DUARTE 1:72 NEIVA T-23 UIRAPURU
'INBOX Review'

 

Reviewer: Johan De Wolf (rec.models.scale)   
Any photos supplied by the reviewer are copyright and must not be reproduced without written consent

Kit Details

History

The Uirapura (a very colorful Amazonian songbird) was designed to provide the civil market with a simple and cheap aircraft for private and Aeroclub use. It was a rugged design broadly similar in layout as the earlier Fokker S-12 but this time of all metal construction. Known as the A.122, it had its first flight in June of 1965. Flight testing revealed the aircraft had pleasant characteristics and it was easy to handle. Sadly no orders from the civil market were forthcoming. The outlook for the Uirapura would have been bleak, were it not for the Forca Aérea Brazil which was looking for a more modern aircraft to replace the aging and underpowered Fokker T-21’s and T-22’s. In 1967 this resulted in an order for 30 machines for service with the Air force academy. Early experiences with the aircraft were not good however. During spin training several fatal accidents happened due to total loss of control. On one of these occasions, the instructor pilot kept reporting the aircrafts responses to his control inputs until the aircraft hit the ground. This finally revealed the cause for the uncontrollability. To resolve the problem a large ventral stake/fin was fitted, and this led to much improved stability during a spin. Satisfied with the solution the FAB ordered another 40 machines, which was soon followed by an order for 30 more. The FAB was not the only military user of what was now designated the T-23. In 1974 the Bolivian air force ordered 36 machines. Paraguay also bought 8 examples in 1975, and in 1986 Brazil donated 6 more. Several machines were also sold on the civil market as the A.122B. By the time production ended in ’77 more than 150 machines had left the production line. The last machines were withdrawn from military service in the early ‘90’s, but several of these ended up with private owners and aero clubs. 

The kit

Packed in an end-opening box you will find one ziplock bag with all the resin parts, the white metal gear legs, the vacu canopy and decals. Also included is an A-4 size leaflet. The resin parts are very finely engraved. Some parts in my example have slight molding defects, but these are easy to remove with sandpaper. The white metal parts need little clean up, and will provide a sturdy support for the model. The vacuform canopy is reasonably clear and comes with a spare. The canopy frames seem heavy, but this is inline with the frames on the real thing. The small decal sheet is produced by FCM and of their usual high quality. It offers options for no less than 4 machines which are shown in full color on one side of the instruction leaflet. The other side provides a parts identification drawing, and 5 easy to follow construction diagrams. 

Accuracy

Top marks here as both length and span are spot on. Surface detail is very fine. Shape wise the kit captures the simple but attractive lines of the real machine very well.

Construction 

With just over 20 parts, construction is simplicity itself. Six of the parts end up in the cockpit. The instrument panel is reproduced with a decal. The cowling is hollow and the drawings indicate this should be filled with weight. The wings and tail surfaces are simple butt joins, but this is no problem for such a small model. The white metal landing gear will be sturdy enough to support the model. Once this is added the prop, ventral fin and canopy are added, and the model is finished.

Painting and Decals

The instructions give no colour indication for the interior parts. The one picture I found of the cockpit shows a light grey base colour with a black instrument panel. The exterior colours are given in FS numbers only. With the help of an online conversion table it should be easy enough to find the nearest match in the colour range of your favorite paint brand. The decal sheet contains markings for two Brazilian examples, both in the typical Brazilian trainer scheme. This consists of a white fuselage, while the wings are orange. One machine was based at Natal airbase, and the other belonged to the air force academy. Then there is the option for a Paraguayan AF example in a two tone green wrap around scheme. On the internet I found a picture of this machine and it actually seems there are 3 colours on the top, a dark brown, a dark grey green and a medium green. Although I can’t draw a definite conclusion from this picture, I think the underside might be light blue. The last option is for a Bolivian AF machine which is painted in the same colours as the two Brazilian machines. 

Conclusion

This is a very nice kit, and due to its simplicity it would be an ideal first resin model for a novice to this medium. Highly recommended to all those with an interest in South American air arms and modelers with a disposition for the paths less well trodden. 

References

 

SMAKR Home  |  What's New  |  Submissions  | Information Requests |  News  |  Links  |  Reference Corner  |  Site Info 
1/72 Reviews  |  1/48 Reviews  |  INBOX Reviews