Dassault SMB-2
Super-Mystere

Fonderie Miniatures

Fonderie Miniatures' 1/48 scale Super-Mystere is available online at Squadron.com

Reviewed by Brett Green

The Dassault SMB-2 Super-Mystere was the first aircraft produced in Western Europe to acheive supersonic performance. Its flattened snout and sleek lines are more than reminiscent of it contemporary, the American F-100 Super Sabre. Performance was similar too.

Considering the significance of this aircraft, it is perhaps surprising that we have not seen a Super-Mystere kitted in 1/48 scale styrene before.

Fonderie Miniature's new 1/48 scale Super-Mystere is a limited-run, multi-media kit. The kit comprises 62 low-pressure injection moulded parts, 6 resin parts and 12 pieces in white metal. The canopy is provided as a vacform part, and a spare is supplied. Markings for two schemes are also included.

The bulk of the kit is styrene. The plastic parts feature consistent engraved detail, but most of the parts display a rough, slightly uneven texture. However, the problem is not as pronounced as the orange-peel texture on earlier Fonderie Miniatures releases. Ragged flash is present on most parts. Sanding and polishing will be required to address these problems, especially if the natural metal French marking option is chosen. The wing trailing edges look quite thin, but the slab-like wing halves are moulded solid so sanding on a flat block will be advisable prior to assembly.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

The fuselage interior includes shallow alignment marks for the cockpit, but reinforcement of major joins is left to the modeller. The broad, swept wings are simply butt-joined to the fuselage sides. These critical joins will certainly need reinforcement with metal rod or wire to ensure a permanent bond.

The cockpit tub, seat, nose wheel well and wheels are all supplied in resin. All the resin parts are perfectly cast in a shiny cream coloured material. There does appear to be one large resin part missing from my sample - the instrument and gunsight cluster. The seat features a padded backrest, while the nosewheel features hollow lightening holes. Plastic, metal and etched parts are added to the cockpit for the instrument panel, rudder and control column.

The photo-etched fret is small but impressive. It includes the instrument panel, side consoles, harness sections, tailpipe detail and some smaller parts. These details will add real finesse to the finished model.

The undercarriage is supplied in white metal. This media will ensure maximum strength plus a measure of adjustment after the legs are secured to the fuselage. The white metal parts are nicely detailed - they should look great after the customary clean-up.

The canopy is supplied as a vacform part. This is quite thin and clear. A spare is provided in case of mishaps while the canopy is being removed from its backing.

Instructions and marking instructions are supplied on three double-sided sheets of A4 paper using exploded view drawings. The drawings and the sequence of assembly are fine, but identification of the parts is more complicated than average because parts are not labelled with numbers, and the instructions do not even note whether a part is plastic, resin, metal or brass.

Two sets of markings are supplied, one for a French Super-Mystere in natural metal, and a camouflaged Israeli bird.

Fonderie Miniature must be congratulated for producing this significant kit. If you build 1/48 scale models and are a fan of post-war French aviation, this is the only game in town!

However, modelling skills will definitely be required to build this model. In particular, prior experience will be necessary to adequately clean up the plastic parts, reinforce the major joins and achieve perfect alignment of the wing and stabilizer angles. 

Patience, planning and plenty of test-fitting will be the best formula for approaching this model.

The inclusion of the very good resin, brass and metal pieces will lift the finished product to a high standard if adequate preparation and effort is applied. So, if you have some experience with limited-run multi-media kits, FM's 1/48 scale Super-Mystere should be a challenging but rewarding experience!

Recommended.

Thanks to Squadron.com for the review sample