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Caproni Ca-311 Italian Light Bomber [finished]

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  • Member since
    December 2005
  • From: DSM, Iowa
Caproni Ca-311 Italian Light Bomber [finished]
Posted by viper_mp on Tuesday, September 16, 2008 10:43 PM

Hi everybody.  this is Italeri's Italian Light bomber, the Caproni Ca-311 in 1/72nd scale.  Now, its not the most attractive plane, but something about it called to me.  I dont know if it was the challenge of masking all those windows [tamiya tape], or the complexity of such a simple camoflauge.  Either way, I set out to build it.  There isnt a lot of ref material available for this plane.  And even fewer pictures exist.  This lead to one heck of a problem when the painting instructions called for Dark green with european green mottle. Yet the box clearly showed green mottle over a dark yellow.  Which is what is called for on one of the alternative schemes [different nose].  It also called for a yellow tail band, which I know from doing other italian planes is not right.  So, I managed to find a couple black and white photos of the plane with this camo pattern, and the pics clearly showed dark mottle over a light base.  So...I copied the box art.  Didnt have too much trouble other than paint scheme.  I did have to concult the B&W pics again for placement of the arial. Overall, I think it came out to be a nice representation of an uncommon subject.  But I'll let you guys decide.

Rob Folden

Secretary / Webmaster- IPMS Plastic Surgeons Member at Large-IPMS Hawkeye Modelers

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: From Vernal UT OH YEA!!
Posted by raptordriver on Tuesday, September 16, 2008 10:47 PM
Wow nice work, looks like some serious canopy masking.

Andrew

 

 

  • Member since
    December 2004
  • From: Yokosuka, Japan
Posted by luftwaffle on Tuesday, September 16, 2008 11:40 PM
Excellent work!

aka Mike, The Mikester My Website

"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire."   -Winston Churchill

  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Weymouth, Dorset, UK
Posted by chris hall on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:32 AM

Fine work on the masking and mottle! I've got one of these in the stash, and I'm not even going to contemplate making it until someone comes up with a canopy mask set for it! The two-tone green camo is correct for one of the decal optons, but it's a much less frequently met colour scheme than the usual dark yellow with tan or olive green mottle.

One thing, though - why the cream interior/ u/c legs? I thought the default colour for Reiga aeronautica aircraft interiors was a light grey?

Cheers,

Chris.

Cute and cuddly, boys, cute and cuddly!
  • Member since
    December 2005
  • From: DSM, Iowa
Posted by viper_mp on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:39 AM
You are correct, Chris.  And in fact, they are light grey. Its actually the same light grey for the interior, underside, and gear legs.  Its the camera screwing up the lighting again.  Likewise, it is actually J.A. Green over Dark Yellow, though in the pics it looks brown over tan.  I have yet to find out why my camera doesnt take pics in true color.  I have tried every possible light setting I can.

Rob Folden

Secretary / Webmaster- IPMS Plastic Surgeons Member at Large-IPMS Hawkeye Modelers

  • Member since
    February 2004
  • From: Weymouth, Dorset, UK
Posted by chris hall on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 12:52 AM

 viper_mp wrote:
<snip> I have yet to find out why my camera doesnt take pics in true color.  I have tried every possible light setting I can.

Bummer! What sort of lighting are you using?

Cute and cuddly, boys, cute and cuddly!
  • Member since
    September 2004
  • From: Vernon, BC, Canada
Posted by razordws on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 1:16 AM

Escellent work Viper! Thumbs Up [tup]Thumbs Up [tup]Thumbs Up [tup]  That camo looks really good, nice and even.  All that glass must of been a real pain in the butt.  Bow [bow]Bow [bow]

 

Dave

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Niagara Falls NY
Posted by Butz on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 1:23 AM

Hey Rob,

 I really like this build a lot..!!! Overall job is right on.. Did you re-position the elevators?

 Even though I am not into Italian a/c as much, if this were done in quarter scale, I'd actually build it.. Strange enough!!

 Thanks again for sharing Rob

Flaps up,

Mike

Rangers Lead The Way 

  If you would listen to everybody about the inaccuracies, most of the kits on your shelf would not have been built Too Close For Guns, Switching To Finger

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • From: South Central Wisconsin
Posted by Daywalker on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 6:27 AM
Well done Rob, the camo and windows came out beautifully.  Masking those things in 1/48 would be challenging to say the least, but in 1/72 it must have beena real PITA!  Nicely done, you ought to be very proud of that one. Thumbs Up [tup]

Frank 

 

  • Member since
    November 2003
  • From: Naples, FL
Posted by tempestjohnny on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 6:29 AM
Nice work.  Painting and masking is escellent.  Interesting addition to the collection

 

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Covington, Louisiana
Posted by Tugcap on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 7:51 AM
Very nice job on that one, Rob. I have the Ca-313 in the box and, like Chris, I'm waiting for the canopy masks to show up. Eduards has spoiled me. You have done some excellent work on yours.

Tommy      Captain

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by namrednef on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 8:09 AM

 

Very very nice Rob!

Sign - Ditto [#ditto]'s!!!!!!!

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: A Spartan in the Wolverine State
Posted by rjkplasticmod on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 8:23 AM

Sweet little bird Rob.  Well done Thumbs Up [tup].

Regards,  Rick

RICK At My Age, I've Seen It All, Done It All, But I Don't Remember It All...
dmk
  • Member since
    September 2008
  • From: North Carolina, USA
Posted by dmk on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 8:25 AM

Beautiful job!

