The Caudron company dates back from the very beginning of French aviation. In the 1930s it became famous for building racing aircraft and fast light civil aircraft. The C.630 series of cabin monoplanes was first exibited at the 1934 Paris Salon and was a four seat tourer or courier aircraft. The smoothly conoured cantilever low-wing monoplane featured spatted undercarriages and was produced with any number of available aero engines.

Over 70 were built and many were used as fast mail planes. In 1937 the French Air Force ordered at least 400 with the Navy adding at least 50 to that order. They were used for training and general liason duties. I would not doubt that several survived the war and also that several were impressed into use by the occupying German forces.

The kit is very typical of mid-80s Heller kits with very good detailing and engraved panel lines. It is also molded in a very bright yellow, undoubtedly to assist in painting the model!  This is one of Heller's earliest 1/72 kits and there really isn't that much to the kit. There are no options other than decals are provided. You get an interior with four nicely molded seats, a floor control sticks and instrument panel.

Colors are all given as Humbrol paints, though I do believe that Humbrol has changed around a lot of its paint numbers in the intervening 15 years or so. Heck, it is civil so it probably had a mouse grey interior! The transparencies are well done, though a bit on the thick side.

The decals in my kit had yellowed over the years, but it was not uncommon to get yellowed decals in a new Heller kit. A bit of sun bleaching should take care of the yellowing or you can carefully cut away the yellowed portions. Heller decals of this era were a bit on the flat side, though they did stick rather well. You have a choice of a French AF version or a civil one that is bedecked with nice sunburst rays on the upper wings and stabilizers as shown on the box art. There was one of these at the 2001 IPMS Nationals in Chicago and it was a very nice model.

This kit should not tax anyones building abilities and is the perfect kit for a beginning modeler  who is ready for a kit with some small parts.

Review kit courtesy of me and my wallet!

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