MB 151C.1, Rouen-Boos, 1940, S/Lt. Ellis...from Dora Wings

[John Masters]

With so many Mirages about it's hard to see whats-what!  That's a joke...

 

Here's something from a bit earlier, the Dora Wings kit of the MB 151C.1 from the Battle of France.  It was handsome looking aircraft for sure but unfortunately the 151 proved unstable when compared to the 152 and even that proved to be no match for the 109E and the 110.  Tough luck.  Still, I will enjoy this highly detailed kit from Dora.

 

Boxtop...

 

 

Sprue...very finely moulded.

 

 

Decals...and some PE on the other side of the bag.  If it is all for the cockpit, I will most likely not use it.

 

 

I am not sure which aircraft I will build.  There are four options, one is Vichy so that is out.  I'll get back to you on that.

 

--John

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TEMPESTMK5]

Good morning John

 Welcome aboard I am very pleased to see this kit being built for this Gb

 

Have fun and enjoy your build

Best Regards

Patrice

[Wez]

Good choice John, nice to see something from the pre-war era in the GB.  Good luck with it.

[Sam]

1 hour ago, John Masters said:

one is Vichy so that is out

Good call 😎👍🏽

[John Masters]

2 hours ago, TEMPESTMK5 said:

Welcome aboard I am very pleased to see this kit being built for this Gb

Thank you Patrice!

 

1 hour ago, Wez said:

Good choice John, nice to see something from the pre-war era in the GB.  Good luck with it.

Thanks Wez!

 

1 hour ago, Sam said:

Good call 😎👍🏽

👍 I agree.

[PeterB]

I think perhaps the Block 151/152 were the least well known of the French WWII fighters over here in the UK - when I first decided to build kits of them 50 or so years ago, I found the MS.406 and D.520 easily enough as both Frog and Heller had released one in the mid 1960's,  but it took me another 4 or 5 years to track down the Heller MB.152 in a shop in Chester. Watch out for the ruddy cannon - very easy to break them off assuming the 151 has the long wing mounted ones, although your box art does not seem to show them so maybe that was only on the 152?

 

Pete

[Wings unlevel]

14 hours ago, John Masters said:

With so many Mirages about it's hard to see whats-what!

I see what you did there! 🤣

 

Looks like a lovely kit, John, I know you’ll get a lovely result from it.

 

Gerard

[ModelingEdmontonian]

I just got the "foreign service" version of this kit so I'm excited to see you build it! I'll be posting soon. Plan for me is to build a Hellenic version.

[John Masters]

16 hours ago, PeterB said:

Watch out for the ruddy cannon - very easy to break them off assuming the 151 has the long wing mounted ones, although your box art does not seem to show them so maybe that was only on the 152?

I'll keep an eye out.  Thanks.  Apparently the 151C.1 was used primarily as a training aircraft so it may not have it.  I usually add those things that stickup last anyway.

 

9 hours ago, Wings unlevel said:

I see what you did there! 🤣

 

Looks like a lovely kit, John, I know you’ll get a lovely result from it.

 

Thanks!  I hope so!  

 

8 hours ago, ModelingEdmontonian said:

I'm excited to see you build it!

Likewise...😊

[John Masters]

A decision has been made...

 

 

It really is a handsome looking aircraft.  That dorsal ridge running behind the cockpit and the stubby looking nose gives a pugnacious and sturdy countenance.

No match for the 109E unfortunately, or things might have turned out differently.  

 

I began with page one of the plans.  My god...persnickety, teeny, tiny pieces.  They've out-Eduarded themselves...

But it came together, and I'll let it sit tonight before some primer and paint. And the PE harness.

 

I mean tiny pieces.

 

 

 

Looking at paint...I'll have to mix the Light Blue Grey and Dark Blue Grey.  The French Khaki, Dark Brown and Dark Green are easy.  The cockpit is supposed to be Midnight Blue, aside from some black or leather bits.  It's a difficult camouflage.  It'll be a masking job for sure...and thin layers if I want the paint to look right.

 

--John

 

 

 

 

[Sam]

46 minutes ago, John Masters said:

They've out-Eduarded themselves...

😂😂😂

[ModelingEdmontonian]

2 hours ago, John Masters said:

began with page one of the plans.  My god...persnickety, teeny, tiny pieces.  They've out-Eduarded themselves...

But it came together, and I'll let it sit tonight before some primer and paint. And the PE harness.

 

I mean tiny pieces.

Just obnoxious--most miserable cockpit building experience I have ever had 🤣

 

2 hours ago, John Masters said:

Looks like you have more patience/skill than I do! Well done, you've actually managed to make it look clean and presentable, unlike the mess I made...

[John Masters]

8 hours ago, ModelingEdmontonian said:

Just obnoxious--most miserable cockpit building experience I have ever had 🤣

 

Pretty close for me too.  I was tempted to just use old bits from the spares.  It'll be a closed cockpit anyway.

 

8 hours ago, ModelingEdmontonian said:

unlike the mess I made...

I'll have to go see...I'm sure its fine.

 

-John

[John Masters]

Primer, paint, etc...This is as detailed as I will get.  I am skipping the PE harness and will use masking tape.  The blue over the back primer will have to suffice for Midnight Blue.

 

 

 

This little piece fits specifically.  It is not round.  More oval.

 

 

Tomorrow I'll close it up....I hope!

 

--John

 

 

[ModelingEdmontonian]

1 hour ago, John Masters said:

This little piece fits specifically.  It is not round.  More oval.

 

Glad to hear/see that there's a part that actually fits well! 🤣

 

The cockpit blue is looking good. I take it you opted to proceed without the IP decals, too? 

