Hobbyboss 1/72 Morane Saulnier MS.406, Lithuanian Air Force

[Mitch K]

This is the third one of these I've done. The first was in Croatian markings, the second a "What If" in Polish Air Force colours, and this one, which will be the one the was painted up for the Lithuanian Air Force.

 

The MS.406 had an odd history with the Lithuanians. The prototype crashed with a Lithuanian test pilot at the controls, but even this didn't dampen their enthusiasm for the type and thirteen were ordered. None were actually delivered, and the airframes were confiscated by the Armee de l'Aire for use in the Battle of France.

 

 

Here's the kit - nothing here that hasn't been seen before.

 

The kit shows the reinforcements on the wings as engraved lines. On the real thing these are raised strips of heavy fabric, so strips of Tamiya tape are applied to make this. Upper surfaces:

 

 

And the underside:

 

 

The intake on the Hobbyboss kit forms a big, cheesy grin which is too wide compared with the real thing, so a few bits of microstrip and some filler will sort this.

 

 

The air intakes on the cheeks can be improved by thinning out their edges. There's a slight mould mismatch on the top of the cowling that needs a slick of filler, and the kit-fitted gunsight needs to be removed. The kit has the sight on the centreline, but it's slightly offset on the real thing. I'll build a more in-scale version from scratch and fit this later (much later!).

 

 

The kit cockpit isn't bad - the seat is actually quite close to the original! I've replaced the control column with a reshaped pin, and added a seat adjustment lever and quadrant, plus some straps from the ever-reliable Tamiya tape and some fine wire. There's some stretched sprue behind the bulkhead to represent the strengthening rigs there.

 

[Mitch K]

Port side scratch-built details: throttle, trim wheel and assorted other knobs and levers:

 

 

Starboard side, radio and electronic gubbins...

 

 

The main part with the seat, with everything painted up and given a light wash to deepen the shadows. I've also cut out the navigation lights.

 

 

The instrument panel needs some detailing on the dials, but not until this lot is completely dry!

 

[AntoineG]

Hi

Great !!  A French avion 😍.  And the Morane is one of my favorites.

I've always wondered what the Hobby Boss  kit was worth

Nice start. I like what you have done for the  cockpit so far. 

[Andwil]

Really good work detailing this basic kit.

 

AW

[Mitch K]

Once the black had finally dried, I did a little bit of further detailing on the dials:

 

Closing up the fuselage with the wings was uneventful. A little filler was needed, but nothing dramatic. Here's the instrument panel in situ, along with the scratchbuilt gunsight.

 

 

[Mitch K]

On 8/30/2018 at 1:54 AM, Andwil said:

Really good work detailing this basic kit.

 

AW

Thanks! Generally, these kits are a good framework that a little bit of work can really build on. 

[Mitch K]

On 8/29/2018 at 10:25 PM, AntoineG said:

Hi

Great !!  A French avion 😍.  And the Morane is one of my favorites.

I've always wondered what the Hobby Boss  kit was worth

Nice start. I like what you have done for the  cockpit so far. 

Thanks! I've built three these, and I'm content with them. I don't know what other kits of the 406 are like, but I would say they have a fairly tough act to follow, especially for the price.

[Mitch K]

Camo on! Next step the decals. There's plenty to do, still: undercarriage to detail up, external ring and bead gunsight to build, and of course, the unique delights of the retractable radiator! Still, I don't think this is going off too badly.

 

[Mitch K]

Some work on other bits and pieces: the main undercarriage detailed with the additional framing on the original plus the actuator/brake pipes/cables and the intake, with leading and trailing edges refined and the support framework added from capillary tube.

 

[Mitch K]

OK, the decals are on! These are ex-LF Models. Very nice, perfect register, nicely opaque and very, very thin. So thin, in fact the I managed to pick a hole in one of the upper wing crosses!

 

 

After a coat of gloss, it'll be time to for some detail painting. And bits and pieces like gun barrels, exhausts and the like.

 

 

[Mitch K]

The undercarriage fits like a dream, and looks the part. The wheels need a little bit of reaming out to fit the axles, but that's it. The horrible, un-aerodynamic retractable radiator completes the way the MS. 406 looks like a flying coal bunker! A bit of wash, from inks and flow improver, gives a touch of depth to the rad and undercarriage.

 

 

The gun guns are 0.6mm hypo tube. The aerials will get a coat of paint later.

 

 

I gave the whole airframe a coat of varnish, a mix of one part matt and two parts gloss, just to even everything out. The gun barrels got a wash of Payne's grey just to give the impression of bluing. Among the last few things that I need to do are to paint the canopy framing and build the gunsight. The moulding of the canopy frame is at best vestigial, so the painting will be almost completely freehand. I've added a bead of Clearfix around the edges of the cockpit to just close up any gaps. The prop is done and will be added in due course.

 

[Sturmovik]

Best part of modelling is when the aircraft is on its wheels, yours is coming along nicely.

[John Masters]

An excellent build of a unique aircraft with some not-so-often-seen markings.  Bravo!

[Mitch K]

Thanks everyone!

[Mitch K]

The external ring and bead gunsight was made up from steel capillary tube and a photo-etched front sight ring.

 

 

The ring and bead sight in place, the propeller installed with the 20 mm cannon blast tube fitted, and the two-thickness pitot tube made from hypodermic and capillary tube. The canopy has had the inner frame colour painted, and I'll paint the pitot along with the external frame. The white is a slick of Vallejo acrylic filler to deal with some lumps and dents at the base of the canopy.

 

[Mitch K]

With the last bits of detail painting completed, I'm calling this one done. Next stop, RFI!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Very nice work Mitch of a not so common type