Hi All!,

Well here are my two enteries for this GB. After looking around at the various sources of info on the internet and realizing just how wide and diverse an assemblage of airframes were used and marked I will be building 'just a few more', but only in 1/72. If (and a big if) these two are finished then there will be others

Right, number 1 will be the Italieri Cant Z. 501 Gabbiano in 1/72. It comes with three sets of markings, one of which is SCW!

General over view


Box top close-up


Sprue 1, fuselage and bits


Spuce 2, wings and more bits


Its an older Italieri model with raised panel lines and next to no detail inside, which with open ports to the fron, rear and ontop plus a large canopy will require just a little bit of firkling.

Number 2 is the Azure Neuiort NiD-52 courtesy of a box of goodies from our own Blimp . This has three sets of SCW markings and I am still yet undecided which to do! must decide soon Blimp also supplied the earlier French NiD 522/622 (?) which I'm looking to convert into a NiD-52 which will make decal selection easier.

General overview


Box top


This is a rather nice limited product from Azure, engraved panel lines, a little resin and etch and it fits! (unlike some other Azure kits...)! Incidently this model has more parts to the cockpit than the Gabbiano!!

So there we go

Tally-ho!

Christian the Married

Hubba Hubba!

nice choice Christian!
not seen that Gabby before- i take it the kit is out of production

that Neuiport also looks very sweet

looking forward to these- there are some great types being built in this GB

You may already have seen this already Christian - but for those of us unfamiliar with the type:

BUILT KIT LINK

although wearing Italian markings as per the boxart- interesting to note the sunburst alla the He70

REVIEW LINK

Hi Walrus,

Cheers for the kind words!

The Gabbiano is the latest repop done in either 2007 or 2008. It has been in and out of Italieri's catalouge since the mid '70's and can be found with a bit of digging. It is a typical Italieri model of that time; minimal detail but with an overall accurate outline. As mentioned the interior is a little 'sparse' and will need some attention (I have some plans...).
The Neuiport is sweet and I have just found a very tempting alternative scheme for the facist side... oh dear!
You are quite rigt, there are some great types being built and the potential for even more. The website that has listings of planes that were used/may have been used/ not used has soooooo many mouth-watering types!

Christian the Married

The Cant was going to be my 2nd build for this (as if I ever get around to finishing a 2nd one...) so I'll certainly be seeing how it goes together and taking notes!

The Nieport looks to be a fun little build as well. A tricky camo job judging by the box art.

Hi Stebos,

The Cant is going to be lots of fun! It's just a shame that the colour schemes available for the SCW are a bit on the tame side, still that might just be an advantage (more later). Go on build it! NUmber two, three or ... it is just such a strange looking aircraft.
I strongly recommend the seawings web site for reference as, I am shure you are aware, the internal detail is notable by its near absence.

The Nieport looks realy sweet in the box and as I keep finding different schemes there might just have to be several of these! (though not in the time scale of this GB!).

Christian the Married

Hi All,

Started the Cant just after 00:00 this morning! Sorry but the batteries were dead in my camera so no piccs!

Cut the main parts off the sprue and test-fitted, no major problems there, so far...

One area that will need some attention will be the inside as although the cockpit is enclosed and just a bit on the thick side (6-8 inches scaled up) there are open positions at the nose, behind the wing and engine. Internal detail as supplied consists of two seats, two joysticks, two part floor, an anchor (seaplane remember!) and three magazine/gun ring combos.
So I will be adding to this and might just try to build the radio set that goes behind the rear gunners position as shown in the seawings.co.uk web site.

In addition air intakes will need to be drilled out of the port wing root, the radiator surface on the port leading edge replaced, a generator built for the starbord wing, etc...

This is going to be soooooo much fun!

Christian the Married

I was very tempted to sit up until midnight last night myself to make a start on my builds, but was too tired, so I'm sitting at work itching to get home and get going instead. I like the two planes you have chosen Christian. The decals for the Cant look very similar to the ones I have for the BR.20. Looking forward to seeing your progress reports mate.

Cheers
Al.

Cheers Al!

Right, proffed some batteries and the camera was happy!
Up till around 02:00 AM as I was in the groove and to make up time as I'll be going on hols at the weekend!

