SNCASE 535 Mistral, GC1/III 'Normandie-Niemen' Oran-La-Senia Airfield, Algeria, 1954
Normandie-Niemen's first jet - the SNCASE Mistral, otherwise known as the good old De Havilland Vampire FB.VI with an uprated French engine and (an important consideration with the Vampire which was virtually impossible to bail out of normally) an ejector seat. Like most early jets it only had a short service life (1954-1957) and only seems to have been an interim type until the new wave of French designs got off the drawing board.
This was the old Heller kit from the early 80s, still the only game in town for this type without resorting to resin. Thankfully, like most of its labelmates, it has stood the test of time well and didn't need a lot of input from me. I detailed the cockpit with side consoles scratched from plasticard, tape seat belts and an ejector seat loop of fuse wire, only to find out when I got the lid on that everything was virtually invisible. Doesn't matter, I know it's there . No amount of material, even depleted uranium, was going to make this one sit up on its nosewheel properly, hence the rod under the rear fuselage.
The shaky bit was the Carpena decals, as broken as all the others on this sheet but held together with a spray of gloss varnish. I used the kit decals where I could, and they, like the rest of the kit, stood up well.
So, subject seven in the bag. Something big and impressive coming up for subject eight.
SNCASE 535 Mistral, 'Normandie-Niemen'
- Spaceowl
- Modelling Gent and Scholar
- Posts: 1081
- Joined: July 1st, 2011, 8:41 am
- Location: Middlesbrough, Peoples' Republic of Teesside
SNCASE 535 Mistral, 'Normandie-Niemen'
Overhead a rainbow appears...in black and white.
Current Projects:
Aircraft of VMA-542, USMC
Peru-Ecuador War 1995
THK 1939-2023
Polish Air Force 1939
Current Projects:
Aircraft of VMA-542, USMC
Peru-Ecuador War 1995
THK 1939-2023
Polish Air Force 1939
- DavidWomby
- Modelling Gent and Scholar
- Posts: 11765
- Joined: May 1st, 2011, 8:09 pm
- Location: Florida, USA
Re: SNCASE 535 Mistral, 'Normandie-Niemen'
Lovely and you're making fast progress through the types they flew.
David
David
Re: SNCASE 535 Mistral, 'Normandie-Niemen'
Magnificent Mistral Spaceowl,look forward to more models in this collection.
Regards
Ken.
Regards
Ken.
- iggie
- Modelling Gent and Scholar
- Posts: 23438
- Joined: July 31st, 2013, 11:04 am
- Location: North Somercotes, Lincolnshire
- Contact:
Re: SNCASE 535 Mistral, 'Normandie-Niemen'
Very smart little build, and yet more interesting information about the French airforce
Best wishes
Jim
If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing
"Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
Jim
If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing
"Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
-
- Modelling Gent and Scholar
- Posts: 4422
- Joined: May 1st, 2011, 11:14 am
- Location: Doncaster, Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire.
Re: SNCASE 535 Mistral, 'Normandie-Niemen'
That's come up really well. I've 2 stashed , one RAF and this version. Any fit issues with the booms?
- Spaceowl
- Modelling Gent and Scholar
- Posts: 1081
- Joined: July 1st, 2011, 8:41 am
- Location: Middlesbrough, Peoples' Republic of Teesside
Re: SNCASE 535 Mistral, 'Normandie-Niemen'
Not really, but getting the dihedral right was a bit of a pig. I think that's common to all of the Vampire family though. Other than that, just a touch of filler around the wing/boom joint.shangos70 wrote:That's come up really well. I've 2 stashed , one RAF and this version. Any fit issues with the booms?
Overhead a rainbow appears...in black and white.
Current Projects:
Aircraft of VMA-542, USMC
Peru-Ecuador War 1995
THK 1939-2023
Polish Air Force 1939
Current Projects:
Aircraft of VMA-542, USMC
Peru-Ecuador War 1995
THK 1939-2023
Polish Air Force 1939
-
- NOT the sheep
- Posts: 26188
- Joined: November 26th, 2011, 6:11 pm
- Location: Pontefract West Yorkshire
Re: SNCASE 535 Mistral, 'Normandie-Niemen'
Nice one, Spaceowl, that really looks good. My knowledge of early British jets is embarrassingly bad as I didn't know the French did their own version of the Vampire - being a self-confessed post-war jet enthusiast, I should know that really
Doing - Tamiya 1/35th Universal Carrier.
Work is the curse of the modelling classes!
IPMS#12300
Work is the curse of the modelling classes!
IPMS#12300
- FAAMAN
- The Bug Has Well And Truly Bitten
- Posts: 404
- Joined: October 14th, 2014, 3:49 am
- Location: Sydney Australia
Re: SNCASE 535 Mistral, 'Normandie-Niemen'
Very nice indeed
Been modelling for years, still learning . . . .
Model kits are meant to be assembled . . . . . . . . . . eventually.
Model kits are meant to be assembled . . . . . . . . . . eventually.
- Spaceowl
- Modelling Gent and Scholar
- Posts: 1081
- Joined: July 1st, 2011, 8:41 am
- Location: Middlesbrough, Peoples' Republic of Teesside
Re: SNCASE 535 Mistral, 'Normandie-Niemen'
Not just the Vampire - The French Navy used their own version of the Sea Venom as well, known as the Aquilon. It must be something about twin boom De Havillands.ShaunW wrote:Nice one, Spaceowl, that really looks good. My knowledge of early British jets is embarrassingly bad as I didn't know the French did their own version of the Vampire - being a self-confessed post-war jet enthusiast, I should know that really
Overhead a rainbow appears...in black and white.
Current Projects:
Aircraft of VMA-542, USMC
Peru-Ecuador War 1995
THK 1939-2023
Polish Air Force 1939
Current Projects:
Aircraft of VMA-542, USMC
Peru-Ecuador War 1995
THK 1939-2023
Polish Air Force 1939
-
- NOT the sheep
- Posts: 26188
- Joined: November 26th, 2011, 6:11 pm
- Location: Pontefract West Yorkshire
Re: SNCASE 535 Mistral, 'Normandie-Niemen'
I didn't know that either! Many thanks for filling in a gap in my knowledgeSpaceowl wrote:Not just the Vampire - The French Navy used their own version of the Sea Venom as well, known as the Aquilon. It must be something about twin boom De Havillands.ShaunW wrote:Nice one, Spaceowl, that really looks good. My knowledge of early British jets is embarrassingly bad as I didn't know the French did their own version of the Vampire - being a self-confessed post-war jet enthusiast, I should know that really
Doing - Tamiya 1/35th Universal Carrier.
Work is the curse of the modelling classes!
IPMS#12300
Work is the curse of the modelling classes!
IPMS#12300