Academy's 1/72 scale
Dassault Super Etendard

by Christian Lehmann

Special Hobby's 1/72 scale Firefly Mk.I is available online from Squadron.com

Background

This year will be the 30th anniversary of the Falkland War. This was the motivation of some members of 1.PMCN to build some models related to this topic. My contribution is the Super Etendard manufactured by the French aircraft producer Dassault.

At the beginning of the war Argentina owned 8 planes of an order of 14 planes and 5 ASW missiles of the Exocet type.

The built model shows markings of a plane of 2a Escuadrilla Aeronavalle de Caza y Ataque

( 2nd Navy fighter bomber squadron) which participated on the attack on the British fleet on 04.05.1982. During this attack HMS Sheffield was heavy damaged. As a result of this damage it sunk on 10.05.1982.

I chose the Academy model which is available with Argentine markings. Unfortunately parts of the markings could not be used because they are printed in wrong colours. Instead of the kit decals it have been used decals manufactured by Argentine producer “Condor Decals“.

On the Academy kit also gun muzzles beneath the air intakes have been missing. (image1). I intended to build them by myself and bought the old Heller kit to get a sample of the shape of the muzzles.

Finally it was decided to implant the whole fuselage section including the front wheel well into the Academy kit

Also the upper area of the Heller kits front landing gear strut corresponds better to the original than the Academy part. At the Academy kit the lower area is better. Therefore it was decided to build up the part by using the better parts of both kits.

I also used the Heller main wheels because the rims are better.

Also the PE parts from Eduard have been used. They contain braking hoses different antennas, fins fort he tanks as well as parts fort he cockpit, belts for the ejection seat, and frames and mirrors for the canopy

I used the ejection seat from the Heller kit which has been reworked by moulding cushions and using the belts from the Eduard PE fret.

Because I could not found photos of parked planes which show open air brakes they were closed after all the break troughs have been opened.

For the attack on the British fleet the SE were equipped with wing tanks beneath the left and one Exocet missile beneath the right wing. It has been used the tank and the missile of the Academy kit and the pylons of the Heller kit whose shape correspond better with the original. Both pylons have been reworked according to photos .

The model has been painted with Humbrols H125 (upper side), H47 sea blue (rudder and elevators), H 140 cockpit, Tamiyas X 2 white (underside, rudder and elevators), XF 2 fuselage cone)

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Thumbnail panels:

With some additional work it was possible to build a nice replica of a small plane that has its place in world military history.

References:

Frederic Lert: „Les materiels de l´armee de l´air et de l´aeronavale: Dassault Super Etendard“

Aviation Francaise Magazine : Numero13

Scale Aircraft Modelling : Volume7, Number 12, September 1985

Super Profile : Super Etendard, 1st edition 1983ansparent than most vac replacements I've seen.

Text and Images Copyright © 2012 by Christian Lehmann
Page Created 22 May, 2012
Last Updated 22 May, 2012

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