Category: French aircraft
-
Équipe Super Mystère – Part Two – Fleur de Lis
Well, what else would it be for French aircraft… The concept has become reality. Three Heller kits, a base from Spotlight, and a length of 3mm brass rod. The kits are of a period and at a low price. I am grateful that the ancient Heller decals worked perfectly and that the factory moulded guidelines…
-
Équipe Super Mystère – Part One – L’idée Dormante
For years these Heller kits have lain on the shelves. Ignored, discarded, unconsidered. Rather the story of many lives, eh? Well the reforming zeal of the SMCWA committee swept them from the storeroom and into my stash cabinet. Whence they have flown to the workbench and photo table. They are 1:100 scale – not a…
-
Curtiss Model 75 A-4 – Part Five – Jean Tulasne
It must have been difficult for the French Air Force to realise that they were beaten. And beaten before they started. Handicapped by their government’s penurious attitude to developing new aircraft – coupled with the vicious labour infighting that crippled their factories so often – they started WW2 with few planes and fewer good ones.…
-
Fouga For The Win
The rivets may have been numerous and the decals may have fought back… But the little Heller 1/100 scale Fouga Magister is actually a nice model. It is now perched on one of the older plastic model stands – I save ’em all for just these occasions – and will never land. But it does…
-
Snowed Into The House With A Fouga
On a Saturday, with a new model kit, no homework, and a whole Coffee Crisp chocolate bar to myself. If you are English you can equate this to Christmas afternoon, a tin of Bullseyes, and a new Airfix kit plus a James Bond movie to watch. Religion has a lot to offer the thinking adult,…
-
Dewoitine D.500 – Part Two – Aeronavale
It is a pity that the development of the French Navy’s air arm was cut short by being the country being defeated on the land. It would have been interesting to see them engaged with the Italian Navy in the Mediterranean. As it was, the two sides might have been evenly matched. This version of…
-
Dewoitine D.500 – Part One – Escapee
In this case, this kit has done a runner from the hobby shop’s stand at the WASMex show. When it was on the stand – and neglected by the crowd – it was priced down from $ 35 to $ 15. To be honest, I missed it as well, so it is just dumb luck…
-
Potez 63-11 – Part Four – The Fishbowl Of Sadness
I refer to this rather sleek French aircraft in this way as it was witness to the failures of its own armies in the spring of 1940 – from an elegant vantage point. The design is deliberately biased toward the primary mission – reconnaissance – with the pilot up above like a hansom cab driver…
-
Potez 63-11 – Part Three – The Problem
Solved. Until the next one crops up. The fuselage, wings, and tail of the Potez observation aircraft are together and the amount of filler is absolutely minimal. I have undercoated and smoothed it, and could not be happier. In the intervals of waiting for things to set or dry I tackled the engines, wheels, landing…
-
Potez 63-11 – Part Two – Having A Fit
A tight fit. The Azur model of the Potez 63-11 is probably fairly old in the Czech modelling world. I think the firm that makes these models has retired the name in favour of their ” Special Hobby ” marque. This one is from the multi-media days of styrene/resin/brass. So far the fit of the…
The Little World 