Dora Wings 1/48 Marcel Bloch MB.151 C1 Kit First Look
By David L. Veres
| Date of Review | September 2019 | Manufacturer | Dora Wings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Marcel Bloch MB.151 C1 | Scale | 1/48 |
| Kit Number | 48017 | Primary Media | Styrene, Photo-Etch, Resin |
| Pros | Crisp moldings, fine recessed scribing | Cons | Novices might consider kit complexity daunting |
| Skill Level | Experienced | MSRP (GBP) | £40.49 |
First Look
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Hard to believe that France’s most famous jet fighters derived from a pudgy, piston-engine pursuit called the MB.151.
And although the slow but sturdy design failed to achieve immortality during 1940’s Battle of France, its manufacturer definitely did: after the war, resistance-member Marcel Bloch legally embraced his famous brother’s nom de guerre “Dassault”. And the rest, as they say, is history!
Dora Wings’ 1:48 MB.151 C1 breaks ground itself. Not only is it the first kit of the little Bloch warplane to this scale, but it sets a new quality standard for Dora Wings itself. The “limited run” effort comprises:
- 113 flash-free, gray and clear styrene components on nine trees,
- 15 photoetched metal details,
- 1 clear-film part, and
- 1 bubble-free gray resin component duplicating G25 .
Decals and ten-page instructions with parts maps, 14-step assembly sequence, and color guides complete contents.
The highly detailed cockpit interior boasts – if I correctly count – at least 29 parts. The seat alone remains a masterpiece of accuracy and intricacy. Pity the canopy is molded in closed position!
Instructions precisely portray the aircraft’s characteristic, centerline-offset cowling and engine installation. The single resin part “25” actually replicates G25, only one of which Dora Wings mistakenly provides. Both are wheel-bay end caps to main spar H10. Note, too, that the film sheet provides two reflector panels – an original and spare – for the PE part 14 and G34 gun-sight subassembly.
Dora Wings plans multiple MB.150-series releases. You get, for instance, two propellers, two vertical fins, two windscreens, and later MB.152 ventral canon 20-mm bulges. Blitzkrieg-era enthusiasts: prepare yourselves!
Complete with instrument-panel gauges and wing Matricule Militaire codes, the kit’s colorful, precisely printed decals include markings for four subjects – all illustrated on Dora Wings’ beautifully printed, full-color markings instructions:
- MB.151 C1 No.364 (Y851), GC I/8, May 1940
- MB.151 C1 No.57 (Y544), L’Aéronautique Navale, Fréjus-Saint-Raphaël, 1942
- MB.151 C1 No.98 (Y585), GC II/10, March 1940
- MB.151 C1 No.37 (Y524), AC3, June 1940
Out-of-the-box, Dora Wings’ superb MB.151 C1 should pose no puzzle to experienced enthusiasts. If, as I do, you love WWII French fighters, grab this magnificent model!
With thanks to Dora Wings for the sample.