Retired In Kalifornia's Italian Aircraft Model Builds In Progress Photos
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RetiredInKalifornia
- Generale di Brigata Aerea
- Posts: 260
- Joined: Fri Jun 14, 2019 6:34 pm
Piaggio P.108A, B & T Build Portraits
Last edited by RetiredInKalifornia on Fri Nov 08, 2019 11:32 am, edited 3 times in total.
Original Art Rendered 1997
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RetiredInKalifornia
- Generale di Brigata Aerea
- Posts: 260
- Joined: Fri Jun 14, 2019 6:34 pm
Group I: Omega Models Caproni Ca.335, SEM Model Savoia-Marchetti S.73 & 74, Italian Kits Wings S.89 Builds In Progress
GROUP I MODEL BUILDS ARE COMPLETE, SEE BELOW FOR GROUP II BUILDS
Build Progress Reports Will Be Continuously Posted Here, Photos Of Built Models Will Be On Separate Postings
The Omega Models Caproni Ca.335 Maestrale (Mistral) kit with resin, styrene plastic et. al. parts is a complete kit sporting a Mimetico scheme similar to the below Savoia-Marchetti S.73 & S.74 SEM Model builds, its included to economize on painting.
The SEM Model Savoia-Marchetti S.73 kit with resin, styrene plastic et. al. parts requires a SUPERMODEL Savoia-Marchetti S.81 kit for donated parts whilst the SEM Model Savoia-Marchetti S.74 kit with resin, white metal, styrene plastic et. al. parts is a complete kit. Whilst requiring different construction approaches they are being concurrently built so as to economize on painting given they'll be sporting similar Mimetico schemes, both are complicated builds.
The Italian Kits Wings Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 kit with resin, styrene plastic et. al. parts also is included though lacking kit instructions, that plus economizing on interior painting given Savoia-Marchetti used an interior gray paint similar to Giorgio Azzurro Chiaro 1 in building their aircraft.
November 9, 2019
- > S.73 & 74 mainwings assembled, ailerons test fitted.
- > S.73 engine mounts glued on, some mainwing leading edge puttying necessary.
- > S.74 mainwing leading edges very rough after removing resin sprues, were extensively puttied for later smooth sanding:
November 10, 2019
- > S.73 tailplane & rudder parts trimmed, sanded & test fitted, must cut & glue on styrene plastic hinge tabs not molded on tailplanes
- > S.74 mainwing, tailplane, rudder, main fuselage & engine cowling parts trimmed, filed, sanded & test fitted, engine nacelle parts filed, sanded, glued on mainwings, join edges putty filled, smooth sanding them tomorrow.
- > SM.89 mainwing, tailplane, rudder & engine nacelle parts trimmed, filed, sanded & test fitted, may have to glue on styrene plastic hinge tabs not molded on mainwing flaps
November 11, 2019
- > S.74 mainwing-engine nacelles joins sanded, mainwings glued on fuselage top center section, joins puttied, sanding them tomorrow.
- > S.74 general model layout progress photos:
November 12, 2019
- > S.74 mainwing assembly complete except for gluing on flap actuators, doing that tomorrow.
- > Fitting & gluing ailerons on mainwings took good deal of doing, both were warped, tad too long, trimming inner ends necessary for "acceptable" fits, additional work on them may be necessary.
- > Mainwing assembly center section insides spray painted out-of-bottle c
- > Radio compartment window edges spray & hand painted Testors Flat Black & White "special mix" enamels for visual aesthetics.
- > SEM Model S.74 kit came with large clear plastic sheet to fabricate cargo cabin windows from well as clear vacuform radio compartment window parts, latter too difficult to cut out & fit, used plastic sheet to fabricate & glue on radio compartment windows:
November 13, 2019
- > S.74 mainwing flap & aileron actuators, tie-down rings fabricated from sheet plastic, glued on mainwings:
- > S.74 mainwing assembly topsides & leading edges base painted Humbrol 63 Matt Sand + 10% Testors Flat Yellow + 36% by volume Flat White for scale shading enamels replicating Giallo Mimetico 3:
November 14, 2019
- > Commenced S.74 interior work today.
- > Cut styrene plastic stakes, glued them in slots on fuselage sides replicating metal structural units.
- > Fabricated two long bench seats & rear fuselage bulkhead from styrene sheet plastic per photo of a militarized S.74 rear interior:
- > Cut sprues off cockpit deck, sanded & test fitted in forward fuselage nose interior area.
- > Cannibalized extra kit part likely meant for civil version to make fuselage flooring, glued it on fuselage interior bottom, trimmed lower part of cockpit deck for flush flooring fit.
- > Test fitted bench seats:
- > Test fitted navigator/radio operator's station above passenger/cargo cabin, researching further whether correctly placed or no:
November 15, 2019
- > S.74 near entire fuselage interior, major cockpit & navigator/radio operator compartment parts, engine cowling interiors, bench seat undersides base painted Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray enamel approximating color Savoia-Marchetti employed in painting aircraft interiors.
- > Bench seats & upright fronts painted Humbrol 119 Matt Light Earth, upright rears Testors Flat Black & White "special mix" enamels for visual aesthetics.
- > Cockpit & navigator/radio operator detail parts will be painted tomorrow November 16th.
November 16, 2019
- > S.74 cockpit & navigator/radio operator seats spray & hand painted Testors Flat Aluminum & Rust (seat padding) enamels, seat straps fabricated from Scotch Magic Mending Tape spray painted Humbrol 119 with hand painted Testors Flat Aluminum buckles.
- > Kit aileron & tailplane control columns, steering yokes & rudder pedals spray & hand painted Testors Flat Aluminum & "special mix" enamels.
November 17, 2019
- > S.74 fuselage interior assembly work completed.
- > Cockpit flight deck parts glued in place, plugged assembly in fuselage nose, difficulties encountered whilst doing so.
- > Couldn't use starboard kit rudder pedal part, superbly crafted third-party instrument panel got in way
fabricated another from styrene sheet plastic, glue-slipped it on flight deck floor under the panel, also unable to slip lower cockpit area in front of passenger/cargo walkway because of instrument panel, trimmed more of it off to lay over the walkway.
- > Navigator/radio operator station parts detail painted with various Testors enamels, assembled then glued it in place above fuselage cabin clearing the mainwing assembly above it:
- > Passenger benches glued in place:
- > Clear parts cut from a large kit-provided clear plastic sheet glued in place over external fuselage passenger/cargo compartment window area, kit-provided etched brass backed with clear plastic glued in place above it:
November 18, 2019
- > S.74 fuselage upper sides & engine cowlings base painted Humbrol 63 Matt Sand + 10% Testors Flat Yellow + 36% by volume Flat White for scale shading enamels replicating Giallo Mimetico 3:
November 19, 2019
- > Large Schema C1A "semi-star" mottles sprayed on S.74 mainwing assembly topsides with Humbrol 117 U.S. Matt Light Green replicating Verde Mimetico 3, 50/50 113 U S Rust + 119 Light Earth replicating Marrone Mimetico 53193 + 36% each Testors Flat White enamels approximating those photographed on MM.424 "604-8" fuselage sides during WWII:
November 20, 2019
- > S.74 mainwing assembly underside base painted Humbrol 140 Matt Gull Grey + 36% Testors Flat White shading enamels replicating Grigio Mimetico:
November 21, 2019
- > S.74 Engines & mainwing engine mounts base painted Testors Flat Black & White "special mix" enamels.
- > Engine spray painted with Humbrol 117 U.S. Matt Light Green replicating Verde Mimetico 3, 50/50 113 U S Rust + 119 Light Earth replicating Marrone Mimetico 53193 + 36% each Testors Flat White enamel mottles approximating those photographed on MM.424 "604-8", cowling straps behind oil radiator rings Testors Flat Aluminum.
- > Engine cowling ring & mainwing oil radiators painted Friday, November 22nd, 56th anniversary of U.S. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy's assassination occurring same day of week whilst attending a grade school mathematics class
November 22, 2019
- > S.74 engine cowling ring & mainwing oil radiators spray painted with Testors Bronze enamel, set aside to dry till tomorrow.
- > Engine crankcases hand painted Testors 2105 Dark Blue Gray, engines centers drilled out for propeller spinner shafts.
- > Propeller spinners separated from sprues & trimmed, shafts test fitted with engines, propeller blade shaft holes drilled out.
- > Propeller blades separated from sprues, test fitted with propeller spinners.
- > Mainwing assembly engine mounts lightly spray painted Poly Scale Black & White mix acrylics replicating engine blow-by grime.
- > Mainwing aileron & flap actuator linkage rods hand painted Testors steel, engine mount heat outlets Testors Black & White "special mix" enamels"
- > Engine cowling exhaust piping painting, fitting cowlings over engines, mainwing water decals applied tomorrow.
- > Landing gear parts separated from sprues, sanded, test fitted with white metal mainwing struts, tailwheel separated from sprue, all ready for painting.
November 23, 2019
- > S.74 Mainwing Assembly (Mostly) Done
- > Entire assembly sprayed Testors Clear Semi-Gloss Lacquer.
- > Large kit fasci, smaller Tauro 48-537 water decals applied upper & underside mainwings, smaller clearing aileron actuators & wing tiedown half-loops, necessity given limited selection of available fasci decal sizes
November 25, 2019
- > No work on 24th, propeller units assembled today the 25th.
- > Poorly seated S.74 starboard forward fuselage passenger window band partially peeled off, trimmed & widened it & insert area, glued former down flush with fuselage; some puttying necessary, smooth sanding it tomorrow.
- > Fuselage Giallo Mimetico 3 base paint now completely dry, mottle spraying commences tomorrow.
November 26, 2019
- > Large Schema C1A "semi-star" mottles sprayed on S.74 fuselage assembly sides with Humbrol 117 U.S. Matt Light Green replicating Verde Mimetico 3, 50/50 113 U S Rust + 119 Light Earth replicating Marrone Mimetico 53193 + 36% each Testors Flat White enamels approximating those photographed on MM.424 "604-8" fuselage sides during WWII.
