There's one in Belgrade, but no useful photos. https://en.difesaonline.it/evidenza...o-nascosto-al-museo-dellaviazione-di-belgrado
Pete
Special Hobby 1/32 Fiat G.50-II 'Freccia'.
- Thread starter stona
- Start date
Pete
stona
SMF Supporter
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2008
- Messages
- 11,472
- Points
- 113
- First Name
- Steve
I'm hoping mine will look a little more complete than that one
I have made a start, priming and painting parts before I begin assembly. The moulding is certainly not bad, but there was quite a bit of clean up to do.
It's not much to look at!
In other news, I've spent hours liberating the resin engine parts from their casting blocks and cleaning them up. This is the current state of he engine.
I'll clean the bottom of those cylinders after I've painted them as it will make them easier to fix to the engine block.
I've also cut the back of the fuselage off both halves. It has to be replaced with different parts which are on one of the sprues. I have no idea if this is a correction or something applicable to this version of the aircraft, but it's a bit nerve racking. The last time I cut the arse-end off a model was to replace almost the entire empennage of a Spitfire with that appropriate for the floatplane version, and that put the wind up me!
I'm off to record some 'human' (the human being me) drum tracks for daughter number one's fella this afternoon, so that's it for today.
Last edited:
Steve-the-Duck
SMF Supporter
Got a pic of an uncowled engine under maintenance I'll post soonest
stona
SMF Supporter
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2008
- Messages
- 11,472
- Points
- 113
- First Name
- Steve
Thank you!
Steve-the-Duck
SMF Supporter
Here you go
Steve-the-Duck
SMF Supporter
Just managed, after years hunting, to find the Ali d'Italia G.50 book - I'm not sure my Polish one isn't a translation but we'll see when it turns up. The cockpit painting I posted here is very similar to others in the Al' d'Italia series.
We'll see if there are more pics of use to you, Steve
We'll see if there are more pics of use to you, Steve
stona
SMF Supporter
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2008
- Messages
- 11,472
- Points
- 113
- First Name
- Steve
I made a start on the engine before breaking what turns out to be my only 0.3 mm drill bit, meaning I'll have to stop until a replacement turns up, probably tomorrow.
Decals for the IP are still in transit, so I'm flying a holding pattern at the moment.
I've got plenty of bits to prep, I might even paint the wheels!
Decals for the IP are still in transit, so I'm flying a holding pattern at the moment.
I've got plenty of bits to prep, I might even paint the wheels!
If you need reference for the engine steve , its the same as fitted to the fiat cr42 . Theres plenty of pics of cr42 engines and they all show the cylinders painted black , sometimes the cylinder heads are silver sometimes black with the pushrod tubes always silver . The crankcase and gearbox housing are grey . Hope this helps ,
Regards
C. Rosatelli
Steve-the-Duck
SMF Supporter
Of course it's the same engine, it's the A74! D'oh! Time to get out my CR.42 books!
But in the meantime
But in the meantime
stona
SMF Supporter
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2008
- Messages
- 11,472
- Points
- 113
- First Name
- Steve
I've made a start on the cockpit.
I have no idea what's going on with the harness, what I have done is a composite of what I've seen other modellers do with theirs!
The fit is average and the engineering what you would expect from this sort of kit, it has not thrown up any problems...I probably shouldn't have written that!
I've also made a generic instrument panel from a combination of spare and Luftwaffe decals. It's just a representation of an instrument panel, I have not even attempted to replicate that of the G.50. It will hardly be visible in the model.
I have no idea what's going on with the harness, what I have done is a composite of what I've seen other modellers do with theirs!
The fit is average and the engineering what you would expect from this sort of kit, it has not thrown up any problems...I probably shouldn't have written that!
I've also made a generic instrument panel from a combination of spare and Luftwaffe decals. It's just a representation of an instrument panel, I have not even attempted to replicate that of the G.50. It will hardly be visible in the model.
Steve-the-Duck
SMF Supporter
IMHO, as they say, it all looks fine to me
stona
SMF Supporter
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2008
- Messages
- 11,472
- Points
- 113
- First Name
- Steve
Like a glacier I am moving forwards, relentlessly, but slowly.
I am in the process of joining the two fuselage halves. You can see that the fit is not bad.
On the other hand, let's not beat about the bush. This is a limited run kit and it does not go together like a Tamiya uber kit, nor would it be reasonable to expect it to. The instructions and fit are rather vague, an issue not helped by my own lack of familiarity with Italian aircraft!
It was not even clear how the cockpit fitted into the fuselage and when I worked it out it was difficult to get it to fit concurrently with the other bits, like the bulkhead behind the pilot and instrument panel, none of which have any real means of location. The solution came in the form of tabs and strips of card to act as locators and things to which one side could be affixed, like these below the cockpit floor.
None of this is beyond the scope of competent model builders, who are after all the intended market for kits like this, but someone young and/or inexperienced would quickly become frustrated.
