1:72 Farman F.231 'Lalouette & de Permangle record flight 1931'

Farman F.231, the record flight of 1931, 1:72 — SBS Model

This limited all-resin kit from SBS Model is devoted to the elegant French low-wing monoplane. The fine castings are supplemented by a photo-etched fret of details, clear parts and decals; the edition came out in a run of a mere eighty pieces, so it is a delicacy for collectors of interwar aviation. The model faithfully captures the modification with the enlarged belly fuel tank, characteristic precisely of the long-distance machine.

The real subject

The Farman F.231 belonged to the family of light sporting aircraft F.230, powered by an inverted Renault 4Pb four-cylinder of around a hundred hp. In January 1931 the crew of Lalouette and de Permangle flew roughly 2700 km in it without an intermediate landing from Istres in southern France to Villa Cisneros on the African coast, and after twenty-two hours in the air they broke the long-distance record of their category of the time. The clean aerodynamic lines of the machine stand out all the more in the tiny scale.

Building and painting tips

First rid the resin castings of the remains of the mold release agent by a bath in soapy water, cut the casting blocks off with a saw and shape the edges with wet sandpaper. The assembly goes exclusively with super glue; with the photo-etch a gel variant with a longer time for settling will help. The covering of the wing will be underlined by a very thin layer of primer and polishing before the final spraying.

Who the model is for

• experienced modelers with a relationship to resin kits
• fans of interwar aviation and record flights
• collectors of limited editions from smaller manufacturers
• builders looking for a subject outside the mainstream

The model is delivered in parts and without finishes, and glue and paints have to be acquired separately.