Introduction

In 1940, many Polish pilots flew with the French Air Force against the Luftwaffe during the "Bataille de France". Despite having been equiped with obsolete aircraft such as the Morane Saulnier MS 406 or the Caudron C.714 they fought bravely in an already lost battle.

While there is a Polish decoration in Special Hobby's 1/32 scale High Tech kit (SH32019) there are sadly, none in the 1/48 scale kits made by Hobbycraft, Classic Airframes or AZModel. If you want to do a Polish "Bataille de France" MS 406, Techmod comes to the rescue with this nice decal sheet which provides markings for no less than 8 decorations.

This review is based on the 1/48 scale sheet for the text and the pictures. The 1/32 scale sheet is identical apart for the size (of course) and the reference number.

The decals

Techmod's Ms 406 C1 decal sheet is bagged within a small resealable bag. Very nice color instructions are included which are printed on an A3 size paper sheet. All the aircraft are represented separately with their own camouflage pattern since it was different from one plane to another. This is a good initiative by Techmod and will make the painting of the model much easier. A color table is present as well with Federal Standard references.

It is to note that a set of canopy masks is included. However, I don't know on which kit they are supposed to be used. Probably the latest AZModel.

The decals in themselves do not call for any observations being very well printed and in perfect register. The colors appear to be spot on.

Marking options

Like I said, on the sheet, decals are provided for 8 aircraft:

1 - MS 406 C n°949 (L-980), 15, GC I/2, por. Jozef Brzezinski, Xaffevillers, April 1940.
2 - MS 406 C n°991 (L-720), 12, GC I/2, ppor. Stanislaw Chalupa, Coulommiers, June 1940.
3 - MS 406 C n°947 XVIII, GC I/2, plut. Antoni Breda, Dambin, April 1940.
4 - MS 406 C n°1031 I, GC III/1 por. Kazimierz Bursztyn, Rouen-Boos, April 1940.
5 - MS 406 C n°948 III, GC III/1, ppor. Wladyslaw Chciuk, Rouen-Boos, April 1940.
6 - MS 406 C n°654 (L-683), E, ppor. Stanislaw Chalupa, DIAP, Lyon-Bron, Spring 1940.
7 - MS 406 C n°1038 (L-628), por. Aleksander Gabszewicz, DIAP, Lyon-Bron, June 1940.
8 - MS 406 C n°622 (L-651), C, ppor. Waclaw krol, ppor. Wladyslaw Chciuk DIAP, Lyon-Bron, June 1940.

Conclusion

Both decal sheet are of very high quality. If you want to have a Polish MS 406 in your collection, whether it is in 1/48 or in 1/32 scale, don't search any longer. Techmod has what you need.

Techmod's MS 406 decals are available from www.adalbertus.com

Please remember, when contacting retailers or manufacturers, to mention that you saw their products highlighted here - on AeroScale.