# 1/72 Academy Moraine Saulnier MS502 Criquet



## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

This is an optional build of the Academy Feiseler Fi156 Storch into a port-war French radial powered aircraft. In doing my research I was interested to see that the French built the Storch/Criquet until 1970 in various versions. About 15 years ago I saw one at an airshow take off into a stiff wind, climb to about 500 feet, essentially fly backwards in the wind and land again and roll out to the same place they began their take-off roll. It was amazing. 










This is one of two options the Academy Fi156 gives you, other than the obvious 230 hp Salmson radial engine there is a different canopy top without the machine gun. I was able to find a lot of reference for the French Army post-war version but not much on the version I wanted, which was a post-war RAF Middle East deployed aircraft. Ultimately I did find an Fi156 with the in line engine that would at least make mine conceivable. Besides Germany and the RAF 20 other operators used either the Fi156 or MS500 series in service. 










The Salmson 9ab 230hp radial is a very nice 4 piece deal, as far as radial engines go. I tend to avoid them as it's "not my period" most of the time being a WWII guy, but I wanted something different from the beginning here. After some metalizer and other detailing the dime-sized radial came out decent.










I had to mix the pale blue since I didn't have any in my box and I may have gotten it a little darker than I wanted, but the starkness between the sand and the blue really makes the aircraft pop. I used the standard color breaks from the French aircraft as much as possible.



















With the wings on and landing gear in place it looks more like a Mosquito than a Criquet, Storch is definitely a good name for it. I had thought about putting some triple tube 3" rockets on it I had left over from a P-51B kit but I figured that would nearly stall the aircraft with the drag. This is an observation aircraft all the way. One interesting encounter I did read about; during the last hours of World War 2 an Fi156 was forced down by the aircrew of an L4 Grasshopper when they began firing their .45 Colts out the window at it. That would have to be one of the most interesting dog fights ever seen, hearkening back to how it must have been in World War I at the beginning of military aviation. 

More soon.


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## MadCap Romanian (Oct 29, 2005)

Nice work so far! 

At first I though this was going to be a build of the WW1 Monoplane.


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## philo426 (Mar 4, 2009)

You mean this one!


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## MadCap Romanian (Oct 29, 2005)

Yeah, is that the Revell one? I have a 1965 Version for sale on my web site.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

There is a real German Storch in mint condition about 20 mins from me. Ive seen it flying about on weekends some. Its incredible both in the air and on the ground. Academy's kit is a fun build too. I still like the Heller one also.


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## philo426 (Mar 4, 2009)

No it is a 1/48 Sierra models vac-form.(The markings are not decals but are masked and painted).The Academy Storch is nice too!


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

I'd love to do the Tamiya 1/48th scale one, it's way biggerthan I have room for but I love the detail. But Philo, I think your slats on your wings are backwards....the airfoil section looks that way anyway and in my references the slat is fixed and droops the leading edge.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I think the wing slats on the 1/48 vac kit are backwards and aslo the wings should have anhedral versus dihedral.


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

djnick66 said:


> I think the wing slats on the 1/48 vac kit are backwards and aslo the wings should have anhedral versus dihedral.


Yeah you know what I noticed that on my 1/72nd scale kit and I thought it was my building error. Then I looked at the reference pics I had and it's definately a anhedral angle at least on the elevators. I haven't had a chance to put the rest of the pics up yet and I need to look at the wings now to make sure they're right.


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## philo426 (Mar 4, 2009)

Yep! I'm going to have to fix that!


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## Pete McKay (Dec 20, 2006)

Got it done, I left off the cabin door intentionally, I may put it back on later if I decide it's just too far out of real to have it open. 



















Canopy painting was hand painted, I need to go back and narrow some of the framework but I can do that at a later time too. The blue looks darker because the sand color is so light. Decals were a mix of the kit and some roundels left over from a P-51B project. It's not meant to be any particular unit. 

This was an interesting kit, I don't usually do axis aircraft but it's got me started on a roll with them. Today I went out and got a ME P.1099B and two ME 262's in 1/72nd scale, I may work them into an airfield scene.


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