That's Amore (Italian GB) Jan 1-June 30 2012

If you like the Roma,save your pennies bsyamato.This kit is fantastic.

A bit more to show.

Here's the cockpit floor with seat and PE harness/backpad added, but not fully glued down yet. Yes, the lap belt was chains. Sounds comfortable!

Also installed the exhaust stacks last night ahead of closing up the fuselage. When I was fitting them I again noticed a glaring fit issue - when the stacks are at correct depth, the forward portion is sunken into the fuselage. Looking closer and comparing to reference photos, the front of that forward portion was actually hollow at the front - which the resin isn't. So I cut it off.

I'm planning to replace the resin up front with aluminum from a soft drink can. Still working on getting the exact measures right, but here's a "proof of concept":

Nice detailing Doogs.

Just keeps getting better Doogs.

OK Eric, I'm kicking myself now. Just found this little tidbit on Wikipedia about the HD.1 -----

The type was also produced by the Nieuport-Macchi company of Varese, Italy, which built almost 900 HD.1s between 1917 and 1919; more than the parent firm.

That's out of a total of 1200 produced. Looks like the HD.1 would have been a go. Right now it's in a different GB and probably too far along to enter here. Next time though, I will research my subjects a little better - lesson learned. I'm still searching for my official entry for this GB. Will let you know when I find something.

Sorry to hear that Mike. If you finish up before our GB ends, please feel free to jump in.

Mike - you really seem to have your heart set on WW1 aircraft subject.  Glad I'm not the moderator on this one as your interesting find about the Hanriot still is a tough decision.  Even though built in Italy, it was a French design (maybe you can find an  Italian name on the design team?).   If Eric gives the green light on it that would mean the Stuka would be allowed  in as it was license built in Italy.

Anyhow, as an option I remember finding  a couple Ansaldo kits when we were mud deep in the Great War BG last year.  Made by Karaya, here is a review:

http://modelingmadness.com/reviews/w1/calhounbalillapreview.htm

An early version by the Fly company:

http://www.jadarhobby.pl/fly-48006-ansaldo-sva-early-148-p-23583.html

regards,

Jack

TD4438

If you like the Roma,save your pennies bsyamato.This kit is fantastic.

Yes i like the Roma and battleships too but actually counting only 2 finished and 3 in the stash.

350 trumpeter rome are too expensive for me even saving money , lots of non modelling related thing where i need to put saved money (an increasing of work money is a good hope ) .Also i found better offer for the 350 rome at 127 €!!! the only 27 are right for the wished new revell halifax the 1/700 version is more affordable at 35 € (also the space in my house are another important variable ).

Doogs the metal looking of the seat is great, only the belts looks a little too flat, weathering is yet to come on it?

Jack, yep, I love the bipes. Interesting fact about the Stuka - looks like the HD.1 still may have been a no-go. Did a little searching for the Karaya kit and found one for about 38 bucks. The reviews of it look very positive, and it would also be my first all-resin / PE build. Thanks for finding that!

Eric, this is a great GB so far with some awesome work on display. There's no way I'll let it slip past. Really hoping to get my mitts on that Karaya kit.

This is two more days of brush work.I didn't think it would take this long.

TD - you've got me a bit freaked out about the amount of work I'm going to have to put into the North Carolina/Washington when I come to it!

Substantial progress on the G.55 last night. Here's the mostly-finished cockpit. Going to wait to weather the harnesses until I get the rear bulkhead installed (tonight). Overall, the resin's cool, but it's a somewhat spartan cockpit (in real life, too) so it was difficult to go too crazy with it. Also...I had a nightmare of a time getting CA to adhere to the polished seat. Friggin' PE.

Also cut new aluminum for the scoop/leading things ahead of the exhaust stacks. Huge improvement over the kit resin, which 1) was solid at the ends and 2) when mounted so the stacks were place right, sat several millimeters inside the fuselage. I cut it down, curved the aluminum on a mandrel, then smashed it into place.

After that, I got the fuselage halves together! The fit of the fuselage halves is darn near perfect. But there's a problem with the wing. There's a resin bit that installs between the gear bays showing rear engine detail, and the sides of this (already thinned as much as I dared) clashed with the exhausts. So out came the sprue cutters to snip off the upper forward corners. Now it fits - and given how impossible it will be to see that far up in there, I'm not too put off.