In other news, I have looked ahead at fitting the engine, and that is going to be problematic too. It seems to sit at an upward angle of about 10-15 degrees, nowhere near centred in the cowling, in fact the cowling won't fit if you simply glue the engine in as per instructions and hope for the best. I do however have a cunning plan, more of which later
I am in the process of joining the two fuselage halves. You can see that the fit is not bad.
On the other hand, let's not beat about the bush. This is a limited run kit and it does not go together like a Tamiya uber kit, nor would it be reasonable to expect it to. The instructions and fit are rather vague, an issue not helped by my own lack of familiarity with Italian aircraft!
It was not even clear how the cockpit fitted into the fuselage and when I worked it out it was difficult to get it to fit concurrently with the other bits, like the bulkhead behind the pilot and instrument panel, none of which have any real means of location. The solution came in the form of tabs and strips of card to act as locators and things to which one side could be affixed, like these below the cockpit floor.
None of this is beyond the scope of competent model builders, who are after all the intended market for kits like this, but someone young and/or inexperienced would quickly become frustrated.
In other news, I have looked ahead at fitting the engine, and that is going to be problematic too. It seems to sit at an upward angle of about 10-15 degrees, nowhere near centred in the cowling, in fact the cowling won't fit if you simply glue the engine in as per instructions and hope for the best. I do however have a cunning plan, more of which later
stona
SMF Supporter
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2008
- Messages
- 11,472
- Points
- 113
- First Name
- Steve
I've managed a good swing at this model this afternoon.
The fuselage is completed and the back of the empennage replaced. You can see where I've fixed one side of the piece substituted for the original kit part because I obviously cut one half with an error equivalent to the width of the razor saw blade
I have spent a lot of time 'adjusting' the lower wing to fit the fuselage correctly. I have now attached it in the old aircraft modeller's 'fix the lower wing and worry about the tops later' style.
Which all means that at stumps today the Fiat is starting to resemble an aeroplane.
Oh, as you can see I have built the engine, you're looking at the back of it, so that will be ready for fitting when required.
The fuselage is completed and the back of the empennage replaced. You can see where I've fixed one side of the piece substituted for the original kit part because I obviously cut one half with an error equivalent to the width of the razor saw blade
I have spent a lot of time 'adjusting' the lower wing to fit the fuselage correctly. I have now attached it in the old aircraft modeller's 'fix the lower wing and worry about the tops later' style.
Which all means that at stumps today the Fiat is starting to resemble an aeroplane.
Oh, as you can see I have built the engine, you're looking at the back of it, so that will be ready for fitting when required.
Nice work. Got to love an Italian job!
stona
SMF Supporter
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2008
- Messages
- 11,472
- Points
- 113
- First Name
- Steve
Top work steve , good old fashioned kit bashing
I suppose it is. It really is not a bad kit and I have built far more difficult limited run and/or resin kits. Generally the plastic is well moulded and the fit is not bad at all. I could have avoided the only significant filling (with card) I have done by making sure to cut the end of the empennage in the same place on both sides. If I was doing it again, I would make the cut after joining the fuselage halves.
The resin is very good and the PE nice enough, though I have not used the minute bits that someone keener might have done. There is only one significant clear part and though a bit thick it is nice and clear and will look better than okay, especially with a dip in Klear.
The engine fit, which we will get to soon, is just an engineering issue. I don't think anyone worked out a better way of fixing it and whoever cast the resin 'adaptor' which goes between the back of the engine and the fuselage didn't take into account that the front of the fuselage is not square! The trick is making the adjustment, which is in itself easy enough, whilst making sure not to push or pull the engine forwards or back in the cowling. Obviously one way and I won't get the propeller on and the other the propeller will be too far in front of the rest of the aeroplane, both are going to be noticeable.
Overall, given the current shortage of kits, I would recommend this to any model maker with a bit of experience. I would not suggest it as someone's first kit; it would probably put them off for life.
Steve-the-Duck
SMF Supporter
Well, you're almost at the camou stage
Not much evidence of filler in the fuselage. Which is nice!
Not much evidence of filler in the fuselage. Which is nice!
stona
SMF Supporter
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2008
- Messages
- 11,472
- Points
- 113
- First Name
- Steve
I've got to get the engine and its cowling on first. My first cunning plan turned out not to be as cunning as I thought, so I'm working on a plan B at the moment. I may abandon the kit fixing altogether and work out a way of fixing the engine directly to the cowling. It's how to do it invisibly and with a way to fix the big 'horseshoe' of an exhaust which is very vague and seems only to attach to the lower cowling (where the exhausts emerge).
The only filler I have used is a swipe underneath the fuselage at the back of the wing and a couple of swipes at the upper wing-fuselage joins. There is none at all in the join of the two fuselage halves.
With a bit of fettling of the mating surfaces you can definitely make the kit go together well. The two fuselage halves went together near enough perfectly.
There are some areas which betray the true nature of the kit. The fixing of the engine is one I've already mentioned and I've just been looking at the propeller hub and blades which promise to be interesting!
Last edited: