DoraWings Caudron C.630 Simoun (48028) 1:48 Dora Wings via Albion Alloys

[Julien]

Caudron C.630 Simoun (48028)

1:48 Dora Wings via Albion Alloys

 

 

The Caudron Company, or to give them their correct title The Société des Avions Caudron were one of the pioneers of aviation being formed in 1909 by brothers Gaston Caudron and René Caudron. They were acquired by Renault in 1933, the factories being taken over by the German during WWII until Allied bombing put them out of production. The remains of the company were then nationalised by the French Government. The C.630 Simoun was a four seat touring aircraft designed and produced in the 1930s. One of its main uses was as a mail plane. They were used as liaison aircraft during WWII. 

 

The Kit

This is a new kit from Dora Wings, The kit arrives on 5 plastic sprues, a clear sprue, a sheet of PE, canopy masks (not shown), a resin rudder; and a sheet of decals. The first step is to build up the interior of the main cabin which for a four seat aircraft only has 3 seats? There is one for the pilot then two seats in the rear. The second seat back also has flight controls. The main instrument panel is made up from a combination of PE, decals and plastic parts. This is then attached to the front bulkhead. Next up the engine is constructed and added to the front side of the bulkhead. Inside the fuselage additional controls and parts are added with the main windows going in from the inside. To the left side the main cabin door is also fitted.  The main cabin interior can then be fitted into the fuselage, and the fuselage closed up. Next up the tail wheel and propeller are constructed and put to one side for later.

 

 

Work now moves to the main wings. There is a single part lower wing with left & right uppers. The ailerons are single part separate parts which can be added to the completed wing. The tasilpnaes are then completed, they are split into uppers and lowers with the flight control parts as single surfaces.  The tailplanes can then be fitted to the fuselage and the single part resin rudder added on. The main wing can then be added along with the windscreen and engine cowl parts. The engine front fairing is also added at this stage. The fixed spatted undercarriage is then made up and fitted to the wing. The tailwheel and propeller from earlier are added with the wing mounted pitot tube the last item to go on. 

 

 

 

 

Markings

The decals are from Decograf, they look good with no issues, there are four decal options provided;

 

• F-ANRY - Cream over red (as per box top). The was Antoine de Saint Exupéry aircraft for the 1935 long distance Paris-to-Saïgon air race, which he subsequently crashed in Egypt. 
• F-ANCF - Silver over green.
• F-ANCC - Overall dark blue
• F-ANRO - Overall dark blue

 

 

Conclusion

This is certainly a kit modellers of civil aircraft have been waiting for, we dont get enough of them in a hobby which seems more devoted to military aircraft. Very highly recommended.

 

Available in the UK in most good model shops.

Review sample courtesy of