In Box Review of Heller 1/400th Scale
French Sous-Marin “Surcouf” Submarine
Kit no. 601
By Ray Mehlberger
Out of production.
Copyright: 1979
I paid $10.00 for this kit back in the 70’s at a local hobby shop that went out of business.
By Ray Mehlberger
Out of production.
Copyright: 1979
I paid $10.00 for this kit back in the 70’s at a local hobby shop that went out of business.
HISTORY:
Surcouf was the largest French cruiser submarine. She served in both the French Navy and the Free French Naval Forces during the Second World War. She was lost during the night of 18/19 February 1942 in the Caribbean Sea, possibly after colliding with an American freighter.
Surcouf was named after the French privateer Robert Surcouf. She was the largest submarine built until surpassed by the first Japanese I-400-class submarine in 1944.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Name: Surcouf
Namesake: Robert Surcouf
Ordered: 4 August 1926
Builder: Cherbourg Arsenal
Laid down: 1 July 1927
Launched: 18 November 1929
Commissioned: 16 April 1934
In service: 1934–1942
Refit: 1941
Identification: Pennant number: N N 3
Honors and awards: Resistance Medal with rosette
Fate: Disappeared, 18 February 1942
Type: Cruiser submarine
Displacement: 3,250 long tons (3,300 t) (surfaced), 4,304 long tons (4,373 t) (submerged), 2,880 long tons (2,930 t) (dead)
Length: 110 m (361 ft)
Beam: 9 m (29 ft 6 in)
Draft: 7.25 m (23 ft 9 in)
Installed power: 7,600 hp (5,700 kW) (surfaced), 3,400 hp (2,500 kW) (submerged)
Propulsion: 2 × Sulzer diesel engines (surfaced), 2 × electric motors (submerged 2 × screws)
Speed: 18.5 knots (34.3 km/h; 21.3 mph) (surfaced), 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) (submerged)
Range: Surfaced: 18,500 km (10,000 nmi; 11,500 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph), 12,600 km (6,800 nmi; 7,800 mi) at 13.5 kn (25.0 km/h; 15.5 mph)
Submerged: 130 km (70 nmi; 81 mi) at 4.5 kn (8.3 km/h; 5.2 mph), 110 km (59 nmi; 68 mi) at 5 kn (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph)
Endurance: 90 days
Test depth: 80 m (260 ft)
Boats & landing craft carried: 2 × motorboats in watertight deck well
Capacity: 280 long tons (280 t)
Complement: 8 officers and 110 men
Armament: 2 × 203 mm (8 in) guns (1 × 2), 2 × 37 mm (1.5 in) anti-aircraft guns (2 × 1), 4 × 13.2 mm (0.52 in) anti-aircraft machine guns (2 × 2), 6 × 550 mm (22 in) torpedo tubes, 4 × 400 mm (16 in) torpedo tubes
Aircraft carried: 1 × Besson MB.411 floatplane
Aviation facilities: Hangar
Surcouf was the largest French cruiser submarine. She served in both the French Navy and the Free French Naval Forces during the Second World War. She was lost during the night of 18/19 February 1942 in the Caribbean Sea, possibly after colliding with an American freighter.
