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Flying the flag for the Super Etendard - finished!


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You would have done the same as me yes? In a moment of enthusiasm for this GB, bought that just-listed, reasonably-priced Airfix/Heller Super Etendard that was still in it's original plastic shrink wrap packaging, untouched in 30 years?

 

Unboxed

 

The retro 1990 Airfix box art and design may have also prompted an impulsive 'buy it now' acquisition! 😄

 

Unboxed

 

 I may be deluding myself in thinking with so few parts it will be a quick build. But with only a handful of parts, it will be a quick build, yes? 🤪

 

Unboxed

 

Of course the old and out-of-register decals were a gateway to just a few other items of aftermarket! If I have to order new decals, I may as well order some masks (hope they can be made to fit as they're for the Academy kit!) and a new seat.

 

I did though decide against PE. I'm going to leave the raised panel lines (for a quick build - yes? - and my scribing skills need a lot of work!) so it didn't make sense to add PE for better detailing when the kit still has raised panel lines.

 

Meanwhile, these decals are on their way to me: https://www.scalemates.com/kits/berna-decals-bd-72-129-dassault-super-etendard-aeronavale--1410102 so I can build an Aeronavale aircraft, probably in the later blue/blue-grey scheme. And yes. I'll definitely hang the Exocet of it.

 

I have seen some great models made of this kit online that set the standard for what can be done with this humble kit. So hopefully I can fly the flag for the Super Etendard in this GB (while also progressing my Mirage 2000 and finishing my Salty Sea Dog Intruder) and do this very pretty aeroplane some justice.

 

Merci bien,

 

Gerard

 

Edited by Wings unlevel
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Salut Gerard @Wings unlevel

 

thank you for adding the Super Étendard to the GB. Let‘s see what you will do wih this kit! Will it end up inflight? Or maybe on the catapult just like the box art? (the way the jet was attached to the cat shoe was „interesting“). 

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3 hours ago, TEMPESTMK5 said:

 Welcome aboard with this kit , have fun and enjoy your build ...

 

Thank you, Patrice.

 

3 hours ago, Sam said:

Let‘s see what you will do wih this kit! Will it end up inflight? Or maybe on the catapult just like the box art?

Thanks Sam - there's nothing quite so dramatic as a fighter jet on a carrier ready to be launched. I suspect my representation of the aircraft will be a little more mundane!

 

So this definitely does have the potential to be a quick build. After 20 minutes of cutting bits off sprues and a bit of tidying up, I could dry fit the airframe together.

 

Quick dry fit

 

The main challenge I can see will be the seem lines between he top and bottom fuselage halves (that wing join seam looks bad in the photo, but that is only because in the photo the parts are dry fitted with no pressure on them). I don't think much putty will be required to clean up the fuselage joins, but any sanding will destroy the lovely raised detailing, especially around the engine hot end. (I should correct my original post - the panel lines are in fact recessed, not raised, but some of the other surface detailing is raised.)

 

Tail

 

 

Other than that though, the build otherwise looks pretty straightforward. The cockpit is bereft of any real detail, and looking down the inlets will reveal a void where an engine should be, so it is a kit of its time. But I think it will build up quite nicely, and complement its American contemporary and current bench mate, my Salty Sea Dog A-6E Intruder, quite nicely!

 

Quick dry fit

 

Cheers,

 

Gerard

 

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46 minutes ago, Wings unlevel said:

and looking down the inlets will reveal a void where an engine should be

Maybe you could glue a printed photo of the engine front view into the void?

 

That rear part with the bolts on it looks indeed like a tricky part to clean up. Especially at that scale. Do small bolts to glue on exist in 1/72?

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G'day Gerard,

 

Great choice! (I may be biased), it looks just like  a scaled down version of their 1/48 kit. Good to see the A-6 progressing as well,

 

cheers,

 

Pappy

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For what’s it worth and to make you fell better, I would have ‘impulsively’ done the same thing as well. Come to think of it, I just bought a Heller Black box Mirage 2000 last night, not having ever thought about the subject prior to this GB! She looks like a quick build, however you may get bogged down tidying up some of those joins, I’m sure you make a good go of it either way. 
Cheers.. Dave 

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On 17/02/2023 at 23:08, Sam said:

That rear part with the bolts on it looks indeed like a tricky part to clean up.

