The Avia BH-3 was a very advanced monoplane design for 1921. The aircraft was the design of Pavel Benes and Miroslav Hajn. The aircraft used a strong V strut from the fuselage to the wing in order to eliminate the complex rigging used on the biplanes and early monoplanes. This made for a smother airflow and a top speed of around 240 miles per hour. Ten of these aircraft were ordered by the Czech Government and used in various roles, including training, until 1926 when the remaining aircraft were scrapped.

The kit consists of 24 parts molded in light grey and one clear windshield. The parts are flash free and molded with delicate raised detail. They actually look quite good. As with a lot of the older KP kits the plastic is a little softer than I am used to, but that is not a problem. Some test fitting after the pictures were taken was a pleasant surprise. Everything seems to fit very well. I don't expect to see any large gaps or misalignments.

The instructions are printed on one big sheet in English. There are only two exploded views for assembly, but on a kit this simple that is all you really need. The painting instructions are in color on the back of the box. I like the four views of the prototype and production paint schemes. The decals are typical older KP. They are slightly out of register and not the brightest colors in the decal industry. This kit needs good decals. The wing markings are very large Czech flags. I would suggest an after market set or if you are good with an airbrush these would be simple to mask and paint.

This is a simple kit! Including the time for paint to dry it should only take a weekend to build. It surprised me how well the parts mated up in my dry fitting. They are not at all typical of the mismatched fit of my other KP kits. I would give this to a kid for a beginners project. I am going to build this one because it is cute, simple and I just like it.

January 2005