In Box Review of Heller 1/72nd Scale
French Bloch 210 Bomber
Kit no. L545
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright 1967
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright 1967
HISTORY
Before WWII, the Bloch 210 was the standard night bomber of the French Air Force. It was the first aircraft utilized along with the Amiot 143 by the French Air Force at the beginning of the war.
The MB 210 B-5 (night bomber-5 man crew) appeared in 1933. It was then, considering the period and all obligations imposed, a rather elegant plane. The MB 210, ordered in series, has been along with the Potez 54, the first aircraft equipped with a recessable landing-gear utilized by the French Air Force.
The armament, which was classical at the time, was constituted by 3 orientable turrets. The Bloch 210 had been ordered to replace the old bi-plane Leo-20 and the high aerofoil Marcel Bloch 200.
A certain number of accidents occured with the MB 210 and very soon it had been called the "flying coffin" as previously was the MB 200.
For engines it had 2 Gnome-Rhone 14 N 20 or N 21 engines of 870 hp.
Before WWII, the Bloch 210 was the standard night bomber of the French Air Force. It was the first aircraft utilized along with the Amiot 143 by the French Air Force at the beginning of the war.
The MB 210 B-5 (night bomber-5 man crew) appeared in 1933. It was then, considering the period and all obligations imposed, a rather elegant plane. The MB 210, ordered in series, has been along with the Potez 54, the first aircraft equipped with a recessable landing-gear utilized by the French Air Force.
The armament, which was classical at the time, was constituted by 3 orientable turrets. The Bloch 210 had been ordered to replace the old bi-plane Leo-20 and the high aerofoil Marcel Bloch 200.
A certain number of accidents occured with the MB 210 and very soon it had been called the "flying coffin" as previously was the MB 200.
For engines it had 2 Gnome-Rhone 14 N 20 or N 21 engines of 870 hp.
THE KIT:
Heller was an old prolific model company based in Paris, France. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit came in a long shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a Bloch 210 taking off from an airfield. It is olive-drab with bare-metal cowlings and engine nacelles. There is a red dragon on the fuselage sides in front of a yellow 3. Serial no. on the rudder is black BLOCH over no. 74. It has red, white and blue vertical stripes on the rudder flap.
Heller was an old prolific model company based in Paris, France. They manufacture all manner of model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit came in a long shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box.
The box art shows a Bloch 210 taking off from an airfield. It is olive-drab with bare-metal cowlings and engine nacelles. There is a red dragon on the fuselage sides in front of a yellow 3. Serial no. on the rudder is black BLOCH over no. 74. It has red, white and blue vertical stripes on the rudder flap.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX
The kit contains a dark-grey tree and loose dark grey parts.
The loose parts are the wing halves, fuselage halves, fuselage top and bottom and a panel, cowlings.
The kit contains a dark-grey tree and loose dark grey parts.
The loose parts are the wing halves, fuselage halves, fuselage top and bottom and a panel, cowlings.
A small tree holds the dark-grey rudder flap.
The big dark-grey tree holds: the elevators, nacelles, bombs, propellers, landing-gear legs, main wheels, rudder, wing flaps, cockpit floor, bulkheads etc. (78 parts)
The clear tree holds the fuselage windows and turret blisters (27 parts)
The decal sheet completes the kit contents.
Tree is not alphabetized or illustrated in the instructions. They do however have part number tabs next to the parts on them.
There are 2 instruction sheets. One in English and the other in French.
The English one begins with the history of the Bloch 210. Over a listing of the names of all the kit parts and some general assembly instructions. It is 12 1/4" x 9 1/2" format, printed on both sides and folded in the center to fit the box.
The reverse side of this sheet continues with written instructions and a customer service coupon.
The French instructions are bigger at 16 1/2" x 10 1/2", printed on one side only and folded twice to fit the box.
It has the history of the Bloch 21 and the part names repeated, an exploded drawing for assembly purposes, and a side profile of the aircraft in the box art scheme.
Detailing is of the raised variety. There are no crew figures included.
Highly recommended.
There are 2 instruction sheets. One in English and the other in French.
The English one begins with the history of the Bloch 210. Over a listing of the names of all the kit parts and some general assembly instructions. It is 12 1/4" x 9 1/2" format, printed on both sides and folded in the center to fit the box.
The reverse side of this sheet continues with written instructions and a customer service coupon.
The French instructions are bigger at 16 1/2" x 10 1/2", printed on one side only and folded twice to fit the box.
It has the history of the Bloch 21 and the part names repeated, an exploded drawing for assembly purposes, and a side profile of the aircraft in the box art scheme.
Detailing is of the raised variety. There are no crew figures included.
Highly recommended.