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Fouga Magister in 1/72 scale: modelling report of various kits
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Special Hobby from Czech Republic release a brand new 1/72 injection moulded kit of the Magister CM.170 starting in 2015.
The kit was released during the years in various boxes but also simple releases sprues "left overs" in plastic bags.
Kit #SH72284 has decals for "Exotic Air Forces" and is very welcome indeed with a choice of excellent decals printed by Cartograph:
- Uganda with camouflage scheme and many dayglow stripes of the Defense Air Force School at Entebbe, late 1960s;
- Algeria with camouflage scheme with orange panels, School at Tafraoui base, early 1980s;
- Lebanon with camouflage scheme, ex-Luftwaffe, 1960s
- Morocco with camouflage scheme, 1963 war
The decals are really good with diferent styles of stencilling and red intake warnings.
There are about 110 parts in the Special Hobby kit with some optional parts for various versions and armament like Matra rocket pods with their special racks. In this release are a few tiny resin parts for antennas. (not shown).
A few kits were purchased as the Magister was used by many World Air Forces. Special Hobby also sells aftermarket detail sets in resin for the seat and wheels but I did not see why these are needed as the kit parts are nice.
The plastic parts are very delicate with nicely recessed panel lines. The interior is impressive with very well detailed cockpit. The wing tip tanks are the smaller ones and integrally moulded with the wing. You can set the wing air brakes deployed if desired. Clear canopies can be set open or closed.
The kit instructions show detailed colour suggestions with paint brands of Gunze Sangyo and Mr.Colour.
The Special Hobby kit is much finer than the very old Airfix and Heller Magister kits. The fit is very good with only very limited amounts of putty/ filler needed, sanding is often adequate.
A few Special Hobby "simple edition" kits #SS008 were purchased in 2018. It comes without decals. As I had Max decals, Airfix and Heller decals, these will be used as well as left-over decals from other bought Special Hobby kits.
(there is also a Special Hobby release for the French Aeronavale Magister "Zephyr" CM.175 with some extra parts for the differently shaped sliding canopies, stronger gears and tail arrester hook).
GENERAL NOTES
Kit assembly can be done rather straight forward.
The cockpit interior will be painted coal black, with seat having "leather brown" cushions with some straps made from slices of painted masking tape.
Some putty is needed and sanding was done.
Do install the rudder controls #79 after the decals are set in place.
The landing gear is best installed after the colour scheme has been applied. The gear bays have nice structural details. The gear bay interiors and insides' of gear doors were painted a mix of 90% yellow Revell Aqua 12 and 10% Revell green. This is thus a sort of yellow green primer.
Check the antenna layout particulars of the Magister model desired, the kit has many small parts. On the nose often a pair of ADF antennas are seen striped painted red-white (these are not always fitted).
Also do not forget the 2 small pitots in front of the wind screen.
On the models the canopies where set open to show the nice cockpit details.
The Magister cockpit transparancy frames can be hand painted inside black and outside. When dried, install the transparances, take your time here. The mid section has 2 parts with a mirror periscope and is a bit awkward to install. Fill any small gaps with white glue and paint the surrounding camouflage colour.
The canopy/ hood frame edges were made black with a permanent marker and set opened up. The provided spring bars #80, 81 to hold them open are nicely provided.
Anti-collision lights are nice clear parts in the wing tip tanks; paint their insides left side red and green right side.
The first Special Hobby kit was made in a scheme of the Algerian Air force as per kit #SH72284.
General assembly was done as decribed above. Here the wing air brakes are seen deployed.
The Algerian Magister camouflage colours airbrushed were these acrylics:
- lower surfaces light-blue grey with a mix of 75% Gunze Sangyo H323 light blue + 25% H314 FS35622 acrylic paints.
Than mask and free hand airbrush:
- sand Gunze Sangyo H313 FS33531
- brown with Revell Aqua 381 braun
Mask and than for the orange dayglow panels: Gunze Sangyo H98 orange.