It sure does! On most photos I’ve looked at the detail is not all that noticeable, and on the kit the bolt/rivet heads are definitely over scale. But they should be there though.

 

On 18/02/2023 at 13:36, Pappy said:

Great choice! (I may be biased), it looks just like  a scaled down version of their 1/48 kit. Good to see the A-6 progressing as well,

Great minds?! it’s when I start a Mirage F.1 build, Pappy, then you start worrying! 🤣

 

22 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said:

For what’s it worth and to make you fell better, I would have ‘impulsively’ done the same thing as well. Come to think of it, I just bought a Heller Black box Mirage 2000 last night

I figure there are much worse (and expensive!) impulses to indulge. Teenaged me (and I’m sure teenaged Dave) would have approved. :clap2:

Edited by Wings unlevel
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16 hours ago, Wings unlevel said:

I

 

Great minds?! it’s when I start a Mirage F.1 build, Pappy, that you start worrying! 🤣

 

 

 

I actually have a SH 1/72 F1 in the stash.....

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  • 2 weeks later...

A little bit of progress on my SUE. The original IP decal might not be the first word in detail, but it went on okay.  To come I have an aftermarket resin ejection seat that will add at least some detail to the cockpit when it goes in. Otherwise it’s pretty sparse. 
 

Taking shape

 

After some nose weights to be sure, I could then close up the fuselage halves. Which also meant attaching the wings (which are melded as a single piece with a carry through spar). 

 

Taking shape

 

It all fits together pretty well, after bit of fettling.

 

Taking shape

 

A few things to clean up, like ejector pin marks in awkward places (ie the vertical tail.) But it will clean up alright I think.

 

Gerard

 

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Looks like it’s taking shape nicely and I’m only starting to notice how similar some of those individual parts are in comparison to other Dassault products. Nice progress Gerard. Cheers.. Dave 

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On 06/03/2023 at 07:47, Rabbit Leader said:

and I’m only starting to notice how similar some of those individual parts are in comparison to other Dassault products

 
Cheers Dave, the Super Etendard doesn’t have the prettiest nose, but other than that it has quite an elegant shape I think.

 

6 hours ago, Hewy said:

single colour or dual grey camo?

Definitely the more ‘colourful’ grey and blue grey camo. Can never have too many grey jets on the shelf!

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I had a friend who ran a model shop in Edinburgh in the early 1980s, which I occasionally minded for him. 

He had close links with Heller and I remember him bringing a built test shot of this kit back from a trip to France in early 1984.

It was beautifully built, and was the object of much admiration when it went on display in the shop. 

Despite that I've never actually built one, although we sold loads when it went on sale, so I'm watching with great interest. That Berna sheet looks nice. 

John 

 

 

 

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22 hours ago, John said:

It was beautifully built, and was the object of much admiration when it went on display in the shop.

Mine won’t be so beautifully finished, no doubt, but it has been a joy to build thus far. So much so of the three builds I have on the go at the moment, it’s the one I reach for first whenever I get some modelling time!

 

I’m actually almost ready for priming, so shots of the largely completed airframe soon, but first, I’ve finished up the ejection seat. 
 

SMB seat

 

As you can probably tell, this is an aftermarket resin seat, from CMK. Came up alright I think, with a little dry brushing and a light wash. I’m not sure it is 100% accurate for a SUE, it is a Martin Baker Mk6 which was fitted in the SUE, but the packaging says it is for the SMB (Super Mystere), so there may be some minor differences. But it is far more accurate than the kit seat, and looks pretty good in place in the cockpit.

 

More soon,

 

Gerard

 

Edited by Wings unlevel
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The seat looks fine Gerard!


