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Never heard of an R4Q-2? Well I bet you have, just not using the US Navy/Marines nomenclature that was in use before McNamara standardised the designations for US aircraft across all of the services, the far more well known designation for the type as used by the USAF is C-119. Although far and away the majority of the Fairchild Flying Boxcars were operated by the USAF and several foreign air forces a good number were also used by the USMC and to a lesser extent the US Navy. One of the best features of the aircraft as used by the USMC and US Navy is the large areas of dayglo on the nose, wings and tail booms, lovely opportunity for some weathering!! Here's a look at how she will hopefully turn out; Oh yeah! The kit I will be using is the venerable Italeri offering from the 1970's or 80's which is still the best kit of this great aircraft in 1/72, not hard as the only other offering I'm aware of is an ancient and very basic kit by Aurora. Here's the ubiquitous box art picture; And the contents; I got this kit second hand years ago and the only work done to it is the two main parts of the cockpit being joined together so its well within the 25% rule, one thing I didn't notice that is missing is at least part of the decal sheet as I have what looks like a full sheet but there are US national markings missing along with some of the others for a French aircraft at least, this is a bit of a pain as I will need the national markings for my build so I will have to see if theres something suitable in the decal stash. The sharp eyed among may have noticed that the nose of the R4Q-2 does not look like the nose of the C-119 on the box art that many of you are used to seeing, that is because it has a weather radar fitted in an extended "thimble". Fortunately Leading Edge came to the rescue here a few years ago with a decal sheet for RCAF C-119's which includes a resin radar nose so I nabbed one of these when they were available. If the nose sections don't fit I have a very colourful fall back option in the form of an RCAF one before the radar was fitted, the next picture shows the sheet and a Wolfpack one for R4D's which will donate the USMC markings I need for this one, if I get on OK one of the R4D's might also make the GB; So there you have it, my contribution to this Gb that I am very much looking forward to getting started on and co-hosting with James @81-er. As usual all comments and criticisms are gratefully received. Craig.

Hi there As I am on a bit of a roll painting yellow and black I thought this model might fit into this GB. Here is the box, sprue and decal shots. During its life 134 went though a number of tiger stripe changes, later in life they were consigned to the nose only. BTW I am open to suggestions how to get the black tiger stripes right. On to the pictures. Regards Toby

I'd like to enter with this please; Picked this kit up a couple of years ago and been looking for an opportunity to build it. I've been wanting to add a B-66 to my USAFE collection, and both options in this boxing are for UK based aircraft. B-66 Destroyers (mostly their RB and EB variants) weren't actually in the UK for very long, arriving in the late 50s and departing by the mid-60s, but its an impressive looking plane, and saw a lot of use in those few years. Not a huge amount of parts, but some nice detail and it's a fair size! Not too many stages in the instructions. I'll be going for the 42nd Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron option, as based at RAF Chelveston in Northamptonshire. Nice, colourful decals, though not as comprehensive as the ones in the 2016 reboxing; Bought this book prior to getting the kit. It's got lots of really useful photos of the whole aircraft, although most are black and white. And also got this really useful info that @PeterB sent me whilst he was building his B-66; Roll on 9th August, although I'm on holiday from 11th to the 15th so will probably start after then.

Hi there I just completed this model over on the post War Twins GB, here is the build thread : Just in case anyone skips the narrative, yes, the stripes are supposed to have very fuzzy edges to them. Here are a couple of pictures : Regards Toby

After the reported successful Macchi MC.202 "Folgore, Italeri is to release in 2025 a 1/32nd Macchi C.200 Saetta kit - ref. 2516 Source: https://www.italeri.com/uploads/news/0hFsarN8VqpofmHNCQiD0phaHkvlSZQY30JTdrFK.pdf V.P.

Bought this Tornado at a charity event. Thought I will build it out of the box, no pressure to detail, no PE, no fuss. Since my order for the pilots and decal are on the way from UK, I might as well start the build. The details of this old kit contrasted so much to newer ones like the Eduard desert babe in my stash. Building this kit brought back memories of those long long time ago days when I was still much younger. Simple cockpit assembly.

First Italeri's aircraft announcement for 2025. A reissue with new decals expected in late December 2024. - 1/72nd - ref. 1476 - Sikorsky HO4S-3 /HAS.7/H-19 Chickasaw Source: https://www.martola.com.pl/en1878/produkty118587/sikorsky_ho4s_3__has_7_h_19 V.P.

