Italeri 1/72 Fiat CR.42 Falco
Italeri 1/72 Fiat CR.42 Falco
Hi everyone! Here's my latest project
Italeri kit has many plus sides:
- nicely printed decals
- very useful reference booklet
- large number of options
Although it's the best CR.42 kit in 72nd, there are a few minor complaints
- Decal instrument panel and seatbelts (I hate this the most in modelling)
- Propeler is faced the wrong way (just move the axis on the oposite side)
- Rib and panel lines on the wings too heavy
- Thick trailing edge (although not as serious as in short-run kits)
The ribs were fixed with a few light passes with a '1000' sanding paper
The framework looked nice, but when painted, I decided it woud be better to see through it, so I sanded it from the back until only the framework was left. Then some structure was added to the fuselage sides...
I added instrument bezels made out of fine wire. I just wrapped it around a toothpick or something else depending its radius and voila - many perfect circles!
Seatbelts were "borrowed" from AML' G.50 (i'll find a replacement later for it)
The engine was also modified. Actuator rods were removed and new were made along with some pipelines...
Regards,
Aleksandar
Italeri kit has many plus sides:
- nicely printed decals
- very useful reference booklet
- large number of options
Although it's the best CR.42 kit in 72nd, there are a few minor complaints
- Decal instrument panel and seatbelts (I hate this the most in modelling)
- Propeler is faced the wrong way (just move the axis on the oposite side)
- Rib and panel lines on the wings too heavy
- Thick trailing edge (although not as serious as in short-run kits)
The ribs were fixed with a few light passes with a '1000' sanding paper
The framework looked nice, but when painted, I decided it woud be better to see through it, so I sanded it from the back until only the framework was left. Then some structure was added to the fuselage sides...
I added instrument bezels made out of fine wire. I just wrapped it around a toothpick or something else depending its radius and voila - many perfect circles!
Seatbelts were "borrowed" from AML' G.50 (i'll find a replacement later for it)
The engine was also modified. Actuator rods were removed and new were made along with some pipelines...
Regards,
Aleksandar
Last edited by warhawk on Tue Aug 03, 2010 9:40 am, edited 2 times in total.
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- Comandante di Gruppo
- Posts: 59
- Joined: Sat Nov 04, 2006 11:49 am
- Location: Pescara, Italy
I'm righ-click-saving this build for future reference. Very good find about the wrong propeller, I have to check my kit as I didn't realize that at first glance. Excellent idea to hollow the side framing, too. I'm just a little dubious about the shade of green you used, I would have used a grey instead. But that's not to be intended as a criticism on an excellent work!
- Vincent Biondi
- Generale di Divisone Aerea
- Posts: 398
- Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2006 8:48 am
- Location: Niagara On The Lake, On. Canada
Thanks, glad you like it.
As far as the green interior is concerned, I am aware that it was probably gray, but I'm building the machine as preserved at Vigna di Valle museum (162a squadriglia), and i like how the cockpit looks with portions of it painted in green. A little detour from reality, but no one will know
As far as the green interior is concerned, I am aware that it was probably gray, but I'm building the machine as preserved at Vigna di Valle museum (162a squadriglia), and i like how the cockpit looks with portions of it painted in green. A little detour from reality, but no one will know
- Luftwoller
- Comandante di Stormo
- Posts: 122
- Joined: Thu Sep 10, 2009 9:16 am
- Location: Bournemouth UK
Well, I have finally passed all my exams, so let's get to the fun stuff - yes, CAMOUFLAGE!
I drilled the holes in the struts for the wires. Wheels are cut in this way, so I could just slide them in at the end (I figured this would be easier than assembling them inside the "trousers" and masking them)
After priming I airbrushed the white fuselage band and painted the nose yelow. When dry, the undersides received a gloss black coat as a primer for the aluminum. Then I started masking for the upper cammo, which wraps around the leading edge and slightly onto the undersides. To achieve softer egde, I have distanced that edge of tape with some fishing line (you can see black threads through the tape)
I chose standard 1941 cammo for my Fiat. When I was done with the green blotches, I sad "man, no way am I gonna fit brown between them". But highly thinned paint and lower pressure solved the problem... The mottles should be even smaller, but this is all I could do with my current airbrush.
Regards,
Aleksandar
I drilled the holes in the struts for the wires. Wheels are cut in this way, so I could just slide them in at the end (I figured this would be easier than assembling them inside the "trousers" and masking them)
After priming I airbrushed the white fuselage band and painted the nose yelow. When dry, the undersides received a gloss black coat as a primer for the aluminum. Then I started masking for the upper cammo, which wraps around the leading edge and slightly onto the undersides. To achieve softer egde, I have distanced that edge of tape with some fishing line (you can see black threads through the tape)
I chose standard 1941 cammo for my Fiat. When I was done with the green blotches, I sad "man, no way am I gonna fit brown between them". But highly thinned paint and lower pressure solved the problem... The mottles should be even smaller, but this is all I could do with my current airbrush.
Regards,
Aleksandar
1/72 CR.42
Aleksander, very nice work in this scale. I am especially impressed by what you did with the cockpit framework and the engine. Painting a mottled paint scheme in 1/72 can also be especially daunting. I use primarily a Pasche VL; what type of airbrush are you using?
Keep up the good work and be sure to post pictures of the competed project.
Chris
Shalimar, FL
Keep up the good work and be sure to post pictures of the competed project.
Chris
Shalimar, FL
Thanks for the kind comments!
@Cjohn62: I used Revell's MasterclassPro with a medium nozzle (I haven't managed to find the fine one yet). The paint was diluted in about 60:40 ratio and pressure set to lowest.
Anyway, the final touches:
Added cowling strap cables made of wire, those panels were deepened quite a bit...
Rudder and aileron cables added, navigation lights scratchbuilt made with a drop of white wood glue (it dries clearly), wing colored lights made using the same method, except I mixed some acrylic paint with the glue...
Scratchbuilt gunsight...
And now for some other bits...
Cheers
@Cjohn62: I used Revell's MasterclassPro with a medium nozzle (I haven't managed to find the fine one yet). The paint was diluted in about 60:40 ratio and pressure set to lowest.
Anyway, the final touches:
Added cowling strap cables made of wire, those panels were deepened quite a bit...
Rudder and aileron cables added, navigation lights scratchbuilt made with a drop of white wood glue (it dries clearly), wing colored lights made using the same method, except I mixed some acrylic paint with the glue...
Scratchbuilt gunsight...
And now for some other bits...
Cheers