Regia Aeronautica GB II (06/15/09 to 06/15/10)

God knows whos in charge of the front page!! A jackass, reckon......err.....could you let me know whos kit your 109's is...please Mike

...Guy

Mike, that is a stunning build. I love it. Lets face it, who couldnt love a 109, and in RA colours. Just perfect. Its modellers like you, that always inspire me to try harder. If you do get the time, try to pop back and keep an eye on us. You know that Aaron Macneal is way outta control and needs a gentle reigning now and again.

Chris, 1stly let me welcome you aboard. And what a cracker of a kit to dip your flipper into the mix with. I built the sweet kit a while back and its just gorgeous. I love the way they give you an instrument decal and no instrument panel LOL.

Im adding your build to the front page.

...Guy

Looking in hte stash the other day, I noticed that I have ten unbuilt kits (out of a total of about 550) of WW2 Italian subjects. In the paint racks, I have a complete set of White Ensign Colourcoats RA colours. In the decal bank I've a set of Mike Grant's 1/72 smoke rings, and a set of Sky Decals 1/72 Macchi Mc.205 markings.  I even speak reasonable Italian. And yet...I've ben back in the hobby for about 15 years, but haven't built a model of a RA subject since I was a kid!

Time to do something about it!

I'm starting small. Very small. 1/144 single-seat fighter small.

One of the Italian subjects in the stash is a Macchi CR.200 AS from the Japanese firm of Sweet, who specialise in 1/144 WW2 single-seater fighters (though they also do a very nice line in Sea Kings, including Marine One) and rather cute little cats:

http://www.sweetaviationmodels.com/14106MacchiTrop.html

and it had ben calling to me for a while,so I thought I'd start with that.

Early yesterday morning, I was putting a burned umber oil wash on a cople of 1/76 tanks. While waiting for it to settle into the detail, I assembled the Macchi's airframe and engine - all seven parts of it:

That's a Badger colour cup at the bottom left-hand corner for scale!

The thing I really noticed is how superb the fit of parts was. The only clean-up needed was a quick swipe with a fine sanding stick along the fuselage centreline, and that was  it. I did notice a very fine mould separation line along the middle of the engine cowling, but decided to leave it there, on the basis that trying to sand it off would probably result in irregularly-shaped cylinder-head fairings, and that, after paiting and decalling, it probably wouldn't show.

I decided to do an aircraft in smoke-ring camo. No, I'm not mad. The kit includes - wait for it - smoke ring camo decals in 1/144:

(green mottle too, should you be so inclined). The main decal sheet is also small but perfectly formed:

with markings for no fewer than seven aircraft, in five different colour schemes. Notice that you get instrument panel decals (plus a couple of spares in case you mess up). You also get themain gear wells as decals. This was, I think, Sweet's first 1/144 kit. More recent ones have properly-molded gear wells, but an aftermarket resin wing, complete with wheel wells, has just been released:

http://www.modelingmadness.com/scotts/detailsets/ce/bagheeramc200wing.htm

but I'll be going OOB.

I've undercoated the model in grey primer, brush-painted the wing tip uppersurfaces in white, and sprayed the undersurfaces in Grigio Mimetico. My research suggests that the uppersurfaces are Giallo Mimetico 4 with the smoke rings in Verde Mimetico 2. If anyone knows different, i'd esteem it a favour before I spray the yellow tomorrow morining british time.

Cheers,

Chris.

OK, calling her done.  I still need to scratch build some aileron mass balances but that will be done down the road.  Something new this time was EZ-Line for the antenna aerial, works pretty well.  The tensioning springs were made from real small guage copper wire wound around a small wire, came out pretty well although hard to make out in photos.  A little more weathering here and there and added some doo-dads.  All in all a fun build and a definite change of pace from 1/72!

Would love to do another Italian subject but I've got a couple of other things in the queue that need to be done, never enough time!!!

Looks like you have as much putty on that 202 as I have had to spread on my G 55. I feel more like an autobody repair guy than a model builder on this one!.

                                                                                  Soulcrusher

Thank you sfcmac and Luftwoller, feels good to know it's the right look on the harness.

simpilot34, apreciate it!

 Here's a few more photos of the progress

Voidses she's looking good!!!

Aaron that office looks great!!! Is that OOB?

Hey voidses, here is a picture of a real veltro's seat. The lower straps of the seat were generally chains as you can make out on Aarons model. But youd easily get away with doing it as in the picture. Dont ask me what the square leather thing is!.

...Guy

Looks like you are maing good progress Sarge.

I finally sprayed the G 55 with a white primer coat to see what seams would appear. Everything looks good except the wing roots which are proving to be a major PIA!. I am going to have to go over them agian as there are several ugly spots along the seam. This kit has been nothing but one big seam filling prodject. More sanding stick tomorrow! Man I can't wait to get to the fun part of airbrushing the cool ANR paint scheme.

                                                                                        Soulcrusher

Dave great stuff!  Best injector pin marks in the business if you ask me! Hope there are no more fires !

Voidses , Here are a few pics of what the Pacific Coast pit looks like. I am fairly certain that all the pits are really close to appearance to each other on all my models in the stash. Especially dealing with the unique looking seat harness config.

