Ferrari F92A F1 car

[Obi-Jiff Kenobi]

Ferrari F92A 1992 Late Deluxe Version

1:20 scale Fujimi kit No. GP SP 15

In association with

Ferrari – the most famous name in motor racing, especially in Formula 1. The 1992 F1 season was not a high point for them, however; with no wins, and only a pair of podium finishes, the team struggled to fourth in the Constructors’ World Championship, a massive 70 points behind third-placed Benetton. Ferrari had started the season with high hopes and a bold new concept for the car, having a ‘twin floor’ arrangement, with full length air channels running inboard of the radiator sidepods, above the floor but below the body. This was intended to improve airflow to the rear of the car, improving grip, but in the face of better-designed conventional cars (and the active-suspension Williams), the on-track performance never matched the wind tunnel figures. The car was also beset by engine problems in the early part of the season, but these were mostly overcome, and together with improvements to the front wing and suspension, the car turned into a reasonable, though not front-running, car.

Lead driver Jean Alesi (who stepped into the role following the acrimonious departure of Alain Prost the previous year) certainly gave his all, managing a third-place finish in the wet Spanish Grand Prix, and another at Montreal (where the circuit is named after his hero, the legendary Ferrari driver Gilles Villeneuve), yet this only netted him seventh in the Drivers’ Championship. The car finished the F1 career of team-mate Ivan Capelli, though, who scored a scant three points and was replaced by test driver Nicola Larini before the end of the year.

The kit

This model from Fujimi is actually a re-release of a kit originally tooled and marketed by Japanese racing car specialists Modeler’s, and long unavailable. Indeed, until Fujimi picked it for re-issue, it could command quite a high price on the collector’s market.

The kit provides two sprues of white plastic for the bodywork, two of black plastic for the mechanical items, floor and suspension, plus a separate single-piece slide-moulded rear wing; there are also four tyres, moulded in synthetic rubber, and some small screws, nuts and bolts for assembly. This Deluxe version of the kit includes a sheet of photo-etched metal parts and Cartograf decals, both of which are available separately if you already have the basic Fujimi or Modeler’s boxings.

There are minor traces of flash, mainly on the white parts, but nothing to show the age of the kit (tooling date is given as 1993). The 72 plastic parts show a good level of detail, perhaps higher than contemporary kits by Tamiya, and are broken down sensibly to aid painting. For instance, the seat/instrument panel assembly is designed to be inserted into the monocoque after assembly, so the latter can be glued, filled (if necessary), painted and decaled without worrying about damaging the seatbelts or steering wheel. The main body parts are also attached to the floor with 3 screws, so again these can be joined after paint and decals. The wheels are also attached with metal nuts, to bolts which are trapped through the brakes, and a box spanner is thoughtfully provided on one screw for this purpose.

The Extras

This Deluxe kit, as stated above, includes a very nice decal sheet by Cartograf, with options for Alesi, Capelli and Larini; it also includes scrutineering stickers, seatbelts, and even tyre data labels. No cigarette markings are included, but these are available from several aftermarket companies if you must have them. There is, however, a separate sheet of self-adhesive Goodyear logos for the tyres.

Also included is a photo-etched metal sheet, with additional details including seatbelt hardware (much more realistic than the decals), brake faces and vent holes (to be wrapped around the edges of the discs), radiator matrices, body fasteners (though these look to be slightly overscale), and Goodyear stencils for the tyres, which again would be more realistic than the decal option.

Conclusion

This is a great choice for re-issue by Fujimi, as 1992 was a vintage year for 1:20 F1 models; there are plastic kits available for six teams (seven if you convert the 1991 Tyrrell), and yet more in resin if you have the cash. The inclusion of the grade-up decals and etch lift this above the norm, and make for a very complete package, well worth it for all F1 and/or Ferrari fans, despite the team’s comparatively poor season. Thoroughly recommended.

Incidentally, if you fancy an F1 model with a difference, this kit even includes the unique steering wheel used by Alessandro Nannini when he drove in a special test for Ferrari at the end of 1992, barely two years after his right arm was severed in a helicopter accident. Although the arm was re-attached, it spelled the end for his F1 career, and he was never able to take up the Ferrari seat for 1991 that he’d signed a contract for. The Ferrari test was a poignant postscript to a career that looked to be really about to go places.

Review sample courtesy of