Morane Saulnier MS 760 Paris by Aerofile
1/72 scale
No kit number
Retail: $45.00 – relatively rare
Decals: Three versions – French Navy, Argentinian Air Force, and U.S. civil aircraft
Comments: Lightly engraved panel lines, vacuform canopy, short-run kit; crude mold with poor fit
History
The Morane-Saulnier MS.760 Paris was a French four- or six-seat jet trainer and liaison aircraft entering service with the Aeronavale in 1959. Based on the earlier side-by-side seating two-seat trainer, the MS.755 Fleuret, but adding an additional row of two seats, the Paris was flown by the French military until 1997. In 1955, when the Paris was in development, a short-lived venture with Beech Aircraft to market it as an executive business jet in the United States was soon eclipsed by Learjet’s Model 23. While four-seat propeller planes are common, jet-powered planes with this seating arrangement such as the Grumman EA-6B Prowler are comparatively rare.
On July 18, 1956 the French government requisitioned 50 aircraft, including 14 for the Navy, from Tarbes-based manufacturer Morane-Saulnier. The first plane was delivered on February 9, 1959 to Naval Air Station (N.A.S.) Dugny-Le Bourget, before going to the C.E.P.A. (directly translated as Aeronautical Practical Experiment Center – in English this would probably be “Flight Test Center”) in 1959-60, for the flight tests necessary to develop training programs and materials. The MS 760 was also purchased by several countries such as Brazil and Argentina; 36 planes were license-built by Fabrica Militar de Aviones (FMA) in Argentina. The MS.760B Paris II, with various systems improvements and integral fuel tanks in the leading edges of the wing, first flew on December 12, 1960. From 1958 to the early 1960’s an MS 760 was used as a flying classroom at the College of Aeronautics at Cranfield in the UK.
Although it would later be used as a liaison aircraft, the French Navy primarily employed it as a military trainer for future Super Etendard and F-8 Crusader pilots, preparing them with IFR and all-weather training to operate what were then (early 1960’s) the Aeronavale’s front-line fighters in fleet service. This consisted of advanced training for new pilots, proficiency training for other pilots and A.L.P.A. (admirals commanding the carriers and Naval Aviation), and 1st and 2nd Aerial Regions liaisons.
After 38 years of service, the aircraft were retired by the Aeronavale in October 1997 at Landivisiau Naval Air Station. Argentine Air Force MS.760s were used in combat to suppress the 1963 Argentine Navy Revolt, bombing a rebel-held radio station as well as the Punta Indio naval airfield, destroying several aircraft on the ground. In 2007, after 48 years of continuous service, the Argentine Air Force retired their last Paris.
For additional history on the MS 760 click here.
Construction
The MS 760 Paris is a short run kit manufactured in the 1990’s by Aerofile of France, and does not fall together by any means. Mainly because of its fit issues, I would recommend this kit for experienced modelers only. The fit is bad, so much so that it’s a bit of a monster. On my kit, the underside of the fuselage simply refused to align and had a visible step that I was unable to cure. In addition, the instrument panel hood is significantly narrower than the fuselage, and made of thinner, weaker plastic that the rest of the airframe.
The kit comes on three sprues and consists of 49 injection molded parts with a single vacuform canopy. Most parts bore a significant amount of flash and required clean-up. The kit is on par with early MPM offerings, consisting of the same hard plastic, light engravings, inconsistent quality of molding and poor fit in places, partly due to the lack of locator pins, which hampered construction when the time came to put the fuselage together.
An early warning was the fit of the cockpit, which required sanding to fit properly within the fuselage. The most serious of the fit issues in the cockpit was the instrument panel hood. Its plastic was too thin and it was too narrow for the airframe, developing a crack when I cemented it on, with its middle section caved in. This had to be masked with a judicial application of Milliput and subsequent sanding. The MS 760 had dual controls, and each rudder pedal must be individually cemented to the instrument panel and will require care as they are rather fiddly.
Likewise the airframe had fit issues and did not come together easily. I used a significant amount of Milliput to close a gap along its dorsal spine, and there was a visible step between the two fuselage halves along the ventral surface which I left alone, knowing I would depict the kit in flight and mount it on a stand. Some of the smaller parts are rather crudely molded, notably the landing gear and their doors which I did not use, and the jet engine exhaust fans. Finally, one of the wings would not rest at the proper angle against the fuselage, but I cured this by again resorting to Milliput.
The vacuform canopy presented a challenge but this was not the Mount Everest I thought it would be. The canopy fortunately has well-defined framing which was of enormous help during the painting phase and inevitable subsequent clean-up, and it turned out rather well, providing a clear view of the cabin interior after being dipped in Future and left to dry. But again, the fit was less than perfect, and after comparing it to photos, the canopy may be slightly too large as it does not fit flush or nearly flush against the airframe as it did on the actual aircraft. That said, visibility from the cockpit on the actual aircraft must have been excellent.
Painting
The cabin interior I airbrushed in a Tamiya lacquer, LP-36 Dark Ghost Grey. The seats were hand painted in an Aeromaster enamel, French Interior Blue. The instrument panel and hood were painted Testors Flat Black. For the airframe, I laid down Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black as a primer, then airbrushed the plane in AK Interactive’s Polished Aluminum. Alclad’s Gloss Black Base may have provided a better undercoat; in any case I expected a shinier finish from the AK Interactive.
Markings
The decals are manufactured by Propagteam and they are excellent, bearing accurate color fully in register and completely devoid of residue. Once treated with decal solvent, they settled obediently into the kit’s engraved panel lines. Markings are provided for an aircraft of the French Aeronavale based at Landivisiau, a camouflaged version serving with the Argentine Air Force painted in a scheme of green and brown with grey undersurfaces (only Humbrol colors are referenced), and finally an American civilian version in gloss white overall.
An MS 760 Paris flying in formation with a Fouga Magister. Photo credit: Airliners.net.
Conclusion
While it could be armed with rockets and bombs due to its military trainer role, the MS 760 that Aerofile depicted is in a clean configuration as a liaison aircraft. This did not detract from the kit’s appeal to me at all; I was drawn to it due to its aesthetically pleasing lines — it looks like something of a sports car — and fascinating history, since owners of the civilian versions have included the Shah of Iran, Hollywood actor John Travolta, and Enrico Mattei, a powerful Italian industrialist who appears to have been murdered by an explosion aboard his MS 760 at the height of the Cold War for political reasons. Another complaint is that its lines may not be fully accurate; the kit has a rather stubby appearance compared to the somewhat elongated fuselage of the actual aircraft. Despite its deficiencies, I highly recommend this kit if you can lay hands on it, on the understanding that it will present a challenge. It is a relatively rare, short-run kit, not easy to assemble but with a definite mystique.
Reference
https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Morane-Saulnier_MS.760_Paris
The MS 760 in flight profile. Aerofile’s kit does not quite capture the elegant lines of the elongated fuselage. Photo credit: Airplanepictures.net