Salmson

Salmson 2 A2 by PEGASUS MODELS 1/72 scale, short run injection mold.

The Salmson 2 A2 was a handsome, sturdily-built plane with an exceptionally reliable engine, the Canton-Unne 260 hp water cooled 9 cylinder radial engine. It entered service in early 1918 and would serve in 24 French Escadrilles and 11 American Squadrons. A total of 3200 Salmsons were built of which 705 became the standard reconnaissance type of the A.E.F. Though not known for outstanding performance or wartime heroics, the Salmson did enjoy a solid reputation and a long postwar extitance.

This is an early Pegasus kit and was built around 1997. It depicits No. 5464 of the 1st Aero Squadron A.E.F., flown by Lt. W. Erwin in the spring of 1918. The kit comes with decals but no metal parts. All guns and gun ring are from Aeroclub.

Salmson 2 A2 by Wings 72 1/72 scale, vacuform.

The Wings 72 model was built prior to the Pegasus kit. The kit included 23 metal parts including the nose. In fact, the nose piece is so heavy, that weight had to be added to the rear of the plane to keep the tail on the ground. (That's a first) If I ever build another one, the nose piece will be hollowed out to reduce the weight of the kit. The decals came from some Micro Scale sheets that I had for years.

This is a very acceptable vacuform and Don Bratt of Wings 72/48 made some very interesting kits. Wings 72 is one of the few American vacuform manufacturers.