Dewoitine D.510

Pavla, 1/72

Reviewed by Glen Porter

Pavla's 1/72 scale Dewoitine D.510 will be available online from Squadron.com
 

The Dewoitine D.500, designed by Emile Dewoitine, first flew in 1932. A low wing monoplane with open cockpit and fixed spatted undercarriage, it was powered by a Hispano-Suiza V-12 engine and armed with two 7.5mm machine guns.

The later Dewoitine 510 had a more powerful H-S 12Ycrs engine giving 860 HP and a top speed of 250 mph along with a 20mm cannon firing through the spinner as well as the two 7.5mm mgs. These became the main French Air Forces fighter aircraft until replaced by the Morane Saulnier MS 406 but led inevitably to the Dewoitine D.520, a prettier and much more capable fighter. A small number of D.510s were supplied to the Chinese Air Force pre WW II.

The Dewoitine D.510 is not the sort of model you would expect to find in a Tamiya, Dragon, Trumpeter or Revell box, but for Pavla, one of the leading short-run manufacturers, its just what you would expect. There's one mid-grey plastic sprue with a small amount of flash and very refined panel detail. Because it's short-run technology, there are no mounting lugs. The plastic sprue has fuselage halves, upper and lower wing halves, tailplane, spatted undercarriage and some other small bits and pieces. All plastic parts will require a small amount of clean-up.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

Resin parts, well cast and beautifully detailed in cream coloured resin, include all the interior bits, under fuselage radiator with optional open or closed intake louvres, unspatted undercarriage legs, exhaust pipes and again some other small bits. There are two vac-formed wind-screens to complete the parts count.

There are decals for four aircraft, three French and one Chinese. Scheme No. 1 is for the personal aircraft of the C./O of GC I/1, Commandant Pallier, at Chantilly in September 1939. It is in the war-time French camouflage scheme. No. 2 is a Chinese Air Force aircraft flown by a French volunteer, William Labussiere, against the Japanese from Kunming airfield, no date given. It is in a somewhat unusual scheme of Matt Black and Dark Green uppers and Argent (I think that's a Light Blue) underneath and has the unspatted undercarriage.

The last two are both French Air Force in overall Silver, 1938 and 1936 respectively.

Being a short-run multi-media kit, I would recommend this for anyone but a newcomer to our hobby. Especially if you like the unusual or rare subject, you'll not go past this kit. There doesn't appear to be anything to cause much of a challenge, and the resin in particular is gorgeous.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Pavla for the review sample

Review and Images Copyright © 2007 by Glen Porter
Page Created 25 June, 2007
Last updated 24 December, 2007

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