Hobby 2000 72031 - 1:72 Morane-Saulnier MS.406 1939-40

Plastic model kit of the French Morane-Saulnier MS.406 fighter in 1:72 scale

Hobby 2000 72031 represents the Morane-Saulnier MS.406, the standard fighter of the French Air Force at the outbreak of the Second World War. Despite an already dated design, it fought more air combats than any other French fighter of the 1940 campaign, and its cockpit was also occupied by Polish pilots who made their way to France after September 1939.

The kit is built around Hasegawa mouldings, with recessed panel lines and a clear rendition of the type's distinctive shape: a slim, sharply tapered nose, a radiator under the centre section and a heavily framed canopy. Hobby 2000 adds its own instructions, new decals and self-adhesive canopy masks. The decal sheet allows three marking options - alongside French Air Force schemes it includes Polish markings from 1940, linked to pilots fighting in France. This is a rarely modelled subject and the main reason this release stands out among MS.406 kits.

What's in the box:

• Plastic sprues with fuselage, wing and detail parts
• Clear parts for the canopy glazing
• Self-adhesive masks for the glazing
• Waterslide decal sheet printed by Cartograf for three marking options (French schemes and Polish markings from 1940)
• Illustrated assembly instructions

Kit specifications:

• Scale: 1:72
• Catalogue number: 72031
• Manufacturer: Hobby 2000
• Assembled length: approx. 113 mm
• Assembled wingspan: approx. 148 mm
• Skill level: beginner/intermediate

Note: The kit does not include glue, paints or modelling tools. The model requires assembly.

Assembly:

This is a small, conventionally engineered single-engine fighter, accessible even to modellers with limited experience. It is worth painting and finishing the cockpit before closing the fuselage halves, as access to the interior becomes very limited afterwards. The included self-adhesive masks noticeably shorten canopy preparation and help achieve crisp framing lines.

French machines of 1940 wore a distinctive three-tone camouflage of khaki, dark brown and blue-grey over light grey or blue-grey undersurfaces; the instructions provide paint references for each scheme. Applying decals over a polished gloss coat helps to avoid silvering, and a satin varnish makes a suitable final finish for aircraft of this period. A light wash brings out the fine panel lines of the mouldings.

Tools you will need:

• Modelling nippers for removing parts from the sprues
• Hobby knife or scalpel
• Files and sanding paper for cleaning up sprue gate marks
• Plastic cement (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement)
• Fine modelling tweezers
• Brushes in various sizes
• Modelling paints (acrylic or enamel)
• Gloss varnish for decalling and satin varnish for the final finish
• Decal setting solutions and a wash to accentuate detail

About the aircraft - Morane-Saulnier MS.406:

The Morane-Saulnier MS.406 was designed in the second half of the 1930s in response to a French Air Ministry requirement for a modern single-seat fighter. It combined modern features such as retractable landing gear and an enclosed cockpit with more traditional solutions - the rear fuselage and control surfaces were fabric-covered, and part of the airframe skinning used lightweight sandwich panels. Series production began in 1938 and the MS.406 became the first French fighter built in more than a thousand examples.

In May and June 1940 the MS.406 formed the backbone of French fighter aviation. Against the Messerschmitt Bf 109 E it was slower and climbed less well, but it was manoeuvrable, robust and relatively easy to fly, with an engine-mounted cannon firing through the propeller hub as a strong point. Losses were heavy, yet units equipped with the type were credited with several hundred aerial victories.

The MS.406 was also flown by Polish pilots who reached France after the September 1939 campaign and served with French fighter units and with Polish flights and squadrons formed there. This rarely modelled thread is reflected in the kit's decal sheet. After the fall of France, surviving MS.406s served with other operators, notably the Finnish Air Force, where modified examples fought until the end of the war.

Original aircraft specifications (Morane-Saulnier MS.406 C1):

• Length: 8.17 m
• Wingspan: 10.62 m
• Height: 2.83 m
• Empty weight: approx. 1900 kg
• Take-off weight: approx. 2540 kg
• Crew: 1
• Powerplant: Hispano-Suiza 12Y-31 inline engine of approx. 860 hp
• Maximum speed: approx. 486 km/h
• Service ceiling: approx. 9400 m
• Range: approx. 800 km
• Armament: one 20 mm Hispano-Suiza engine-mounted cannon and two 7.5 mm MAC 1934 machine guns in the wings
• Production: 1938-1940, over 1000 examples

About the manufacturer - Hobby 2000:

Hobby 2000 is a Polish model company based in Katowice that has built its position on themed releases. Its kits are based on mouldings from established manufacturers - in this case Hasegawa - completed with original packaging, new illustrated instructions and fresh waterslide decals printed by the Italian printing house Cartograf. Most aircraft releases also include self-adhesive masks for the canopy glazing, which noticeably simplifies painting. The brand favours subjects connected with Polish aviation history as well as less obvious episodes of the Second World War and the post-war years, selecting its marking options from archival material. Production runs are limited, so individual releases are often sought after by collectors. For the modeller this means proven, well-detailed mouldings combined with subjects not available in the original boxings. The company's catalogue covers aircraft, vehicles and ships in scales from 1:72 to 1:35.