- > S.74 main landing gear, tailplane & rudder assembly parts base painted Humbrol 63 Matt Sand + 10% Testors Flat Yellow + 36% by volume Flat White for scale shading enamels replicating Giallo Mimetico 3, wheel spat interiors Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray enamel approximating color Savoia-Marchetti employed in painting aircraft interiors:
November 27, 2019
- > S.74 fuselage undersides painted Humbrol 140 Matt Gull Grey + 36% Testors Flat White shading enamels replicating Grigio Mimetico.
- > Large Schema C1A "semi-star" mottles sprayed on tailplane tops & leading edges Humbrol 117 U.S. Matt Light Green replicating Verde Mimetico 3, 50/50 113 U S Rust + 119 Light Earth replicating Marrone Mimetico 53193 + 36% each Testors Flat White enamels, undersides & braces Grigio Mimetico.
- > Tailplanes & braces glued on fuselage, some trimming & putty filling necessary, seams painted over:
November 28, 2019
- > Large Schema C1A "semi-star" mottles & variants sprayed on rudder sail assembly Humbrol 117 U.S. Matt Light Green replicating Verde Mimetico 3, 50/50 113 U S Rust + 119 Light Earth replicating Marrone Mimetico 53193 + 36% each Testors Flat White enamels.
- > Testors Flat White enamel Distintivo di Guerra cross sprayed on rudder, kit House of Savoy decal applied after drying.
- > Rudder sail assembly glued on fuselage, entire fuselage sprayed Testors Clear Semi-Gloss lacquer, passenger & cargo cabin window paint masking strips removed afterwards
- > Mainwing assembly glued on fuselage assembly, job took bit of doing
putty filling necessary along seams, adding it tomorrow along with spot painting:
November 29, 2019
- > S.74 mainwing-fuselage assembly join seams putty filled, sanded & spot painted, good results
white fuselage identification band sprayed on tomorrow November 30th.
November 30, 2019
* End Of The Blade Runner Month
* NO dystopian climate change disasters despite entertainment media reporting, NO Replicants, Flying Cars, Mayan-esque megastructures, burning oil refinery gas towers (nearest are in Carson, CA farther down the Los Angeles basin) etc., etc., plenty of homeless people though, zillions more of them than when the movie came out in 1982
- > S.74 Testors Flat White enamel white identification band sprayed on, bit of doing it took.
- > Fuselage cockpit edges spray painted Testors Flat Black & White special mix for visual aesthetics.
- > Navigator/Radio Operator Station Ladder fabricated from styrene sheet plastic, spray painted Testors Flat Aluminum enamel, glued in place between pilot & copilot seats.
- > Clear kit vacuform canopy cut out, shape filed & sanded to fit on, good results
December 2, 2019
S.74 Model Is Complete, See Post Below
- > SEM Model Savoia-Marchetti S.73 resin with SUPERMODEL S.81 donor parts conversion build resumes tomorrow along with the resin Omega Models Caproni Ca.335 Maestrale.
- > Both feature mimetico camouflage, painting them in turn should save time & resources, hoping to complete them by New Years Eve
December 3, 2019
- > SEM Model Savoia-Marchetti S.73 fuselage halves trimmed, filed & sanded.
- > Starboard-mounted rudder sail broke off whilst doing so
re-glued it back on, filed & sanded over break seams.
- > Small but noticeable part of port side tail cone broke off whilst removing sprue glued on styrene sheet plastic & putty building it back up; after gluing fuselage halves together will apply more putty, file & sand-shape it.
- > Long S.73 resin fuselage flight crew & passenger/cargo deck part mistakenly cut apart & used for building the SEM Model S.74 model
fabricated new - and better - one from spare SUPERMODEL S.81 kit parts, finishing it tomorrow.
December 4, 2019
- > New - and better - S.73 flight crew & passenger/cargo deck part fabricated, i.e. longer passenger/cargo deck platform, mounts for pilot & copilot seats, control columns, rudder pedals via a reworked spare SUPERMODEL S.81 kit part, several hours spent filing & sanding part sides to fit inside fuselage halves.
- > Fuselage halve interiors, flight crew & passenger/cargo deck part spray painted out-of-bottle Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray enamel approximating color Savoia-Marchetti employed in painting aircraft interiors.
December 5, 2019
- > S.73 fuselage halve window inside edges masked & spray painted Testors Flat Black & White "special mix" enamels for visual aesthetics.
- > Cockpit seats, control columns, rudder pedals, reworked SUPERMODEL S.81 kit instrument panel spray & hand painted assorted Testors enamels.
- > Seat belts cut from Scotch Magic Mending Tape spray over-painted Humbrol 29 Matt Dark Earth, buckles hand painted Testors Flat Aluminum enamels:
December 6, 2019
- > S.73 kit provided clear styrene plastic windows cut, shape-sanded, glued in place on fuselage halves.
- > Kit provided cockpit windscreens & some windows were undersized, fabricated replacements from sheet plastic.
December 7, 2019
- > S.73 fuselage interior parts & halves glued together, all seams puttied, considerable amount of it was necessary.
- > SUPERMODEL S.81 nose engine mount glued on, considerable fuselage-nose part flat-face sanding necessary for decent fit.
- > Major semi-assembled model components shown below:
December 8, 2019
- > S.73 puttied fuselage seams filed & sanded, windows masked for spray painting.
- > Tailplanes glued in place on fuselage, tabs very undersized much puttying around them required.
December 9, 2019
- > S.73 puttied fuselage halve join seams filed & sanded, good results.
- > Upper fuselage-tailplane putty fills inadequate removed most of them, replaced with glued-on styrene plastic shims, re-puttied, filed & sanded, OK results.
- > Fuselage join butt ends of SUPERMODEL S.81 mainwing extensively scraped, filed & sanded, glued on S.73 fuselage.
- > Puttying necessary around upper wing fuselage root joins, lots of it around underwing joins:
December 10, 2019
- > S.73 upper sides base painted Humbrol 63 Matt Sand + 10% Testors Flat Yellow + 36% by volume Flat White for scale shading enamels replicating Giallo Mimetico 3:
December 11, 2019
- > S.73 main landing gear struts base spray painted Humbrol 63 Matt Sand + 10% Testors Flat Yellow + 36% by volume Flat White for scale shading enamels replicating Giallo Mimetico 3.
- > All landing gear wheels painted & "weathered".
- > Wheel spat interiors spray painted out-of-bottle Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray enamel approximating color Savoia-Marchetti employed in painting aircraft interiors.
- > Spats with wheels glued together ready for base spray painted Giallo Mimetico 3.
December 12, 2019
- > S.73 main landing gear spats base spray painted Giallo Mimetico 3.
- > Engine cowling interiors base spray painted Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray enamel approximating color Savoia-Marchetti employed in painting aircraft interiors, exteriors Giallo Mimetico 3.
- > All model upper sides ready to be sprayed Verde Mimetico 53192 & Marrone Mimetico 53193 mottles; sparse subject photographic references necessitating interpolation of spray patterns
will do my best!
- > Engines spray & hand painted Testors Flat Black & White "special mix" & Model Master 2105 Dark Blue Gray enamel colors.
- > Propeller blade back sides also sprayed Testors "special mix".
December 13, 2019
- > All S.73 model upper sides & main landing gear except for engine cowlings spray painted Humbrol 120 Matt Light Green + 36% Testors Flat White shading enamels replicating Verde Mimetico 53192 in a Schema C10B variation;
more in keeping with Schema C11;
edges lined with Marrone Mimetico 53193 this color sprayed on tomorrow November 14th.
December 14, 2019
- > All S.73 model uppersides & main landing gear spray painted 50/50 Humbrol 113 U S Matt Rust + 119 Light Earth + 36% each Testors Flat White enamels replicating Marrone Mimetico 53193.
- > Engine cowlings spray painted Verde Mimetico 53192 & Marrone Mimetico 53193:
December 15, 2019
- > S.73 mainwing flap actuators fabricated from styrene sheet plastic.
- > SUPERMODEL S.81 mainwing landing lights puttied over & sanded, S.73 fuselage landing light lenses fabricated from clear styrene sheet plastic, backs painted Testors Silver enamel paint, glued in place, taped over whilst base painting.
- > All S.73 model undersides base painted Humbrol 140 Matt Gull Grey replicating Grigio Mimetico:
December 16, 2019
- > S.73 Propellers fully base painted, spray painting on white reverse blade side synchronization stripes later.
- > Testors Flat White enamel Distintivo di Guerra cross sprayed on rudder.
- > Main landing gear struts & spats fully painted, assembling them for mounting on mainwings later.
- > Engine cowling snap rings spray painted Testors Flat Aluminum enamel, set aside to dry before spraying on bronze engine exhaust rings well as mainwing oil coolers.
December 17, 2019
- > S.73 Engine cowling exhaust rings, pipe parts (partially) & mainwing oil radiators spray painted Testors Bronze enamel.
- > Mainwing landing gear struts & spats assembled & mounted on mainwings, good deal of difficulty getting them mounted good deal of spot spray painting necessary after doing so.
December 18, 2019
- > S.73 Fuselage tailwheel glued in place.
- > Tailplane support struts, planes & rudder glued on, some spot painting necessary.
- > Four fuselage dorsal spine fixtures fabricated from sheet plastic & glued on per SEM Model renderings & period photographs, hand painted Testors Flat Black & White "special mix" for them to show up better.
- > Engine nacelle fronts spray painted Poly Scale Flat Black & White "special mix" acrylics replicating engine blow-by grime.
- > All water decals applied for "606-4" model display option.
- > Model completion late tomorrow or early Friday December 20th.
