In Box Review of Smer 1/50th Scale
British Swordfish Mk.2 Seaplane
Kit no. 113
By Ray Mehlberger
By Ray Mehlberger
THE KIT:
Smer is an old model company based in Prague, Czech Republic. They have been around since the 1950's.
This kit came in a blousey shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box. The box is 5" too long and 3 1/2" too wide. Creating a letter L void around the parts inside.
The box art shows a Swordfish flying over a battleship. It is in a wave pattern of green and gray over a sky under-cariage. It has the fuselage code ROYAL NAVY over V 4367.
Smer is an old model company based in Prague, Czech Republic. They have been around since the 1950's.
This kit came in a blousey shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box. The box is 5" too long and 3 1/2" too wide. Creating a letter L void around the parts inside.
The box art shows a Swordfish flying over a battleship. It is in a wave pattern of green and gray over a sky under-cariage. It has the fuselage code ROYAL NAVY over V 4367.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
The kit contains 2 pale-blue trees in a sealed clear cello bag and 6 chalk-white trees in 2 more sealed clear cello bags, there is a small stapled-shut cello bag that holds 2 die cut windshields. Next is the decal sheet and the instructions.
The instructions consist of a single sheet that is folded in the center to create 4 pages in 11 3/4" x 8 1/4" page format.
Page 1 begins with a color repeat of the box art, over the history of the Swordfish in Czech.
Page 2 & 3 have three exploded drawings on yellow circles for assembly purposes, a list of the names of all the kit parts, all in Czech again.
Page 4 is the painting and marking guide, showing a color illustration 3-view of the Swordfish in the box art scheme with its specifications, a customer service coupon and Smer's address in Prague, Czech Republic, all in Czech.
Trees are not alphabetized or illustrated in the instructions and have no part number tabs next to the parts on the trees. Bad move Smer!! Careful study will have to be done of the exploded drawings will have to be done in order to get the correct parts for each assembly.
The two blue trees hold the wings (4 parts per tree)
The first chalk-white tree holds: the cockpit floor, propeller, struts, cowling with motor front molded in, joy stick etc. (16 parts) There is some flash on this tree.
The kit contains 2 pale-blue trees in a sealed clear cello bag and 6 chalk-white trees in 2 more sealed clear cello bags, there is a small stapled-shut cello bag that holds 2 die cut windshields. Next is the decal sheet and the instructions.
The instructions consist of a single sheet that is folded in the center to create 4 pages in 11 3/4" x 8 1/4" page format.
Page 1 begins with a color repeat of the box art, over the history of the Swordfish in Czech.
Page 2 & 3 have three exploded drawings on yellow circles for assembly purposes, a list of the names of all the kit parts, all in Czech again.
Page 4 is the painting and marking guide, showing a color illustration 3-view of the Swordfish in the box art scheme with its specifications, a customer service coupon and Smer's address in Prague, Czech Republic, all in Czech.
Trees are not alphabetized or illustrated in the instructions and have no part number tabs next to the parts on the trees. Bad move Smer!! Careful study will have to be done of the exploded drawings will have to be done in order to get the correct parts for each assembly.
The two blue trees hold the wings (4 parts per tree)
The first chalk-white tree holds: the cockpit floor, propeller, struts, cowling with motor front molded in, joy stick etc. (16 parts) There is some flash on this tree.
The second chalk-white tree holds: crewmen, seat, cowling, more struts etc. (19 parts)
The third chalk-white tree holds: pontoon and torpedo halves and the dashboard (4 parts) Some flash on this tree.
The fourth chalk-white tree holds: the other pontoon and torpedo halves (3 parts) Some flash on this tree.
The fifth chalk-white tree holds: upper and lower central wing halves and rudder half (4 parts)
The sixth chalk-white tree holds: another upper and lower central wing halves and the other rudder half (4 parts)
The seventh chalk-white contains the upper and lower parts for the left wings (4 parts).
The eight chalk-white tree contains the parts for the upper and lower right wings (4 parts).
There are loose chalk-white fuselage half parts (2 parts)
The 2 windshield parts are die cut out of a clear plastic sheet.
The decal sheet completes the kits contents.
Detail is of the engraved type. Flaps are all molded solid.
Recommended.