 

1 hour ago, John Masters said:

 

[John Masters]

7 hours ago, ModelingEdmontonian said:

I take it you opted to proceed without the IP decals, too? 

 

Yes.  They won't be seen with the canopy closed.

[John Masters]

Back at it.  No locating pins, very few guide rails...I figure I'd glue these parts together first then install the office inside,

 

 

This is a funny bit...The fuel tank (I guess) has to sit in the back of the seat.  In the middle.  This means it does not touch the inside walls of the fuselage.  Hmmm...how to make that a three point attachment out of two?

 

 

Sprue and glue will stabilize that fitting.

 

 

There you go...

 

 

Wings bits.  I had to be very careful when cleaning up the sprue nubbins here.  They are those weird inside-the-mold type.  Annoying.  Tread carefully!

 

 

Glued these bits together...

 

 

And I'll leave it all here for the night.  I have MIg-17 to look after...

 

--John

 

 

 

 

[Sam]

για σου John,

 

the interior blue looks great! And a good solution to place the fuel tank in place. I personally enjoy these home-made solutions a lot. 

[ModelingEdmontonian]

19 hours ago, John Masters said:

There you go...

 

That's brilliant, and looks like it all fit together! Well done.

 

19 hours ago, John Masters said:

Glued these bits together...

 

How does the fit of the wing looks? Again, looks like you managed to beat the poor engineering...

[John Masters]

15 hours ago, ModelingEdmontonian said:

That's brilliant, and looks like it all fit together! Well done.

 

One would hope...

15 hours ago, ModelingEdmontonian said:

How does the fit of the wing looks? Again, looks like you managed to beat the poor engineering...

'Beat the poor engineering'...yes.  

 

I don't have a lot of photos for this phase because I don't have four hands.  Suffice to say the fuselage was very problematic and I ended up removing a good 2-3mm off of one side of the cockpit deck to make it fit and even then I had to carefully glue/clamp from the tail up to the nose in intervals.  Note that part of the IP sticks up into a gap created by the fuselage halves.  The wing halves went together very neatly.  All looks well as of last night.

 

 

An hour ago (this morning) I unclamped the pieces.  Still looking good.  Some very minor filling will be needed here and there as well as a tidying up along the seams.  No big deal.  The wings look very nice with smooth seams and very thin trailing edges.

 

 

A test fit of the wing-to-fuselage was less happy.  Maybe it is my fault?  I don't know...

Everyone sees this, right?

 

 

So I removed this bottom plate in hopes this would solve the issue.

 

 

And it did to a certain degree...the long panel on the lower half of the wing is still too high.  Actually the fault is in the two small convex wells that from the area where the pots feet would be.  Without them it would fit.  I will Dremel down the piece that sticks up too much.  Note: the nose seam came undone during my morning surgery.  I have since re-glued and clamped.

 

 

And just look at those wing roots!  Scandalous...I mean really?  

 

 

Looking back at the instructions, I am pretty sure I didn't go wrong anywhere.  I will fettle and finesse this little so-and-so until everything fits.  This is no longer a case of overengineering.  This is just poor engineering in too many places.  I predict a silk purse from this sow's ear.

 

--John

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[John Masters]

I just found this WiP/RFI link here...

 

I'm not crazy.  I like how he says that all the parts will need to be adjusted to fit.  Yes they will.

 

-John

 

[Wings unlevel]

4 hours ago, John Masters said:

Everyone sees this, right?

Ouch. It really raises the philosophical question, is a bad kit of a rare aircraft type better than no kit being available at all?

[John Masters]

7 hours ago, Wings unlevel said:

Ouch. It really raises the philosophical question, is a bad kit of a rare aircraft type better than no kit being available at all?

Yes, and how much are we willing to take before we say, 'Into the bin!'  This is not the case here.  After reading the RFI link out came the Dremel and I carefully ground down the wing roots at the fuselage.  I also took care of the inner bulkhead so it didn't come into contact with the bottom of the cockpit floor.  It fits well enough but I'll need some filler at the roots.  Not a big deal, really.  

 

Then I saw this, and I thought, oh jeez...here we go.  Note the nose is not the same on both sides...

 

 

Then I noticed that the engine of the aircraft is actually supposed to be skewed off-center a bit, to counteract inertial spin, I suppose.  Phew!  I was thinking they really messed up there for a second.

 

Oh yes..and the pieces of plastic stuff behind the seat?  The fuel tank came off during surgery.  These will provide a sturdy base on which to lie.

 

But...now that these glaring issues have been dealt with I anticipate relative smooth sailing from here on.  Crossed fingers folks!

 

--John

[Eric B.]

Hi John, 

 

I see you!   😄

 

This is the basis for a very nice and sharp little  kit, probably better than anything that has been released before in 72nd scale. But nearly every single frame part needs to be adjusted.

The rest is good, sharpness, détails, panel lines. 

Yes, indeed, engine is tilted to the left

 

Be of good courage  😉

 

Eric B.

Edited February 22, 2023 by Eric B.

[Eric B.]

9 hours ago, Wings unlevel said:

Ouch. It really raises the philosophical question, is a bad kit of a rare aircraft type better than no kit being available at all?

This is not a bad kit at all if you ask me. Very sharp.

I personnaly hate to work on some type of undefined short run models with no locating pins, lot of filing and filling (think some well known brands).

This is not the case with this model. Parts are well cast, sharp, well detailed - only they need to be adjusted and this type of work is well within my technique.

Work is quite straightforward and predictable - True it is less confortable than building a - say - Eduard kit.

 

Eric B. 

Edited February 22, 2023 by Eric B.