Kit History,

Greetings Mr. Radek Kemski,
I recently purchased your resin 1/48 300 hp Hispano Suiza motor kit. As I am going to do a review of this kit for Aeroscale.co.uk I wanted to ask you some questions. I don't believe in critiquing something without understanding the kit or giving the manufacturer a chance to have a voice.

Dear Stephen, Thanks for your review !

The following questions are meant for that purpose. Your customers might ask them and if unanswered won't help the average modeler.

Question #1 - Why a 300hp Hispano-Suiza?

This engine is a part of our Martinsyde F.4 Buzzard model ... when we released one of the first resin model (aviatik D.II) we got a few requests for Austro Daimler engine from this kit - so we thought we will sell the engines separately ... now we have in offer 2 new engines : Shvetsov and HS for Avia B-534 designed to be offered on the market as an engine set only.

Question #2 - Why not offer a 200-220hp Hispano-Suiza?

Answer - see above . . .

Question #3 - No instructions or references are provided with the kit. Why?

Answer - it is well known engine, not complicated - there are a lot of images, drawings available on the net or paper magazines (Windsock). I hope that it is not serious problem for experienced modellers (which are buying resin models or upgrades).

Happy to help, all the best,
Radek Kemski.
Karaya Poland.

Packaging and characteristics,

The kit comes in a small white 1 inch by 3/4 by 3/4 inch box. inside the kit's 13 resin parts are enclosed in a small ziploc bag. The over all castings are relatively flash free and seem to have all major components for a complete build. Missing are the spark plug wires and the wiring harness to the magnetos. The fragile sparkplug heads are easily sheared off. Be careful there. Noteably the over-all profile is spot on for a 300hp. But to backdate it to the 200-220hp the crank case, type & angle of the mags and cylinder bank height needs to be dealt with. Also needed would be the prop shaft lock and the gear box.

Comments from Dan San Abbott,

" The Martinsyde F.4 was a developement of the Martinsyde F.3 which was powered with a 285hp Rolls Royce Falcon engine. The F.3 was tested in November 1917. Six Martinsyde F.3 aircraft were ordered, serial numbers, B'1490 to B'1495. The demand for the Rolls-Royce Falcon Mk.III engines for the Bristol F.2b Fighter Martinsyde changed to the 300 hp Hisso. The F.3 was re-engineered and fitted with the 300 hp Hispano-Suiza engine and in thiis form it became the F.4 Buzzard. The Buzzard was tested in June 1918, maximum airspeed was 145mph. It was to be put in service as a replacement for the S.E.5a. It was to be put into large production, however, I only know of one order, for 150 Buzzard. Mk.I machines, serial numbers D'4211 to D'4360. An order for 1500 Martinsyde F.4 Buzzards were ordered from the U.S.A. with the Wright Martin Model H 300 hp engine. It was also supposed to serve with with the Independent Force as escort fighters. The Buzzard was superior in all aspects to the Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe. But after the War the RAF selected the Snipe to be the RAF fighter in the post war years until the arrival in Gloster Grebe in 1922."

Engine History,

The most powerful engine for a fighter to see service in 1918 -19, was the Hispano-Suiza 8Fb. It produced 300hp and was found in to be the standard power plant in the SAB 1 (Societe et Ateliers Bechereau), Nieuport Nie 29 (later Ni-D 29), Vickers FB-16d, Dolphin II, Spad XVII, Voisin 8 & Martinsyde F.4 types, although very few of the engines saw action during the war. The Hisso 300hp could put out much higher rev's than 1800rpm under propeller load @msl several; references show it was regularly rev'd in the field up into the of 2000-2100 rpm range.

I purchased mine for about 8.50 USD from http://www.misterkitusa.com . As I finished this review Karaya sent in a simple instruction layout. Aeroscale is the only place where you will see this.