Here we have the start of adding some detail to the inside. Port half has been started and starboard as supplied. The first thing done was to carve off the location lugs for the gun turret inserts as supplied with the model.



Once hacked, sanded and smoothed the cockpit floor was offered up and marked so that the added internal detail will not foul the floor.

As can be seen a lot of microstrip is going to be used even though I am only adding detail to where it can be seen!

Next up are the cockpit instrument panels, yes panels, not the singular as Italieri would have you believe and there are more in other locations (more later)!



The upper two panels are the port and starboard panels for the two pilots. The grey piece below is the kit supplied panel which as can be seen is nearer 1/48 scale than 1/72!

The panels were made by using a card template to confirm the fuselage curvature and then cut to shape using the reference pictures from seawings.co.uk, sanded smooth and then detailed with punched out discs and micro strip.

As Italieri would have you believe there is a large empty space behind the pilots seats. Well, wrong! There are two fuel tanks.



Using reference pictures a ovoid template was cut and trimmed to shape and used to cut out 4 other examples. These were then braced using scrap and a skin of thin plastic card cemented over the top and sanded smooth.

One of the quirky features of this airframe is what I believe to be the engineers position behind the engine nacel on the wing.

As this is open and bare as supplied some detail needs to be added.



Again the starboard side (left as you look) is as supplied, with the locating lug for the gun turret. The port side (right as you look) has a new wall, to hide the open wing root, and structure added in the same way as done in the fuselage. This position also has two instrument panels that will need fabrication.

Please don't think I am knocking Italieri re this model. As far as I can tell the outline is fine and the engineering simple with no hiden vices to catch you (YET!). Its a nice canvas that you can do what you want to!

Christian the married

'Mornin' all!

First up a shot of the work bench last night.



Last nights action included building three seats for the nose, rear and engine positions.



The one on the left is slightly smaller as it goes in the engine position. The other two, one assembled, one not are awaiting seat belts.

Then it was down to adding detail to the rear position.



Not sure what these boxes are, but there are a pair of them just forward of the rear turret on the floor.

Next, the radio equipment that goes directly to the rear of the position.



They are in roughly the right position but will be much closer together. The fiddly bit off to the left is a morse code key.
The radios were built from strip and had details added from punched discs and more strip.

That will be all for now as we are off on holiday tonight!


Christian the Married

Hi all,

Back again!
Due to my impending move to Portugal in the next few weeks and submission of my thesis I have been otherwise occupied and have had little time to devote to this GB and have just done little bits here and there when time permits. So here is what has been going on.

The fuselage halves have now both been modified (cutting out the large molding lugs to hold the gun rings in place) and detailed using plastic strip to represent the stringers and longerons, sheet for the bulkhead, stretched sprue for wires, fuse wire for the speaking tubes, etc.



An oblique view to show more of the added detail.



Some of the internal details



Clockwise from the top.
2 X kit supplied seats with ejector pin marks filled, side bars and seat belts added.
The 5 boxes (row of 2 and below 3) are the radios to fit behind the rear gunners position.
The next row of 2 /1 oblong, the other square-ish) are the oil(?) tank and a 'something' that can be found in the engine nacele compartment.
Then there are two scratch-built seats for the nose and rear fuselage positions.
The small white 'blob' above the scalpel is a documents/map holder for the nose position.
Two fuel tanks for the fuselage.
The long rectange is the floor plate that goes aft from the rear of the cockpit to the rear gunners position.
Next is the kit supplied cockpit floor with extra details added. 2 supports for the fuel tanks and rudder pedals built to replace the molded items of the kit. Edging around the walkway and a pinnion for the nose seat and above and to the left the main and secondary instrument panels.

Lastly the engine nacele.



Again the moulded lugs have been removed and the detail built up from plastic strip, card, rod and stretched sprue. The two thin rectangles are the instrument panels that fit either side of the nacele.

There are a few details to finish off (engine nacele seat, back-rest and a bit more wiring), (forward fuselage, anchor supports and tie-down, sight, wiring) and then its off to paint.
The kit instructions indicate an overall light green colour but looking at the images on seawings.com I will be painting the floor and lower area black (aka very dark grey) and above that a light green shade and other details as required.

Thanks for having a look!

Christian the Married