Special Hobby/MPM

1/32 Morane-Saulnier Type N Bullet

Kit Number: 32006

Reviewed by  Howie Belkin, IPMS# 16

MSRP: $48.00 54 injection molded, 1 clear, 12 resin, 1 fret of photo etch, film instruments parts, and decals for 2 versions. Raymond Saulnier and his childhood friends, Robert and Leon Morane, began producing aircraft in 1913 France, winning races and gaining fame with pilot Roland Garros (the type N raced before the war). At the outbreak of WWI Saulnier developed a synchronized system that would enable the pilot to fire the gun only when the propeller was out of line. Early versions did not work properly because of the faultiness of the standard ammunition supplied so small wedges of toughened steel deflector plates were added for extra insurance (nicely depicted by MPM). Even so, the synchronizing idea was temporarily abandoned. During two weeks in early 1915 Garros, in a Morane-Saulnier Type L, shot down five enemy aircraft (some say four). However on April 18th, a German rifleman forced Garros to land behind enemy lines and where he and his machine were captured. Fokker and his staff examined the "wedgy" system, and Saulnier's disconnected synchronization system. Before long, the superior flying Morane-Saulnier Type Ns would duke it out with the more reliably armed Fokker Eindekkers, monoplane a la monoplane, yet fall to Germany's better armed interrupter-gear machine guns. The Morane did help dispel the invincible Fokker myth, was flown by French aces Navarre and Pegoud, accounted for at least 12 of the Imperial Russian Air Service ace Ivan Smirnov's kills and served with the RFC. Its' complex network of wires for wing warping and inferior ammo kept it from being as great an airplane as it appeared to be. WWI aircraft became obsolete as quickly as they came out, and though lethal in a superior pilot's hands, the Bullet was built in small numbers yet flew in France as early as 1914 and with Russia as late as 1917, being replaced primarily by Nieuports that fired outside the propeller arc (as did many WWII fighters). It seems odd to us today to look back and see monoplanes at the start of WWI be replaced by biplanes - nay - triplanes - and then biplanes become the favored design throughout the inter-war years! The Morane-Saulnier Type N was truly an aircraft ahead of its' time, and had these Frenchmen only adopted ailerons and had perfect firing ammunition they could have mounted not one but two or three synchronized machine guns firing straight ahead, creating a Saulnier Scourge in 1914, writing an alternative history in which a magic Bullet could have ended the war early and saved millions. The model itself is an excellent multi-media magical kit combining injection molded plastic, photo-etch, film instruments and resin parts perfectly. The nine cylinder Le Rhone rotary resin engines cooling fins are paper thin, and the PE ignition wire is divine. Resin parts remove from the pour plug easily with hardly any cleanup or air holes to clean up. The large "la casserole" spinner sure is pretty but caused cooling problems so it would be realistic to leave it off to better show off the detailed engine and odd but accurately shaped propeller blades. The cockpit includes fuselage framework, padded seat, and the few instruments, but you need a punch to cut the dial faces from the film (I used decal instruments with Future glass). I had to trim the rudder and cross bars so the assembly wasn't too wide, and even still upon closing up the fuselage I had a gap to fill on the upper deck behind the head rest. It's not exactly clear which way perforated P.E. parts PP10 and 11 (longerons?) go (they lie flat horizontally) but think of them as multiple cup holders and you'll get the picture. The Hotchkiss 7.7mm m.g. is nicely done with nominal mold seams and comes complete with scale resin bullet strips and p.e. perforated belts in the flat ammo tray. You'll need to borrow a Vickers or Maxim m.g. and markings to create an English or more exciting Russian version but I was happy with Jean Navarre's red nose MS. There were alternate, unused parts suggesting they may be released at a later date. Special Hobby correctly captured the Bullet's wooden reinforcement strips (not rib tapes) on the wings, the coarse frame around the tail fin, and lacing along the fuselage that shows up prominently in photos. There are pegs on the wings to align with holes in the fuselage but you'll have to reshape or remove them for a snug fit. I used a cyano cement with accelerator for a strong weld. The photos show an early stage of rigging my model with K&S wire. Rigging it was much easier than rigging a biplane. I painted the model with Pactra enamel, coated with Future then wiped on and wiped off an oil paint "wash" when dry (that worked for the propeller wood grain also). The decals went down well with the Future decal system. Thanks to Special Hobby/MPM for releasing this historically significant aircraft in 1/32 and providing this review sample!! Many historians firmly believe Fokker copied the Morane Saulnier, copied the Le Rhone engine and Saulnier's synchronizing gear. I've read a couple of other reviews that state the kit is basically spot on, trailing edges are scale thin and wings have the correct airfoil. Detail parts for the overhead rigging pulley and the many rigging turnbuckles are provided but the instructions aren't as clear as they could be. The wheels are provided in solid halves leaving no option for exposed wire spoke wheels unless you replace them. Rigging the model with straight K&S wire is simple enough. My only real disappointment was that the MS logo prominent on both sides of the cowling, shown on the box art, is not provided. At the very least it could have been included as a decal. It may be out on a P.E. set by now, or you can scan the logo, reduce it and create your own decal or P.E. logo. Some skill is required so I'd heartily recommend this kit to anyone but beginners. You can get yours at better hobby shops or contact them at: MPM, s.r.o., Mezilesi, 718,193,00, Prague, 9, Horni, Pocernice Czech Republic phone +420 2 8192 3907 www.mpm.cz

FYI, two of my references were The Imperial Russian Air Service in World War One and French Aircraft of the First World War. At one point I noticed an entire section was missing from the former book, pages 393 to 400. I contacted Paladin and they promptly replaced the book. I don't know how many imperfect books are out there but if you have one contact them. If you don't have these books add them to your "must have" list. For the price of a couple of Osprey books you could have a one volume complete study of either the Russian or French WWI air services (or Austro-Hungarian by the late Dr. Marty O'Connor) - I call that a bargain - the best you'll ever have!

Information, images, and all other items placed electronically on this site are the intellectual property of IPMS/USA ®.