This purchase started out as a way to use the spare tyres from my MX5 project and escalated into being part of a set (maybe a diorama... ) along with the Aoshima Brian James Trailers A4 Transporter and the mystery side project that won't be getting a WiP. I've split this and the trailer into separate threads because, from conversations I've had on here and reading @Anteater's WiP, there are going to be some 'challenges'. The tyres I modelled for the MX5 are about 32" and so I'm going to need a 2" lift kit to get clearance on the Rangey. As the OOB chassis seems to be the cause of most of the problems, I'm going to model a new one that hopefully fixes the issues and has separate suspension components, so I can offer it as a 'fix kit' with standard or lifted ride height. So I've started this kit by doing the absolutely most important thing... WHEELS! The OOB ones are pretty rudimentary and probably 15in (might be 16in, I can't remember), which won't cut it as the MX5 tyres are for 17in wheels. I was thinking of what would be a sensible aftermarket wheel for an early 70s 4x4 and decided the only way to go is steel 8 spokes. So I knocked one up. Because the original Rangey wheel has a very pronounced centre, I did a bit of research into series 1 hubs. From what I can see, they're the same as Land Rover ones, which makes sense. The 8 spokes are flat at the fastening point, so I modelled front and rear hub 'protrusions' that can be added as appropriate. I also did separate tyre valves, 'cos they're really hard to paint. I left the wheel nuts as part of the main wheel because it makes for a stronger component overall. I had a bit of a revelation when I painted the wheels, because I used a black base instead of white, which is what I generally throw under silver to make it 'brighter'. This is ProScale Paints Z-Tune Silver (I think) and using the black really helps with definition in the finished wheel by making the shadows darker. Makes sense, really. Don't know why it hadn't occurred to me before. Here's a final photo of the new wheels and tyres against one of the OOB items. I will paint the wheel nuts and there will hopefully be all kinds of weathering going on by the end of this build. Thanks for looking! I'd probably give it a couple of months before coming back... although I might put the interior together... I need to do that so I can model the new chassis. It's not going to be a quick one, though. Cheers! Martin

Introduction This thread was started intending to unite those interested in building the Fiat 806 based on thorough research and photogrammetry. See also the great Fiat 806 Gangshow build album. In the current thread there will be (at least I hope people will post) extensive research on the original car, photographs, drawings, literature and archives. Beside that the thread will feature scratchbuilding progress based on the findings. Perhaps in the future there could be exchanges of resin molded scratch parts, just like Vontrips kindly did with the tyres (for example: body panels / grille?) Index To start off I have gone through all of the Gangshow topic and I indexed all knowhow (see end of this post). Best way to use it: click a link, go back and click the next link etc. Or open the links in a separate browser tab. Each link represents one post only, so it's better to only read that post, come back to the index and click the next link. The index was created having in mind those who are about to work on a certain subject, such as the steering wheel. For the index, see end of this opening post. Visual reference material First a legal disclaimer. All images are used for educational and referential purposes. Copyrights lie with the copyright holders. Centro Storico Fiat is probably the original copyright holder of many of these images. Centro Storico's website can be accessed here and here. It has a Facebook page here. Be sure to have a look at their great collection of photos of classic Fiat and Lancia cars. Centro Storico also has frequent Twitter updates featuring photographs, see here. Drawing 6 was found here. All copyrights of the photos / screenshots 10-19 lie with Cinecitta Luce. My presentation of the low-definition photos on this forum is just for reference and educational purposes, for the purpose of a hobby. I do not have a corporate license for the use of these images. If at any point in time Cinecitta Luce wishes these pictures removed I will remove them upon first request. The pictures are not to be reproduced on another website or another written work. Please, all, respect Cinecitta Luce's copyrights. Their website is to be found here. All rights to Photo 9 lie with Fotogeca Gilardi, see here. There you can inquire about the cost to purchase a license of a full-scale version of Photo 9. Important: some pictures, such as Photo 1, Photo 2, Drawing 2, Drawing 3 and Drawing 6, are larger than shown here. To enlarge, right-click on the picture and choose 'open new tab', then click on the picture on the new tab. Update 31 July 2018: there are now so many pictures in this post that it's very difficult to navigate. To restore overview I left out several images that are less important. 28 out of 67 images remain. All images are still available for download here. Photo 1AAA Photo 2 Photo 3 Photo 28A Photo 4B Photo 6B Photo 7F Photo 8B Photo 9 Photo 10 Photo 12 Photo 17 Photo 21 Photo 23B Photo 24 Photo 25 Documentary These are the contents of the documentary (references in this overview), insofar most relevant for the Fiat 806. A full transcription, with correct chronology, is to be found here. 01:01 - Fiat 806 (#15), front view, being cleaned. Grille shape, car width, front wheel camber, steer linkage, tyre width, manual crank opening position, suspension position, metal wind shield are shown. No number '15' visible on radiator or bonnets. No dent (compare photo 9) visible. There is symmetry in bonnet bulges. 03:14 - Fiat 806 (#15) is pushed toward the start line, for the start of heat 2. All numbers '15' have been applied. There is no dent in the radiator housing. Moments after this video was filmed, Photos 4 and 10 were taken. 03:22 - Fiat 806 (#15) is seen from the left, close-up. The 'rear wheel louvres', exhaust pipe-to-body connector, steering wheel, seat (with rain cover?), gas cap, left hand body lining, glass window, mechanical windshield and rear number '15' are seen up close. 05:12 - Close-up of the Fiat 806 (#15). The left bonnet and part of the '5' is seen. There is a rain cover over the glass window. 05:15 - Low side view of the Fiat 806 (#15). This is the lowest view we have of this car to date, which makes it very valuable to assess the height of the wheels in comparison to that of the body. This is final proof that the body was indeed significantly lower than Drawing 1 and the kit would imply. Left to the Fiat, there is the Bugatti 35C (#24) driven by Aymo Maggi. Only one umbrella is up so there can't be too much rain at this point. 05:22 - The start of the final heat. The Fiat 806 is gloriously captured spurting away. Two days ago someone said in this thread 'what I'd give to have seen this care race'... probably this is as close as we're going to get at that. It is great to be able to witness this wonderful day in September 1927. For our research this scene is relevant mainly because Bordino steers his car a bit, so that it is seen from different views - in ONE camera shot. That is very fortunate. 05:41 - At Curva Sud, the Fiat 806 is seen in first position. 07:07 - Fiat 806 is seen up-close, from the right side this time. The glass screen is now very well seen. Also the tyre pattern, for example. The metallic windscreen is seen as well. Drawing 1A Drawing 2F.1 Drawing 2F.2 Drawing 3 Drawing 5 Drawing 6 Engine Drawing 1 Engine Drawing 2 Engine Drawing 3 Engine Drawing 4 Engine Drawing 5 Engine Drawing 6 The hereunder index is updated up to & including: November 10 2016 BODY AND GRILLE - Hood hinges, see also here and here and here and here and here - Replacing the louvres, see also here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here - Grille color, see also here - Body color, see also here CAR GENERAL SHAPE RESEARCH, INCLUDING PHOTOGRAMMETRY - General body shape photogrammetry, see also here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here - Comparing two photos, see also here - Body should be lower (and other changes), see also here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here - Grille changes, see also here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here - Cutaway drawing accuracy, see also here and here[ and here CHASSIS, FRAME AND SUSPENSION - Amending springs, see also here and here and here - Turning dampers, see also here and here GENERAL KNOWLEDGE ON CAR AND TECHNIQUES - Colors, steering wheel, windscreen - Engine, radiator, grille - Color of rails, see also here - Photos of pre-war race cars details, see also here - Article about vintage car paint, wired wheels et cetera - 3D-printing, see also here and here - Upcoming 1:1 Fiat 806 replica? ENGINE - General engine corrections, steering idler arm correction, see also here and here and here - New filler cap - Engine sump, see also here - Casting engine covers, see also here and here - Spark plugs, see also here and here and here and here - Plug leads and wiring, see also here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here - Fill certain gaps?, see also here and here and here and here - Correcting cylinder head ends - Correcting PVC tubes, see also here - Collector tubes?, see also here and here and here and here and here - Correct stand 121D - Valve springs EXHAUST - Exhaust issues - Color of exhaust INTERIOR, EXCEPT STEERING WHEEL - Gear shift - Instrument panel: turning gauge bezels, see also here and here and here STEERING WHEEL - Steering wheel boss replacement, 12 or 16 holes in wheel, see also here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here - New spokes - Transparent part, see also here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here - General steering wheel amendments, see also here Ignition timing lever and brodie knob, see also here and here and here and here and here and here - Steering column, see also here WHEELS AND DRUM BRAKES - Spoke count, see also here and here and here - Respoking and nipples, see also here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here and here - Spoke color - Drum size photogrammetry - Comparison Protar and Italeri wheels - Color of drum brakes and wheels - Creating a mold - Newly cast tyre, see also here and here - Replacement drums, see also here and here and here and here and here - Adding cooling vents to drums and here

The TKS is almost finished, so it's time to start the next project. I've decided to work on the gun truck I got a few months ago. For more detail I got the resin/PE detailing kit made by Legend Productions: Sprues: Detailing kit: See you soon.

