Wings of Intent: SZYBOWCA IS-1 "Sep" -Vultur- glider - 1/72nd scale, PZW, Poland (1982 kit according to Scalemates)

(From the Net, Polish website)

SZYBOWCA IS-1 “Sep” (vulture)

The completed model post is here:

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2025/05/is-1-sep-glider-pzw-172nd-scale-kit.html

Gliders are a sub-division of the airplane universe that hasn’t received the same kind of attention than their motorized counterparts. Still, a large number can be found in various scales and diverse standards of quality, and I have resin, plastic and vacuformed kits of them. Some time ago I acquired a set of four gliders released by PZW (Podlaskie Zakłady Wytwórcze) in 1/72^nd scale. I have built two so far:

The SZD-9-1d- “Bocian”

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2017/03/szd-9-1d-bocian-completed-172nd-scale.html

and the SZD-16 “Gil”

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2017/03/szd-16-gil-bullfinch-completed-172nd.html

The other two I have are the Szybowiec Mucha and the Sep. I chose, from the manufacturer’s catalog, the ones that looked more on the vintage side, instead of the more modern, stylized ones, like their Jantar and SZD-19 Zefir

These models and many more (gliders and other types) were produced by this Polish company mostly in the 80s, and re-released in several guises until recently. The kits are simple, but mostly fair. Depending on the release date the boxes may look definitely “behind the iron curtain” or more to contemporary standards. The detail is generic, and varies form kit to kit. The interiors particularly are quite Spartan, in many cases reduced to a universal seat. Nonetheless, motivated modelers have turned these kits into very nice and in some cases detailed models with a bit of work and patience, and can be seen on the Net with certain frequency. The moldings are fair, just a little flash here an there -and not brilliantly-polished canopies-, but the small details workable, unlike, for example, contemporary manufacturers like Valom and Kora (to name just two), which present kits that are definitely coarser, even after a 40 year production gap. Mysteries of the Modeling Universe.

I gravitate to this kind of project when I am up to my neck into more complex builds and need a break, as it is now the case. These little gliders are far from being of the shake n’ bake type, but their demands on the modeler are reasonable. The decals in these kits are neither particularly accurate or good, and photos need to be consulted, and almost invariably this results in the need of making home-made ones (or live with the kit’s ones if you are not too demanding and just want to have a little modeling fun).

These kits are usually offered for a few dollars (I bought mine for between $3 and $5 each) and are ideal for beginners or youngsters due to the low parts' count and simplicity. Modelers in general can cut their teeth at some easy scratch adding a few details for the cockpit or trying paints and airbrushes. They are not a paradigm of detail and precision, but are fair and easy enough, even more so considering they were created in the 80's!

Contents of the box. Notice cement container (long ago dried up), pedestal, instructions and decals with exaggerated font and missing details:

There is a general notice on the type in the box (photo at the beginning) in English, but the rest...

Pre-marred canopy with some flash:

The relief is there...but inverted (the fabric is etched up and the structure etched down...not sure why):

The sprue gates are not really intrusive, but require a bit of clean up. Notice the small part, rendered better than in some current kits:

The very few parts are cleaned up. The interior consist of a generic seat.

Canopy with flash removed and first pass with a polishing pad:

These areas need to be removed as they were open in the original plane:

One section is removed:

The locating holes are enlarged as they were too small:

These are not blemishes, but real details on the original:

This other section is removed too:

An aft-the-seat partial bulkhead needs to be fabricated, as well as a floor, joystick and instrument panel, following photos. More likely the "stick" supports for the kit's seat will need to go too.

Having many a time progressed on the build to the point of final assembly only to find out that nothing fits properly, a trial was made, and I am happy to report that the fit is excellent, something many a modern kit can't boast of:

Some parts are fabricated and others scrounged to provide the cockpit with a resemblance of equipment. Floor and bulkhead added to one fuselage side:

Canopy now looking better after a bath in acrylic floor polish:

BTW, if you like gliders as I do:

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2014/03/dr-design-172-otto-lilienthal-kleine.html

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2014/03/dr-design-172-otto-lilienthal-kleiner.html

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2017/03/peyret-tandem-glider-from-archives-2008.html

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2014/07/scratch-built-clement-triplane-glider.html

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2016/04/szybowiec-bydgoszczanka-scratchbuilt.html

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2012/11/drdesign-172-lilienthal-1894-glider.html

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2013/07/scratchbuilt-cayleys-gliding-parachute.html

https://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Gal8/7501-7600/gal7532-FokkerV42%20-Stern/00.shtm

https://wingsofintent.blogspot.com/2014/07/scratchbuilt-172-belyaiev-bp-2-1934.html

A Wikipedia page on the type:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IS-1_S%C4%99p

Some photos:

http://szybowce.fotoedytor.com/galeria/index.php?cat=54

A painting snafu harshly reminded me that these kits need a thorough wash and scrub before applying primer or paint. The mold release agent is quite pervasive, even after all this time.

Cockpit painted:

The new interior in place:

Fuselage halves glued:

Since I am not using the pedestal provided, its locating hole is plugged:

Once the surplus of the plug is removed, the fuselage seams are puttied and sanded, then the flying surfaces are attached, all going smoothly. It may be an old kit, but it holds its own:

Dry-fit of the canopy. Now the very elegant lines of this glider are really showing:

As mentioned before the kit decals are inaccurate and incomplete, so new ones are designed and printed at home with my rather basic capabilities and software:

The kit's plastic is yellow, most likely because the color of these sailplanes was cream thus helping the modeler, but I will go for the more colorful prototype that also had some red areas making it more attractive.

The hole for the towing cable is drilled. The Venturi-cum-Pitot provided is quite good, but the prototype had only the Pitot, that I will make from small tube and wire, to render a slightly better scale effect:

The new Pitot:

Primer applied:

The ivory color is airbrushed:

Masked to airbrush the red color. A piece of decal paper will also be painted to later create the canopy frames and the "lightning bolts" on the fuselage sides: