Heller 1/72 Mureaux 117 (L095)

HELLER 1:72 MUREAUX 117

Reviewer: Richard Stracey (rec.models.scale)
Kit Review submitted: 24 October 2001 (#26)

Aircraft:
The 117 was the last of a long line of parasol monoplanes used by the French Air Force for most of the 1930s. First flown in 1935 this recon./ bomber was obsolescent by the start of the Second World War. In all 115 aircraft were produced. Powered by a Hispano V12 supercharged engine they had two fixed and one moveable 7.50mm machine guns and some had provision for bombs. Wingspan was 15.40m and length 10.05m.

The Kit:
Heller L095 1/72
This Heller kit is quite elderly, the detail of the fifty four parts varies from a very nice radiator grille and “quilting”effect on the fuselage sides to an overscale scarf ring and gun.

Construction:
Not much cockpit detail is supplied and a joystick and seatbelts can help. Once the seats and “firing station”(4,5 &6) are fixed together and the interior painted “green apple”, which I presume is Humbrol HF2 Vert, which is no longer available. Any medium/light bright green would do. The cockpit unit is a bit of a vague fit but if you use plastic cement and trap it between the fuselage halves it settles into position quite well. I fitted a simple bulkhead at the rear of the engine compartment (which I painted flat black) to stop any see through effect. The wheels, spats and radiator grille are best left off till all painting is completed. Part 39 stirrup (part of the scarf ring) is gross and a length of brass wire is easily substituted. The gun (which looks like a 1930s Lewis) is nearly 1/48 scale and an Aeroclub G013 Lewis looks much better. I scratchbuilt the two pitot tubes (30) out of steel wire and electrical wire insulation for no other reason that the kit items looked a bit delicate and vulnerable. OK, so I lost one. The main struts (15) can be attached to the fuselage along with the landing struts (17) and the carbine struts (24,25 & 27),then, when all are dry the wing glued to the carbine struts. This is not quite as simple as it looks as the fit is very vague and the wing needs a bit of jigging and support to make sure that it is parallel to the ground and/or 90 deg. to the rudder.

Versions & Decals:
My kit was a very old issue but I believe even the newest Heller release has the same annoying instruction sheet. The colour scheme is very simple : Vert Armee, or if you prefer Army Green with aluminium engine cowling. Humbrol make an Army Green 102 but is this what Heller intended? Perhaps it is Testors 2106 Khaki or Humbrol HF1 Khaki, both from their “French”section since neither show an Army Green. In the end I settled for HF1 which turned out darker than I expected but looks OK. The decals are few and glossy for one aircraft “white 6”of an un named squadron. The kit has been released more recently by SMER (0850) with different decals and the recommend the colour to be Humbrol 76 Uniform Green (ex MC3 British Napoleonics Rifle Green!).

Overall:
The result looks…interesting and looking at it I wonder, did it look majestic wallowing along or just downright ugly. Either way it must have been a “sitting duck” for the 109s.

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