Paul's Potez

For twin prop-engine aircraft used in the air-air combat role. Any era, any kit, any scale.
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PaulBradley
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Paul's Potez

Post by PaulBradley »

I'll be doing the Heller Potez 631 in Swiss markings.

Boxart:

Image

The parts:

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Raised panel lines, but a fair amount of detail for a 1960's kit.

The big parts:

Image


and here's the a/c I'll be modeling:

Image

Photo of a photo, taken at the museum at Dubendorf.

To make a Swiss 630, I'll need to modify the engines and add extra guns under the fuselage. I have a set of Kora decals on the way which cover all the details, which should arrive by start time:

Image

Can't wait for next weekend to get started!
Paul

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Chris
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Re: Paul's Potez

Post by Chris »

That is a type I have never built, looks dandy!
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Re: Paul's Potez

Post by PaulBradley »

It is a very nice looking ship, though somewhat underpowered.

Apparently, it was often mistaken for the Bf110 in combat situations....
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Molly-new
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Re: Paul's Potez

Post by Molly-new »

An unusual looking subject, I don't envy you masking up that greenhouse though.
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Re: Paul's Potez

Post by PaulBradley »

Shouldn't be any worse than a Bf110. ;-)

Decals arrived the other day. A nice bonus is a replacement machine gun in resin - a vast improvement on the kit-supplied one.

Can't decide on whether to finish it in NMF or camo - what do you guys think?
Paul

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Brickie
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Re: Paul's Potez

Post by Brickie »

Depends how you feel about NMFs, I suppose. I'm never happy with mine, so I usually go camo if there's an option.
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Re: Paul's Potez

Post by Jagewa »

Personally I like the look of nmf/silver and Swiss insignia.

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Re: Paul's Potez

Post by PaulBradley »

I don't mind either option, to be honest. I just can't make up my mind.
Paul

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despondman
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Re: Paul's Potez

Post by despondman »

Looks good, look forward to the build.
Jagewa wrote:Personally I like the look of nmf/silver and Swiss insignia.
I'd have to agree with that.
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Re: Paul's Potez

Post by Sissel »

Nice choice, and a big surprise you're going with something Swiss. ;-)
I like the look of the NMF version.
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Titan
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Re: Paul's Potez

Post by Titan »

Nice subject Paul but if I were to choose a finish for it then the camo version it would have to be though NMF would be good too...not that I'm being indecisive or anything.... :-D :-D :-D
Look forward to it which ever scheme you choose.
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Re: Paul's Potez

Post by PaulBradley »

I used to be indecisive, but now I'm not so sure..... :ha:

I made a small start yesterday; I am removing the raised detail and rescribing. Got the wings done and glued together (all three parts...) and started on the fuselage. Curiously, Heller have depicted the fuselage as if it were lap-sided, like a clinker-built Viking ship or rowing boat - looks very odd and not at all prototypical. So, I've done my best to remove it, though only a coat of primer will show how well I've done that. However, an NMF finish may already have been ruled out. :sad:
Paul

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Chris
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Re: Paul's Potez

Post by Chris »

That's a shame, NMF looked interesting.
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Re: Paul's Potez

Post by PaulBradley »

I'll put a coat of primer on today, if I can, and we'll see.
Paul

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Re: Paul's Potez

Post by PaulBradley »

OK, progress.....

I got the fuselage together yesterday - unfortunately, I forgot to take photos....but I used the kit interior, which is pretty plain, but better than Airfix of the early seventies, if you see what I mean. Having looked at the fuselage, I feel an NMF finish IS a possibility, and my favourite option, though I'll reserve final judgment until that all-important primer coat goes on.

Today, I fixed the engine cowlings. The kit represents a Potez 631 with Gnome Rhone engines, whereas the Swiss bought the earlier Potez 630 with Hispano Suiza engines. The oil cooler intake is located on the top of the cowling, rather than underneath, and is a different shape, preventing me from just putting the cowling on upside down! So I had to sand off the kit's location lug:

Image

I then dug through my well-sorted spares collection, which includes a drawer for air intakes, and found a pair of something suitable even if not 100% accurate. These have now been glued in place. The cooling gills on the underside were rather too prominent, so I sanded them back a bit.

With the fuselage assembled and dried overnight, I was able to fit the wings to the fuselage this morning, keeping the correct dihedral with tape:

Image

I just finished up a short filling session - fit isn't too bad considering:

Image

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That resin lump is what I'm going to use as a belly cannon housing, something unique, I believe, to this a/c and developed by Oerlikon. The shape isn't quite right, but it's as close as my spares collection will yield.

I have dry fitted the horizontal tail, which was a poor fit, but some sanding and shaping has corrected that. The rudders were incorrectly shaped, so I sanded them to something shaped much better. I hope to get the tailplane situated tonight, but we may play Settlers of Catan instead - family fun night. :grin:
Paul

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