Building the Voisin Aerodyne by Mikansue

The VOISIN AERODYNE of 1934-1936 by MIKANSUE (and me)

    A very expensive hand-built automobile produced in France, the Voisin Aerodyne came from the aircraft manufacturer Gabriel Voisin. After his planes helped win World War I, Voisin built cars from 1919 into the mid-1900’s.  The Aerodyne of the 1930’s was the most spectacular.  With its six -cylinder Knight sleeve valve engine, its sliding roof and externally mounted windshield, and its port hole sky view windows, this was a showstopper from its 1934 debut until production stopped some three years later.  It seems that a total of eight were constructed, no two exactly alike.

  My kit was by Mikansue, Grand Tourisme 24.  It was based on an Aerodyne restored in England, and it has the English-style right hand steering.  I chose the paint colors.  This 1980’s (?) white metal kit is rather difficult; I have seen several offered for sale in unfinished / partial stages of construction.  I suggest caution in purchasing these, as well as care in construction.  Finished 1/43 models of the Voisin Aerodyne have been made by several producers, including Altaya, IXO, Spark, and Minichamps.  However, in my old, warped ways, I had fun with this older kit.  The fun:

The results (which NEVER photographs as well as I think it looks):

The last picture is the "before" the roof slides back, opening the front seat to the sky and turning the rear window into a circular "peep hole."  Sorry, the Mikansue model doesn't have an operational roof.  

Enjoy!

      David H