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1/72 scale model of the Super Etendard by Heller
The French company of Dassault designed (based on the Etendard) the Super Etendard supersonic strike fighter for use from French aircraft carriers. Though it was intended that the requirement would be fullfilled by a "navalised Jaguar M", that never happened. First flight of the single seat Super Etendard was in 1974. It had a SNECMA Atar 8K and could fly max 1200 km/hr. Armament were 2 DEFA canons and various missiles including the Exocet. French service entry was in 1978 and aircraft flew from the Clemenceau carrier. Some 90 aircraft manufactured as the type was also exported to Argentina and Iraq.
A Super Etendard photographed by me at an Air Show.
The SAFRAN (licensed Martin Baker) Mk.6 seat as used in the Super Etendard.
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The 1/72 Super
Etendard kit of Heller was first released in 1984 (kit no. 80360).
It later appeared in new boxes and new decals (including an Airfix box
release in 1990).
The parts are in very light grey
plastic with a canopy and windscreen. An EXOCET missile with pylon and a single fuel tank are in the kit.
The decals are for a single scheme of a Super Etendard of 17F.
It is a basic kit but with some refinements results in a nice model. The main doors are moulded closed which also is often seen on a real Super Etendard. But the pitot tubes are there as well as the rear fuel dump.
The Heller kit was assembled rather straight forward. I only drooped the loose inboard flaps which are separate parts. The kit required minimal amounts of filler.
After assembly, a couple of light grey base coats were applied with the airbrush to check for any flaws that needed rework. The cockpit interior is small and got a few bits of scrap plastic. The seat got straps and ejection chord made from thin wire. The interior was painted dark grey.
The lower colour is white, using in
this case Gunze Sangyo H1 acrylic. This was applied first with the airbrush
and than masked.
I was not sure about the upper Super Etendard
colour. It looks a bit a mix of dark grey and blue, but I decided to use
Gunze Sangyo H56 intermediate blue acrylic.
Decals were used from the Heller kit. They are not great but usable. I only replaced the Aeronavale roundels with better ones from a Modeldecal set.
Before setting a decal onto the model, each decal was dragged through some Johnson Future/Pledge varnish. This prevents silvering. Each decal was than set in place and the remainder of the water and varnish removed with a fine cloth.
The tail code and serial numbers are a bit too large, but I had no others available.
After decalling, details like the undercarriage were set on the model as well as a single fuel tank. The missile pylon was kept clean (though an Exocet is in the kit). I first glued the pylon the wrong way, the pointy section should point to the rear. This was corrected.
Overall a gloss transparant coat was airbrushed onto the model (again using Johnson Future/Pledge varnish). Anti-collision lights and tiny bits like the pitot tubes were painted. That canopy was installed set open after a mirror was installed at the inside frame and that completed the model.
...and at base Landivisiau....
A nice model in the French Jet collection.
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Back to 1/72 Models.......
Books are just a few.... so ...
- Air International Vol. 30 no.1
- World Air Power journal no.29 pages 138-142
- Falklands, the Air War, [Burden, Draper, Rough, Smith, Wilton], Arms and Armour Press, 1986
Web:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dassault-Breguet_Super_%C3%89tendard
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Created this page
December 8, 2016