Model Subject: Potez 452

Kit Used: AZUR, kit no. 012, 1/72 scale

History of the aircraft modeled:

When the French Navy needed new seaplanes for scout observation purposes, Potez put forth two designs, the Potez 452 (two-seater) and Potez 453 (single-seater), both of which featured a high parasol wing single-engine seaplane. The planes were designed for catapult launches and 17 of the 452 two-seat design were constructed beginning in February of 1935. The power plant chosen was the Hispano-Suiza 9 QD 9-cylinder radial of 350 hp. Armament consisted of a single 7.5-mm machine gun for the observer. It was hoped by Potez that Spain would acquire a license to construct the 452 and in February 1936, Spain signed a contract to do so, but the Spanish Civil War changed that. The 452 soldiered on throughout the war with the free French Navy serving in Indo-China through 1944. They served aboard the battleship "Lorraine" and the cruisers "La Galissonière" and "La Motte-Picquet", and with several sloops of the French Navy, including "Amiral Charner", "Bouganville", "D'Iberville", and "La Grandièr".

Building the model:

Cockpit:

The cockpit was very basic, consisting of a floor, instrument panel, observer's radio control panel, pilot's control stick, rudder pedals, and headrest. I used evergreen styrene strip to build up some framework for the sidewalls. I also added a few control boxes, a spare machine gun ammo cylinder, and a leather flight satchel from styrene sheet. The interior was shot with Aeromaster French Interior Night Blue, with the control boxes painted black and the satchel and headrest brushed in leather.

Click on images below to see larger images

The instruments were done using disks of white decal trim film, followed by Reheat Models Instrument Panel Gauge decals. Control boxes received some Reheat Models Vintage Control Panel decals. After finishing the decals and applying a clear gloss to seal and cover, the cockpit received a light wash of black ink before finishing in a clear flat. Gauges received a drop of FUTURE, after the clear flat had dried.

The seat belts and harnesses were made from images I printed on plain paper using Adobe Illustrator. The paper images were treated with a coating of Microscale SuperFilm on both sides of the paper, after the ink had dried. This strengthens the paper and one can cut the belts out with a sharp #11 blade. The belts were applied as a decal, dipped into a watery solution of Elmer's glue and patted damp. The SuperFilm keeps the paper from shredding or fraying also.

Click on image below to see larger image

Exterior:

The struts:

There are no less than 15 individual struts to the parasol wing/float structure and two V-struts for the horizontal tail planes. Prepare on one full day at the workbench just cutting them carefully from the sprue and doing the extensive clean up required.  I had to go back to college for a degree in engineering in aligning them all. There are markings on the model for where the struts are to go, but they are incorrect. If one should use them in constructing the model, good luck. I found it easier to align and mount the main backwards N-shaped cabane struts first using the kit's template to align the wing with tape. I used small wire mounted into predrilled holes so that alignment went a little easier. The struts were cemented to the wing, but not to the airframe, until time to mount the wing in the final assembly. The rest of the struts were painted separately and mounted in the final assembly using much fit and adjust, not to mention a few choice expletives. Horizontal tail plane struts were mounted in the final assembly also.

Click on image below to see larger image

Wings, floats, and fuselage:

After clean up, the wings, fuselage, and float halves fit exceedingly well, with no filling needed. However, one could wish the trailing wing edges were a little thinner. The rudder is a separate piece and a little sanding was required to get it to fit properly. The horizontal tail planes are separate and great care is required to mount them in the indicated positions on the fuselage tail, but their fit is proper.

The two grab handles that mount on the port fuselage side are best replaced with new ones constructed from 0.025-in styrene rod. It is much easier to predrill holes for these and mount them in the final assembly, than to have to go to the trouble of aligning them and cementing them before painting, in which case I can assure you, they will break before finishing.

Click on image below to see larger image

The machine gun was replaced with an AeroProducts white-metal gun. The dolly was scratch-built (using a contour tool for the front and rear placement contours) from styrene sheet, tube, and rod, plus some spare wheels I had around. The dolly was painted Polly Scale Italian Chestnut Brown, a deep reddish-brown color. Dry brushings followed of light tan, hull red, medium brown, and a smidgen of black. The wheels, axles, and other metal objects were painted interior night blue with the tires brushed in grimy black. The navigation lights were done with styrene rod cemented into predrilled holes on the wing's leading edges outside of the slat. The tips were painted chrome silver in the final assembly and given a drop of Krystal Kleer each. When the Krystal Kleer had set up, I painted the port light clear red and the starboard light clear green.

Multi-media:

The kit contains resin pieces for the fixed leading edge slats and they are useless except in providing a template to construct two more from sheet styrene, the resin is too brittle and in no way could I cut these from the resin sprue without breakage. I replaced both with sheet styrene slats and mounts. It would be better if AZUR would supply two vacuform windshield glazings, because the vacuform plastic is very thin and very difficult to cut from the sheet due to the complexity of their shapes. Once cut, they both required much judicious sanding and then bending and dry fitting before attaching them. Both were attached just before mounting the top wing, Framework on each was done with painted decal film and brush paint touch ups.

Engine:

The engine is a one-piece affair and is reasonable in its molding. The cowling, however, had to be cut out a bit on the two interiors halves in order to except the engine. The engine was painted engine gray, with the cylinders brushed in oxidized aluminum and the pushrods in silver. Once given a gloss clear coat, the cylinders received a black wash and all was painted clear flat. The gear casing was painted clear gloss as a finish.  

Click on images below to see larger images

The propeller was painted wood tan and given dry brushings of light tan, dark brown, and a very light dry brushing of black. The propeller mounting brace was painted graphite and all received a coat of clear gloss.

Painting and decaling:

Exterior paint is pretty simple here; I primed and painted the model using Aeromaster French Light Blue-Gray. The fuselage and floats were masked and the hull bottom and float bottoms were painted flat black. All parts received a gloss prep coat for the decals.  

Cartograf in Italy did the kit's decals.  I had never had a problem in the past with Cartograf, but these must have used the same carrier film as found in Revell-Germany decals. They would not budge for setting or solvent solutions. In the end, I had to cut them in any recesses, apply some Elmer's white glue and carefully work them into the recess with a cotton swab. After the Elmer's dried I washed the excess off with a damp cotton swab. It is truly a pain in the hinny that one has to spend so much time consumed with a kit such as this and then has to deal with a crappy set of decals.  

Click on images below to see larger images

Conclusion:

This is not a wine for drinking; this is a wine for lying down and avoiding. But it is weird and Caz does like weird aircraft, one of the reasons I purchased the kit in the first place. If you have done a few East European limited run kits and want something unique, this fits the bill. But find a place of worship to seek absolution while you're constructing it, even the most reverent curse when constructing a kit such as this.  

Caz