Caudron Racers

[F-27pax]

Here's a couple of Caudron racers that I recently completed. All the kits here were the work of the late lamented Jean Pierre Dujin, all in 1/72. If you are not used to Dujin's kits these are probably very difficult to make, but once you get the hang of them they are quite acceptable and build up into nice little replicas.

First is the Caudron 450 which won the 1934 Coupe Deutsch de la Meurthe race in France and was later flown by Helen Boucher to a record speed for the class of 455km/h.





Next is the Caudron 460 which is virtually identical to the Caudron 450 except that it has retractable undercarriage. Failure of the undercarriage to retract meant that the fixed undercarriage 450 won the 1934 Coupe Deutsch de la Meurthe race and other mechanical failures meant that the 450 also won the 1936 race, although a 460 won the 1935 race. In 1936 the 460 that this model represents went to America where it won the Greve and Thompson Trophies in the National Air Races.





And here are three other Caudron racers that I made a few years back.

The Caudron 362 which won the 1933 Coupe Deutsch de la Meurthe race and set a new speed record for its class of 179.74 km/h in 1933.



The Caudron 366 was virtually identical to the 362 but had a more powerful engine. It came second in the 1934 race and Delmotte flew it to a new record speed for its class of 345.62 km/h in May 1935.



The Caudron 430 was a tourer based on the 362. Two were built. One competed and did badly in the 1935 air race and Helen Boucher was killed in a flying accident in the other in December 1934.



I think I have one or two of Dujin's Caudron racers and I might try to get them completed by the end of the year.

Leigh

[Adam the Akrodude]

Little blue sapphires there Leigh - bravo sir!

[hrtpaul]

Very nice mate. Something different