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Dewoitine 520 (Smer re-box) (#L092) -Finished


AdrianMF

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Mr Kingkit has kindly obliged, so I now have a trio of Dewoitines. The 520 seems to echo the old Airfix Spitfire IX in crud simplicity and number of parts, so it will be an interesting build. The 500/501 and 510 look to be very nice kits, by way of contrast.

 

[edit - I've checked the sprue shots online and it's definitely a Heller re-pop, not the FROG. Looking at the FROG one makes me glad I'm building the Heller one, but everything's relative!]

 

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Hi Adrian,

 

good luck with this super oldie!

This kit holds a special place in my heart, as it was the second kit I ever painted! I still have it in France as a reminder of my outstanding, juvenile painting abilities!

The painting instructions were the size of a postage stamp, and as a result I painted my 520 light blue everywhere, top and bottom, with a few brown and green dabs on the topside... But you just don't know how proud I was of my handiwork!

 

You will turn yours into a little wonder, and that is good! Looking forward to follow.

 

JR

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I'll watch along on this too I reckon. I moved an original Heller one on a few years back before the assembled deviants on here had made me to realise that the most fun comes from crud simpler older kits. I guess I'm going to have to buy another, probably at double the price I sold the first one for. :(

Steve.

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1 hour ago, stevehnz said:

probably at double the price I sold the first one for

Ha... glad to see I’m not the only one Steve, I’ve done the same with a Matchbox Halifax and still can’t quite work out why I did it. You’re right about these simpler builds, I can’t place my finger on it either, however they’re still lots of fun. 
Cheers.. Dave 

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On 9/29/2020 at 5:36 AM, Rabbit Leader said:

Ha... glad to see I’m not the only one Steve, I’ve done the same with a Matchbox Halifax and still can’t quite work out why I did it. You’re right about these simpler builds, I can’t place my finger on it either, however they’re still lots of fun. 
Cheers.. Dave 

 

On 9/29/2020 at 3:47 AM, stevehnz said:

I'll watch along on this too I reckon. I moved an original Heller one on a few years back before the assembled deviants on here had made me to realise that the most fun comes from crud simpler older kits. I guess I'm going to have to buy another, probably at double the price I sold the first one for. :(

Steve.

Never sell!!!! Bequeath!!! That way you keep enjoying your kits, even if you do not build them!!!!

Or get buried with them! Imagine what a stir a Heller Musee D520 will cause in 2000 years.

 

JR

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2 hours ago, jean said:

 

Never sell!!!! Bequeath!!! That way you keep enjoying your kits, even if you do not build them!!!!

Or get buried with them! Imagine what a stir a Heller Musee D520 will cause in 2000 years.

 

JR

Yes, and they will still be arguing over what colours to paint it !

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8 hours ago, JOCKNEY said:

Yes, and they will still be arguing over what colours to paint it !

Indeed the Heller Musee curse, that will eventually leads to dreadful wars  over the paint scheme and herald the end of our world, as we know it!

Heller sects will nonetheless flourish!

OK, I'm going back to bed.

 

JR

 

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10 minutes ago, jean said:

Indeed the Heller Musee curse, that will eventually leads to dreadful wars  over the paint scheme and herald the end of our world, as we know it!

Heller sects will nonetheless flourish!

OK, I'm going back to bed.

 

JR

 

Good night JR :sleep_1:

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16 minutes ago, JOCKNEY said:

Good night JR :sleep_1:

Unfortunately, it is a sunny morning and I have been up for four hours already.

Worrisome, isn't it?

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21 minutes ago, JOCKNEY said:

Goodness me that's a very early start !

Have you got something special planned, a back massage for Steve the Hippo for example ?

 

 

Hi Pat,

 

we are the lazy ones and start work at 06:00. Some people, madder than I am, start at first light...

Steve is on his own, except for hot water bottles at night and a sushi platter on Fridays. He has to realize he is a wild hippo!

Have a great day.

JR

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Sorry to intrude on the chat about Steve the wild hippo (??? :shrug: ???) but I got my kit today.

 

I ordered the Smer rebox from Kingkit for the princely sum of £4.99. Basic plastic, bit of flash, cockpit pretty clear and decals that are a bit too dark in the blue and seriously out of register:

D22-D7-C67-0-D68-4-CD9-9-D94-8-DB29443-D

 

Well waddya expect for a cheap repop?

 

Not this. I shook the box again to get the instructions out, and these came out too:

9638-CBB6-2-C6-E-4571-B8-D9-361-BC0-AFE6

 

A Bren Gun PE detail set (for the RS models kit but I can make that work) and a decal sheet from Berna Decals! 

 

This has just turned into a bit of a posh build. The kit surface detail is raised but fine, so I will just scribe the control surfaces, box the wheel wells and add the PE. I'm looking forward to mixing up some paint for the camouflage scheme.

 

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Well the 3rd has arrived (also my daughter’s birthday) so I’ve got started with the 520. Just cleaning up the bigger bits for now:

4475-E68-E-C28-C-4463-A4-C7-AF36796-DB6-
 

The biggest issue is a bit of a short shot moulding on the front of the left fuselage half. The second biggest issue seems to be the spinner - it looks too small and pointed to me, like an Airacobra spinner or a medieval Persian helmet, might have to rummage in the spares bin. Otherwise after removing a bit of flash everything seems to fit nicely.

 

So: scribe around control surfaces; fill in behind side windows, radiator see-through scoops and wheel wells; use up some of that interior PE; slap it all together!

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On 9/30/2020 at 9:02 PM, jean said:

Or get buried with them! Imagine what a stir a Heller Musee D520 will cause in 2000 years.

Imagine what fun Time Team 3000 could have with them.  They will no doubt conclude that the unusual funerary goods betoken someone of exceptionally high status.  And not a sad anorak with more money than sense.

Edited by Seahawk
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There were two different propellers:

 

D. 520 n° 1 to 350 : 12Y45 engine (920 hp), Ratier 1606 propeller

D. 520 n° 351 to 525 : 12Y45 engine, Chauvière 3981 propeller
 

the Ratier was electric, the other pneumatic, so I will assume the Ratier is the smaller one. As my decals have lower constructor numbers, I will go with the small one in the kit, but trim the gun barrel back.

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Getting all the ‘orrible jobs out of the way:

C1-CBF6-DA-F345-48-F4-8-DF9-C01-B37-CA8-
 

Canopy is a bit too low so I’ve jacked it up with some 20 thou strips, blackened up with a sharpie. There is a triangular gap each side of the windscreen that will be filled with canopy glue later. And I blacked up the edges of the rear quarter lights , dropped the tapered clear inserts in and wicked some odourless superglue around them. Hopefully this will hold them when I sand and polish them flush later.

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