December 19, 2019
S.73 Model Is Complete, See Post Below
December 20, 2019
- > Caproni Ca.335 Maestrale (Mistral, lit. "Masterful Wind") build now underway.
- > One-piece fuselage, mainwings & flaps, tailplanes & rudder separated from sprues, trimmed, filed & sanded.
- > Uneven fuselage undersides required puttying, smooth sanding them tomorrow.
- > Rear observer/gunner station fuselage side windows edges square-filed, dorsal "crew tunnel" trimmed, filed & sanded.
- > Tailplanes & rudder glued onto fuselage former requiring much "digging, trimming, filing" for proper fits well as puttying, trimming & sanding:
December 22, 2019
- > Caproni Ca.335 fuselage undersides required additional puttying, after drying were smoothed sanded.
- > Crew sheets, instrument panels, mainwing flaps & wells, landing gear wells & doors separated from sprues, filed & sanded.
- > Fuselage interior & rear observer instrument panel mount, mainwing flaps & wells, landing gear wells & doors base spray painted Humbrol 78 Matt Cockpit Green + Testors Flat White 50/50 mix + 36% Flat White shading enamels replicating Verde Anticorrosine.
- > Crew seats spray painted Testors Flat Aluminum enamel.
- > Instrument panels spray painted Testors Flat Black & White "special mix" enamels.
December 23, 2019
- > Caproni Ca.335 fuselage interior completed.
- > Instrument panels detail painted with Testors Flat White enamel.
- > Rudder control bar & joystick column fabricated from styrene sheet plastic, hand painted Testors Flat Aluminum & Flat Black + White "special mix" enamels.
- > Seat belts fabricated from Scotch Magic Mending Tape over sprayed with Humbrol 29 Matt Dark Earth enamel, cut to size, buckle ends hand painted Testors Flat Aluminum enamel all then glued in place.
- > Observer/Rear Gunner fuselage window edges hand painted Testors Flat Black & White "special mix" for aesthetics, windows fabricated from clear styrene sheet plastic then glued in place:
- > Fuselage dorsal crew "tunnel" glued in place, some seam puttying required:
Christmas Eve 2019
- > Caproni Ca.335 clear plastic cockpit canopy cut & filed to fit on fuselage, glued in place.
- > Omega Models tooled the Ca.335 kit fuselage & vacuform clear parts for the "long" cockpit SABCA S.47 version, painting over the rear canopy ala the "short" cockpit Italian Ca.335 prototype hides cockpit detail, not wanting to do that will mask & spray paint cockpit canopy in Italian mimetico to see cockpit detail despite period photos of The Real McCoy showing it sporting the "short" canopy.
- > Observer/Gunner Station canopy worked on after Christmas, evaluating whether to make it two-piece.
December 26, 2019
- > Caproni Ca.335 clear plastic Observer/Gunner Station canopy part cut apart, shape filed & sanded, front half glued on fuselage.
- > Styrene sheet plastic stripes fabricated & glued on rear cut, shaped, filed & sanded clear part making it semi-slidable:
December 27, 2019
- > All Caproni Ca.335 canopies masked & base spray painted Humbrol 78 Matt Cockpit Green + Testors Flat White 50/50 mix + 36% Flat White shading enamels replicating Verde Anticorrosine.
- > Mainwings glued on fuselage, joins puttied, smooth sanding them tomorrow.
December 28, 2019
- > Caproni Ca.335 fuselage joins smoothed sanded, fuselage undersides sanded some more as well.
- > Tailplane & rudder mass balances fabricated from styrene sheet plastic & glued on.
- > Humbrol 117 U.S. Matt Light Green replicating Verde Mimetico 3 sprayed over all model uppersides, wing & tailplane leading edges, Observer/Gunner Station slideable, canopy & propeller spinner.
December 29, 2019
- > Caproni Ca.335 main landing gear wheels spray painted Testors Flat Rubber, Black & White "special mix" enamels, set to dry before painting wheel hubs.
- > Main landing gear struts hand painted Testors Flat Aluminum enamel, more painting of them later.
- > Propeller blades painted Testors Flat Black & White "special mix", will be glued on prop spinner after its painted.
- > Model topsides sprayed Verde Mimetico 3 on 28th still drying, will spray on mottles tomorrow.
December 30, 2019
- > All Caproni Ca.335 model topsides spray painted Schema D1B Humbrol 63 Matt Sand + 10% Testors Flat Yellow + 36% by volume Flat White for scale shading enamels replicating Giallo Mimetico mottles.
- > One very clear period photograph shows paint contrasts inside & adjacent to mottles strongly suggesting the aircraft was additionally painted Marrone Mimetico 2, will spray it on tomorrow:
New Years Eve 2020
- > Caproni Ca.133 topsides spray painted Testors Model Master 2009 British Crimson + Humbrol 118 U.S. Matt Tan 20:5 mix replicating Marrone Mimetico 2.
- > Undersides spray painted Humbrol 140 Matt Gull Grey + 36% Testors Flat White shading enamels replicating Grigio Mimetico.
New Years Day 2020
Caproni Ca.355 Model Is Complete, See Post Below
January 3, 2020
- > Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 upper & lower fuselage parts separated from sprues, lots of cutting, shaving & sanding required.
- > Lots of puttying necessary over lower fuselage ventral centers, smooth sanding them tomorrow.
- > Upper fuselage part dorsal turret insides & starboard underside edges required extra shaving, filing & sanding work.
- > Fuselage interior parts separated from sprues, lots of cutting, shaving & sanding required, test fits made with them placed inside lower fuselage part:
- > Test fit made of upper & lower fuselage parts over the forward crew cabins:
January 4, 2020
- > Large hole drilled in Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 lower fuselage part keel to fit a periscopically sighted ventral gun turret, shaved & filed it larger to accommodate a kit provided clear styrene plastic turret housing.
- > Interiors of upper & lower fuselage parts, mainwing engine nacelle/landing gear interiors, aileron & flap hinge wells spray painted out-of-bottle Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray enamel approximating color Savoia-Marchetti employed in painting aircraft interiors.
January 5, 2020
- > Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 instrument panels, fuselage inside control panels, widow ledges for visual aesthetics spray & hand painted Testors Flat Black & White "special mix" enamels.
- > Clear styrene sheet plastic strips cut to fit in lower fuselage windows, masked for later spray painting.
- > Crew seats, rudder pedals, flight control bar/steering yoke & fuselage mount sprayed Testors Flat Aluminum enamel.
- > Magic Mending Tape strip spray painted Humbrol 29 Matt Dark Earth enamel, will fabricate seat belts from it later.
January 7, 2020
- > Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 instrument panels, flight control bar/steering yoke, crew seats detail hand painted with various Testors enamels.
- > Crew seat belts fabricated from cut spray painted Magic Mending Tape strips, buckles hand painted with Testors Flat Aluminum enamel, glued in place, seats then glued in place:
January 8, 2020
- > Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 upper fuselage part glued on lower fuselage part, good deal of upper part sanding necessary for acceptable fit.
- > Fuselage join seams puttied, smooth sanded after drying.
- > Clear vacuform plastic kit cockpit canopy, cut & "pried" out of mold, extensively trimmed, filed & sanded, test fitted over cockpit several times, final fit generally acceptable.
- > Extensive building up either side of cockpit windscreen necessary, cut to fit styrene sheet plastic strips glued in place, insides hand painted Testors Flat & Black "special mix" enamels.
- > Cockpit window ledges & upper fuselage bulkhead spray painted Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray enamel approximating color Savoia-Marchetti employed in painting aircraft interiors.
- > Rear cockpit canopy height OK when test fitted on upper fuselage, sides incorrectly shaped nothing can be done about that 
windscreen alignment OK though small cockpit gap needed to be filled.
- > Canopy glued on OK, sizeable starboard side gap however, sheet styrene plastic shim cut, painted, glued in place, edge puttying needed in places:
January 9, 2020
- > Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 cockpit canopy masked & spray painted Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray enamel approximating color Savoia-Marchetti employed in painting aircraft interiors.
- > Tailplane part glued on upper rear fuselage, massive-much shaving, filing, sanding involved for good fits, join edges puttied & sanded.
- > Mainwings glued on fuselage, decent fits though much putting necessary over underside root joins, not as much over upperside joins.
- > Mainwing & Tailplane dihedrals somewhat off center relative to fuselage common consequence of unevenly casted parts, not bad enough to loose sleep over:
- > Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 puttied fuselage-mainwing join seams smooth sanded, other areas of model as well.
- > Model fuselage assembly uppersides, engine cowlings, ailerons, flaps tailplanes, rudders & sails base painted Humbrol 91 Black Matt Green + Testors Flat White 36% by volume shading replicating Verde Oliva Scuro 2:
January 11, 2020
- > Savioa-Marchetti SM.89 model fuselage assembly uppersides, engine cowlings, ailerons, flaps tailplanes, rudders & sails base painted Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray + Testors Flat White 36% by volume shading replicating Giallo Azzurro Charo 1:
January 12, 2020
- > Testors Flat White enamel identification band sprayed on Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 rear fuselage.
January 13, 2020
- > Chunks of dried paint & putty along the Savoia-Marchetti SM.89's fuselage undersides came off whilst removing masking tape after spraying on the white rear fuselage identification band
- > Re-puttied, re-sanded smooth, re-sprayed them over well as other uneven spots along the undersides with Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray + Testors Flat White 36% by volume shading enamels replicating Giallo Azzurro Charo 1, work took way longer than had expected
- > Landing lights fabricated from clear scrap circular styrene pieces glued in place in molded slots on mainwing leading edges.
- > Two mainwing-mounted Pitot tubes fabricated from styrene sheet plastic, sprayed with Humbrol 91 Black Matt Green + Testors Flat White 36% by volume shading enamels replicating Verde Oliva Scuro 2.
- > Engine parts sanded off resin sprues, painting them tomorrow.