Next up...flaps.

jgeratic1

Mike - you really seem to have your heart set on WW1 aircraft subject.  Glad I'm not the moderator on this one as your interesting find about the Hanriot still is a tough decision.  Even though built in Italy, it was a French design (maybe you can find an  Italian name on the design team?).   If Eric gives the green light on it that would mean the Stuka would be allowed  in as it was license built in Italy.

Anyhow, as an option I remember finding  a couple Ansaldo kits when we were mud deep in the Great War BG last year.  Made by Karaya, here is a review:

http://modelingmadness.com/reviews/w1/calhounbalillapreview.htm

An early version by the Fly company:

http://www.jadarhobby.pl/fly-48006-ansaldo-sva-early-148-p-23583.html

regards,

Jack

 

 

I must say that is a tough call. I suppose if it were built under license, then that qualifies it.

Thanks MIke. I thought this might be a different GB then the usual suspects of 109's and Tiger tanks.

Not much to report on my end. I have some work to do on a stub that I found after I painted the base, a couple of putty jobs and the barrel broke. I messed up a spot on the rear that I need to sand and respray. I'm thinking of trying a pre-shade for all these beautiful bolts. Rats, I was hoping to paint the wheels, but they'll have to wait.

Doogs:

That is one cool seat...I may have missed it, but how did you get it to look like that?

Hercmech

Doogs:

That is one cool seat...I may have missed it, but how did you get it to look like that?

Thanks! Not too happy with the shape of the seat actually (too thick and vague), but that's another matter. Did the seat with Tamiya AS-12 Bare Metal Silver, then used Hawkeye's Aluminum polishing powder and buffed it in with a dremel...

DoogsATX

Hercmech:

Doogs:

That is one cool seat...I may have missed it, but how did you get it to look like that?

 

Thanks! Not too happy with the shape of the seat actually (too thick and vague), but that's another matter. Did the seat with Tamiya AS-12 Bare Metal Silver, then used Hawkeye's Aluminum polishing powder and buffed it in with a dremel...

Thanks...it came out fantastic.

The camo scheme on the Roma is turning every sub assembly into a project.I've also got a set of PE railings coming from Gold Medal Models.That'll just add to the fun.

I think last night might have been the night I finally broke this build wide open. After what seems like tons of work with not much to show for it, things really started coming together last night, and I think the worst of the build is (fingers crossed) behind me!

First...wings were attached.

Here's the nasty fit of the resin pieces inside the fuselage...

Not too much is visible from outside, though...

Seams at the wingroot are actually not bad at all, considering what I was expecting!

Wings boxed in...still need to sort out the open area with some styrene. 

Also got the prop built. With the engineering, there's no way to assemble the spinner and insert the props later, so I'll be painting the spinner then masking it off and painting the props.

And lastly...finished up one of the stabilizer/elevator combos. Here's where it was:

And done:

Sweet work Doogs, man that is some thick plastic, those wing leading edges look like they gave you some fits..

I can relate to you Doogs on tons of work with not much to show for it.

Another quick pic.

Last shots of finished cockpit...fuselage going together now...not so great a fit...leaving the seatbelt for last as the seam on the headrest will have to get sanded and I dont' want to knock it off.

That looks great Nathan.

I spent a lot of time cleaning up parts and errors on the build. Not happy with my work.

Beautiful work Nathan!Enrico.

Lookin' good Nathan.

Got a bit more done last night.

Wow TD, don't you get sick of PE? Looking good. Tigerman no worries I'm sure you'll figure it out, I still have to mate the wings to the fuselage and that won't be pretty...I miss Hasegawa, Tamiya...

Control surfaces sorted. I thought attaching the stabs would be a nightmare, but it went rather smoothly after I got the idea of clamping the plane in my dremel bench vise. Control surfaces held by tape, but you get the idea. 

Nathan T

Wow TD, don't you get sick of PE? Looking good. Tigerman no worries I'm sure you'll figure it out, I still have to mate the wings to the fuselage and that won't be pretty...I miss Hasegawa, Tamiya...

Nice updates guys  

Nathan the cockpit looks  perfect 

I love the radar TD (what's your real name anyway? )

Doog, looks real nice. Your perseverance is paying off. 

...............the super glue (ciano) is not cured yet..............!Enrico

This is macro!!  

Great details