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

SC, your gonna love that kit. Its the same one I did for this build and there are no issues with it at all, a great kit. Have fun.

Steve

Ciao, reggazzi!

Man, you all have a goldmine in the Stormo magazine site. Goodness, I spent a 1/2 hour there and got so much info for the Gabbiano. never seen anything quite like that for one-stop shopping. I've looked all over for AM guns though, and cannot find any. The kit's are goven (sorry Matt, and it doesn't quite mean doodoo) though, so I've got to make three.

Breda-SAFAT

Well I opened up the box and started with a good study of the instructions and color call outs. I began by useing the Squadron book to check camo pattern on this particular plane and I was pleased to find a couple of photos of the specific plane I was modeling. I also quicly found out that the kit instructions are full of mistakes and inacuracies. This 202 was an early build and did not have a antenna mast but a short stub type as shown in the instructions. The kit painting guide is completly wrong. The Squadron book has a pretty good picture and an explanation as to why the left wing root is gray due to battle damage and I doubt the right side was painted gray as shown. Here is the picture and the color profile from the kit. I can see I will have to be carefull and check everything as I go along with this kit.

                                                                               Soulcrusher 

Great news SC, I knew if i blew hard enough the thing would reach you eventually. The only downside is the dogs have left home and noone is talking to me. Aah well, take the good with the bad LOL. With the stubby ariel you could get away with either as they didnt have a stubby for very long. Thier radio signals wernt very good so it was changed quite quickly. but seeing as you have the refs, the stubby is the only way to go. Good call on the wing root repair. Should make for an interesting build. Love your kit gaurdian BTW.

Bondo, Wasnt the Breda Safat for the Gabbi a blatant copy of the Browning or Vikers? Escapes me now. Would that be easier to find? This pc is running like a snail at the mo, otherwise id have a look. As im typing this, im waiting a minute before the words come up on the screen. LOL.

...Guy

#Another blatant copy from Franks GB

Done a bit more to my floater. Not quite as quick as id hoped LOL. Im on a funny shift this week. Starts at 11am. So i only get an hour or so in the morning before work to do anything really. By the time i get home, eat, shower etc....yo get the gist.

Anyhoo the fuz sides went together. A bit of filler here and there on the inserts, but im pleased overall. I then used Mr surfacer 500 neat on the big gaps and then when dry, thinned down with lacquer thinners over the scratched areas,

Ive since the last pic, polished it all up and its looking good. Ive toyed with an alternative to Alclad for the Alluminium top deck. What you think, its very very smooth,

I may be able to get some paint on the fuzz tomorow.

...Guy

Man, everywhere I go I see a Macchi flying boat!  

LOL, looking great Guy, you building machine you.

SC- Good catch on the camo and details!  Feels good to find an actual photo of the selected model, doesn't it?

Guy the metal finish looks great. What product did you use to obtain such a smooth finish? After last night confusion about all of the kit inacuracies I think I am ready to start building. I still have somehow figure out from that one pic what colors are really on the plane. It is obvious that it is not painted in the colors shown in the instructions but I still have to figure out what colors are really on the plane from a couple of poor BW photos. Do'nt let that sleepy look in Scooters eyes think for one minute you could sneak past him. He has more  kills than most German WWII aces on the Russian front! Although those his are rodents not planes.

Frank it is good and bad to have an actual photo to build off of. If I did'nt have the photo I would have build it with the wrong antenna and grey wing roots on both sides but now I have do decide what colors to paint the camo in from a grainy BW photo.

                                                                                   Soulcrusher

 I think it looks like a tin Kyak!  Knowing you you probably take pics of it with you in the bath tub!

I like the metal look! I think it is just as good as Alcad from the pics!  The seam work looked tricky as well!  Got it looking good!  That 1/72 scale stuff is hard to see and feel uneveness but you got it going on!

Well good news Guy! I started on the 202 tonight. I have the cockpit all painted and a wash added. I also managed to paint all of the wheel well parts light blue and they should be ready to assemble tomorrow night. The kit needs some modifications to back date it to an early 202. I have to remove some blisters from the nose fill in the antenna mast hole and drill a new one for the stub antenna furthur back. So far everything going smoothly. Hopefully I will be posting some progress pics tomorrow night.

                                                                                       Soulcrusher

sfcmac wrote:

I think it looks like a tin Kyak!  Knowing you you probably take pics of it with you in the bath tub!