January 14, 2020
- > Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 engine perimeters sanded down to fit engine cowlings, spray base painted & brush touched up with Testors Flat Black & White "special mix" enamels.
- > Engine air intake bottoms shape-sanded & glued on engine cowling tops, join areas spray touched up with Humbrol 91 Black Matt Green + Testors Flat White 36% by volume shading enamels replicating Verde Oliva Scuro (VOS) 2.
- > Mainwing landing gear doors, underside aileron & tailplane mass balances, flap actuators spray painted Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray + Testors Flat White 36% by volume shading replicating Giallo Azzurro Charo 1, landing gear door insides out-of-bottle Light Sea Gray enamel approximating color Savoia-Marchetti employed in painting aircraft interiors.
- > Upper tailplane mass balance & D/F "football", upper fuselage areas on & adjacent to the port side cockpit canopy spray painted VOS 2.
January 15, 2020
- > Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 mainwing navigation lights spray painted on with Testors Flat White, Green & Red enamels.
- > Propeller blade tips spray painted with Testors Flat White & Yellow, hubs Flat Aluminum enamels.
- > Engines parts detail painted with Testors Model Master 2105 Dark Blue Gray, Steel & Flat Black & White "special mix", propeller shaft holes drilled down deeper.
- > Engine nacelle mounts spray painted Poly Scale Black & White "special mix" acrylics replicating engine blow-by.
- > Engines glued on nacelle mounts, good "boresight" alignments thanks to good engine-in-cowling fits.
January 16, 2020
- > Savoia-Marchetti S.M.89 engine nacelle painting incorrect correctly remasked & resprayed over incorrect painting with Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray + Testors Flat White 36% by volume shading replicating Giallo Azzurro Charo 1, good results 
- > Engine exhausts spray painted with Testors Rust & Steel 50/50 mix, after drying glued on engine nacelles.
- > Cowling areas underneath exhausts painted Testors Steel as heat shielding:
- > Engine cowling edges adjacent to exhausts trimmed for better cowling fits, cowlings glued on over engines with Elmer's White Glue, time needed for aligning them, not enough if had used cyanoacrylate glue despite it being stronger:
January 17, 2020
- > (Tauro Models 48-537 1/48 scale removed January 19th) SKY Models 72003 outline tri-fasci decals placed on Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 mainwings , closest type & size had available compared to Real McCoy's on period photographs.
- > Ailerons, flaps (molded in down position) & tailplanes glued in place, cut sheet styrene plastic pegs glued in drilled holes used to hold them in place, laborious step-by step work involved good results
- > Already painted main landing gear parts separated from sprues & trimmed, holes drilled in wheel well mounts to glue them in.
- > Main gear struts casted around steel pins, struts perpendicularly centered with table whilst gluing them in wheel well mount holes, good strong weight-bearing bonds
- > Main gear wheel hubs hand painted Testors Flat Aluminum enamel, treads spray painted Poly Scale Mud acrylic, slid in place between struts.
- > Main gear retraction struts glued in place, gear areas brush touched-up with Flat Aluminum.
- > Ailerons were too large, outer edges trimmed to fit, port sides needed shape-sanding (adding a plastic shim to close-up a small gap tomorrow).
January 18, 2020
- > Styrene sheet plastic shim cut, sanded, shaped, glued in small outer port side Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 aileron gap.
- > Tauro Decals 72-536 Piaggio propeller logo decals placed on propeller blades.
- > Air Pressure Data kit decals placed on outer landing gear doors, rear fuselage either side of tail wheel per period photographs of the Real McCoy.
- > All main landing gear doors glued in place.
- > Mainwing flap actuators cut & trimmed, one each glued in place per period photographs of the Real McCoy.
- > Aileron mass balances trimmed & glued in place.
January 19, 2020
- > Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 tailwheel painted Testors Flat Aluminum & Flat Rubber, Black & White "special mix" enamels, Poly Scale Mud acrylic.
- > White Distintivo di Guerra crosses masked off & sprayed on twin rudders with Testors Flat White enamel paint, after drying kit provided House of Savoy crest water decals applied.
- > Rudder sails glued on, slightly slanted portside compensating starboard slanted tailplane molding misalignment.
- > Alternating positioned tailplane mass balances glued on.
- > Rudders glued on sails with cut styrene plastic sheet pegs in drilled holes.
- > Fabricated & painted Pitot tubes glued on mainwings.
- > Thirty-seven millimeter cannon barrels painted Testors Flat Black & White "special mix" enamels, glued in place.
- > Nose-mounted gunsight part glued in place.
- > Model spot spray touch-ups with Humbrol 91 Black Matt Green + Testors Flat White 36% by volume shading enamels replicating Verde Oliva Scuro 2, Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray + Testors Flat White 36% by volume shading replicating Giallo Azzurro Charo 1.
- > Model should be complete on January 20th.
January 20, 2020
Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 Is Complete, See Post Below
GROUP I MODEL BUILDS ARE COMPLETE, SEE BELOW FOR GROUP II BUILDS
Build Progress Reports Will Be Continuously Posted Here, Photos Of Built Models Will Be On Separate Postings
The Omega Models Caproni Ca.335 Maestrale (Mistral) kit with resin, styrene plastic et. al. parts is a complete kit sporting a Mimetico scheme similar to the below Savoia-Marchetti S.73 & S.74 SEM Model builds, its included to economize on painting.
The SEM Model Savoia-Marchetti S.73 kit with resin, styrene plastic et. al. parts requires a SUPERMODEL Savoia-Marchetti S.81 kit for donated parts whilst the SEM Model Savoia-Marchetti S.74 kit with resin, white metal, styrene plastic et. al. parts is a complete kit. Whilst requiring different construction approaches they are being concurrently built so as to economize on painting given they'll be sporting similar Mimetico schemes, both are complicated builds.
The Italian Kits Wings Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 kit with resin, styrene plastic et. al. parts also is included though lacking kit instructions, that plus economizing on interior painting given Savoia-Marchetti used an interior gray paint similar to Giorgio Azzurro Chiaro 1 in building their aircraft.
November 9, 2019
- > S.73 & 74 mainwings assembled, ailerons test fitted.
- > S.73 engine mounts glued on, some mainwing leading edge puttying necessary.
- > S.74 mainwing leading edges very rough after removing resin sprues, were extensively puttied for later smooth sanding:
November 10, 2019
- > S.73 tailplane & rudder parts trimmed, sanded & test fitted, must cut & glue on styrene plastic hinge tabs not molded on tailplanes
- > S.74 mainwing, tailplane, rudder, main fuselage & engine cowling parts trimmed, filed, sanded & test fitted, engine nacelle parts filed, sanded, glued on mainwings, join edges putty filled, smooth sanding them tomorrow.
- > SM.89 mainwing, tailplane, rudder & engine nacelle parts trimmed, filed, sanded & test fitted, may have to glue on styrene plastic hinge tabs not molded on mainwing flaps
November 11, 2019
- > S.74 mainwing-engine nacelles joins sanded, mainwings glued on fuselage top center section, joins puttied, sanding them tomorrow.
- > S.74 general model layout progress photos:
November 12, 2019
- > S.74 mainwing assembly complete except for gluing on flap actuators, doing that tomorrow.
- > Fitting & gluing ailerons on mainwings took good deal of doing, both were warped, tad too long, trimming inner ends necessary for "acceptable" fits, additional work on them may be necessary.
- > Mainwing assembly center section insides spray painted out-of-bottle c
- > Radio compartment window edges spray & hand painted Testors Flat Black & White "special mix" enamels for visual aesthetics.
- > SEM Model S.74 kit came with large clear plastic sheet to fabricate cargo cabin windows from well as clear vacuform radio compartment window parts, latter too difficult to cut out & fit, used plastic sheet to fabricate & glue on radio compartment windows:
November 13, 2019
- > S.74 mainwing flap & aileron actuators, tie-down rings fabricated from sheet plastic, glued on mainwings:
- > S.74 mainwing assembly topsides & leading edges base painted Humbrol 63 Matt Sand + 10% Testors Flat Yellow + 36% by volume Flat White for scale shading enamels replicating Giallo Mimetico 3:
November 14, 2019
- > Commenced S.74 interior work today.
- > Cut styrene plastic stakes, glued them in slots on fuselage sides replicating metal structural units.
- > Fabricated two long bench seats & rear fuselage bulkhead from styrene sheet plastic per photo of a militarized S.74 rear interior:
- > Cut sprues off cockpit deck, sanded & test fitted in forward fuselage nose interior area.
- > Cannibalized extra kit part likely meant for civil version to make fuselage flooring, glued it on fuselage interior bottom, trimmed lower part of cockpit deck for flush flooring fit.
- > Test fitted bench seats:
- > Test fitted navigator/radio operator's station above passenger/cargo cabin, researching further whether correctly placed or no:
November 15, 2019
- > S.74 near entire fuselage interior, major cockpit & navigator/radio operator compartment parts, engine cowling interiors, bench seat undersides base painted Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray enamel approximating color Savoia-Marchetti employed in painting aircraft interiors.
- > Bench seats & upright fronts painted Humbrol 119 Matt Light Earth, upright rears Testors Flat Black & White "special mix" enamels for visual aesthetics.
- > Cockpit & navigator/radio operator detail parts will be painted tomorrow November 16th.
November 16, 2019
- > S.74 cockpit & navigator/radio operator seats spray & hand painted Testors Flat Aluminum & Rust (seat padding) enamels, seat straps fabricated from Scotch Magic Mending Tape spray painted Humbrol 119 with hand painted Testors Flat Aluminum buckles.
- > Kit aileron & tailplane control columns, steering yokes & rudder pedals spray & hand painted Testors Flat Aluminum & "special mix" enamels.
November 17, 2019
- > S.74 fuselage interior assembly work completed.
- > Cockpit flight deck parts glued in place, plugged assembly in fuselage nose, difficulties encountered whilst doing so.
