MORANE-SAULNIER MS.406

The Morane-Saulnier MS.406 as a COBI brick kit

A model of the French Morane-Saulnier MS.406 fighter aircraft, assembled from plastic bricks. The manufacturer is the Polish brand COBI, so the model is put together with no glue and no painting; the parts are joined by clipping together and the surface is given by the color of the bricks themselves.

The real subject

The MS.406 was a single-engine monoplane with an enclosed cockpit and retractable landing gear that came about in the second half of the 1930s. The design combined a metal frame with a partly fabric and plywood covering, which is one of the reasons the aircraft was built quickly and in large series. It was powered by a liquid-cooled Hispano-Suiza V12 engine, completed by armament in the wing and by a weapon firing through the propeller hub. In its time it was the most numerous type of the French Air Force fighter arm; later, machines of this type found their way into the service of further states as well, where they were modified further.

Building and display tips

Build according to the instructions and press every brick fully home; on an aircraft a part that is not seated shows most on the shape of the fuselage and on the angle at which the wing sits. Keep checking whether both halves of the wing are in the same plane and whether the tail surfaces are not sitting twisted. Take the finished model by the fuselage, not by the wingtips and not by the propeller. For display choose a firm surface out of direct sunlight and remove dust with a soft brush.

Who the kit is for

• Collectors of models of historical aircraft
• Those interested in a brick kit that calls for no gluing and no spraying
• Builders who want a model ready to display as soon as it is finished
• Those interested in French aviation engineering of the 1930s

The kit is supplied unassembled. Neither glue nor paints are needed for the assembly.