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1/72 Morane Saulnier MS 406


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Hi

For this GB I chose to build a small fighter from a Country on the fringe of the Pacific War.

After the June 1940 armistice France was weakened for the least and Indochina was too remote to be concerned. Thailand which was at the time a new Japanese ally was thinking about recovering territories lost at the beginning of the 20th century. General Phibun Songkhran, the new Prime Minister, backed by Japan, was preparing strong armed forces to fight against French forces in Indochina. From September 1940 RTAF aircraft were overflying Laotian territories.

Order of battle of the Royal Thai Air Force / Navy :

12 Curtiss Hawk II

49 Curtiss Hawk III

12 Vought V-93S/SA

12 Curtiss H-75N

24 Mitsubishi Ki 30

9 Mitsubishi Ki 21-Ib (not used during the conflict)

6 Martin 139 WSH

6 Watanabe WS 103S

18 Nakajima E8N-1

Order of battle of the French Air Force / Navy (November 26, 1940):

Laos

Escadrille 1/596 : 8 Potez 25

Escadrille 2/596 : 7 Morane Saulnier MS 406

Groupe Aérien Autonome 42 : 1 Potez 631

Cambodge

Escadrille 2/595 : 3 Morane Saulnier MS 406

Escadrille 2/42 : 3 Potez 542

1ère Escadrille du Commandement des Bases du Sud : 9 Loire 130

Cochinchine

Escadrille 1/42 : 4 Farman 221

By the end of the conflict on January 28, 1941 Thaïland recovered the territories. The French Navy won a great battle at Koh Chang on January 17, 1941 (The only one for the French Navy during both WWI and WWII). The French Air Force recorded three victories in the air with MS 406 and the Navy one with a Loire 130.

So I will make a 1/72 HobbyBoss MS 406 from Escadrille 2/596.

What we get for a few Euros :

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I have made the navigation lights with some pieces of Plexiglass

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Obviously for the price I could not resist to make two MS 406s, the second one is not for this GB.

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With a layer of cyano as a clear putty

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Patrick

Edited by VG 33
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I was curious as to which kit you would use for your build.

I also like the HB 406. I just wish it had an interior and a better choice for decals.

Looking forward to your build.

John

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Hi

A small work as I finished the navigation lights. Furthermore the MS 406 had some stringers over the wings skin and I made them with masking tape.

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Patrick

Edited by VG 33
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Wow this is an interesting subject. Looking forward to the build and markings of this aircraft.

Cheers,

B)

Thank you.

The aircraft were coming partly from an order of the Chinese and were interned in Indochina at the begining of the war in Europe. Later due to the Thaï threat they were pushed on duty but sadly most of them were without the 20 mm engine gun.

My MS 406 will be adorned with a digit and a nice insignia on the fin. The insignia is coming from a special decal sheet made by the French magazine "WingMasters" for the subscribers.

Patrick

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I was curious as to which kit you would use for your build.

I also like the HB 406. I just wish it had an interior and a better choice for decals.

Looking forward to your build.

John

Thank you

I will add some pieces inside the cockpit even if I let the canopy closed.

Patrick

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Patrick,

This is really great. IIRC, I have a Hasegawa kit that I would love to build as something like this. Are there any web-based pics of the French a/c in service in Indochina at this time of the war?

Warren

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Patrick,

This is really great. IIRC, I have a Hasegawa kit that I would love to build as something like this. Are there any web-based pics of the French a/c in service in Indochina at this time of the war?

Warren

Hi

If you can read French here is something more :

Here

As I said above the MS 406 in 1940/1941 wore just squadron markings on fin.

Later they were covered with red and yellow stripes as prisoner of war.

If I have got enough time the second MS 406 will be in 1942 before retirement.

Patrick

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very interesting topic. The engineering on that kit is fascinating too. Very simplified, but I wonder if any other companies will adopt a similar parts break down

Good luck on the build. I can't wait to see some photos with paint on that model

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Hello

I have glued the wings and a lot of work was made to have a nice joint. I should not have put the masking stripes on the wings before as I have to make the job again near the karman. The trailing edge of the latter asked for thinning and again I should have made this after gluing the wing as I had to add some styren.

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A small problem arose on the horizontal tail as the strut cannot be on the hinge line. Furthermore I had to to glue a thin stripe of styren to fill the gap between the moving part and the fin.

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Obviously I am going to do the same on the right.

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Patrick

Edited by VG 33
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Hi

Some work around the tail and a simplified reflector gunsight.

Tonight I am going to put the canopy.

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Patrick

Edited by VG 33
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Hi

I have started painting this bird and as with all the French aircraft until 1973 I had to make a flag on the rudder.

I always begin with the white and after covering the centre stripe I paint the blue and the red (matched with the roundels I will use).

A layer of the interior colour was also airbrushed on the canopy frame.

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Patrick

Edited by VG 33
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