 That is a very interesting subject too. Quite an unusual design for a combat aircraft with all the glass.

  With all the windows, it looks like a school bus with wings!  :)

  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Pearl River, Louisiana
Posted by claudez on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 9:15 AM
First rate! Canopy must have been a bear to mask!!
  • Member since
    January 2007
Posted by thuds1 on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 10:00 AM

 Well done I like it, looks neat , very cool .

 Frank C

  • Member since
    December 2005
  • From: DSM, Iowa
Posted by viper_mp on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 10:53 AM

Chris- The camera is a Nikon Coolpix S9. For lighting, I have a small photo light booth.  It uses two small flood lights on the sides with diffusers, and a large central flood on top with another diffuser. I have the camera set to auto light source, if I use the light meter built in, the pics are way too blue.

Butz- Yes, I did reposition the elevators and ailerons. 

Thanks everyone. Yes, the windows were a royal pain to mask.  And to my knowledge there isnt any mask available.  And even if they were, they'd still be a pain in the shear number of windows and their small size.  And using tamiya tape anda fresh No. 11 blade [no handle, just the blade] is very tedious and painful.  My hand did a lot of cramping.

Rob Folden

Secretary / Webmaster- IPMS Plastic Surgeons Member at Large-IPMS Hawkeye Modelers

  • Member since
    February 2007
  • From: Bournemouth UK
Posted by Luftwoller on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 11:23 AM

Rob that looks fantastic. The paintjob looks proper and the white cross on the rudder was deffo tyhe way to go. I love it. The canopy masking looks like it came out perfect as well.

Youve got a winner there.

...Guy

..'Your an embarrassment to the human genus, makes me ashamed to call myself Homo'.
  • Member since
    November 2007
Posted by Recon1 on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 4:36 PM
Be sure your lights are color corrected. 3200 Kelvin. Don
  • Member since
    July 2003
  • From: Bicester, England
Posted by KJ200 on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 4:41 PM

Great looking build.

The camo and the masking are excellent.

Karl

 

Currently on the bench: AZ Models 1/72 Mig 17PF

  • Member since
    January 2007
  • From: Northern California
Posted by trexx on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 5:23 PM

Wowie!

A real cherry indeed! Luv-it!

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: San Francisco, CA
Posted by telsono on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 5:58 PM

Nice build! There has been a lot of new information on Italian camouflage patterns in the past decade. One of the problems has been the red bias in certain  black and white film that obscures the red brown component or made the background chestnut/sand seem darker than what it was.

A mottle like this might have been the normal three color pattern of dark olive green (NATO green), red brown over light chestnut/sand. For the light grey a good substitute is light ghost grey which has the same FS number, but might need a touch of brown imho. The internal color for cockpits was mostly a grey green close to the RAF interior grey-green. Large cockpits, such as you did in your Caproni model were painted light grey and landing gear struts were also painted such in most aircraft types.

You did a very good job with the information you had. There is also so much bad information floating out in some publications like squadron's "In-Action" series and even the old "Profile" series which is what these model companies used as their references.

Go over to Stormo! and see the aircraft in the gallery and the color guide. There are some good references there. I love the work of Chris Busbridge especially.

http://www.stormomagazine.com/index.html

Mike T.

Beware the hobby that eats.  - Ben Franklin

Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out. - Ben Franklin

The U.S. Constitution  doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. - Ben Franklin

  • Member since
    July 2013
Posted by IL2windhawk on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 6:25 PM

Nice work all around!  That's a real unique bird. 
I commend you for your choice, and for your craftsmanship.

  1/32 Revell Duo Discus
  1/32 Revell ASK-21
  1/48 Ardpol SZD-51 Junior
  1/48 Czech Models Grumman Goose
  1/144 FineMolds Millennium Falcon

  • Member since
    January 2015
  • From: Katy, TX
Posted by Aggieman on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 8:38 PM
Fantastic job on a very interesting subject!
  • Member since
    June 2007
Posted by Porkbits on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 9:26 PM
Man, that canopy masking is insane. Very cool build!

PB
  • Member since
    December 2005
  • From: DSM, Iowa
Posted by viper_mp on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 10:58 PM

Thanks Guys!!  You're kind words definately make it worth while to do all the masking.  Cheers!!!

Telsono- I took a look at that site and WOW!!!  Its being bookmarked for future refs.  Looking at the color chart, it actually only has the Ca-311 listed under the green over yellow/tan camo and nothing else. Though I love some of the other paint schemes. Lucky for me, I have a few more italiano planes to do!!!

Rob Folden

Secretary / Webmaster- IPMS Plastic Surgeons Member at Large-IPMS Hawkeye Modelers

  • Member since
    April 2008
  • From: Fox Lake, Il., USA
Posted by spiralcity on Thursday, September 18, 2008 1:32 AM
Great build. I havent seen this plane on this forum yet. Thumbs Up [tup]

 

 

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • From: Van Alstyne, Tx.
Posted by bspeed on Thursday, September 18, 2008 11:15 AM
totally COOL Big Smile [:D] Big Smile [:D]
  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: NJ
Posted by JMart on Thursday, September 18, 2008 11:28 AM
Different  bird, great camo, neat build.... excellent job given the canopy and lack of references ,thanks for sharing!

 

 

  • Member since
    March 2005
Posted by philo426 on Monday, September 22, 2008 9:22 AM
Great job on the complex canopy!Plus the cammo looks great!
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