Arma Hobby 70001 - 1:72 TS-11 Iskra bis DF - Deluxe Set

Plastic model kits of the Polish TS-11 Iskra bis DF jet trainer in 1:72 scale – Deluxe Set with two kits

The Iskra is the aircraft on which whole generations of Polish military pilots learned to fly – the first Polish jet design and, for decades, the most recognisable machine on Polish training airfields. Arma Hobby 70001 is its most comprehensive model release: the box holds two complete kits in 1:72 scale, produced from 2015 tooling.

The kit represents the bis DF version, the variant equipped with three reconnaissance cameras. The plastic parts are backed by an extensive package of extras: photo-etched parts for the cockpits, instrument dials printed on clear film, and separate frets with external details including airbrakes and intake screens. The parts most vulnerable to simplification – the ejection seats and main wheels – are supplied in resin.

The model offers a choice of several build options: the airbrakes can be shown extended, the flaps lowered, and underwing stores or rocket pods fitted beneath the wings. The decal sheet covers six schemes with full stencilling – among them a Naval Aviation machine in its final scheme before withdrawal in 2003, aircraft of the 1st Flying Training Centre at Dęblin and of the 10th Tactical Squadron at Łask from 2004–2009, and an Iskra wearing a shark mouth scheme from 2000.

What's in the box:

• Two complete sets of plastic sprues together with clear sprues
• Two photo-etched frets for the interior with instrument dials printed on clear film
• Two photo-etched frets with external details – including airbrakes and intake screens
• Resin parts: four ejection seats and two sets of main wheels
• Self-adhesive masks for the canopy and wheels
• Decals for six marking options with full stencilling
• Instructions with four-view drawings

Kit specifications:

• Scale: 1:72
• Catalogue number: 70001
• Manufacturer: Arma Hobby
• Assembled length: approx. 155 mm
• Wingspan: approx. 140 mm
• Skill level: intermediate/advanced (resin parts, small photo-etched details)

Please note: glue, paints and modelling tools are not included. The model requires assembly.

Building the model:

The set is aimed at modellers who have already worked with small photo-etched and resin parts. The resin ejection seats and main wheels need to be separated from their casting blocks and attached with cyanoacrylate glue, while the frets with external details – intake screens and airbrakes – show their potential best when the airbrakes are built in the extended position. We suggest painting and finishing both cockpits before closing the fuselage halves, since access becomes limited afterwards and a good deal of detail remains visible through the glazing. The supplied self-adhesive masks noticeably speed up painting the canopy and wheels.

Most of the options call for a silver aluminium finish set off by orange conspicuity panels – the scheme typical of Polish Iskras. Because such large smooth surfaces are unforgiving, it is worth taking time over seam clean-up and laying down an even primer coat before spraying a metallic paint. We recommend applying the decals over gloss varnish to limit silvering, and finishing the model with satin varnish. With two complete kits in the box you can build a pair of aircraft in different schemes – for example one in a standard unit finish and the other with the shark mouth motif.

Tools you will need:

• Modelling nippers for removing parts from the sprues
• Hobby knife or scalpel
• Files and sanding paper for cleaning up gate marks
• Plastic cement (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement)
• Cyanoacrylate glue for the photo-etched and resin parts
• Precision modelling tweezers for small parts
• Brushes in various sizes, optionally an airbrush
• Modelling paints (acrylic or enamel)
• Gloss varnish for decalling and satin varnish for the final finish
• Panel line wash to emphasise detail

About the aircraft – TS-11 Iskra bis DF:

The TS-11 Iskra was the first Polish jet aircraft – a design developed at the turn of the 1950s and 1960s to train military pilots on turbojet-powered machines. The prototype took to the air in 1960 and series production was entrusted to the works at Mielec. The aircraft has a two-seat tandem cockpit, a high-set tail and characteristic air intakes on the sides of the fuselage.

For several decades the Iskra remained the standard training aircraft of Polish military aviation, with successive generations of pilots earning their wings on it. Power came from the Polish-built WSK SO-3 turbojet. Beyond basic training the aircraft was also used for weapons training: a 23 mm cannon was installed in the nose and four underwing hardpoints allowed bombs or rocket pods to be carried. The Iskra also became a showcase of Polish aviation as the mount of the "Biało-Czerwone Iskry" aerobatic team. Part of the production run was exported to India.

The bis DF version is the trainer-reconnaissance variant fitted with three reconnaissance cameras. Aircraft of this variant served both with training and tactical units of the Polish Air Force and with Naval Aviation.

Original aircraft specifications (TS-11 Iskra bis DF):

• Length: 11.15 m
• Wingspan: 10.06 m
• Crew: 2 (student and instructor in tandem)
• Powerplant: WSK SO-3 turbojet of approx. 9.81 kN thrust
• Gun armament: one 23 mm cannon in the nose
• External stores: four underwing hardpoints for up to 400 kg of bombs or rocket pods
• Special equipment of the bis DF version: three reconnaissance cameras
• First flight of the prototype: 1960
• Original manufacturer: WSK PZL-Mielec

About the manufacturer – Arma Hobby:

Arma Hobby is a Polish manufacturer of plastic model kits based in Warsaw, active on the market since 2016. The brand grew out of the earlier Attack Squadron, which specialised in resin accessories for aircraft models. Design work and tool making are carried out in Poland, using computer-aided design and scanning of surviving airframes. The hallmark of the brand's kits is very fine surface reproduction – rivets and panel lines – together with thin trailing edges. These are complemented by carefully made glazing and high-quality decals. The catalogue covers 1:72 and 1:48 scales, with particular emphasis on Polish aviation – the PZL P.7a, PZL P.11c and TS-11 Iskra – as well as Allied aircraft of the Second World War. Arma Hobby kits have repeatedly been recognised in industry awards, including the Model of the Year title at the Nuremberg toy fair. The company also continues to develop the idea of supplementing its kits with 3D-printed parts and making print-at-home files available.