Marcel Bloch MB. 151C.1

Dora Wings, 1/48 scale

Reviewed by Brett Green

Special Hobby’s Mirage F.1B/BE is available online from Squadron.com

The Bloch MB.150 (later MB.151 to MB.157) was a French low-wing monoplane fighter aircraft developed and produced by Société des Avions Marcel Bloch. It featured all-metal construction, complete with a retractable undercarriage and a fully enclosed cockpit.

The MB.150 was originally developed to conform with the requirements of the 1934 French Air Ministry competition seeking a new fighter design. Despite the competition being won by the competing Morane-Saulnier M.S.406, it was decided to proceed with development.

Initially proving unable to attain flight, the modified prototype conducted its maiden flight in October 1937.

Service trials of the MB.150 determined the aircraft to hold sufficient promise to warrant further work, leading to the adoption of an expanded and strengthened wing and a more refined Gnome-Rhone 14N-7 engine. During spring 1938, following the completion of further proving trials, an order for a pre-production batch of 25 aircraft was placed.

Redesigns of the MB.150 design led to the improved MB.151 and MB.152 which entered squadron service with the Armée de l'Air. By the outbreak of the Second World War, around 120 aircraft had been delivered to the Armée de l'Air, but most were not sufficiently equipped to be considered combat-capable.

Additionally, an improved model, designated as the MB.155, was capable of greater range. Ordered into production in 1940, only 10 aircraft had been completed by the Fall of France.

Completed during the Vichy era, a further improved model of the aircraft, designated as the MB.157, featured a heavier and more powerful engine. Though demonstrating promising performance, it did not enter production.*

This is not the first member of the MB.150 family to appear in 1/48 scale. Classic Airframes released MB. 152 and 155 kits around the turn of the century. These were limited run plastic kits with vacform canopies.

Dora Wings' new offering represents a major improvement over these 20-year-old kits. It should be a lot easier to build too!

Dora Wings all-new 1/48 scale Marcel Bloch MB. 151C.1 comprises 109 parts in light grey plastic, one part in grey resin, seven parts in clear plastic, 21 photo-etched parts, one printed clear film and markings for four aircraft.

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Thumbnail panels:

Although this is still a limited run kit, the quality looks very good indeed.

The plastic parts are well moulded. There are some stains and discoloration on the fuselage halves but this appears to be mould flow and will be completely hidden by paint.

Panel lines are crisply recessed and consistent throughout.

This kit does not include locating pins, so a little more time and care will be required with aligning major parts. Assembly breakdown is quite conventional with fuselage halves and a three-piece engine cowling.

The wings are made up from upper and lower halves for each side, plus a wing spar and separate ailerons and wing root panels.

The horizontal stabilisers feature separate elevators and the rudder is also a separate assembly.

The cockpit is adequately detailed and includes photo-etched seat frame, harness straps, ring and bead gunsight and other smaller parts.

The instrument panel is a plastic part with raised switches, bezels and circles. A layover decal is supplied for the instrument dials.

Printed clear acetate is included for the gunsight reflectors too.

Structural detail is moulded to the sidewalls.

Engine detail is good. A photo-etched ignition harness is also included.

Clear parts are presented in injection moulded plastic. The windscreen and canopy are thin and free from distortion. The sliding canopy section and the rear section are moulded as one piece, so you won't be able to pose the canopy open straight from the box. Maybe you will be able to find a spare vacform canopy from the old Classic Airframes MB.152 or 155 (they included a spare set of vacform canopies in their kits).

A choice of two windscreens is offered.

Wing tip navigation lights and leading edge landing lights are also offered on the clear sprue.

Dora Wings has very thoughtfully included die-cut, self-adhesive canopy masks, which will save some time!

My sample included a small single resin part labelled "2". Although it does not seem to be mentioned in the instructions, it will be used. It is a duplicate for plastic part G25, which are end caps on wheel well parts. Only one plastic part is supplied and two are required so realising the error Dora Wings supplied the missing part in resin..

Instructions are supplied on a ten-page, glossy folded from two A4 and one A5 sheets. There are 14 illustrated construction steps.

The marking guide is in full colour.

Markings

The decal sheet is printed by Decograph from Ukraine. The decals are satin in finish.

Registration and printing look good.

Markings are supplied for four options - three in Armee de L'Air service and one Vichy aircraft.

The schemes comprise three of four disruptive upper surface colours with Light Blue Grey on lower surfaces. Two of the three Armee de L'Air options have interesting fuselage artwork - Donald Duck and a heraldic rooster - while the Vichy MB.151 features striking red and yellow stripes on the engine cowling and tail surfaces.

This is a good looking and well detailed kit of a neglected subject.

Dora Wings' 1/48 scale Marcel Bloch MB. 151C.1 is cleanly moulded, features crisply recessed surface textures and useful photo-etched parts.

You won't have any trouble with this kit if you have a few models under your belt Just take your time cleaning up, aligning parts, test-fitting frequently, and you'll have an attractive and quite unique result.

*Historical summary adapted from Wikipedia

Thanks to Dora Wings for the review sample.

Review Text and Images Copyright © 2019 by Brett Green
Page Created 23 September, 2019
Last updated 25 September, 2019

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