I'm ready to color coat the top wing of the Cant Z with "Aluminio" which in this case would be silver dope, dopes. Any first choices and Guy I can't use yours becuase it looks too good. Thinkin Alclad "white aluminum". Stormo mag suggested ordinary metallic silver, but I'd like a little more faded...

New name for the Gabbiano- "Mamma,aiuto" these were called. Grappa shot tomorrow night for they who can translate it. Hint: air/sea rescue.

What are you saying Bondo? Youd need a 1/2 scale Bismark to hide my manlyhood.

Whats this that Mrs Bondo tells me that her pet name for you is 'Justin'? Think about it LOL.

As for your offer of the Grappa shot. Could it be .....Servant? Or Housekeeper?

Ooh you got me intrigued.

...Guy

So Guy what was the mystery silver finish on you little floatplane? I made some good progress tonight. The cockpit is all assembled. I did not waste any time here. Nothing can be seen but the seat when it is all closed up. No pics yet worth posting.

                                                                              Soulcrusher 

Luftwoller wrote:

What are you saying Bondo? Youd need a 1/2 scale Bismark to hide my manlyhood. Whats this that Mrs Bondo tells me that her pet name for you is 'Justin'? Think about it LOL. As for your offer of the Grappa shot. Could it be .....Servant? Or Housekeeper? Ooh you got me intrigued. ...Guy

"Justin, as in Justin time, perhaps?

No on the servitude, but here's a hint men in the original language of my people:

Il Gabbiano... remase in servizio per tutta la guerra, en la servizzio costiera... prima per il soccorso aereo...fu per questo dice "mamma,aiuto"

SC, i cant keep a secret for long lol. The Silver finish is from a Citadel paint pot. The ones for painting warhammer lead figgies. The stuff is great and i have loads of them. I think the colour is Mithril silver. It was thinned with Lacquer thinner and sprayed through the airbrush.

Bondo, could it be something along the lines of 'Mother Goose' as in some sort of protector?

As for the Justin comment...Way off..Try, only 'Just-in' LOL.

...Guy

Thats some good info on the silver paint there Guy. My local hobby store carries a full line of the Warhammer products. I might have to check it out seeing as your siver paint job looks great. 

After spending the sfternoon getting beat up by my 5 year old Neice I got some bench time in tonight. I got the wheel well details installed and closed up the wings. I also installed the finish cockpit in the fuselage and joined the two halves.This kit has been sitting around for a while and both the fuselage halves and wings were slightly warped. The fuselage lined up very nicely once glue was applied and it was taped together. So nice it looks as if no filler or sanding will be needed on the upper half which is great because of all of the fine detail. The wings were another story. The upper halves seemed to have flattened out a bit and really needed to be forced down to meet the lower half which had also flattened out a bit. I had to bend it a bit to get it to fit snuggly agianst the spar in the wheel well. I forgot how quicly these Hasegawa kits go together. Still nothing worth looking at yet mabye soon. I know you are drooling right now Guy waiting to see this one with the horsey decals!

                                                                                     Soulcrusher

Oh yeah, Prancing horses are deffo the bomb my friend. And a killer warplane with em, just about as good as it gets.

My little floater has had some paint this morning, before football (Im crocked btw) Ive sprayed the white on the lower hull and Red, White and Green on the undersides of the wings. I also brushed some future on em ready for decals. Geez, that even sounds like i did a lot of work. I was only working for an hour or so. Just watching the GP at the mo, ill post some pics when it gets boring LOL.

...Guy

As promised, heres my installment.

 I sprayed the undersides of the wings and ive mixed up some linen colour for the top wing (Not on yet)

I also sprayed the hull and underside White (Hidden by the tape) and then sprayed the sides 'Wood' colour, ready for the Oil streaking to represent the grain, Oh and i also gave the lot a coat of Future for a barrier coat and prep for decals,

The round dots on the top deck arnt sprue gates! They are supposed to be there, and White. So i used a hole punch to make some small masks for them.

If i get chance ill be able to do some more this afternoon.

...Guy

Wow Guy that is one colorfull seaplane. Its almost like a flying Italian flag!. Your cutting mat is starting to look like mine with all bits of tape stuck to it  and overspray everywhere. So do you have a favorite Football team?

I peeled the tape of the fuselage and wings this morning. The fuselage went together perfectly with no gaps and perfect aligment. The wings are going to need a little sanding where they join the fuselage  as they somehow lost there shape a bit over the years nothing major though. I'm going to try and do a little work in between those pesky house chores today. The down side of being a bachlor. I need a maid!