- > Couldn't use starboard kit rudder pedal part, superbly crafted third-party instrument panel got in way
fabricated another from styrene sheet plastic, glue-slipped it on flight deck floor under the panel, also unable to slip lower cockpit area in front of passenger/cargo walkway because of instrument panel, trimmed more of it off to lay over the walkway. - > Navigator/radio operator station parts detail painted with various Testors enamels, assembled then glued it in place above fuselage cabin clearing the mainwing assembly above it:
- > Passenger benches glued in place:
- > Clear parts cut from a large kit-provided clear plastic sheet glued in place over external fuselage passenger/cargo compartment window area, kit-provided etched brass backed with clear plastic glued in place above it:
November 18, 2019
- > S.74 fuselage upper sides & engine cowlings base painted Humbrol 63 Matt Sand + 10% Testors Flat Yellow + 36% by volume Flat White for scale shading enamels replicating Giallo Mimetico 3:
November 19, 2019
- > Large Schema C1A "semi-star" mottles sprayed on S.74 mainwing assembly topsides with Humbrol 117 U.S. Matt Light Green replicating Verde Mimetico 3, 50/50 113 U S Rust + 119 Light Earth replicating Marrone Mimetico 53193 + 36% each Testors Flat White enamels approximating those photographed on MM.424 "604-8" fuselage sides during WWII:
November 20, 2019
- > S.74 mainwing assembly underside base painted Humbrol 140 Matt Gull Grey + 36% Testors Flat White shading enamels replicating Grigio Mimetico:
November 21, 2019
- > S.74 Engines & mainwing engine mounts base painted Testors Flat Black & White "special mix" enamels.
- > Engine spray painted with Humbrol 117 U.S. Matt Light Green replicating Verde Mimetico 3, 50/50 113 U S Rust + 119 Light Earth replicating Marrone Mimetico 53193 + 36% each Testors Flat White enamel mottles approximating those photographed on MM.424 "604-8", cowling straps behind oil radiator rings Testors Flat Aluminum.
- > Engine cowling ring & mainwing oil radiators painted Friday, November 22nd, 56th anniversary of U.S. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy's assassination occurring same day of week whilst attending a grade school mathematics class
November 22, 2019
- > S.74 engine cowling ring & mainwing oil radiators spray painted with Testors Bronze enamel, set aside to dry till tomorrow.
- > Engine crankcases hand painted Testors 2105 Dark Blue Gray, engines centers drilled out for propeller spinner shafts.
- > Propeller spinners separated from sprues & trimmed, shafts test fitted with engines, propeller blade shaft holes drilled out.
- > Propeller blades separated from sprues, test fitted with propeller spinners.
- > Mainwing assembly engine mounts lightly spray painted Poly Scale Black & White mix acrylics replicating engine blow-by grime.
- > Mainwing aileron & flap actuator linkage rods hand painted Testors steel, engine mount heat outlets Testors Black & White "special mix" enamels"
- > Engine cowling exhaust piping painting, fitting cowlings over engines, mainwing water decals applied tomorrow.
- > Landing gear parts separated from sprues, sanded, test fitted with white metal mainwing struts, tailwheel separated from sprue, all ready for painting.
November 23, 2019
- > S.74 Mainwing Assembly (Mostly) Done
- > Entire assembly sprayed Testors Clear Semi-Gloss Lacquer.
- > Large kit fasci, smaller Tauro 48-537 water decals applied upper & underside mainwings, smaller clearing aileron actuators & wing tiedown half-loops, necessity given limited selection of available fasci decal sizes
November 25, 2019
- > No work on 24th, propeller units assembled today the 25th.
- > Poorly seated S.74 starboard forward fuselage passenger window band partially peeled off, trimmed & widened it & insert area, glued former down flush with fuselage; some puttying necessary, smooth sanding it tomorrow.
- > Fuselage Giallo Mimetico 3 base paint now completely dry, mottle spraying commences tomorrow.
November 26, 2019
- > Large Schema C1A "semi-star" mottles sprayed on S.74 fuselage assembly sides with Humbrol 117 U.S. Matt Light Green replicating Verde Mimetico 3, 50/50 113 U S Rust + 119 Light Earth replicating Marrone Mimetico 53193 + 36% each Testors Flat White enamels approximating those photographed on MM.424 "604-8" fuselage sides during WWII.
- > S.74 main landing gear, tailplane & rudder assembly parts base painted Humbrol 63 Matt Sand + 10% Testors Flat Yellow + 36% by volume Flat White for scale shading enamels replicating Giallo Mimetico 3, wheel spat interiors Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray enamel approximating color Savoia-Marchetti employed in painting aircraft interiors:
November 27, 2019
- > S.74 fuselage undersides painted Humbrol 140 Matt Gull Grey + 36% Testors Flat White shading enamels replicating Grigio Mimetico.
- > Large Schema C1A "semi-star" mottles sprayed on tailplane tops & leading edges Humbrol 117 U.S. Matt Light Green replicating Verde Mimetico 3, 50/50 113 U S Rust + 119 Light Earth replicating Marrone Mimetico 53193 + 36% each Testors Flat White enamels, undersides & braces Grigio Mimetico.
- > Tailplanes & braces glued on fuselage, some trimming & putty filling necessary, seams painted over:
November 28, 2019
- > Large Schema C1A "semi-star" mottles & variants sprayed on rudder sail assembly Humbrol 117 U.S. Matt Light Green replicating Verde Mimetico 3, 50/50 113 U S Rust + 119 Light Earth replicating Marrone Mimetico 53193 + 36% each Testors Flat White enamels.
- > Testors Flat White enamel Distintivo di Guerra cross sprayed on rudder, kit House of Savoy decal applied after drying.
- > Rudder sail assembly glued on fuselage, entire fuselage sprayed Testors Clear Semi-Gloss lacquer, passenger & cargo cabin window paint masking strips removed afterwards
- > Mainwing assembly glued on fuselage assembly, job took bit of doing
putty filling necessary along seams, adding it tomorrow along with spot painting:November 29, 2019
- > S.74 mainwing-fuselage assembly join seams putty filled, sanded & spot painted, good results
white fuselage identification band sprayed on tomorrow November 30th.November 30, 2019
* End Of The Blade Runner Month
* NO dystopian climate change disasters despite entertainment media reporting, NO Replicants, Flying Cars, Mayan-esque megastructures, burning oil refinery gas towers (nearest are in Carson, CA farther down the Los Angeles basin) etc., etc., plenty of homeless people though, zillions more of them than when the movie came out in 1982
- > S.74 Testors Flat White enamel white identification band sprayed on, bit of doing it took.
- > Fuselage cockpit edges spray painted Testors Flat Black & White special mix for visual aesthetics.
- > Navigator/Radio Operator Station Ladder fabricated from styrene sheet plastic, spray painted Testors Flat Aluminum enamel, glued in place between pilot & copilot seats.
- > Clear kit vacuform canopy cut out, shape filed & sanded to fit on, good results
December 2, 2019
S.74 Model Is Complete, See Post Below
- > SEM Model Savoia-Marchetti S.73 resin with SUPERMODEL S.81 donor parts conversion build resumes tomorrow along with the resin Omega Models Caproni Ca.335 Maestrale.
- > Both feature mimetico camouflage, painting them in turn should save time & resources, hoping to complete them by New Years Eve
December 3, 2019
- > SEM Model Savoia-Marchetti S.73 fuselage halves trimmed, filed & sanded.
- > Starboard-mounted rudder sail broke off whilst doing so
re-glued it back on, filed & sanded over break seams.- > Small but noticeable part of port side tail cone broke off whilst removing sprue
glued on styrene sheet plastic & putty building it back up; after gluing fuselage halves together will apply more putty, file & sand-shape it.- > Long S.73 resin fuselage flight crew & passenger/cargo deck part mistakenly cut apart & used for building the SEM Model S.74 model
fabricated new - and better - one from spare SUPERMODEL S.81 kit parts, finishing it tomorrow.December 4, 2019
- > New - and better - S.73 flight crew & passenger/cargo deck part fabricated, i.e. longer passenger/cargo deck platform, mounts for pilot & copilot seats, control columns, rudder pedals via a reworked spare SUPERMODEL S.81 kit part, several hours spent filing & sanding part sides to fit inside fuselage halves.
- > Fuselage halve interiors, flight crew & passenger/cargo deck part spray painted out-of-bottle Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray enamel approximating color Savoia-Marchetti employed in painting aircraft interiors.
December 5, 2019
- > S.73 fuselage halve window inside edges masked & spray painted Testors Flat Black & White "special mix" enamels for visual aesthetics.
- > Cockpit seats, control columns, rudder pedals, reworked SUPERMODEL S.81 kit instrument panel spray & hand painted assorted Testors enamels.
- > Seat belts cut from Scotch Magic Mending Tape spray over-painted Humbrol 29 Matt Dark Earth, buckles hand painted Testors Flat Aluminum enamels:
December 6, 2019
- > S.73 kit provided clear styrene plastic windows cut, shape-sanded, glued in place on fuselage halves.
- > Kit provided cockpit windscreens & some windows were undersized, fabricated replacements from sheet plastic.
December 7, 2019
- > S.73 fuselage interior parts & halves glued together, all seams puttied, considerable amount of it was necessary.
- > SUPERMODEL S.81 nose engine mount glued on, considerable fuselage-nose part flat-face sanding necessary for decent fit.
- > Major semi-assembled model components shown below:
December 8, 2019
- > S.73 puttied fuselage seams filed & sanded, windows masked for spray painting.
- > Tailplanes glued in place on fuselage, tabs very undersized
much puttying around them required.December 9, 2019
- > S.73 puttied fuselage halve join seams filed & sanded, good results.
- > Upper fuselage-tailplane putty fills inadequate
removed most of them, replaced with glued-on styrene plastic shims, re-puttied, filed & sanded, OK results.- > Fuselage join butt ends of SUPERMODEL S.81 mainwing extensively scraped, filed & sanded, glued on S.73 fuselage.