Before decaling, each model got a gloss varnish to avoid "silvering", that is the effect that bubbles are trapped below the decal film that will spoil the model appearance. Johnson Future/ Pledge "acrylic floor polish" was airbrushed thinned 20% with Gunze Sangyo levelling thinner.
The smaller bits were installed such as the landing gear, doors, antennas and anti-collision lights.
The Magister cockpit transparancies with painted frames were installed.
The Algerian Magister has a long rod antenna below the fuselage, made from wire as shown in the kit instructions.
Finally, each model got a semi-dull varnish coat airbrushing Future/ Pledge (again thinned 20% with Gunze Sangyo levelling thinner) but now with mixed in some 5% Tamiya X-21 Flat Base. This gives an even semi-dull sheen and protects the decals.
Algeria
[area: 2,38 million sq.km | population: 44,7 million | capital: Algiers | GDP 4,100 USD per capita nominal ]
The Algerian Air Force, known as "Al Quwwat aljawwiya aljaza'eriiya," was established after Algeria gained independence from France in 1962. It seems over 28 refurbished Magisters were delivered from 1971 and flown in 2 escadrilles. They were also flown for ground attack missions. At the same time, Puma helicopters were purchased.
For more information about this Algerian air force, look at my page here...
The second Special Hobby kit was made in a scheme of Royal Moroccan Air Force.
Assembly of the kit was done as decribed above.
The Moroccan Magister camouflage colours airbrushed were:
- lower surfaces: light grey with Gunze Sangyo H338 (FS36495)
Mask the lower areas and than these acrylics:
- sand with Gunze Sangyo H313 (FS33531).
- brown with Gunze Sangyo H310 (FS30219).
- green with Gunze Sangyo H340 FS34097 (or use H73).
(There is probably no anti-glare panel in this scheme).
Decalling with the kit decals was done and the landing gears etc installed.
The Magister cockpit transparancy frames' mid section has 2 parts with a mirror periscope and a bit awkward to install. Small gaps were filled with white glue and painted the surrounding camouflage colour.
Morocco
[ area: 446,300 sq.km | population: 37,2 million | capital: Rabat | GDP USD 3,400 per capita nominal ]
The Moroccon air force ( القوات الجوية الملكية ) was established end 1956 as "Sherifian Royal Aviation". In 1961 the official name was the "Royal Air Force" of Morocco. Some 24 Magisters were acquired.
For more information about this air force, look at my page here...
The third Special Hobby kit was made in a scheme of Togo Air Force. General assembly was as described above. But it needed large wing tip tanks and these were found as spares coming from a Heller kit. The kit tanks were removed with a razor saw and the other bigger Heller tanks installed.
The Togo decals came from the MAX decals set #7223 including the rudder flags.
The Togolese colour scheme had to be "guesstimated" and airbrushed were these colours:
- lower surfaces: light grey with Gunze Sangyo H338 acrylic.
Mask the lower surfaces and than airbrush free hand:
- sand with Revell Aqua 16
- green with Gunze Sangyo H302 acrylic paint
- brown with Gunze Sangyo H310 acrylic
The surfaces had a glossy finish. Decalling was done and than the landing gear was installed.
It was decided to install a few Matra F2 rocket pods and their racks as provided in the Special Hobby kit. The rocket pods were painted light grey and are situated just outside the main landing gears.
Also the outboard wing pylons were set.
The canopies were set open. A periscope is seen on top of the mid frames and the canopy locks/ springs.
On the nose the ADF aerials were set in place and striped painted red-white with a tooth pick.
There is also a long wire antenna below the fuselage, this was made from scrap.
A final semi-dull varnish coat was airbrushed as described earlier above.
Togo
[ area: 56,785 sq.km | population: 8,7 million | capital: Lome | GDP USD 700 per capita nominal ]
Togo became independent in 1960. A small Togolese Air Force (in French: Armée de l'Air Togolaise) was established in 1964 with French assistance. From 1976 some 6 Magisters were acquired (later on 4 CM.170R were sold to Bangla Desh).
For more information about the Togo air force, look at my page here...
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Even more Magister models to follow... in progress...
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Created this page November 21, 2023