„Lublin“ R-XIIID – the Polish communication aircraft

A new reconnaissance and communications aircraft, now best known as the “Lublin” R-XIII, entered serial production in July 1931. The first 50 manufactured copies (“Lublin” R-XIIIB) were used in 1932-35. In 1933 the production of an improved version - R-XIIIC - began, and a year later the most numerous version of this plane – “Lublin” R-XIIID - reached the army. A few units of the original versions of the aircraft for the Naval Aviation Division (R-XIIIbis, R-XIIIter and R-XIIIG) were also produced. At the start of the war about 150 R-XIII type aircraft were still in use in the Polish Air Force, of which only about a third were in combat units. These aircraft formed the basis of the armament of the 16th, 26th, 36th, 43rd, 46th, 56th and 66th Communications Escadres. About 50 machines were lost in the battles of September, including all of the former Naval Aviation Division. Some of the surviving planes were evacuated to Romania, individual machines landed in Slovakia, Hungary and the USSR. All other R-XIIIs fell into German hands.

A small, medium-complexity, well-designed model of a communications aircraft with full cockpit detailing, that can be perfectly assembled by a novice modeler, working under the supervision of a more experienced colleague. Model recreates an aircraft from the 2nd Polish Military Aviation Regiment 26th Reconnaissance Escadre in September 1939. Antiquarian publication.