This kit by Ukraine’s Dora Wings is the first injection-molded 1/48 kit of the SNC-1, and continues their release list of Kits I Never Expected Anyone To Do. Previously, Bob Norgren’s Sierra Scale Models released both a resin and a vacuform version of the SNC-1, while Kora Models has released a 1/72 injection-molded SNC-1 kit several years ago that is the definition of “limited-run.”

This kit, like Dora Wings others, is a “high end limited run” kit, with well-molded and designed parts, petite surface detail, a nicely-detailed cockpit, clear canopy and interesting markings options. The kit provides markings for a U.S. Navy SNC-1 and CW-22s of the Peruvian and Venezuelan air forces.

Once again, committing the revolutionary act of following the instructions, which are not “somebody’s opinion,” will give you a nice result. Overall, the kit is quite simple and offers no surprises. There is some flash needing to be cleaned off parts, and you should do this because this is a CAD kit with precise fit.

I started by assembling each fuselage half separately. Because of the curves in the design around the wing fillets, and the limitations of Dora Wings molding machine, each fuselage half is multi-part. By assembling each fuselage half completely before proceeding, you can get good fit that won’t require a lot of putty and sanding later. In fact I needed no putty or other filler on this kit.

Once that was done, I painted the cockpit parts Interior Green and then assembled them. I used Eduard seatbelts, my only departure from an OOB build, because I had them available. I then painted and assembled the engine, which was perhaps the most complex bit of assembly in the entire project. I then fitted the cockpit and engine into the left fuselage half and glued them in position, after which I glued the fuselage halves togeher and put the sub-assembly aside to set up.

The wings were then assembled, with the ailerons posed in neutral position. I attached the elevators to the horizontal stabilizers with a slight droop. I then attached the wing and fuselage sub-assemblies. I had to bend the wing down to “pop” it up into position, after which I glued it and found no need of any filler along the joining surfaces. I attached the horizontal stabilizers and the rudder.

After dipping the canopy in Future, I glued it in position. The canopy is molded closed, and it looks better closed than open, from photos. It is clear enough to see everything in the cockpit.

I masked the canopy with the masks provided in the kit. After preshading the model, I painted the lower surface with Tamiya XF-80 Royal Light Grey, and the upper surfaces with my mixture for USN Blue-Grey. I went back over the upper color with some white added to the paint for some sun-fading, since the original airplane was based at Corpus Christi, Texas.

After airbrushing some clear gloss overall, the kit decals went down without problem.

I gave the model an overall coat of clear flat, then assembled the landing gear and attached it, then attached the clamshell gear doors and finally the prop. I unmasked the canopy and called it finished.