1/48 MS.406

[mikeew]

I've been working on the AZModels 1/48 Morane-Saulnier MS.406.

This is the cockpit prior to installation. Its all resin and etch, the sidewalls needed thinning right back to make them frame works, this ended up in me sanding my fingertips off in the process!

The IP and belts are all prepainted photoetch and really shows up my lack of painting skills in the rest of the cockpit! Mind, you have to allow for the magnification of the macro lens.

It all fits OK into the fuselage. I will be able to fit it from beneath once the fuselage is closed up which eases things some what.

All joints cleaned up well with a couple of applications of Mr.Surfacer 500 on the main undersides joints of wings to fuselage.

The gun barrles were added from fine metal tube supplied in the kit. The vacform canopy was masked with the Eduard Kabuki tape masks, again, supplied OOB. I masked it prior to cutting it out from the vac form sheet which actually worked better.

The gun sight was scratchbuilt from wire and the etched ring from the kit.

All other bits n pieces added and then onto paint. I sprayed the areas to be yellow (nose, fuselage band and lower wingtips) in Tamiya XF-2 Flat white to give the yellow a reflective backing. The sprayed on Humbrol 24 Trainer Yellow, left this to dry and masked up these pieces. The lower sides were sprayed with Gunze 67 RLM65 Hellblau over Tamiya XF-63 German Grey preshade. The topsides were the preshaded also, and I used Tamiya XF-63 Olive Green and Tamiya XF-69 NATO Black to get a patchy worn effect on the camo. I now need to add the winter distemper over the black camo. I also masked and sprayed white discs for the lower wings as the roundels would overlap the yellow/blue demarcation and would possibly show through.To get the correct size a simply layed masking tape over the dceal sheet and traced the roundels out, handily they are exactly the same diameter as a 5p piece!

Distemper is on. Wasn't looking forward to doing this, but it worked out just how I wanted it! nice n patchy.

[David_in_Fremont]

That's looking really nice!

I'm not all that familiar with the A/C and have never even heard of the kit you're doing. Looks like you're making a nice job of it.

For what it's worth, the skin grows back!

[periklis_sale]

Its looking nice my friend!!!!!!!!!

[Antoine]

Love the 406 in Finnish colours.

Good looking pit.

[AnonymousDFB1]

Looking good.

[Gary West]

That's looking great Mike

[Jon Kunac-Tabinor]

Hi Mike - thats looking very nice indeed - the winter camo has come off a treat - and you've sensibly done what I forgot to do - in masking out the underwing markings in an undercoat of white ( cost me 2 sets of decals to cover my yellow areas- Grrr).

Have you thought about how you will get the resin wheels with moulded in flats to fit at the right angle yet BTW?

Keep up the good work, andpost some mor eoics

Cheers

Jon KT

[mikeew]

Hi Mike - thats looking very nice indeed - the winter camo has come off a treat - and you've sensibly done what I forgot to do - in masking out the underwing markings in an undercoat of white ( cost me 2 sets of decals to cover my yellow areas- Grrr).

Have you thought about how you will get the resin wheels with moulded in flats to fit at the right angle yet BTW?

Keep up the good work, andpost some mor eoics

Cheers

Jon KT

hi Jon,

I think I will file the bulges out and then try the hot iron method to relocate the flat spots, not sure if the iron method will work like it does with plastic though!

Might have to resort to milliput.

[mikeew]

For those not familiar with the kit, here is the box art courtesy of hannants.

Decals performed very nicely, really thin and good register, i am glad i painted the white discs for the undersides as they are quite thin and therefore translucent.

I have added a light bit of weathering as in scuff marks around the wings and the exhuast stubs. also gonna add some more when the matt coat is on.

Edited December 5, 2007 by mikeew

[Jon Kunac-Tabinor]

Hi Mike - looking very nice now - I think the idea to use milliput to build up the flat son the wheels makes sense - I used CA and accelerator and it worked OK, nuit not as good as i would have liked.

Just 1 thing to watch for - on the external ring and bead sight the pole should closer to the fuselage decking at the rear upright than at the front - that way it follows the bore sighting of the guns rather than the decking line.

Also in pics I've seen - it seems the Finns often made the white outline around the tail number wider, when it was in winter camo - I guess a good thick outline in white over the thinner white camo helped it stand out more. I added mine with a brush quite roughly and it worked pretty well.

Keep it up mate!. I just dug out my old CA MS 410 conversion form the loft - needs a bit of updating, but will be a nice companion to my Finnish 406.

Cheers

Jon KT