¹⁄48

Available from Fonderie Miniature, here is an unexpected guest for the year 2007: a Levasseur PL 101 in 1/48 scale. I think modellers who like weird and ugly planes will like this one!

All I know about the Levasseur PL 101 is that it was a French carrier based biplane which was fitted with a fixed undecarriage but was nevertheless able to land safely on the sea!? Of course, once in the water, the plane couldn't take off. Weird I told you!
The Levasseurs served on the "Bearn" aircraft carrier until replaced by the Loire Nieuport LN 411 before the outbreak of WW2. However some were still used by the 2S3 and 2S4 in 1940!?

This kit by Fonderie Miniature is a real surprise. I didn't knew the French manufacturer was about to release a kit of this obscure aircraft (about 30 PL 101 were produced). Judging from the pictures, the kit seems to be typical of the short run manufacturer based in Aubervilliers:
- short run plastic injected parts
- Resin and white metal detail parts
- vacuform canopy

Having build a couple of FM models in the past, I can say that "some modelling skills" are required to get a nice model from their kits. However, who in the world is going to produce an injected multimedia kit of such an esoteric subject if not Fonderie Miniature? For that I say "Hats off!"

The kit is available from Fonderie Miniature and costs 59€.

Levasseur PL 101 picture 1
Levasseur PL 101 picture 2
Levasseur PL 101 picture 3
Levasseur PL 101 3 view plan