Just a handful of biplane fighters lasted long enough to see service in World War II. One that doesn’t get much press is the SPAD 510, a trim, little biplane that looks like a blend of a Gloster Gladiator and a Pitts S2A sport biplane. Azure-FrRom has addressed the lack of attention to this cute French fighter by releasing two kits, one from pre-war days and one from the beginning of the war.
This pre-war boxing comes with three decal options, all of which have khaki-colored upper surfaces and aluminum everywhere else. The decal placement instructions are comprehensible, and numerous rigging and alignment drawings are included in the instructions — well done, Azur!
Azure-FrRom’s kit manages to construct this pint-sized pugilist in a mere thirty-nine parts. However, a low parts count does not equate to a less-detailed kit. The simple cockpit includes rudder pedals, a stick, seat, and side-console detail. The surface detail is finely rendered, with good rib detail on the fabric-covered wings and scribed panel lines on the fuselage. The radiator front has petite fins. Use care when removing items from the sprue because the smaller parts are quite fragile.
Open up all attachment points. The landing gear locator pins are fragile, and you stand a good chance of snapping them off if the locator holes aren’t drilled larger. I left the landing gear assemblies off the model until after rigging to keep them safe. As is my rule when building biplanes, I made sure the rigging attachment points were clearly delineated — Azur has made this easy by supplying faint depressions where needed. While I had the bits out, I drilled the exhausts and the “lift here” holes in the aft fuselage.
Azur includes numerous drawings showing proper alignment angles throughout the instructions. The major components fit together well and only required truing surfaces and opening attachment slots. I had to trim the I-strut tabs for a good fit because the depressions in the wing are a bit shallow. Even though I attached the lower wing and stabilizers to the fuselage, I left the upper wing off the model until painting and decaling were complete.
The decals went on without difficulty, and the white was opaque enough that it needed no backing under the large dot for my chosen scheme. After a semigloss finish coat, I added the rigging from the fuselage to the lower wing.
The instructions show the rigging from the fuselage to the upper wing attached to the I-struts at this point, but that is incorrect. The model has the correct positions indicated on the wing inboard of the struts. After adding the tiny windscreen, I placed the I-struts, followed by the center section cabane struts, and then rigged using Prym Knitting-in elastic thread from a sewing store. It stretches like EZ Line, but the clear thread shines and shimmers like stainless steel. Lastly, I added the landing gear and propeller.
This cute little thing took me just under 10 hours, including rigging. Azur-FrRom brought a little-known but elegant pre-war fighter design to life in a well-detailed kit with excellent fit.