Kovozávody Prostějov 1/72 Dewoitine D.500 Inbox Review

[Dave Ward]

I think many older modellers will remember KP, frm last century - they were an Eastern Bloc maker, crude models, poorly packaged and not that desirable. Fast forward to 2022, they have rebranded themselves as Kovozávody Prostějov - a snappy easily remembered name!
The D.500 has been modelled by Heller ( later reboxed by Smer ), dating back to 1972. This is new tooling from Kovozávody Prostějov ( KP from now on! ), and the tooling bears no resemblance to Heller's.

Small box, with the colour options on the back - with the lower one without any natural metal, for those not happy with that finish.

One sprue, but cut in half to minimise box size

Decals & the tiny windscreen


Instructions on folded A4 - they look clear enough - it's only a simple model, after all.........
The red crosses on the upper left sprue layout diagram shows that the sprues are shared with the other Dewoitine variants & these parts aren't used ( including two fuselage halves ). An omission is no colour call outs for the interior....................

A few detail shots

The parts look clean & crisp, but on areas which won't be seen, there are some flaws & injector towers. Good clean up will sort this out.
The Dewoitine D.500 must be seen as a first generation monoplane - it was all metal, but had a fixed undercarriage. It was obsolete by the beginning of WWII.
Although not in the same league as ICM & Zvezda, this a quantum leap from their old models ( KP & AZ Models seem to be associated ). John stocks a few KP models, the ones to look for are those with 'new tool model' on the front. I'm waiting for the release of their Tempest II - upcoming. The new tooling includes Alpha Jets, Tempest Mk.V, Spitfires, Mustang F-6C Sopwith Dolphin, D.H.5, Pfalz D.II - all in 1/72 - worth keeping an eye on their releases!
Dave

[Jim R]

Very interesting Dave. The moulding looks rather crude. Your wing photos show pretty poor panel lines.
Jim

[Dave Ward]

Very interesting Dave. The moulding looks rather crude. Your wing photos show pretty poor panel lines.
Jim

Jim.
yes, a lot of the lines look like they need a scriber running along them! & the wing butt joint on the fuselage looks like it needs attention.
I forgot to say, this cost me £12.50 delivered from ebay, & in general, these models are at the lower end of the price range - they will need a bit of work, but not that much
Dave

[yak face]

Nice , the new tool kp stuff isnt bad at all , just needs a bit of fettling . The old stuff wasnt too bad either , just a bit basic on the interiors and raised lines but as with the newer tools always interesting rarely seen subjects . The Heller moulding stands comparison though , especially in a SMER boxing with the nice decals.

[Dave Ward]

Nice , the new tool kp stuff isnt bad at all , just needs a bit of fettling . The old stuff wasnt too bad either , just a bit basic on the interiors and raised lines but as with the newer tools always interesting rarely seen subjects . The Heller moulding stands comparison though , especially in a SMER boxing with the nice decals.

Tony,
with the rising prices, I think a lot of modellers will begin to look at these lower end models, although you do need to do your research before buying - but that's all part of the enjoyment!
Dave

[colin m]

I've mentioned pound per detail a few times in the past. This kit seems to do quite well on that ratio. The sprue 'gates' do seem to protrude a bit too far into the parts, but hey, it's a modeler's model. And, as a subject, I like it.

[Tim Marlow]

A little bit of fettling and that will be right as rain, as long as the fit is OK. Looks pretty good to be honest. Not state of the art, but then who makes this bird in state of the art mouldings….

[Dave Ward]

I'm just happy to find another maker who seems to be raising their game, I've recently been following the smaller makers & 'limited run' style of models. There are two schools - those who make limited run models of obscure subjects & charge a lot for their product ( Like Modelsvit ), and those that go for slightly less obscure things, a bit more production & have lower prices ( Like AZ Model ). Of course, you will get exceptions, like Arma Hobby, who make models of well-known subjects and charge a lot. ( their latest Mustang goes for £24 - for a 1/72 model... )
I'm losing interest in the larger makers, Trumpeter, Meng etc - their business plans for complex expensive models means producing only generally popular subjects, be it for a local market ( PLA tanks for example ), or a more international market
Dave