Dora Wings 1/48 Marcel Bloch MB.152 (late) Kit First Look
By David L. Veres
| Date of Review | February 2020 | Manufacturer | Dora Wings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Marcel Bloch MB.152 (late) | Scale | 1/48 |
| Kit Number | 48019 | Primary Media | Styrene, Photo-Etch, Resin |
| Pros | Crisp moldings, fine recessed scribing | Cons | Novices might consider kit complexity daunting |
| Skill Level | Experienced | MSRP (GBP) | TBA |
First Look
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With sluggish performance, weak armament, and engine cooling problems, Marcel Bloch MB.151s proved disappointing interceptors – and soon segued to second-line service.
MB.152 derivatives with improved cowlings and heavier armament subsequently supplanted the earlier version – and forged fame as the type’s principal production version during 1940’s “Battle of France”.
Now Dora Wings mirrors history with release of a 1:48-scale “late” MB.152. And like its ostensibly “limited run” plastic predecessor, this features:
- dozens of flash-free, gray and clear styrene components on nine trees,
- photoetched metal details, and
- 1 cleanly cast resin component duplicating G25 .
With the exception of Tree I with a new cowling, styrene components understandably replicate those in Dora Wings’ M.B.151 kit. Ditto for canopy masks and photoetch components.
Principal parts sport crisp moldings and finely recessed scribing. And the sensibly engineered, water-clear canopy components nicely install along panel lines – just as the originals did.
Again, 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.
Like the previous package, contents include decals and ten-page instructions with capsule history, parts maps, 14-step assembly sequence, and color guides for 4 subjects:
- MB.152 No.528, GC I/8, June 1940
- MB.152 No.236, GC I/8, April 1940
- MB.152 No.622, GC II/6, June 1940
- MB.152 No.672, GC II/9, 1942
… the last in colorful “livrée d’esclave” — red and yellow Vichy Armée de l’Air de l’armistice “slave stripes”.
Nitpicks? The late, great historian Gaston Botquin says that “definitive” M.B.152 cowlings featured 0.85m openings. Dora Wings’ 1:48-scale assembly, however, seems to sport a narrower, 0.75m mouth.
If necessary, the fix is fortunately easy: just enlarge the aperture to match photos.
Make Dora Wings’ terrific MB.152 part of your “Blitzkrieg-era” collection!
With thanks to Dora Wings for the sample.