Dora Wings 1/48 Percival Proctor Mk.III Kit First Look
By Mark Nickelson
| Date of Review | October 2019 | Manufacturer | Dora Wings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Percival Proctor Mk.III | Scale | 1/48 |
| Kit Number | 48006 | Primary Media | Styrene, Photo-Etch |
| Pros | Crisp moldings, fine recessed scribing | Cons | Trailing edge gaps |
| Skill Level | Experienced | MSRP (USD) | $49.99 |
Build Review
A low-wing, fixed gear cabin monoplane, the Percival Vega Gull was a solid success, in effect a prewar Cherokee. Author Beryl Markham flew one across the North Atlantic, the first woman to make the crossing east-to-west.
Adapted for RAF/Fleet Air Arm service, the Gull became the Proctor, and 1100 of them were built. Among its duties was radio operator training. This kit represents a radio trainer. Its rear single seat faces aft toward a rack of radios.
All this is provided in the kit’s interior. But most of it is not observable through the small windows. So if you’re one of those builders who can refrain from modeling what won’t be seen, there’s time well saved in the interior. The same can be said for some interesting photo-etch detail on the engine.
The clear parts look like trouble but they’re not. Since there’s lots of opaque paneling in the clear parts, figure on installing them as part of main assembly, and then mask. There’s also some seam cleanup needed, fortunately only involving the opaque areas.
I fabricated a propeller shaft because the one in the kit wouldn’t do the job.
And every control surface comes in two halves. Some conscientious modelers who always sand their trailing edges won’t sympathize, but for me this was a lot of grinding, and there’s one flap I never did get to clamp together like it should. I spent more time sanding trailing edges than I did on the rest of the assembly. This rest of the kit sprang together easily.
And for me, a 1/48 Proctor—the first ever—was a must-have. A friend built the 1/72 Air Lines kit in 1966, and later pointed out, the copy he built was the only one either of us had ever found for sale on our side of Atlanta. Now Dora makes Proctors in 1/72, so they’re comparatively easily had. And if you look, there are now stateside sources for these kits.
