ICM 1/32 Fiat CR.42 Falco

[Mark1]

I'm impressed with the ICM trucks so good to hear positive things about their planes,looking forward to starting mine,hope my cockpit looks as neat and tidy.

 

[stona]

Good start Steve. Amazing how Spartan that cockpit looks compared to aircraft of only a year or two later isn’t it…

It certainly does. There's another two part Italian instrument panel to go at the front, but that hardly makes it busy!

 

[Bugatti Fan]

Seat Harness. Why all the lament about the cost of after market sets dedicated to this kit? Surely it would be easy enough to use some wine bottle lead like seal or some aluminium food container and cut it into strips, paint it and use some photo etched buckles? I have used both effectively to make far seat belts and form them to lay very realistically. Personally I think this looks better than bought stuff.

 

[stona]

Seat Harness. Why all the lament about the cost of after market sets dedicated to this kit? Surely it would be easy enough to use some wine bottle lead like seal or some aluminium food container and cut it into strips, paint it and use some photo etched buckles? I have used both effectively to make far seat belts and form them to lay very realistically. Personally I think this looks better than bought stuff.

It can work.

The Italian harness is a complicated affair involving chains and all sorts of other weird assemblies.

I've never been able to make a harness at this scale that looked as good as some of the after market ones. I used to be a fan of Radu's products (RB Productions), his Luftwaffe harnesses were excellent, but he has now stepped away from the company.

Even the cheap paper and P-E one that I used in the Whirlwind looked better than anything I can make from scratch.



At 1/72 they are easy to make. Nobody is looking for stitching, brass eyelets or the brass tabs on the end of straps at that scale, they would be almost too small to see.

This is one of Radu's 1/32 Luftwaffe harnesses. Yes, they are fiddly to assemble.





I can't do that from scratch. Of course, your mileage may differ.

 

[stona]

I fitted the cockpit c/w the Kits World decal seat belts which are okay at best. They have a habit of rolling up in a way that is really not helpful at all. I resorted to gluing them in place using a few spots of the G-S Hypo Cement I usually use for clear parts. It had no adverse effect on the decals themselves.

Fuselage is just taped together, but everything fits very well, and positively (which makes a change).



Even less will be visible when I fit the top of the nose, which includes the gunsight to go in between the two halves of the split instrument panel. The Italians certainly came up with some unique solutions!

 

[BarryW]

Interesting Steve... I found no such issue with the Quinta Studio 3D seatbelts on the SU-25. I did find that a spot of brown wash helped them get a more used look. They look better than flat p.e. though.

 

[stona]

Interesting Steve... I found no such issue with the Quinta Studio 3D seatbelts on the SU-25. I did find that a spot of brown wash helped them get a more used look. They look better than flat p.e. though.

Definitely better than flat PE, but there are other options.

I did discover that you can limit the curling by using cold water to soak the decals for what feels like an eternity, but not eliminate it entirely. The chains on the ends of some of the straps definitely did not want to fall into place

 

[stona]

Little time today due to children and grandchildren. We could have been even more overrun, but one daughter and her fella are in quarantine after returning from Spain, where, very sadly, his dad passed away.

I did manage to get a half hour to finish the fuselage.



You can see the fit is excellent, almost Tamiyaesque (which I doubt is a word!)

I think the engine may be next.

 

[papa 695]

Cracking start and work Steve

 

[Dave Ward]

fit is excellent, almost Tamiyaesque (which I doubt is a word!)

Steve,
I think Tamiya has fallen well behind the market leaders, they only produce a few models a year, seeming to concentrate on R/C item. Resting on their laurels from the last century doesn't seem to work. A lot of makers are achieving the same fit, consistently, with a crowded release schedule. Incidentally - if you look at Tamiya boxes - at least the ones I looked at, are marked " Made in Philippines " I'd never noticed that - a new thing?
Dave

 

[Tim Marlow]

The fit on that is excellent isn’t it. Nice work so far Steve.

