It has been created three years after the death of Zygmunt Puławski, designer of the gull-winged PZL fighters family. The „c” version has been designed by Wsiewołod Jakimiuk as a development of the first production version, the PZL P.11a. Modifications included fuselage front (truss construction instead of stressed-skin), raising of the pilot's seat and lowering the engine, which improved visibility from the cockpit. Power unit was stronger, 600 hp variant of the British Bristol Mercury version, license produced in Warsaw. Armament was strengthened with two additional machine guns in wings and racks for four bombs. Jakimiuk introduced also completely new rounded fin shape and longer streamlined fairing behind pilot's head.

First P.11c from the ordered batch of 150 airframes reached the units in 1935. Air force re-armament process lasted for two years, but in fact was never fully finished due to creation of the new squadrons. As a result, almost all the fighter wings went to the war with PZL P.11 in both „a” and „c” versions and for three squadrons there were no „elevens” at all, so these had to use obsolete PZL P.7a. 

In 1939 the „elevens” fought the Germans since 1^st September morning till the evacuation forced by the Soviet aggression on 17^th September. Despite being already quite obsolete and inferior in speed and armament even to the German bombers, thanks to extraordinary maneuverability and pilot's skills P.11 fighters managed to effectively oppose the enemy, sometimes even to win in dogfights against most dangerous foe, the Messerschmitt. While the losses have been high, 35 airworthy PZL P.11c were evacuated to Romania. These planes have been confiscated by Romanians and joined their PZL P.11b, P.11f and P.24 in combat units and aviation schools. Since 22^nd June 1941 the „elevens” marked with yellow crosses took part in the war against Soviet Union, remaining in frontline units till the September 1943!

Today exists only one PZL P.11c example. It is the „white 2” in the Polish Aviation Museum in Cracow. It survived the war as a part of the Berlin aviation collection.

Researched by Grzegorz Mazurowski