Surcouf was named after the French privateer Robert Surcouf. She was the largest submarine built until surpassed by the first Japanese I-400-class submarine in 1944.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Name: Surcouf
Namesake: Robert Surcouf
Ordered: 4 August 1926
Builder: Cherbourg Arsenal
Laid down: 1 July 1927
Launched: 18 November 1929
Commissioned: 16 April 1934
In service: 1934–1942
Refit: 1941
Identification: Pennant number: N N 3
Honors and awards: Resistance Medal with rosette
Fate: Disappeared, 18 February 1942
Type: Cruiser submarine
Displacement: 3,250 long tons (3,300 t) (surfaced), 4,304 long tons (4,373 t) (submerged), 2,880 long tons (2,930 t) (dead)
Length: 110 m (361 ft)
Beam: 9 m (29 ft 6 in)
Draft: 7.25 m (23 ft 9 in)
Installed power: 7,600 hp (5,700 kW) (surfaced), 3,400 hp (2,500 kW) (submerged)
Propulsion: 2 × Sulzer diesel engines (surfaced), 2 × electric motors (submerged 2 × screws)
Speed: 18.5 knots (34.3 km/h; 21.3 mph) (surfaced), 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph) (submerged)
Range: Surfaced: 18,500 km (10,000 nmi; 11,500 mi) at 10 kn (19 km/h; 12 mph), 12,600 km (6,800 nmi; 7,800 mi) at 13.5 kn (25.0 km/h; 15.5 mph)
Submerged: 130 km (70 nmi; 81 mi) at 4.5 kn (8.3 km/h; 5.2 mph), 110 km (59 nmi; 68 mi) at 5 kn (9.3 km/h; 5.8 mph)
Endurance: 90 days
Test depth: 80 m (260 ft)
Boats & landing craft carried: 2 × motorboats in watertight deck well
Capacity: 280 long tons (280 t)
Complement: 8 officers and 110 men
Armament: 2 × 203 mm (8 in) guns (1 × 2), 2 × 37 mm (1.5 in) anti-aircraft guns (2 × 1), 4 × 13.2 mm (0.52 in) anti-aircraft machine guns (2 × 2), 6 × 550 mm (22 in) torpedo tubes, 4 × 400 mm (16 in) torpedo tubes
Aircraft carried: 1 × Besson MB.411 floatplane
Aviation facilities: Hangar
THE KIT:
Heller is an old prolific model company based in France. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The color cover art illustration shows the Surcouf at sea. It is shown with a dark hull and grey conning tower.
One side panel of the box shows 2 color box arts of other ship kits that Heller manufactues: The French submarine “Le Redoutable” and French Destroyer “Le Maille Breze”. No scale or kit numbers for them is provided.
These are followed by: Number of parts 49, Length of model made up 27.6cm (almost 11”). And a list of Heller brand paint numbers, in French, English and German.
Heller is an old prolific model company based in France. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The color cover art illustration shows the Surcouf at sea. It is shown with a dark hull and grey conning tower.
One side panel of the box shows 2 color box arts of other ship kits that Heller manufactues: The French submarine “Le Redoutable” and French Destroyer “Le Maille Breze”. No scale or kit numbers for them is provided.
These are followed by: Number of parts 49, Length of model made up 27.6cm (almost 11”). And a list of Heller brand paint numbers, in French, English and German.
The other side panel shows 3 more color box arts of other ship models that Heller manufactures: French “Le Kersaint” Destroyer, French “Le Cat Riviere” Destroyer and French “Le Forbin” Destroyer. Again no scales or kit numbers given.
I looked at these kit listings on Scale Mates site and found that they are all 1/400th scale. Le Keraint is kit no. L542, Le Cat Riviere is kit no. L538, Le Forgin is kit no. 1088, Le Redoubtable is kit no. 81075 and Le Maille-Breze is kit no. 81012.
I looked at these kit listings on Scale Mates site and found that they are all 1/400th scale. Le Keraint is kit no. L542, Le Cat Riviere is kit no. L538, Le Forgin is kit no. 1088, Le Redoubtable is kit no. 81075 and Le Maille-Breze is kit no. 81012.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
The kit contains: 2 medium-grey parts trees, loose medium-grey deck part in a sealed clear cello bag. No decals.
Trees are not alphabetized or illustrated in the instructions.They do, however, have part number tabs next to the parts on the trees.
One medium-grey tree holds: the conning tower parts, rudders, drive panels, antenna, propellers, shafts, display stand and name plate, gun etc. (38 parts)
The kit contains: 2 medium-grey parts trees, loose medium-grey deck part in a sealed clear cello bag. No decals.
Trees are not alphabetized or illustrated in the instructions.They do, however, have part number tabs next to the parts on the trees.
One medium-grey tree holds: the conning tower parts, rudders, drive panels, antenna, propellers, shafts, display stand and name plate, gun etc. (38 parts)
The second medium-grey tree holds: the biplane aircraft parts, hull halves, radar antenna etc. (10 parts)
Finally is the deck part (1 part)
The instructions consist of a single-sheet, printed on one side in 16” x 12” format all in French and folded twice to fit the box.
There are no clear parts or figures included.
This is a neat and salty looking French sub.
Highly recommended.
There are no clear parts or figures included.
This is a neat and salty looking French sub.
Highly recommended.