 

[BarryW]

Steve,
I think Tamiya has fallen well behind the market leaders, they only produce a few models a year, seeming to concentrate on R/C item. Resting on their laurels from the last century doesn't seem to work. A lot of makers are achieving the same fit, consistently, with a crowded release schedule. Incidentally - if you look at Tamiya boxes - at least the ones I looked at, are marked " Made in Philippines " I'd never noticed that - a new thing?
Dave

Tamiya do have a regular release schedule and the quality is sublime. Sadly no 1/32 warbirds for a while but they have a late F14A being released later this year (a follow up to their early A but with positionable flaps) and have had some other superb 1/48’s over the last few years. No-one can compete with their engineering though I agree ICM are certainly one to watch.

 

[Steve-the-Duck]

Noice!

 

[yak face]

Loving this steve , theres just something about the cr42 that really appeals . The cockpit looks great , cheers tony

 

[adt70hk]

Coming on very nicely indeed Steve.

Andrew

 

[tr1ckey66]

Nice progress Steve. I wish more Italian aircraft were available in 1/32. I’m looking for a Maachi C.205 but the Pacific Coast kits are now going for ridiculous money. This ICM kit does look a great kit. Did you build the ICM Gladiator? I haven’t been on the forum a while and need to catch up. The Falco looks a great counterpart to the Gladiator. Great build, as always.
Cheers
Paul

 

[stona]

A lot of makers are achieving the same fit, consistently, with a crowded release schedule.

I still think that the easiest kits I've ever built are the I/32 Tamiya P-51 and Spitfires. They are still ahead of the others for the sheer quality of the moulding and maybe just on fit and engineering too. There is literally nothing to do except stick the parts together. I had no idea that they were manufacturing in the Philippines!

Nice progress Steve. I wish more Italian aircraft were available in 1/32. I’m looking for a Maachi C.205 but the Pacific Coast kits are now going for ridiculous money. This ICM kit does look a great kit. Did you build the ICM Gladiator? I haven’t been on the forum a while and need to catch up. The Falco looks a great counterpart to the Gladiator. Great build, as always.
Cheers
Paul

This is actually the first biplane I have ever built! I thought I'd start with an easy one and work my way up.
If this goes well I will be sorely tempted by a Gladiator, as you say, it would go together with the Falco like cheese with pickle.

Then there's the Swordfish...I could end up in a lot of trouble

 

[Jakko]

Incidentally - if you look at Tamiya boxes - at least the ones I looked at, are marked " Made in Philippines " I'd never noticed that - a new thing?

I haven’t bought many Tamiya kits in recent memory, but I did notice that some years ago, yes. All it means is they set up a factory there to take advantage of lower labour costs, I’d say.

 

[BarryW]

I still think that the easiest kits I've ever built are the I/32 Tamiya P-51 and Spitfires. They are still ahead of the others for the sheer quality of the moulding and maybe just on fit and engineering too. There is literally nothing to do except stick the parts together. I had no idea that they were manufacturing in the Philippines!



This is actually the first biplane I have ever built! I thought I'd start with an easy one and work my way up.
If this goes well I will be sorely tempted by a Gladiator, as you say, it would go together with the Falco like cheese with pickle.

Then there's the Swordfish...I could end up in a lot of trouble

You really should go for the Gladiator Steve, it is a great little kit.

Interesting you mentioned the Swordfish as well, yes now you are talking, the Trumpeter 1/32 Swordfish is one of their best, a bit of a challenge but its a really nice build.

If you loved Tamiya's Mustang and Spitfire then you really should try the Tamiya 1/32 Corsair and Mosquito. These two will take the definition of 'love' to new heights, truly great as the 'tang and Spitty are.

But, first, this CR42 is looking superb in a lot of ways and I am really looking forward to seeing how you tackle the camo scheme. Incidentally, MRP have a range of Italian WW2 air force colours.

 

[stona]

The engine is largely built.

There's a LOT of pipework for air intakes and exhausts and also push rod guides at the back, most of which will be invisible unless you pose the model with maintenance panels removed. The tops of the rocker covers are only fitted if you intend to do this, hence the holes on top of the cylinders. It all fits together nicely, making it less difficult than I have experienced on other models with radial engines.



From the front it is far less exciting.