- > Puttying necessary around upper wing fuselage root joins, lots of it around underwing joins:
December 10, 2019
- > S.73 upper sides base painted Humbrol 63 Matt Sand + 10% Testors Flat Yellow + 36% by volume Flat White for scale shading enamels replicating Giallo Mimetico 3:
December 11, 2019
- > S.73 main landing gear struts base spray painted Humbrol 63 Matt Sand + 10% Testors Flat Yellow + 36% by volume Flat White for scale shading enamels replicating Giallo Mimetico 3.
- > All landing gear wheels painted & "weathered".
- > Wheel spat interiors spray painted out-of-bottle Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray enamel approximating color Savoia-Marchetti employed in painting aircraft interiors.
- > Spats with wheels glued together ready for base spray painted Giallo Mimetico 3.
December 12, 2019
- > S.73 main landing gear spats base spray painted Giallo Mimetico 3.
- > Engine cowling interiors base spray painted Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray enamel approximating color Savoia-Marchetti employed in painting aircraft interiors, exteriors Giallo Mimetico 3.
- > All model upper sides ready to be sprayed Verde Mimetico 53192 & Marrone Mimetico 53193 mottles; sparse subject photographic references necessitating interpolation of spray patterns
will do my best!- > Engines spray & hand painted Testors Flat Black & White "special mix" & Model Master 2105 Dark Blue Gray enamel colors.
- > Propeller blade back sides also sprayed Testors "special mix".
December 13, 2019
- > All S.73 model upper sides & main landing gear except for engine cowlings spray painted Humbrol 120 Matt Light Green + 36% Testors Flat White shading enamels replicating Verde Mimetico 53192 in a Schema C10B variation;
more in keeping with Schema C11;
edges lined with Marrone Mimetico 53193 this color sprayed on tomorrow November 14th.
December 14, 2019
- > All S.73 model uppersides & main landing gear spray painted 50/50 Humbrol 113 U S Matt Rust + 119 Light Earth + 36% each Testors Flat White enamels replicating Marrone Mimetico 53193.
- > Engine cowlings spray painted Verde Mimetico 53192 & Marrone Mimetico 53193:
December 15, 2019
- > S.73 mainwing flap actuators fabricated from styrene sheet plastic.
- > SUPERMODEL S.81 mainwing landing lights puttied over & sanded, S.73 fuselage landing light lenses fabricated from clear styrene sheet plastic, backs painted Testors Silver enamel paint, glued in place, taped over whilst base painting.
- > All S.73 model undersides base painted Humbrol 140 Matt Gull Grey replicating Grigio Mimetico:
December 16, 2019
- > S.73 Propellers fully base painted, spray painting on white reverse blade side synchronization stripes later.
- > Testors Flat White enamel Distintivo di Guerra cross sprayed on rudder.
- > Main landing gear struts & spats fully painted, assembling them for mounting on mainwings later.
- > Engine cowling snap rings spray painted Testors Flat Aluminum enamel, set aside to dry before spraying on bronze engine exhaust rings well as mainwing oil coolers.
December 17, 2019
- > S.73 Engine cowling exhaust rings, pipe parts (partially) & mainwing oil radiators spray painted Testors Bronze enamel.
- > Mainwing landing gear struts & spats assembled & mounted on mainwings, good deal of difficulty getting them mounted
good deal of spot spray painting necessary after doing so.December 18, 2019
- > S.73 Fuselage tailwheel glued in place.
- > Tailplane support struts, planes & rudder glued on, some spot painting necessary.
- > Four fuselage dorsal spine fixtures fabricated from sheet plastic & glued on per SEM Model renderings & period photographs, hand painted Testors Flat Black & White "special mix" for them to show up better.
- > Engine nacelle fronts spray painted Poly Scale Flat Black & White "special mix" acrylics replicating engine blow-by grime.
- > All water decals applied for "606-4" model display option.
- > Model completion late tomorrow or early Friday December 20th.
December 19, 2019
S.73 Model Is Complete, See Post Below
December 20, 2019
- > Caproni Ca.335 Maestrale (Mistral, lit. "Masterful Wind") build now underway.
- > One-piece fuselage, mainwings & flaps, tailplanes & rudder separated from sprues, trimmed, filed & sanded.
- > Uneven fuselage undersides required puttying, smooth sanding them tomorrow.
- > Rear observer/gunner station fuselage side windows edges square-filed, dorsal "crew tunnel" trimmed, filed & sanded.
- > Tailplanes & rudder glued onto fuselage former requiring much "digging, trimming, filing" for proper fits well as puttying, trimming & sanding:
December 22, 2019
- > Caproni Ca.335 fuselage undersides required additional puttying, after drying were smoothed sanded.
- > Crew sheets, instrument panels, mainwing flaps & wells, landing gear wells & doors separated from sprues, filed & sanded.
- > Fuselage interior & rear observer instrument panel mount, mainwing flaps & wells, landing gear wells & doors base spray painted Humbrol 78 Matt Cockpit Green + Testors Flat White 50/50 mix + 36% Flat White shading enamels replicating Verde Anticorrosine.
- > Crew seats spray painted Testors Flat Aluminum enamel.
- > Instrument panels spray painted Testors Flat Black & White "special mix" enamels.
December 23, 2019
- > Caproni Ca.335 fuselage interior completed.
- > Instrument panels detail painted with Testors Flat White enamel.
- > Rudder control bar & joystick column fabricated from styrene sheet plastic, hand painted Testors Flat Aluminum & Flat Black + White "special mix" enamels.
- > Seat belts fabricated from Scotch Magic Mending Tape over sprayed with Humbrol 29 Matt Dark Earth enamel, cut to size, buckle ends hand painted Testors Flat Aluminum enamel all then glued in place.
- > Observer/Rear Gunner fuselage window edges hand painted Testors Flat Black & White "special mix" for aesthetics, windows fabricated from clear styrene sheet plastic then glued in place:
- > Fuselage dorsal crew "tunnel" glued in place, some seam puttying required:
Christmas Eve 2019
- > Caproni Ca.335 clear plastic cockpit canopy cut & filed to fit on fuselage, glued in place.
- > Omega Models tooled the Ca.335 kit fuselage & vacuform clear parts for the "long" cockpit SABCA S.47 version, painting over the rear canopy ala the "short" cockpit Italian Ca.335 prototype hides cockpit detail, not wanting to do that will mask & spray paint cockpit canopy in Italian mimetico to see cockpit detail despite period photos of The Real McCoy showing it sporting the "short" canopy.
- > Observer/Gunner Station canopy worked on after Christmas, evaluating whether to make it two-piece.
December 26, 2019
- > Caproni Ca.335 clear plastic Observer/Gunner Station canopy part cut apart, shape filed & sanded, front half glued on fuselage.
- > Styrene sheet plastic stripes fabricated & glued on rear cut, shaped, filed & sanded clear part making it semi-slidable:
December 27, 2019
- > All Caproni Ca.335 canopies masked & base spray painted Humbrol 78 Matt Cockpit Green + Testors Flat White 50/50 mix + 36% Flat White shading enamels replicating Verde Anticorrosine.
- > Mainwings glued on fuselage, joins puttied, smooth sanding them tomorrow.
December 28, 2019
- > Caproni Ca.335 fuselage joins smoothed sanded, fuselage undersides sanded some more as well.
- > Tailplane & rudder mass balances fabricated from styrene sheet plastic & glued on.
- > Humbrol 117 U.S. Matt Light Green replicating Verde Mimetico 3 sprayed over all model uppersides, wing & tailplane leading edges, Observer/Gunner Station slideable, canopy & propeller spinner.
December 29, 2019
- > Caproni Ca.335 main landing gear wheels spray painted Testors Flat Rubber, Black & White "special mix" enamels, set to dry before painting wheel hubs.
- > Main landing gear struts hand painted Testors Flat Aluminum enamel, more painting of them later.
- > Propeller blades painted Testors Flat Black & White "special mix", will be glued on prop spinner after its painted.
- > Model topsides sprayed Verde Mimetico 3 on 28th still drying, will spray on mottles tomorrow.
December 30, 2019
- > All Caproni Ca.335 model topsides spray painted Schema D1B Humbrol 63 Matt Sand + 10% Testors Flat Yellow + 36% by volume Flat White for scale shading enamels replicating Giallo Mimetico mottles.
- > One very clear period photograph shows paint contrasts inside & adjacent to mottles strongly suggesting the aircraft was additionally painted Marrone Mimetico 2, will spray it on tomorrow:
New Years Eve 2020
- > Caproni Ca.133 topsides spray painted Testors Model Master 2009 British Crimson + Humbrol 118 U.S. Matt Tan 20:5 mix replicating Marrone Mimetico 2.
- > Undersides spray painted Humbrol 140 Matt Gull Grey + 36% Testors Flat White shading enamels replicating Grigio Mimetico.
New Years Day 2020
Caproni Ca.355 Model Is Complete, See Post Below
January 3, 2020
- > Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 upper & lower fuselage parts separated from sprues, lots of cutting, shaving & sanding required.
- > Lots of puttying necessary over lower fuselage ventral centers, smooth sanding them tomorrow.
- > Upper fuselage part dorsal turret insides & starboard underside edges required extra shaving, filing & sanding work.
- > Fuselage interior parts separated from sprues, lots of cutting, shaving & sanding required, test fits made with them placed inside lower fuselage part:
- > Test fit made of upper & lower fuselage parts over the forward crew cabins:
January 4, 2020
- > Large hole drilled in Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 lower fuselage part keel to fit a periscopically sighted ventral gun turret, shaved & filed it larger to accommodate a kit provided clear styrene plastic turret housing.