                                                                                   Soulcrusher

LOL, she is a little bit on the garish side. I dont think they had a lot to do with camoflage in WW1. As for the football team i support (Real Football btw, not mambys padded up to the hilt)

There is only one club for me,

...Guy

Since our mission is to exert our Imperial authority over a group of happless Ethiopians that don't have an air force, rescue identification markings are the order of the day.

Here's the wing of the Cant Z 501 fresh from the paint shop. Masking this was a fun job, and it's a blessing all that Tamiya tape held it's edges. Alclad II is a great base finish that really holds up to masking. Tamiya "Italian Red" in the rattler.

This weekend I also bought a 1/72 Italeri Sparviero torpedo bomber, because it was on sale at the LHS. Lo and behold, it came with three really nice Breda .303s that are waist (wasted) guns with only the barrels sticking out of windows, so I now have arms for the open gun positions on the Gabbiano.

"Mamma, aiuto!"

Luftwoller wrote:

As promised, heres my installment.  I sprayed the undersides of the wings and ive mixed up some linen colour for the top wing (Not on yet)

Two grappa shots, it's an offer you cannot refuse, or "Mamma, aiuto". Hint, rescuing downed airmen is our job, seaplane boy.

I know another trick for masking dots- tease a pool of Krystal Klear onto the area you need to mask, with a toothpick. Paint over it, then pop it off.

I'm going to make the big push this weekend- Ms. Bondo and Miss Bondo both have homework, so I'll buy em all the take out Mexican food they want and disappear into the man-cave.

Arivederci!!

Bondomaniac, ma non troppo

bondo- Absolutely spectacular!  And here you were, trying to tell us about haplessly spraying paint onto your models without much thought.  Your masking looks prefect, and the result- stunning!

Guy- I commented on your tri-color wing over at the KOTS II GB, but I shall say it again here- beautiful work!

Fantastic stuff Bondomaniac. Ive seen that colour scheme on my box (Same kit) and it frightens me. Not done an NMF (Apart from a Mig 15 that i dont like to talk about) and worry about the finished article. Yours is looking stunning.

Your upping the Ante with 2 grappa shots. Im still guffoozled though. What about 'Nursemaid'? or 'Swimmingpool attendant'? There are Polish coming out of our ears at work but no Italians. Noone to ask. We have an Italian resteraunt at the end of our road, perhaps they could help. Ooops did i say that out loud? Im not going to cheat.....Honest....Guvnor.

Frank, hopefully ill get another post up today as ive got a day off. Also I just recieved an Avia S-199 from Evil bay. Ive wanted to build one of these for a while now. Thought you might be interested LOL.

...Guy

Luftwoller wrote:

Frank... I just recieved an Avia S-199 from Evil bay. Ive wanted to build one of these for a while now. Thought you might be interested LOL. ...Guy

OK, you have my attention!  What markings are gonna put on that one?

The above picture is the real thing that Acadamey based thier kit on. As its the most colourful, ill probably go with it. All over RLM 02 apparantly. Cooool.

...Guy

 I managed to get a fair bit done today (Day off).I masked up the nose deck area and sprayed it with my wonder alluminium, then I got the Linen colour on the wings and then coated them with Tamiya Clear. That stuff is great as it goes off rock hard in under an hour. It went off so quick i was able to decal them as well. The register of the roundels was a little off, with them being slightly see through. Aah well you cant win em all. LOL. Heres where it is so far,

More soon, but there are still a thousand minute strut thingy doo dads that need cleaning up and squirting.

...Guy

Guy- here were my research results from the Weekend Maniacs, er, Madness GB. The SOP for this model is to use RLM 02 on the exterior, and RLM 66 on the cockpit, but Israeli sources tied to their IAF museum now identify a more greenish exterior, and RLM 02 for all interiors, so I went with that. RAF Buff and Hemp were reccomended, but I thought Buff was too brown and could not find Hemp. I tried Tamiya IJN Aircraft Grey which at first seemed a good match, but on the model was too blue. So I mixed IJN Grey and RAF Buff 75/25 and I'm really pleased with the results.

Bill

She looks a stunner. So what are you saying then? 02 for the pit and the Hempy buff greyeysandy sorta thing......Clear as mud LOL.

The only thing id change would be the propellor blades. Either Black-green or black. The hempy colour doesnt quite sit with me. LOL

...Guy