Breguet Br.1050 Alizé - 1:72 Azur FRROM

[Julien]

Breguet Br.1050 Alizé

1:72 Azur FRROM

The Breguet Br.1050 Alizé (French for "Tradewind") was a French carrier based anti submarine warfare aircraft. In a design similar to its British counterpart the Gannet it was a conventional low wing monoplane, powered by a Turboprop engine, though the Alizé had only one engine and propeller. The aircraft was a development based loosely on the Breguet Vultur which was modified into the Breguet Br.965 Épaulard. The aircraft was fitted with a CSF radar system and could carry a torpedo or delpth charges in its internal weapons bay. Wing hard points could carry 68mm rocket pods of wire guided AS.12 missiles. Unusually the front section of the undercarriage nacelles carried sonarbouys.

The prototype first flew in 1956 and the aircraft was exhibited at the Paris Airshow in 1957. 75 aircraft were produced for the French Navy, and a further 12 aircraft by the Indian Navy (the only export customer). It was reported the Indian Navy purchased a further 5 used aircraft from the French Navy. The French Navy would go onto upgrade the aircraft in 1980 with a new radar as used on the Atlantique aircraft, an OMEGA navigation system, and a new ESM system. Another upgrade was to follow in 1990 to 24 aircraft. This consisted of a new decoy system, digital data link, new avionics and a FLIR. France would use the aircraft during the NATO campaign in Kosovo in 1999 flying from the aircraft carrier Foch, They were to retire the next year along with the Foch.

The Indian Navy would go onto use their aircraft in Combat during the invasion of Goa in 1961, and the war with Pakistan in 1971. One aircraft would be lost to a Pakistani F-104. India stopped carrier operations in 1987 but the aircraft still saw active service supporting Indian operations against the Tamil Tigers during the Indian peacekeeping operations in Sri Lanka. The aircraft was retired in 1991.

The Kits
Each kit comes on 4 sprues of light grey plastic. The plastic is typical of that we see from FFROM with restrained panels lines. The canopy sprue is bagged separately to protect it. Constructions starts of surprisingly in the cockpit! The consoles are added for the pilot, navigator and radar operator followed by their seats. Additional parts are then added in the cockpit area to the insides of the main fuselage. the turbine exhausts are also made up and installed one into each half.

The cockpit and front landing gear well are then installed into the right fuselage half. Into the left fuselage half you then have to install the rear radar and its compartment. This can be in the retraced position if sitting the model on it's undercarriage or extended if you wish to model the aircraft in flight. Once in the coaming can be fitted in from of the cockpit and the fuselage closed up (it is recommended 8g of nose wright is added).

The next step is onto the wings. These are of conventional Left/Right with upper/lower surfaces. The four part main undercarriage nacelles are then made up and one added to each wing. The main wings, tail planes and rudder are then added to the main fuselage. The next major step is to construct and add the undercarriage. This is substantial as you would expect for a carrier aircraft. There is a single nose wheel with double wheeled units for the mains. The launch tubes for the unique nacelle mounted sonarbouys are also added along with the gear doors, arrestor hook and propeller. The six wing pylons are added along with the modellers choice of rocket pods or AS-12 missiles. 3 prominent aerials are then added to finish off the model.

Decals
Each boxing has a small decal sheet. There is no printer mentioned, they are in register, and look colour dense.

FR0028 This boxing represents earlier aircraft and has three decal options all French Navy;

• A. No.72 Flottille 4F 1966/70.
• B. No.2 Coded I, Sqn 10S (CEPA), 1959/60.
• C. No.16 Flottille 9F 1966.

FR0026 This boxing represents earlier aircraft with the ALM upgrade, and has three decal options,

• A. No.42 Flottille 6F High Vis Scheme 1981.
• B. No.41 Flottille 6F Low Vis Scheme, Clemenceau 1997.
• C. No.55 Flottille 4F Low Vis Scheme, 1989-1996.

FR0031 This boxing represents the aircraft operated by the Indian Navy and has three decal options;

• A. IN206 INAS 310 "White Cobras" INS Vakrant 1970.
• B. IN204 INAS 310 "White Cobras" INS Vakrant 1985.
• C. IN203 INAS 310 "White Cobras" INS Vakrant 1971.

Conclusion
Though there have been other Alize kits, it is great to see the at people FFROM do a new injection moulded kit of this important French aircraft in 1:72. Highly Recommended.

Review samples courtesy of

[Antoine]

Not so many reference book on the subject.

This one could be the best, republished a few month ago, but hard to find:

[Antoine]

Concerning the book shown above (second edition), there was some good news today.

I don't think however that there's much interest in the UK for this aircraft, but you never know, so here we go.

Author Christophe TOUZET, ex-Alizé crew member (DENAE, Détecteur navigateur aérien) has just decided to launch a survey for pre-order before a potential 3rd edition.

There you go for more informations.