Whether it’s the correct one or not - only you decide whether that matters or not. 
I often find myself pondering how much accuracy in terms of „this jet in this squadron on those particular days was exactly like this and what not“ I want to achieve. It‘s a real rabbit hole and only those working on the particular jet would know.

Honestly, I never knew and know all the exact details of the particular bird I am sitting in. I want to know how it behaves and which button does what to it so I can get the desired result. There surely are more flightsimmers and fans who know way more technical details about my current machine, to me it‘s simply operationally irrelevant. 
 

So yes, your bang seat is absolutely fine. 
 

Edit: In addition to my rant about tech details. I often see that those colleagues with ultra-precise detail knowledge are less flexible operationally, in the civil world especially during SIM situations. It‘s about judging how much detail you need in which subject matter. 

Edited by Sam
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On 2/17/2023 at 7:03 AM, Wings unlevel said:

You would have done the same as me yes? In a moment of enthusiasm for this GB, bought that just-listed, reasonably-priced Airfix/Heller Super Etendard that was still in it's original plastic shrink wrap packaging, untouched in 30 years?

Unboxed

The retro 1990 Airfix box art and design may have also prompted an impulsive 'buy it now' acquisition! 😄

 

Great move Gerard!  The boxart had the same effect on me back in 1990 when the kit first came out.  Money very well spent.

Since then I've acquired and built the Italeri Super Etendard, enabling a repaint of my Airfix model, with leftover decals - as shown in the Inspiration Gallery. 

Comparison between the two balances firmly in favour of this little gem.   

Your build is going well - can't wait to see the completed model.

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3 hours ago, Sam said:

Whether it’s the correct one or not - only you decide whether that matters or not.

Thanks Sam, I do like how in scale modelling accuracy is in the eye of the beholder. If it looks right to me then I’m happy. For me it’s more about the external shape, colours and decal placement, so I’m probably somewhere in the middle of the pedantry/accuracy bell curve!

 

2 hours ago, theplasticsurgeon said:

this little gem

Thanks Tim, it sure is! A really enjoyable build so far, hopefully I do it some sort of justice! Your SUE looks terrific.

 

Gerard

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I've always had a real soft spot for this kit. Simple, but captures the look of the real thing so much better than the Academy kit (especially around the nose). I've long held that nicely done raised detail is usually superior to almost all-but-the-best modern engraved panel lines. 

 

I wouldn't worry too much about the rivet detail on the rear fuselage. super_etendard_modernisee_29_of_77.jpg

 

They are definitely there, but only really shows up when you've got strong light and shadow. 

 

Good look with the build.

 

Will

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15 hours ago, Killingholme said:

I wouldn't worry too much about the rivet detail on the rear fuselage.

Thanks Will, that’s as good an image I’ve seen of the SUE rear end. I have in fact sanded back much of the rear end raised rivet/bolt heads, as you say it’s not really visible on the real thing until you get up quite close, and much more important to get rid of the seam line. As you say, it’s a cracking little kit, a fun build of a fascinating subject!

 

14 hours ago, Hewy said:

Very well done seat gerard

Thanks Hewy, it is about as good as my eyesight will allow! 🤣 Now to see if I can get anywhere near your standards of black basing/marbling!

 

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Ready for primer

 

With the seat finished, and the canopy polished and masked, it was time to seal it all up and get some primer down. (Kit seat shown above for comparison to the resin seat I used.)

 

Scrubs up ok I think. Most of the seams have cleaned up quite nicely. There’s maybe on I might re-attack, but should be able to progress to painting pretty quickly.

 

Primed

 

Primed

 

I inadvertently threw away the underwing pylons, so my build will be clean, which meant filling in the attachment wholes on the undersides. They might need a little more attention cleaning up.

 

More primed

 

On the wing undersides you can also noticed some dimpling from the molds, a classic Heller trait apparently? But seeing as I display my kits wheels side down, that’s not particularly problematic. Overall it really is a lovely kit.

 

Glad I took this one on!

 

Gerard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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