The Breguet 14B2 was a day bomber developed for the French Air Force, and had was used by them until the end of the war. It was also chosen by the American Expeditionary Force, and used during the last year of World War I. It's water cooled engine could carry it to a maximum speed of 118 mph at sea level. Maximum load was about 660 pounds of ordnance. In addition to the bomb load, the pilot and rear gunner each had one Hochkiss or Vickers machine gun.

While rather ungainly looking, the 14B2 was extremely rugged and probably the best tactical bomber that the US and France had. The Breguet bomber carried on in great numbers after the war, finding their way into the fledgling air arms of a number of other countries.

I came upon this kit  just a few weeks ago along with a number of other Aurora and K&B models. K&B is actually a subsidiary of Aurora and to my knowledge, only released Aurora molds. Unlike the Aurora kits I built as a kid, this one is in a relatively 'normal' plastic. It is complete with all you need to build a fine model, and includes two crew members and a vacuform base so that one can do a diorama.

The kit is in remarkable shape for its 27 year age and the decals still look in very good condition. The wings are in one piece with good detailing of the covered fabric. Remarkably, what little panel detailing exists is engraved, though a bit heavyily done. The cockpit section is probably the least detailed, though there is a pilot's seat, control stick and instrument panel. The observer has nothing but the gun and mount. Of course, the locations for the upper and lower wing insignia are helpfully engraved on the wings!

Wheels, prop, guns and exhaust are done in black plastic (undoubtedly to save us from having to paint it. There are no painting instructions at all so one would have to find another source in order to be able to properly paint this aircraft. The decals are very flat, but despite their age, appear to be quite usable as yellowing is minimal.

What is really surprising to me is the display base. It is vacuformed and is to be the basis for a diorama. This is a really great idea and one that I'm surprised someone doesn't do in modern kits today. Of course, it may be considered gimmicky and does take up a lot of space in the box, so I wouldn't look for this to be in vogue any time soon.

Looks like an easy to build and fairly accurate kit. If you can find one and afford it, add it to your collection.

Review copy courtesy of me and my wallet!! If any of you manufacturers or shop owners want to send products for review and building, please contact me.