AZUR 1/32 Dewoitine 520C.1....some thoughts

[alaninaustria]

HI guys! Just wondering what is up with the rumors of a new cockpit from France for this bird? As well, I just am so happy that this a/c is available in our scale. I really hope that the future will hold a few more nice surprises like this little kit. The quality is good, now how about a 32nd injection Macchi 202/205?

A few things about the kit I would like to ask:

1. I have noticed that Hannants are offering an improved version with updated cockpit, is the cockpit available seperate?How, when, where, how much etc?

2. The glass, is there any aftermarket cockpit glass available that would allow an open cockpit to be displayed?

3. Are there anymore decals in the works?

4. Does anybody know what kind of seatbelts were installed into this a/c?

5. Was there a main hydraulic cable attachment along the main gear legs? Any good photos?

Thanks for taking the time to read this, any pointers appreciated from anybody that has already started it!

Cheers

Enjoy the last few days of the year gentlemen......

Alan

[Gene]

Hi Alan in Austria,

LSP Dan Posted on Nov 1 2003, from his latest SAMI,

"Fabflight of France announces a resin update set for the 1/32 Azur D.520. New seat, weighted wheels, control surfaces sniper backplate & prop blades. Also includes a vacuformed canopy. Looks like a winner! Probably available through Hannants in the near future. Now available through Flight 66 in France (no price yet)"

 

If you were to pick up just one book on the D.520 I would whole-heartedly recommend the book from the 'Les Ailes de Glorie' (The Wings of Glory) no. 8, Dewoitine D.520 by Patrick Marchand and Junko Takamori, c 2002, ISBN 2-914403-11-9 distributed by Editions d'Alongn, Le Muy, France. The book is in French but packed with great line drawings, color profiles, and photographs -- a gold mine of info for modelers.

 

It is a nice kit, reasonably priced and fills one of those gaps in one's model collection. I'm not holding my breath expecting any aftermarket decals, but then who would have expected the effort mentioned above by 'Fabflight of France'--do they do any decals?

[Erwin]

Hi all,

 

Some thoughts on the Azur kit.

 

I'm not used to work with resin parts,so I wonder why the small cockpit parts couldn't be molded in plastic too.

They are so small,that with the closed cockpit clear parts,those small details aren't showing anyway.

it seems to me that Azur puts in resin parts to create that feeling of : 'waw' resin parts!

 

As for the decals they look great to me.The only aftermarket decals worth while would be of a German used D-520.

But that looks stupid to make a German version of the only French plane in 32 nd scale .

 

Greetings,

 

Erwin

[Tom_W]

Hello Erwin, the reason that this set is produced in resin is because it is so much cheaper to make moulds from RTV silicone than make an expensive mould and buy an injection moulding machine for such a short run of parts. Once you have made the masters you can make as many moulds as you like as the moulds do degenerate with use. Hope this clears things up a bit.

 

Tom.

[thierry laurent]

Some additional info that may help:

 

The Fabflight set is "so-so" but it is currently the only one! They have also released a French pilot in 1940 garb.

 

According to a french penpal, another French company should release a far better set soon. Wait and see!

 

AFAIK, no other aftermarket item has been released or announced.

 

With regard to references, there're more than one may think but obviously most of them are French ones!

 

The aforementioned book from Editions d'Along is recommended as well as the one published by DTU (publishers of the French magazine Replic). The latter also has plans, cutaway drawing and detail pictures.

 

Docavia (France) also published a quite thick book about the D520 many years ago but it is hard to find and quite expensive.

 

A Czech(?) monograph was published some years ago but the printing quality and contents was not up to expectations.

 

An old SAMI issue has an article with scale plans from Richard Caruana.

 

A recent issue of the French magazine Wingmasters has an article about the kit and a very good article is currently published in Replic (current and next issue). Replic article gives many superdetailing tips, profiles and walkaround pictures.

 

The most confusing fact is that no plan set seems to agree with the other...!

 

Contact me if you need more specific information. HTH.