- > Interiors of upper & lower fuselage parts, mainwing engine nacelle/landing gear interiors, aileron & flap hinge wells spray painted out-of-bottle Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray enamel approximating color Savoia-Marchetti employed in painting aircraft interiors.
January 5, 2020
- > Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 instrument panels, fuselage inside control panels, widow ledges for visual aesthetics spray & hand painted Testors Flat Black & White "special mix" enamels.
- > Clear styrene sheet plastic strips cut to fit in lower fuselage windows, masked for later spray painting.
- > Crew seats, rudder pedals, flight control bar/steering yoke & fuselage mount sprayed Testors Flat Aluminum enamel.
- > Magic Mending Tape strip spray painted Humbrol 29 Matt Dark Earth enamel, will fabricate seat belts from it later.
January 7, 2020
- > Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 instrument panels, flight control bar/steering yoke, crew seats detail hand painted with various Testors enamels.
- > Crew seat belts fabricated from cut spray painted Magic Mending Tape strips, buckles hand painted with Testors Flat Aluminum enamel, glued in place, seats then glued in place:
January 8, 2020
- > Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 upper fuselage part glued on lower fuselage part, good deal of upper part sanding necessary for acceptable fit.
- > Fuselage join seams puttied, smooth sanded after drying.
- > Clear vacuform plastic kit cockpit canopy, cut & "pried" out of mold, extensively trimmed, filed & sanded, test fitted over cockpit several times, final fit generally acceptable.
- > Extensive building up either side of cockpit windscreen necessary, cut to fit styrene sheet plastic strips glued in place, insides hand painted Testors Flat & Black "special mix" enamels.
- > Cockpit window ledges & upper fuselage bulkhead spray painted Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray enamel approximating color Savoia-Marchetti employed in painting aircraft interiors.
- > Rear cockpit canopy height OK when test fitted on upper fuselage, sides incorrectly shaped
nothing can be done about that windscreen alignment OK though small cockpit gap needed to be filled.- > Canopy glued on OK, sizeable starboard side gap however, sheet styrene plastic shim cut, painted, glued in place, edge puttying needed in places:
January 9, 2020
- > Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 cockpit canopy masked & spray painted Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray enamel approximating color Savoia-Marchetti employed in painting aircraft interiors.
- > Tailplane part glued on upper rear fuselage, massive-much shaving, filing, sanding involved for good fits, join edges puttied & sanded.
- > Mainwings glued on fuselage, decent fits though much putting necessary over underside root joins, not as much over upperside joins.
- > Mainwing & Tailplane dihedrals somewhat off center relative to fuselage
common consequence of unevenly casted parts, not bad enough to loose sleep over:- > Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 puttied fuselage-mainwing join seams smooth sanded, other areas of model as well.
- > Model fuselage assembly uppersides, engine cowlings, ailerons, flaps tailplanes, rudders & sails base painted Humbrol 91 Black Matt Green + Testors Flat White 36% by volume shading replicating Verde Oliva Scuro 2:
January 11, 2020
- > Savioa-Marchetti SM.89 model fuselage assembly uppersides, engine cowlings, ailerons, flaps tailplanes, rudders & sails base painted Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray + Testors Flat White 36% by volume shading replicating Giallo Azzurro Charo 1:
January 12, 2020
- > Testors Flat White enamel identification band sprayed on Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 rear fuselage.
January 13, 2020
- > Chunks of dried paint & putty along the Savoia-Marchetti SM.89's fuselage undersides came off whilst removing masking tape after spraying on the white rear fuselage identification band
- > Re-puttied, re-sanded smooth, re-sprayed them over well as other uneven spots along the undersides with Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray + Testors Flat White 36% by volume shading enamels replicating Giallo Azzurro Charo 1, work took way longer than had expected
- > Landing lights fabricated from clear scrap circular styrene pieces glued in place in molded slots on mainwing leading edges.
- > Two mainwing-mounted Pitot tubes fabricated from styrene sheet plastic, sprayed with Humbrol 91 Black Matt Green + Testors Flat White 36% by volume shading enamels replicating Verde Oliva Scuro 2.
- > Engine parts sanded off resin sprues, painting them tomorrow.
January 14, 2020
- > Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 engine perimeters sanded down to fit engine cowlings, spray base painted & brush touched up with Testors Flat Black & White "special mix" enamels.
- > Engine air intake bottoms shape-sanded & glued on engine cowling tops, join areas spray touched up with Humbrol 91 Black Matt Green + Testors Flat White 36% by volume shading enamels replicating Verde Oliva Scuro (VOS) 2.
- > Mainwing landing gear doors, underside aileron & tailplane mass balances, flap actuators spray painted Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray + Testors Flat White 36% by volume shading replicating Giallo Azzurro Charo 1, landing gear door insides out-of-bottle Light Sea Gray enamel approximating color Savoia-Marchetti employed in painting aircraft interiors.
- > Upper tailplane mass balance & D/F "football", upper fuselage areas on & adjacent to the port side cockpit canopy spray painted VOS 2.
January 15, 2020
- > Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 mainwing navigation lights spray painted on with Testors Flat White, Green & Red enamels.
- > Propeller blade tips spray painted with Testors Flat White & Yellow, hubs Flat Aluminum enamels.
- > Engines parts detail painted with Testors Model Master 2105 Dark Blue Gray, Steel & Flat Black & White "special mix", propeller shaft holes drilled down deeper.
- > Engine nacelle mounts spray painted Poly Scale Black & White "special mix" acrylics replicating engine blow-by.
- > Engines glued on nacelle mounts, good "boresight" alignments thanks to good engine-in-cowling fits.
January 16, 2020
- > Savoia-Marchetti S.M.89 engine nacelle painting incorrect
correctly remasked & resprayed over incorrect painting with Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray + Testors Flat White 36% by volume shading replicating Giallo Azzurro Charo 1, good results - > Engine exhausts spray painted with Testors Rust & Steel 50/50 mix, after drying glued on engine nacelles.
- > Cowling areas underneath exhausts painted Testors Steel as heat shielding:
- > Engine cowling edges adjacent to exhausts trimmed for better cowling fits, cowlings glued on over engines with Elmer's White Glue, time needed for aligning them, not enough if had used cyanoacrylate glue despite it being stronger:
January 17, 2020
- > (Tauro Models 48-537 1/48 scale removed January 19th) SKY Models 72003 outline tri-fasci decals placed on Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 mainwings , closest type & size had available compared to Real McCoy's on period photographs.
- > Ailerons, flaps (molded in down position) & tailplanes glued in place, cut sheet styrene plastic pegs glued in drilled holes used to hold them in place, laborious step-by step work involved
good results - > Already painted main landing gear parts separated from sprues & trimmed, holes drilled in wheel well mounts to glue them in.
- > Main gear struts casted around steel pins, struts perpendicularly centered with table whilst gluing them in wheel well mount holes, good strong weight-bearing bonds
- > Main gear wheel hubs hand painted Testors Flat Aluminum enamel, treads spray painted Poly Scale Mud acrylic, slid in place between struts.
- > Main gear retraction struts glued in place, gear areas brush touched-up with Flat Aluminum.
- > Ailerons were too large, outer edges trimmed to fit, port sides needed shape-sanding (adding a plastic shim to close-up a small gap tomorrow).
January 18, 2020
- > Styrene sheet plastic shim cut, sanded, shaped, glued in small outer port side Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 aileron gap.
- > Tauro Decals 72-536 Piaggio propeller logo decals placed on propeller blades.
- > Air Pressure Data kit decals placed on outer landing gear doors, rear fuselage either side of tail wheel per period photographs of the Real McCoy.
- > All main landing gear doors glued in place.
- > Mainwing flap actuators cut & trimmed, one each glued in place per period photographs of the Real McCoy.
- > Aileron mass balances trimmed & glued in place.
January 19, 2020
- > Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 tailwheel painted Testors Flat Aluminum & Flat Rubber, Black & White "special mix" enamels, Poly Scale Mud acrylic.
- > White Distintivo di Guerra crosses masked off & sprayed on twin rudders with Testors Flat White enamel paint, after drying kit provided House of Savoy crest water decals applied.
- > Rudder sails glued on, slightly slanted portside compensating starboard slanted tailplane molding misalignment.
- > Alternating positioned tailplane mass balances glued on.
- > Rudders glued on sails with cut styrene plastic sheet pegs in drilled holes.
- > Fabricated & painted Pitot tubes glued on mainwings.
- > Thirty-seven millimeter cannon barrels painted Testors Flat Black & White "special mix" enamels, glued in place.
- > Nose-mounted gunsight part glued in place.
- > Model spot spray touch-ups with Humbrol 91 Black Matt Green + Testors Flat White 36% by volume shading enamels replicating Verde Oliva Scuro 2, Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray + Testors Flat White 36% by volume shading replicating Giallo Azzurro Charo 1.
- > Model should be complete on January 20th.
January 20, 2020
Savoia-Marchetti SM.89 Is Complete, See Post Below
GROUP I MODEL BUILDS ARE COMPLETE, SEE BELOW FOR GROUP II BUILDS
Last edited by RetiredInKalifornia on Mon Jan 20, 2020 9:14 pm, edited 125 times in total.
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Re: Retired In Kalifornia's Aircraft Model Builds In Progress Photos
Wow what a lineup, those are awesome pics. The P.108B was a large plane but the Trasporto makes it look relatively small in comparison from the top view.
Vince Tassone
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RetiredInKalifornia
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Indeed Yes...
...last time I had three 4-motor models together was 1997: Airfix AVRO Lancaster B.I to B.II conversion with vacuform & resin parts (not entirely accurate as it had an H2X radome, B.IIs didn't, no Dowty landing gear either, was unique to this Lanc mark), Handley Page Halifax B.III, Short Stirling B.I, good builds though Lanc B.II construction was unstable due to weighty engine pods.
