1/400 Heller Charles De Gaulle 

(Aircraft Carrier)

by Paolo Yuen

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Add on: Lion Roar (China) US & UK ship rail, Black color metal net, Eduard US carrier crew, some plastic sheet, roll and copper wire, Tamiya aircraft set 1 .

This is my latest model made from the “Heller 1:400 Charles de Gaulle” aircraft carrier. It was the second one, first one nearly finished before it was suddenly drop on the ground, all broken, just only the island and air wings,….etc.

This model is a very simply kit, easy to build.  Have many space to conversions and made details.

Because there was not enough information to build this kit, I only got the Japanese publication “Aircraft Carriers of The World” and the official French army site to check up for information.  I did not have a way to order the resin made air wings, I did the conversions myself, using a Tamiya set one the F-4S landing gear to replace the air wings big gear, and replaced the 2 Tamiya E-2c Hawkeye. The island did not have much detail works done on it, only adding some catwalk and ladders.  For the hull I only make a hanger and some walkway beside the elevator.  The fighter deck is a big job, first I cut off the safety net, using plastic roll Lion Roar released one is very good, easy to bend near 90degree and black metal net to make the safety net.  Second, using Autocad to draw the tile holes and remark the cat 1 & 2 .  Why so much trouble?  It was because the manufacture's marking the area does not match the runway decal, and I wanted it detailed so I remarked the cat 1&2 to matching the decal, then printed out the tile holes pattern and covered on the deck “started to drill”!!

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For painting, I used the Tamiya Spray can the Light Ghost Gray and Mr. Hobby the 36 for the walkway, air wings is Mr. Hobby the 307, 308 color, the Hawk Eyes is 315.

Maybe the hawk eyes, crew, railings is biggest little bit, but I can’t find out the better materials for 1:400 scales, only 1:350 is nearest, hope it was not make the ship so bad. The price for the kits and other materials also not so high, it made it very fun to build up!

Paolo

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Photos and text © by Paolo Yuen