Kittyhawk’s latest kit is going to look at closely – the new tooling of the Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard in 1/48th scale has been made up into not only one but TWO models by the guys at Kittyhawk HQ, We have the pictures from every angle to add to the CAD and sprue pics all in this preview of the kit...
Coming in May 2016...
Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard
From Kittyhawk models
1:48th scale
Code: KH 480**
ETA Late May
As we were saying it’s not only the older kits but three newer kits that Kittyhawk will be sharing desk/ carrier deck space with. First, before we look at the sprues and the CAD images and the two finished kits here is the real thing and some history of the bird.
AMD-BA Super Etendard: AMD-BA Super Etendard
General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 14.31 m (45 ft 11½ in)
Wingspan: 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Height: 3.86 m (12 ft 8 in)
Wing area: 28.4 m² (306.7 ft²)
Empty weight: 6,500 kg (14,330 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 12,000 kg (26,455 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × SNECMA Atar 8K-50 turbojet, 49.0 kN (11,025 lbf)
Aircraft Performance:
Top speed at sea level: 1200 km/h.
Ceiling: 13,700 mts.
Range flying at sea level: 720 km.
Weapons: two 30 mm cannons, and 2,270 kgs of weapons load (including bombs, air-to-air R.550 Magic missiles and anti-ship AM.39 Exocet missiles).
The Dassault-Breguet Super Étendard (Étendard is French for "battle flag") is a French carrier-borne strike fighter aircraft designed by Dassault-Breguet for service with the French Navy. The aircraft is an advanced development of the Étendard IVM. The Super Étendard first flew in October 1974 and entered French service in June 1978. French Super Étendards have served in several conflicts such as the Kosovo War, the War in Afghanistan and the military intervention in Libya.
The Super Étendard was also operated by Iraq and Argentina, who both deployed the aircraft during wartime. The Super Étendard was used by Iraq to attack oil tankers and merchant shipping in the Persian Gulf during the Iraq-Iran War. Argentina's use of the Super Étendard and the Exocet missile during the 1982 Falklands War led to the aircraft gaining considerable popular recognition. In French service, the Super Étendard is to be replaced by the Dassault Rafale by roughly 2016.
On to the kit – All we know so far is that it is due early in 2016 and that it’s in 48th scale. I t looks like it can be configured as one of the Argentinian Etendard’s that fought in the Falklands War that carried the AM.39 Exocet AM.39 Exocet amongst other variants.
We have just been sent the sprue pictures of the kit to have a look at. Let's go through them one by one...
A lot has been packed onto this sprue. Not only the rear fuselage but the engine and ECM pods as well as pylons, large drop tanks and the wheels.
The extremities of the aircraft on this sprue say that there could well be an earlier Etendard in the works, this sprue has the wingtips and front fuselage which is the main way most people identify the Super Etendard. The posable flying surfaces also can be seen on this sprue.
More of the underside of the wings and the tail of the fighter as well as posable airbrakes with the hydraulic arms, turbofan blades and the aircraft's interior structure.
The internal structure of the aircraft is on this sprue. We have all of the parts of the pilot's console and the ejector seat, access ladder and tail arrestor hook.
The ordinance - Matra air to air missiles, drop tanks and laser-guided bombs accompany a very large Exocet missile on this sprue.
....Iron bombs all over this sprue, with another Exocet.
..As does the landing gear
To add to the CAD and the sprues we have now been sent pictures of two of these kits built up in the colours shown on the decal sheet. Apart from a French roundel on the Argentinean aircraft these models look pretty good with lots of useful features we have already hinted at coming true in the finished plastic.
