Subject: Re: 1/72 Hasegawa D 520 build
From: "Steve Bamford" <[email-masked]>
To: "Murphy, Thomas J" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 7 Apr 2003 11:07:44 -0700

----- Original Message -----
From: "Murphy, Thomas J" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2003 10:40 AM
Subject: 1/72 Hasegawa D 520 build

Steve,
   I'm back!  Standard comments on pictures and titles (use my home e-mail
for the link: [email-masked]).  Included in this batch are the two large
photos.

Regards,
Murph

THE AIRCRAFT

    Stemming from a 1936 company study, the D-520 obtained its name from the
French Air Force's speed requirement (520 km/h) for the design.  The design
was initially rejected in favor of the MS 406, but Dewotine continued with
its design and built two prototypes at company expense.  The French
government finally rewarded Dewotine's persistence with several successive
contracts but only three prototypes had been flown by the time war broke out
in September 1939; although, orders were on hand for 2,200 aircraft.  When
the German attack in the West finally opened in May 1940, the French Air
Force only had 36 operationally cleared D-520's.  In June French pilots were
picking their aircraft up directly from the factory in one's and two's, and
by the time France fell 437 D-520's had been delivered.  A remarkable record
considering that real production didn't begin till Germany had set foot on
French soil.  In combat the D-520 was able to hold its own against
contemporary German and Italian aircraft with performance roughly comparable
to the British Hurricane, reasonable armament (one 20mm hub mounted cannon
with four wing mounted 7.5 mm machine guns) and, incidentally, considerably
better looks than other French fighters of the time.  During the Battle of
France it maintained an almost two to one kill ratio (147 kills to 85
losses), and was the best French fighter of its time.  Following the fall of
France, the Vichy government continued to produce and fly the D 520.  The
aircraft subsequently saw action against the Allies in the North African
campaign and later on was used by the Luftwaffe, mainly as a fighter
trainer, but also operationally on the Eastern Front.  It was also issued by
the Germans to Italian, Bulgarian, and Romanian units.  Eventually coming
full circle the aircraft was again flown in France by Free French pilots
following the Normandy invasion and continued on post war, with its last
flight for the French Air Force being on 3 September 1953.  The aircraft as
modeled represents one from the 6 Escadrille, Groupe de Chasse III/6 based
at Ryak, Syria during the Allied 1941 invasion, and carrying colorful Vichy
red and yellow stripes.

THE MODEL

   This kit was one of the WW II releases that Hasegawa issued during the
'90's, and the particular kit I used was the one that contained Vichy
markings.  The measurements of the model work out to dead on for scale
accuracy, and the kit has engraved lines and a nice, thin canopy.  The kit
cockpit is somewhat plain, so I replaced it with the High Tech's resin set
for the D520.  This set is well detailed and fits like a glove.  It includes
a one piece cockpit floor and rear bulkhead, instrument panel, various boxes
for the cockpit sidewalls, undersurface radiator scoop, and replacement
control surfaces.  The only negative feature of this detail set is the seat
back; there is none, so it has to be made from scratch.  On the real
aircraft this was a tubular frame, covered by canvas, set on a bucket seat,
and the Hi Tech instructions include a scale drawing of both.  To simulate
this I used a paper clip, cut to size and bent to shape.  I then covered
this with tissue paper soaked in water and white glue.  Once that was dry
the seat back was fixed to the seat bucket using CA glue. At the same time
the cockpit walls were detailed with stringers from Evergreen strips and the
resin detail pieces.   I painted the cockpit a medium gray, in accordance
with the kit instructions, and the canvas seat back khaki drab.  I now
believe the cockpit color is wrong.  Lynn Ritger has subsequently posted a
beautiful cockpit shot of the D 520 (where does he get these pictures, and
where was he when I needed him?) and it shows the cockpit to be a dark blue
with the instrument panel in black.  Oh well, live and learn.  The fuselage
was assembled with no problems, and the rear quarter panel windows
installed, once the area behind them was painted.  These were initially
glued in with white glue, to seal them off.  Once that was dry CA glue was
applied.  The white glue prevented the CA fumes from getting inside these
windows and fogging them.  These were then sanded and polished back to
clarity using successively finer grades of Flexi Grit and polishing with
Brasso.  Before the wings were assembled the flaps were cut out, to be
replaced by resin ones that came with the Hi Tech set.  I left the flaps off
till the kit was painted and clear coated, then they were glued on with CA
glue.  Once the wings were on the canopy was glued on then faired in with
putty, rescribing was done, the landing gear legs were added, and I was
ready for painting.

PAINTING, DECALING, AND FINISHING

     The primary paints of choice were French Air Force colors from the now
defunct Aeromaster range of enamels.  The nose and tail were masked off and
sprayed Model Master flat white, then Gunze Sangyo Yellow (H-4), except for
the rudder which was left white for reasons I'll explain later.  Once these
were masked off with cellophane tape the topside was painted.   Dark Blue
Gray (9101) was sprayed first, followed by Khaki (9102), then Brown (9103).
The bottom was then done in Light Blue Gray (9101).  As always paper masks
were used for these.  Tamiya clear gloss was sprayed on to prep for the
decals, then the replacement flaps were glued on.  The decals are a mix of
kit decals and Carpena sheet 72.40.  The red "Vichy" stripes are kit decals,
and despite what many have said about Hasegawa decals, I've never had any
problems getting them (or Tamiya for that matter) to conform to panel lines
using Micro Sol.  The one thing to be careful of with these stripes is
making sure they match up on both sides of the aircraft.  I would apply one
side's stripes first, let them dry, then apply the other side making sure
the leading and trailing edges of the decals matched up.  The other kit
decals I used were the wing, rudder, and fuselage stripes; although, I
wasn't that happy with them.   The white part of these stripes are the
infamous Hasegawa "white," but I didn't feel like hand painting these on the
wings and fuselage.  To get around this problem on the rudder decal, I cut
out the white section and applied the blue and red sections over the white
painted rudder.   A company called Model Art has subsequently released a
sheet with these stripes, which takes care of this problem for the fuselage
and wings.  The rest of the decals all came from the Carpena sheet.  I've
never figured Carpena decals out.  They are thin, but I've always had
trouble getting them to conform to panel lines even using large amounts of
Micro Sol; although, I recently read somebody has had success with Solva
Set, so I'll have to give that a try.  Once these had dried the model was
wiped down to remove excess setting solution, then sprayed with clear gloss
again.  Weathering was applied at this point using artist's oil paints
(Payne's Gray and Titanium White) along the control surface hinges.
Following that appropriately doctored Testors Dullcote was applied for the
matte coat.  All that was left was gluing on the landing gear doors and
wheels, and spraying exhaust stains (RLM-66 mixed with flat brown), and the
kit was finished.  Like all of Hasegawa's 1/72nd WW II fighters the D-520 is
an easy build, and the Vichy markings make for an attractive scheme.

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