1:72 CAUDRON C-445

The Goeland, an aircraft for everything

This twin-engine low-wing monoplane with retractable landing gear and a wooden airframe came about in the middle of the 1930s as a comfortable machine for six passengers. A pair of air-cooled inverted inline six-cylinder Renault 6Q engines gave about four hundred fifty horsepower together, which was enough for a cruising speed of around 260 km/h. The type turned out to be exceptionally adaptable: it served as a liaison aircraft, a flying navigation classroom and a light transport.

A long career across both sides

It was used by the French Air Force and by civil companies; after 1940 it appeared in the service of both opposing camps and some of the machines flew on into the 1950s. Over fifteen hundred examples of the whole family were built, so it ranked among the most widespread French aircraft of its day. The simple wooden airframe could be repaired in field workshops, and it was precisely that which extended the type's life far beyond the end of the war.

Why this type is harder to mask

The glazing consists not only of the pilots' cockpit but also of a row of small windows along the fuselage, and it is their number that makes covering by hand so slow. Die-cut films remove that problem: every opening has its own piece, which is seated in place with tweezers and pressed down. The paint is then applied in thin coats across the whole flank at once, so the frames come out equally wide and the line of the windows stays straight. Covers for the wheel hubs are included as well. The set is cut for the kit from RS Model. It is best to begin with the largest areas and to seat the small pieces last, when it is already clear how the film sits on the shape.