Metallic Details MDR72166 1/72 Leduc 0.22 Experimental Aircraft

The kit consists of highly detailed, high-quality 3D printed resin parts, a vacuformed cockpit canopy, and decals to decorate your model. All components are produced using modern manufacturing technologies to ensure accurate geometry, fine surface detail, and realistic scale appearance.

The Leduc 0.22 was a French experimental interceptor developed in the 1950s by engineer Rene Leduc as part of France's pioneering research into ramjet-powered aircraft. It represented the most advanced development of the unusual Leduc aircraft family.

Unlike the earlier Leduc experimental aircraft, which had to be carried to altitude by a larger aircraft before being released, the 0.22 was designed for independent takeoff. It combined a conventional turbojet engine with the characteristic Leduc ramjet system, allowing it to operate from a normal runway while continuing the development of ramjet propulsion for high-speed flight.

The Leduc 0.22 made its first flight in 1956. Flight testing was used to investigate the aircraft's aerodynamic characteristics and combined propulsion system. Although the design showed considerable technical innovation, the program was eventually discontinued as French military aviation concentrated on more conventional turbojet-powered supersonic fighters.

Only one Leduc 0.22 prototype was completed, making it one of the most distinctive and unusual French experimental aircraft of the early jet age.