Subject: Re: Heller 1/72 Caudron Simoun
From: "Submissions for ARC" <[email-masked]>
To: "claudio luchina" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:10:27 -0700

Hi,
I just wanted to let you know your article went on ARC today.  Thanks again for sending it in.

Steve Bamford
Aircraft Resource Center
http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com

Live like there is no tomorrow;
Love like you've never been hurt.
Work like you don't need the money.
Dance like nobody's watching.
Sing like nobody's listening.
Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: claudio luchina 
  To: [email-masked] 
  Sent: Tuesday, June 29, 2010 3:26 PM
  Subject: Heller 1/72 Caudron Simoun

  Gallery Article Template

  "Heller 1/72 Caudron Simoun" 

  by "Gabriel Stern"
  --------------------

        Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 01.jpg here  

     Some Heller kits are a source of joy, as their molds are very good and compare more than favorable with some current "short run" offers and are most of the time better than their Airfix cousins. While old Airfix kits convey a feeling of chunkiness, old Heller kits feel more subtle and refined.
     The subject this time is the famous Caudron Simoun (if you happen to be unfamiliar with the type look for it on the Internet).
     I got this kit from fellow modeler Diego Fernetti, for which my deep thanks go to him. It is a welcome break from the scratch enterprises.
     The Heller kit has been reviewed already a few times, so I won't repeat here what you can read somewhere else. No flash whatsoever was present in my kit and the parts were fine and crisp, even the transparencies.

        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 03.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 03.jpg Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 04.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 04.jpg Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 05.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 05.jpg Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 06.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 06.jpg 

     The specific plane represented here (F-ANRU) participated in the 1937 edition of the Oasis Circuit race, a remarkable endeavor that started and ended at Cairo visiting a number of other cities in Egypt. Simouns F-ANXJ and F-ANXB did also participate in that race.
      As said the kit parts are good, but care is needed in order not to obliterate the fine raised detail. You may protect said detail while gluing, puttying and sanding by using masking tape on the concerned areas. I don't know who made the masters for this kit, but the parts are very clean. For example the prop assembly, which is usually a group of chunky parts in certain kits, is a fine, to scale-thickness part. The building started by scoring the flaps and lowering them before joining the wing upper and lower halves; the same went for the elevators, all this easy because of Heller's neat engraving. The interior followed -this area is reasonably detailed, with a good instrument panel too-. By the way, all Simoun interiors are stated as red by the sources. Wheel pants' halves were glued removing the pins that hold the wheels, since I wanted to add them later to avoid messy masking or touch-ups. Besides, I don't like rolling wheels since a couple of times my models rolled off the building board and had a not very successful flight that ended abruptly on the floor.
      The only challenging part of the build might be the windshield, provided as transparent left and right halves that represent also a section of the fuselage. The clear areas would have to be masked and the seam neatly glued, then the whole added to the fuselage trying to obtain a clean transition. Some modelers just superglue those parts and then restore clarity by sanding and polishing. I glued them carefully with the usual styrene cement and bathed them in Future. Beware that the instrument panel is glued to the base of the "windshield" -there are guides on the parts- and not in the foremost position shown on the plans. Side windows are actually left and right-handed; one clear strip has the "sliding" pane marked; that goes on the pilot's position.
      I removed the molded-in Pitot tube from the wing to facilitate handling of the model and later on added one made of wire. Heller's kit has a small cut-out where the stab tongue is inserted in the fuselage and a stub small piece of the stab molded with the fuselage; the real plane had those too because the stabilizer could be adjusted, so you may choose not to putty that area. All the built models I have seen on the Net puttied that area, which doesn't speak well of modelers checking references (some times I don't either, or do and then mercifully forget). I noticed similar small details on other Heller kits that sometimes people think are flaws (comes to mind a tiny notch in the PZL P.24 cowl that is meant to be there). 

          
        Steve Bamford will insert full sized version of photo 02.jpg here  

     I posted here at ARC a few Heller reviews. The subjects do not belong to my current modeling agenda, but are indications of what you may expect from a Heller kit:
  http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Gal5/4401-4500/gal4411_D-510_Stern/00.shtm
  http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Gal5/4801-4900/gal4883_Amiot143_Stern/00.shtm
  http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Gal6/5001-5100/gal5066_Potez540_Stern/00.shtm
  http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Gal5/4101-4200/gal4157_PZLP-23_Stern/00.shtm
  In order to provide a bit of detail I grinded the nose part from inside and glued there a spare engine cylinder. Beware of the tail wheel/fairing. It is a very tiny part and mine twanged into the great beyond being recovered be a miracle. Glue it at the very last, and mind that it has a fragile attachment. I inserted a wire where the locating pin was.
      The decals in my kit were a bit fuzzy, but nevertheless I managed to use some for the necessary bits for this version, printing the remaining ones particular to this model at home.
  Oh, the Heller Nostalgia!
      The PZL P.11 was another nice kit from Heller. It can be built as civil register HA-NBN.
  So dear reader, if you are rich and famous, why don't you buy Heller's assets and issue a good Couzinet Arc-en-ciel? or perhaps a Dyle-Bacalan? 
      Looking forward to hear from you!

  "Gabriel"

        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 07.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 07.jpg Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 08.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 08.jpg Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 09.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 09.jpg Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 10.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 10.jpg 

  Just delete any of the boxes below you don't need.....it's not important to include them.....they are there to give you an idea of the finished article.  It is best to limit your article to no more than 60 or so photos, so the finished webpage won't take too long to open.

        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 11.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 11.jpg Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 12.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 12.jpg Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 13.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 13.jpg Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 14.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 14.jpg 

        Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 15.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 15.jpg Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 16.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 16.jpg Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 17.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 17.jpg Steve Bamford will insert a click-able smaller version of photo 18.jpg here.  Clicking on that photo will bring up the full sized version of photo 18.jpg 

       

       

  Photos and text © by "Gabriel Stern"