Decade before them built Matchbox Lancaster B.I & Halifax B.I models, good as well though nearly destroyed the B.I when tried "quick drying" paint over the folk's family room fireplace near decade before they'd put in the Bucks Stove
If ever build Brit Bombers again would like to build any of the Planet Models AVRO Manchester variants, had all of them at one time, gave them away along most of my unbuilt collection around this time in 2015 to Viking Hobbies in Sacramento, needless to say they'd long been sold-off.
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Arditi1961
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Re: Retired In Kalifornia's Aircraft Model Builds In Progress Photos
Can you imagine if Mussolini had available to him 10,000+ of these beasts and another 10,000+ MC.205V/G.55/Re.2005.
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RetiredInKalifornia
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More Realistically...
...if in 1939 when the P.108 prototype flew the Germans licensed it for serial production to bomb Britain meantime properly developing the Heinkel 177 as a four-engine "Ural Bomber" Allied analogs being the Boeing B-17, Consolidated B-24, AVRO Lancaster & Handley Page Halifax against Germany, B-29 Japan. Fitted with BMW 801 radials, Daimler-Benz 601 or Junkers Jumo 211 inlines German-built P.108s clearly would had been RAF Fighter Command's blackest nightmare during the 1940-41 Blitz even flying half the number of bombing twins the Luftwaffe threw against the islands during it, losses certainly would had been lower given higher operating altitude & speed, better still if they had turbocharged engines.Arditi1961 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 10, 2019 6:35 pmCan you imagine if Mussolini had available to him 10,000+ of these beasts and another 10,000+ MC.205V/G.55/Re.2005.
Hitler, Göring, Udet & Milch opposed pouring resources into building strategic bombing aircraft even whilst Walther Wever was alive the Dornier 19 "Exhibit A" in this regard, despite dated construction technology it might had been effective during the Battle of Britain particularly with respect to bomb load if it had been further developed but would still had been inferior to the P.108 in overall performance. The Heinkel 177 also championed by Wever IMHO was more like the Consolidated B-24 with respect to bomb load & altitude performance if had been equipped with four turbocharged engines but not the B-29, for altitude performance, speed & bomb load it was all by itself the post-WWII AVRO Lincoln alone coming anywhere close to its capabilities.
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Re: Retired In Kalifornia's Aircraft Model Builds In Progress Photos
Leady Ready says the same thing in "Avanti: Mussolini and the Wars of Italy 1919-1945". Unfortunately for Mussolini the country was near bankrupt at the beginning of the war, it's why it kept him from declaring war earlier. Just for some perspective, Britain received from the US in lend-lease, the equivalent of Italy's entire aircraft production between 1939-1945.Arditi1961 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 10, 2019 6:35 pmCan you imagine if Mussolini had available to him 10,000+ of these beasts and another 10,000+ MC.205V/G.55/Re.2005.
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Re: More Realistically...
I like this take, I never read it before but you're right if the Germans took out a license to build an improved version of this plane and mass produced it in the thousands, who knows. Always a case of either missed opportunities and too little too late when it comes to the Axis powers in WWII.RetiredInKalifornia wrote: ↑Sun Nov 10, 2019 9:01 pm...if in 1939 when the P.108 prototype flew the Germans licensed it for serial production to bomb Britain meantime properly developing the Heinkel 177 as a four-engine "Ural Bomber" Allied analogs being the Boeing B-17, Consolidated B-24, AVRO Lancaster & Handley Page Halifax against Germany, B-29 Japan. Fitted with BMW 801 radials, Daimler-Benz 601 or Junkers Jumo 211 inlines German-built P.108s clearly would had been RAF Fighter Command's blackest nightmare during the 1940-41 Blitz even flying half the number of bombing twins the Luftwaffe threw against the islands during it, losses certainly would had been lower given higher operating altitude & speed, better still if they had turbocharged engines.Arditi1961 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 10, 2019 6:35 pmCan you imagine if Mussolini had available to him 10,000+ of these beasts and another 10,000+ MC.205V/G.55/Re.2005.
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RetiredInKalifornia
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Yes Indeed...
...late followed by too little, Messerschmitt 262 classic case in point here. Germans might had industrial capacity to produce some thousands P.108s, hundreds for sure; Ferenc A. Vajda & Peter Dancy's German Aircraft And Production 1933-1945 (SAE International 1998), a must-read for those interested in that nation's WWII aircraft production capabilities, suggests Germany alone didn't have industrial capacity to build thousands of four-engine bombers though IMHO teamed up with Italy & Vichy France maybe.Editor wrote: ↑Mon Nov 11, 2019 12:29 pmI like this take, I never read it before but you're right if the Germans took out a license to build an improved version of this plane and mass produced it in the thousands, who knows. Always a case of either missed opportunities and too little too late when it comes to the Axis powers in WWII.RetiredInKalifornia wrote: ↑Sun Nov 10, 2019 9:01 pm...if in 1939 when the P.108 prototype flew the Germans licensed it for serial production to bomb Britain meantime properly developing the Heinkel 177 as a four-engine "Ural Bomber" Allied analogs being the Boeing B-17, Consolidated B-24, AVRO Lancaster & Handley Page Halifax against Germany, B-29 Japan. Fitted with BMW 801 radials, Daimler-Benz 601 or Junkers Jumo 211 inlines German-built P.108s clearly would had been RAF Fighter Command's blackest nightmare during the 1940-41 Blitz even flying half the number of bombing twins the Luftwaffe threw against the islands during it, losses certainly would had been lower given higher operating altitude & speed, better still if they had turbocharged engines.Arditi1961 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 10, 2019 6:35 pmCan you imagine if Mussolini had available to him 10,000+ of these beasts and another 10,000+ MC.205V/G.55/Re.2005.
The book makes clear Milch & Speer made possible the 1943-44 "production miracle" in churning out thousands of fighters for Reich Defense but at the expense of bombers, "missed opportunity" in producing large quantities of four-engine ones as you'd expect being before the Battle Of Britain when arguably there was industrial capacity to do so though still limited compared to the Americans & Brits. Britain had overseas colonies to provide whatever raw material it needed for war goods production thanks to its Merchant Marine & Royal Navy to protect it, that plus having access to American resources & industrial capacity via lend-lease. Sans either there'd be lot fewer Halifaxes & Lancasters for Reich night bombing 1942 on though RAF surely would had "wisely used" whatever quantities they had, the war lasting longer than otherwise.
With the Americans in the war after Pearl Harbor the Western Axis Powers lost the "war of production" though Vajda & Dancy's book does make for interesting reading what the Germans could do in the way of 1943-44 fighter aircraft production whilst being bombed into oblivion - if only they had the oil to keep 'em flying, good "what-if" here for sure!
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Re: Retired In Kalifornia's Aircraft Model Builds In Progress Photos
Nice work on your S.74, good interior work and accurate camo. I didn't realize it was Blade Runner month, I have the DVD/Blu-ray combo of the original 1982 film by Ridley Scott. Ridley Scott produced the Alien series which I didn't like too much and the prequel Prometheus which is super-fascinating. It makes sense this is Blade Runner month since the original film was set in 2019. Incredible performances buy Harrison Ford and especially Rutger Hauer. I haven't yet watched Blade Runner 2049, I'm not even sure if it did well at the box office. btw the original film in Blu Ray is amazing, Ridley Scott remastered the film just for it, I wonder if he had in mind to do a re-release in theaters like Star Wars in 1997? I saw the Star Wars re-release at a theater in Clear Lake City, Texas. Blade Runner is now considered a cult-classic, not on the same level as Star Trek or Star Wars but a niche. Great film.
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RetiredInKalifornia
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SEM Model Savoia-Marchetti S.74
Last edited by RetiredInKalifornia on Mon Dec 02, 2019 11:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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RetiredInKalifornia
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Yep...
...sure was. Next up all year 2022 is Soylent Green, good 1973 dystopian sci-fi thriller ignoring well-worn premise of mankind trashing the planet though over-populationEditor wrote: ↑Sun Dec 01, 2019 8:43 pmNice work on your S.74, good interior work and accurate camo. I didn't realize it was Blade Runner month, I have the DVD/Blu-ray combo of the original 1982 film by Ridley Scott. Ridley Scott produced the Alien series which I didn't like too much and the prequel Prometheus which is super-fascinating. It makes sense this is Blade Runner month since the original film was set in 2019. Incredible performances buy Harrison Ford and especially Rutger Hauer. I haven't yet watched Blade Runner 2049, I'm not even sure if it did well at the box office. btw the original film in Blu Ray is amazing, Ridley Scott remastered the film just for it, I wonder if he had in mind to do a re-release in theaters like Star Wars in 1997? I saw the Star Wars re-release at a theater in Clear Lake City, Texas. Blade Runner is now considered a cult-classic, not on the same level as Star Trek or Star Wars but a niche. Great film.
If anything de-populating is likely given generally falling world-wide birthrates Africa excluded, "2092" Soylent remake should focus on Earth having half as many people, economic consequences therefrom; excluding immigration U.S.A. is loosing population due to near record low fertility rates, remake of Children of Men set in 2027 in order here; good flick from excerpts I'd seen on YouTube.Original Art Rendered 1997
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Re: Retired In Kalifornia's Aircraft Model Builds In Progress Photos
Great job with the camo, here's the photo of 8-604 in Lybia.
and here's a youtube vid of the plane in IL2.
and here's a youtube vid of the plane in IL2.
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Re: Retired In Kalifornia's Aircraft Model Builds In Progress Photos
Can I get an article for the S.74 build.
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RetiredInKalifornia
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Yes...
...will write it this weekend. S.73 fuselage interior done except for gluing in windows, doing that tomorrow, fuselage halves joined & puttied for sanding by Sunday hopefully. Modeler with parts (passenger seats, cargo, navigator/radio operator station equipment, floor texturing etc.) & time would have field day super-detailing fuselage interior, I don't have the former nor want to spend any more time than necessary building the model, don't know if anybody else had BTW.
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