The life span of the modern parasol fighter was limited, though, and the Loire 46 only served in front line service for a couple of years before being replaced by the much more potent Morane Saulnier MS.406. The Loire 46 was relegated to the training role, where it did an admirable job of converting pilots from basic trainers to their eventual fighter mounts. Five of the first six Loire 46s were also delivered clandestinely to the Spanish Republican Air Force in 1936, where they saw limited service against the latest German types. But their era had already passed—within two months two were shot down and two more were destroyed in accidents.
stable is this kit of the Loire 46, and if you're into French aircraft you will probably want to grab this one up. The kit is molded in tan resin except for the engine, which is molded in a greenish-gray polyurethane resin.
But when you turn to the inside of the plane, the crudeness shows up. The interior detailing is heavy and soft. The sidewall detailing on the fuselage halves is bad enough to warrant complete removal and replacing it with something more to scale. The crispness seen on the outside just isn't there on the inside. In defense of the kit, though, once the fuselage halves are together, the tiny cockpit opening won't reveal much from the inside anyway, so even out of the box it can look good.
Another shining spot in this kit is the decals. These are very well done and provide an option for French and Spanish birds. The Spanish example is quite colorful, being overall silver with red bands around the wings and fuselage, with the red/yellow/purple roundel and rudder markings finishing it off. The French option is just as interesting, with the typical French camouflage of dark green, earth brown and dark blue gray over a light blue gray. Standard French roundels and rudder markings apply, making this a colorful example as well.