Hope that helps. On page 1 I have linked previous completed build and you can see even better examples of the pits and seats done by a lot better modelers than I.

Hi everyone, I'v been busy building the seat harness in my mc202. To be frank I have no idea if it is accuret and wanted to ask if it's correct. Plz be honest, I can easily remove it and start over if needed.

Great to see your making some progress Dave. That pit looks great for an older kit and im sure you can work your magic in its general direction. What a nightmare with the fires. That wasnt down to those foriegn legion guys i saw on the net that were firing flares at night over bone dry earth was it? Those guys were real knuckle heads.

SC, you got me there. Friends of mine reckon i look like Will Farrell!! (When i have hair that is) Scott Baio does rule though. We get him regularly over here in some Dr crap with Dick Van ***, that Mrs Lufty watches.

...Guy

#edit# those 3 *'s after Dick Van are covering his Surname 'Dike' spelt weith a 'Y' not an 'I' LOL

Looks like a good start Dave. I have this one stashed also so I am going to try and pic up some pointers fron you.

That picture is cool to bad it is a fire. When I was living in Fort Lauderdale Fl I woke up one July morning and went outside an thought I saw snow? The car was cover in this white powder. It turned out the everglades were on fire and the whole sky was full off a very fine white ash floating around. I lived about three miles from the edge of the everglades and the wind was blowing east so all of the ash just floated over. Really wierd.

                                                                              Soulcrusher

Luftwoller wrote:

I got a phone call from my mate, Big E, today. We both get a subsciption to the mag 'Scale Aviation Modeller International'. Big E says 'Your famous mate'..... ...Guy

Aye mabye so but your not Scott Baio!

Guy you rock!  SAMI is one of my favorite mags.  I'll have to run down to the store and see if we have that issue.  Usually takes longer for them to make their way over to this side of the pond.

Update on the CA 311.  One thing I love about the old Italeri kits is all the clean up of the excessive ejector pin marks! 

Here's the oob office.  Not bad detail for its day but I think I'll have to jazz it up a bit.

On a personal note.  Took this picture of the sunset a couple of days ago.  Sad thing is those are not clouds.  There's a forest fire 20 - 30 miles from here.

Ash was starting to coat the trampoline.

Was looking pretty apocalyptic for awhile there but we got some rain yesterday that helped clear things up. Our home is not in any danger but many people have been evacuated.

I got a phone call from my mate, Big E, today. We both get a subsciption to the mag 'Scale Aviation Modeller International'. Big E says 'Your famous mate'......Im saying no more, but im well chuffed. Search out the mag and have a looky. 1st to find me, wins a prize. Its the issue with a white Buckeye on tyhe front.

...Guy

soulcrusher wrote:

Guy I warned you not to let the missus watch! Women have been known to faint in my precence!

Thats cos you smell, big boy....No offence. Roll on Prt 2, i say. I think we should all do another and they should be themed. Now theres a homework project!!!

...Guy

I thing a part two is in order! I do not know if it the camera but the quality of the video does not look as good when useing the digital setting as opposed to useing the tape. Looks grainy and so did Franks video. Mabye it is just the poor lighting.

Dave I thought about doing it neked just for Guy but this is a PG rated website so I had to wear clothes.

Guy I warned you not to let the missus watch! Women have been known to faint in my precence!

Aaron there is no missus Crusher so I am free as a bird to sow my seeds! LOL! I still do not think I look like Scott Baio. He is a scrawny little dude and I am packing some serious guns! Mabye you guys just don't see enough of us Italian"s and you think we all look the same. Help me out here Bondo!

All that time spent on the video left me no time for building last night so I have to really get moving on the G 55 tonight.

                                                                                      Soulcrusher

soulcrusher wrote:

Wow I'm a hit so far. Mabye I will do a part two? I do'nt really look like Scott Baio do I?                                                                                               Soulcrusher

 Well Your wife wants to know who the blonde is and why your arm is around her! 

Guy I will try to look  those up after some rest and see what I can do to post them in a central location on the front page.

Awesome, We are not worthy , Mrs Lufty saw it and fainted!!! Probably just tripped over the dog, but it was almost a faint. Im a bit dissapointed that there was no 'Its all Daves fault' T on show. Hometown, smowntown, i say.

Looking forward to seeing part 2. Perhaps his Aaronliness could post a link to all the members at the beginning of the GB....Or under the completed models. Now theres a good idea. Come on Macneal, get your finger out. LOL

Weve had a few now, Me, Dave, Frank, Sc, Aaron, Bondo. Who are we missing?

...Guy

Wow I'm a hit so far. Mabye I will do a part two? I do'nt really look like Scott Baio do I?

                                                                                              Soulcrusher

By jove your right Aaron... that does look like Scott Baio.  I knew he was desperate for work these days but sheez!

Just kidding SC (or is that SB) great video and thanks for sharing and most importantly thanks for being fully clothed.

I was trying useing a different browser mabye thats why the darn think would not come up as a link. I hate Internet Explorer. I have seen dead people move faster than that program! Thanks Sarge! I will be signing autographs for 5 bucks a piece later! Guy for you a fiver will due to the extra postage for shipping. That stinks that you can not post videos directly into the forum but I swear I saw a couple done that way?

                                                                               Soulcrusher