Search the Community

Buongiorno, signori! Now I'm posting the fourth (and so far the last) model from my small AMI collection. This time it is probably the most iconic of all the aircraft built in Italy - Piaggio Avanti. No need to write a lot about the design - I believe all aviation fans know quite a lot about the type. Avanti is carrying a lot of 'the best' titles - the quietest, the speediest, the most fuel efficient turboprop executive airplane. The most unique and at the same time very aesthetically balanced design. The first of the only two production aircraft with three lifting surfaces configuration (another one is Su-30/33/34 family). How can anyone not have this in the collection? The base kit comes from Amodel. Of course the company is well known for challenging quality - and I can confirm that many smaller parts required attention to make them thinner, remove defects, etc. However the parts fit was rather good. I think the only really challenging area was fitting engine nacelles to the wings - especially alignment of those to look parallel to each other, taking care of proper sitting on the wing given main wing dihedral and so on. Of course some filler was needed here and there. But again - nothing really overwhelming. The kit provides full interiors for two versions - VIP and 'economy' passenger cabins. I chose economy option as I believe some of the AMI Avantis should be in that configuration. Not sure if AMI has deluxe Avantis but I know for sure some of AMI P.180s are counter electronic measures aircraft with various relevant equipment and couple operator working places inside. Not much interior seen on photoes but with cellphone torch on I can enjoy the neat look of the chair rows Some updates included minor improvements in the pilots cockpit such as seat belts and handles inside. Also I added a wall blanking the air intakes (honestly this area could be improved much much more as air intakes are fairly complex on a real thing). Exterior elements such as antennae, pitot tubes etc require references to the particular aircraft that you're building. Not everything from the kit should be put on. Not everything that should be on a real thing is in the kit. Lamps and navigation lights from the kit are completely useless. I scratch built navigation lights from the transparent plastic sprue and minor lamps made by just drops of Kristal Klear. On contrary canopy window fits quite fine but of course polishing is badly needed. Kit provides decals for a black and silver Spanish civil operated aircraft and for a fully boring grey Italian Marina Militare machine. I did not like either option but Caracal Decals did superb job issuing a set of decals providing for AMI, Guardia Costiera and Esercito machines and two civil operated ones with French and Polish registrations. Polish one is a medical transport so probably would require a cabin with medical beds and life-support equipment. Of all the options I thought that Aeronautica is the most elegant (Guardia Costiera is the most colourful though) so I went forward all white Avanti with a thin blue strip. Decals applied quite well. Unfortunately the insignia were out of register so I found the same size roundels in the leftovers from my Revell Eurofighter. Okay. Now As I posted all the four AMI aircraft of my collection - I need to share couple group photoes. First the pair of non-combat planes together: And then full quartet - for size comparisons as well! And links for RFI threads of the three others - just in case: https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235130494-f-104g-il-spillone-dellaeronautica-militare-172-hasegawa/ https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235130495-fiat-g91r-the-greatest-success-of-italian-air-industry-172-meng/ https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235130530-siai-marchetti-sf260am-classic-trainer-bird-by-stelio-frati-172-special-hobby/ Thanks for watching! Dennis

Just finished - after it was put aside for a while - the Amodel kit of the elegant Italian Piaggio P-180 'Avanti'..... Two marking options are given in this release - a Spanish-registered charter turboprop EC-LPJ - or an Italian Marina version.... I replaced the ill-fitting clear cabin windows with black decals - printed onto clear decal sheet using my inkjet printer. Because of the decal windows, I left out the fully-detailed cabin interior (which can't be seen cleary even if the clear windows are used). The Avanti is typically Italian - like a flying Ferrari - although I have heard some people say it is ugly??? I think it's gorgeous. Ken PS - Some more photos - plus sprue and build shots.... here.

Cunarmodel from Italy is to release a 1/48th Piaggio P.180 Avanti resin kit - ref. CM4802 Source: http://www.italiankits.it/cunarmodel.html V.P.