The Bloch 157 was potentially one of the best fighters of World War II. It matched a good fuselage with a powerful engine but only one prototype flew after Germany invaded France in 1940.

The Bloch 157 resulted from an attempt to mate the fuselage of the Block 152 fighter with the more powerful Gnome-Rhone engine.

The attempt was unsuccessful so a new, larger fuselage was designed for the engine. Work on the prototype began in December 1939 but it was not completed by the time of the German invasion in June 1940.

The aeroplane was finally completed under German direction and first flew in March 1942, demonstrating outstanding performance.

It was tested into 1943 when the engine was taken to Germany for further testing.

The airframe was later destroyed in an allied air raid.

This model represents the sole Block 157 prototype in March 1942.

FGMaster Dujin 1/72kit completed by Leigh Edmonds in October 2011.