Pzl P.11c - Pursuit Brigade (With 3d-printed Parts)
Arma Hobby 70018

A 1:72 scale model of the Polish PZL P.11c fighter, representing aircraft flown by four Warsaw-based squadrons of the Pursuit Brigade that defended the Polish capital against German air attacks in September 1939. The Arma Hobby kit includes an extensive decal sheet with four marking options, as well as 3D-printed details, including a seat with harness, oil cooler, machine-gun barrels, Pitot tube, gunsights and bomb racks. A template for making masks for the windscreen and wheels is also included.

The model faithfully reproduces the distinctive silhouette of the P.11c, including its characteristic gull-shaped wings and the break in the fuselage line resulting from the different construction methods used for the forward and rear sections. The 3D-printed accessories enhance the detail of the miniature without making assembly unnecessarily complicated.

Kit contents

• Plastic parts for the PZL P.11c model in 1:72 scale,
• Decals with four marking options representing the Pursuit Brigade,
• A template for making masks for the windscreen and wheels,
• 3D-printed parts: seat with harness, oil cooler, machine-gun barrels, Venturi tube, Pitot tube, gunsights and bomb racks.
• Glue and paints are not included in the kit!

Painting and marking options

The decals allow you to build one of four fighters associated with pilots of the Warsaw Pursuit Brigade:

• PZL P.11c No. 8.144/666-N, tactical number 2 – 2nd Lt. Wacław Łapkowski, 112th Fighter Squadron. The aircraft featured a distinctive winged salamander emblem. Łapkowski scored 1⅓ aerial victories in September 1939. He later fought in France and Great Britain and commanded No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron.
• PZL P.11c No. 8.139/478-N, tactical number 4 – 2nd Lt. Tadeusz Sawicz, 114th Fighter Squadron. On the morning of 1 September 1939, 1st Lt. Aleksander Gabszewicz took off in this aircraft and, together with Andrzej Niewiara, attacked a Heinkel He 111 bomber. Sawicz scored two aerial victories during the September Campaign.
• PZL P.11c No. 8.78/46-N, tactical number 6 – Cadet Pilot Janusz Maciński, 111th Fighter Squadron, known as the “Kościuszko Squadron”, at Sulejówek in September 1939.
• PZL P.11c No. 8.70/170-N, tactical number 10 – 1st Lt. Hieronim Dudwał, 113th Fighter Squadron. Nicknamed “Himek”, Dudwał led the first flight of three P.11c fighters to take off from Poniatów on the morning of 1 September. He was credited with four aerial victories during the September Campaign.

The main marking options depict aircraft repainted shortly before the war in the later Polish khaki shade, which was darker and browner than the colours used previously. In this scheme, serial numbers and the “P.11c” designation were painted black, while tactical numbers were applied in a silver finish. The decal sheet also includes red serial numbers, the PZL logo and earlier maintenance stencils, allowing the modeller to reproduce the aircraft's appearance before the repainting.

PZL P.11c – the final stage of Poland’s pre-war fighter development

The PZL P.11c was developed at the Państwowe Zakłady Lotnicze (PZL) under the direction of designer Zygmunt Puławski. Its distinctive gull-shaped wing provided the pilot with excellent visibility and became one of the defining features of Polish aircraft design in the 1930s. When it entered service, the P.11 was a modern fighter. However, by the end of the decade, the development of faster, all-metal aircraft meant that its performance no longer matched that of the Luftwaffe’s latest fighters.

The P.11c was powered by a Bristol Mercury V S2 radial engine producing approximately 600 hp. It had a maximum speed of around 375 km/h (233 mph). Its standard armament consisted of two 7.92 mm machine guns, with additional wing-mounted guns fitted to some aircraft.

The Pursuit Brigade was established to defend Warsaw against German air attacks. Its four principal squadrons – the 111th, 112th, 113th and 114th – belonged to the 1st Air Regiment based in Warsaw. Before the outbreak of war, the aircraft were dispersed to camouflaged field airstrips around the capital, helping them avoid destruction on the ground during the initial raids. On the morning of 1 September 1939, Polish pilots took off to engage German formations heading towards Warsaw.

Although the P.11c was slower than many German fighters, Polish pilots relied on its manoeuvrability and their own flying skills to fight under difficult conditions. The stories of Łapkowski, Sawicz, Maciński and Dudwał commemorate the role played by Polish airmen in the defence of Warsaw during the opening days of the Second World War.