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As the self appointed El Presidente of the Macchi owners club it was only a matter of time before I had to start another one!!! Ok this will be another 205 but this time Hasegawa’s 1/48th Macchi C.205 Veltro 155 Gruppo Limited Edition versions. This model includes markings for two aircraft from 155 Gruppo, either a 352 or 360 Squadriglia aircraft. Both schemes are in the “smoke ring” camouflage so I’ll be using another set of the Mike Grant Smoke ring decals. This build other than the decals will be an OOB one………….yeah right! By some unusual chance (ok I hit the buy now button twice!!! ) I ended up with two BigED sets for the C.202, so I’ll be using some of the bits in this build, as they shared quite a few common bits. I’m replacing the cockpit with an SBS resin one, I got one for the C.202 and after seeing the quality I just had to use one for this build as well. Finally a new instrument panel, for this I’m using this jewel like one from Yahu a new Polish company producing these amazing IP’s! Only by chance I happen to see one of these by accident, once seen I just had to get one. The detail is better than a lot of AM stuff for 1/32nd or even 1/24th!!! So even will this lot of AM stuff it’ll be a nice and simple build, maybe even a quick one. I have made a bit of a start on this, I did little bits and pieces towards the end of the 152 build, but now that’s out of the way I can really start this one as well. So the cockpit was the start, it was given a basic coat of paint and the start of the detailing shown here, this was done a couple of weeks ago. So I managed to get to this stage before I headed back to work last Wednesday., the floor and seat are finished. The sidewalls here are 95% done, I added just a couple of more details, before they were fitted to the fuselage sides. As can be seen the instrument panel just looks so great….and I didn’t have to do really anything, that way less chance to stuff it up. One of the really nice things with it is the handle locations have been micro-drilled out, so the PE handles fit perfectly and don’t fall off like the ones on normal PE IP’s when you knock them!! Here it is fitted already to be closed up. I think I made one boo boo, that is I forgot to take the backing off the IP!! I was wondering why it was so thick and that I had to thin down the resin back plate of the original SBS one. The backing plate of the IP is made of brass like the IP itself and the same thickness, and while writing this I noticed the header card for the IP mentioned that it was “JustStick” opps!! Anyway the fuselage was closed up and now you get to see very little of the cockpit and that amazing IP!! The only issue I had was I fitted the lovely joystick early in the piece and when it came time to close up the cockpit it had disappeared!! Guess I haven’t been feeding the carpet monster it’s noms lately!! The wheel well detail has been fitted to the lower wing and is already to be painted, once that’s done I finish off the wings. I’m sort of tempted to cutout and fit the Eduard flaps….i know after my last experience with PE flaps on the 152…….I finish this too quickly else I’ll have to drag out the 202 as well!

Well it looks like I’m the first cab off the rank for this one, only because I head off to work again today….and I need another distraction from the beast that is the Ta-152!! Ok as usual with GB’s I tend to try and do something a bit different, in this case I’m jumping up from my usual scale of 1/48th to 1/32nd plus it’s a full resin model! So here it is, Craftworks 1/32nd Macchi C.202/205. This was produced by a US firm in the late 90’s (they also produced; P-40C, P-36, La-5, Macchi C.200, A5M4 Claude) and is now quite rare, I’ve only ever seen one available and this was it! These are full multi-media models with resin, PE, white metal parts with lots of other stuffed supplied as well! The fuselage is cast in one piece, the same with the main wing, the casting throughout the whole model is quite nicely done with nothing warped, which is nice. These are the smaller resin bits. These are the bits if I was going to build the earlier C.202 version. Here is the white metal bits, they even supply you with some chain and wire, plus one small square of plastic?? The PE bits, IP dials and some beautiful “dry rub” decals. This is the canopy, no clear resin of vacform stuff here, you have to make your own, resin framing for the front and folded PE for the main part. This will be fun, at least they have pre-cut it for me, there are two sets! 4 sheets of decals!! From what I’ve read these are the best part of the model. There are squadron markings and serial numbers for every C202/205 ever made…..not for the person who has trouble making there mind up! This is the only scheme they supply details for. Now for the scheme I have a cunning plan……..decals! I’m probably going to give these a go, worse case I’ll revert back to the usual blotches. Well I’m looking forward to this one, have been dying to bring out one of my big resin beasts. I originally was planning to build the 1/48th Hasegawa version of this one with full Eduard extras, could be a fall back plan if things go wrong, plus have a pair of 1/48th SM.79’s (one resin one plastic) as a further one. As this is my last big GB for this year, one of the last two may come out if there is time!