Let Let Let - Warplanes

The Fonderie Miniature kits are limited production run so-called mixed kits. And ‘limited’ means it is only manufactured in relatively small numbers! When looking at the Fonderie Website, it is not even offered any longer. So, if you find it buy it before it is too late!!

The kit includes two frames with polystyrene parts, a small bag of resin parts, some white metal parts, a vacform canopy and rear windows and a set of copper etchings. First thing notable is that the kit contains also the engine cowling parts and the smaller propeller of the MS.472 (which is/was also available at the same scale!). As usual for a limited production kit, flash is heavy, there are no locating pins for wings and fuselage halves and fit is definitely not up to Hasegawa standards! The flash must be removed VERY CAREFULLY since the plastic material is quite brittle. Wing and fuselage halves must be sanded down until a perfect fit is obtained and that means that some putty will have to be used at some places to show really smooth joints! The whole front fuselage section with the engine is a single piece resin part with the propeller shaft made of copper and firmly embedded in the resin (a very nice detail!). Also wheel bay interior, belly radiator (2 parts), cockpit seats and instrument panels are made of resin of very good quality and sharply outlined form.

The surface of the polystyrene parts is not very smooth (as with all Fonderie kits) and it definitely needs sanding and polishing before final painting. Since all surface details are nicely engraved panels, this should be no problem. Surface detail is good, but not very extensive and much panels/lines can be added by scraping when you have a good look at original photos! Struts of the main wheels, tail wheel, exhaust stacks and a number of other small parts are made of white metal. Also these parts need careful trimming and polishing. There are two vacform canopies (one spare - also a very nice detail!) including vacform rear windows. Please, DO NOT use poly acrylic glue since this will give a strong opaqicity once the glue is hardened. Wood glue is a far better option for these clear parts! For the rest, the MS.475 is not a really difficult kit in spite of the brief building instructions.

Decals are included for no. 314 of CERO 306- Lyon-Bron and no. 362 of CERO 301 - Le Bourget. Please note that No. 362 is also pictured in the photograph of the MS.475 formation as shown here! It is the plane flying in the foreground.

Price was a very reasonable EURO 31.95. The kit was purchased at the Luchtvaart Hobby Shop near Schiphol Airport, the Netherlands.

Websites: http://www.fonderie-miniature.fr/

http://www.aviationmegastore.com/

Nico Braas