I built this one to be part of a set of Totip sponsored rally cars. Whilst doing some online research for a future build I came across the fact that the Fiat empire replaced the Stratos with the 131 as their rally car before returning to Lancia with the 037. I had some misgivings over using the Italeri kit as the starting point as it is almost as old as me. My experiences can be found at the WIP I did on it but in short I am not planning another one anytime soon This vehicle represents the car driven by Andrea Zanussi / Arnaldo Bernacchini which retired at the 1982 Rallye dell’Isola d’Elba. Interestingly this rally featured the Stratos, the 131 and the 037. The kit is the Italeri Olio Fiat version and the decals are from Rejimodel. The 3 rally cars in order fielded by the Fiat empire

I am a big fan of the Lancia 037 rally, there, I have said it. Whilst doing some research into the 037 I read that the Lancia Stratos was replaced as a rally car by the Fiat 131, the bigwigs at Fiat decided the Fiat brand would be for rallying and the Lancia brand would go to circuit racers. The change in rules that ushered in group B reintroduced the Lancia brand. I thought it would be interesting to build a 131 if for no other reason than to sit it between a Stratos and an 037 and try and convince myself that they were chronologically in the right order. With an 037, a Delta S4 and a SuperDelta to do in the Totip orange and green it seemed fitting to do the 131 in a Totip scheme, this one coming from Rejimodel and covering number 3 at the 1982 SOL RACE rally and number 4 at the Elba Rallye. The kit I am using is the Italeri OlioFiat version (it was the cheapest) and is based on the ESCI moulding from the late 70s There are certainly not as many parts as can be expected in a modern kit but there is an engine to build. The moulds look to have passed the test of time quite well, the body being blemish free The bonnet is a separate piece although there aren’t any hinges. The engine and suspension. Not sure the springs would do much but it is nice to see the seatbelt ends - the kit provides decals but I will use tape The seats and a rollcage The scheme I am building given the low parts count I am expecting this to be quite a quick build.

All of these CAD renders have been taken periodically over 2022, each vehicle has been modeled from separate parts items like the engines and gear boxes have been designed as single items, chassis frames, suspension, drive shafts, axles, door and other parts are separate parts (80 parts make up one of the vehicles) all designed for 3D printing. The parts and the vehicles were designed according to workshop manuals and individual component drawings, and a lot of help from owners of the real historic vehicle owners. Some are designed as conversions for the Italeri 109" Kits and before anyone asks Yes Mike @bootneck is aware of these and has helped me with the Series 3 Ambulance conversion. The next stage is to start test prints of the parts and once I'm happy with everything I am planning on making the files available for purchase buy others A full 17 CH 4 cylinder petrol engine Mike was happy when I sent him these images. Yes a full 3.5 Rover V8 engine Yes I have modeled the body door handles on the finished doors. The radio and vampire vehicles are void of any internal parts as I could not able to get anything on the equipment and considering it is still in service quite right too. The series 3 Ambulance body will be a conversion to the Italeri base Kit. I will post updates as I proceed with the test printing. Pete

Hello all, Here is my little Vespa, build for the "Lesser Known Manufacturers Classic GB", that is currently running here on BM. Original tooling dates back to the '70s, the kit has been reboxed a few times, mine was a recent Italeri release. Very enjoyable build, straight from the box. Thanks for looking! Comments always welcome .. 😊 Cheers, Patrick

Hello all, Now that the hottest part of the summer is over, time to get back to the bench. With two and a half month remaining in this GB, let's see how far I can get with this one! This is the Italeri reboxing of an original Protar kit. According to Scalemates, the original tooling dates back from somewhere in the 1970's. Protar firstly reboxed this kit in 1985, later repop's were done by Revell and Italeri. I intended to build this kit for the "Italian Job GB" here on BM, a few years ago, but never got any further than taking the above picture - so I guess I am still well below the 25% threshold and within the timing constraints of this Group Build 😊 Cheers, Patrick

This will be entry number 2 for me and as it is already started will be in Inspirational build I am using a Wolfpak decal sheet to do a Desert Storm jet that claimed an Iraqi Mirage F-1 kill by manoeuvring it into the ground. Here is what it looks like at the moment.

I'll add this to my collection of 1/56th scale vehicles: Plastic is by Italeri, who also box the kit. Not sure which version I'll go for. John

The last two years since Oct. 7th were very challenging on all fronts, and I had very little time and energy to sit down at the bench. After the fiasco of the MH-53, my mood and mojo where down, way down. I decided to buy another MH-53 kit, as I just love the Japanese paint scheme of the original Academy kit. Until I find one, I decided to try and raise the mojo and spirit with another 1:72 chopper. I thought about the NH-90 and went out to the storage unit were I hide my stash from the significant other who needs to be obeyed. I do not exactly know what happened there - but I came back with the AW-101 kit. This happened around Nov. 24 - about a year ago. I barely had time to sit and build and no time to write. So here we are - the build is done and I can spend some time documenting. The kit is a standard 1:72 chopper - Italeri 1295 1:72 AW-101 Merlin TTI It has a LOT of small parts and details, some nice features (folding tail) and all in all its a bit bipolar - some of the parts has good engineering and fit and some has horrible engineering and fit. As this was a 'mojo lifter' project - I set out with a 'no AMS' rule and almost managed to abide by it. Internals: Folding tail: This is a nice mechanism - but it did not last through the build and I ended up having to connect the two parts with a tape. For the rotor head - I crafted some blocker that allowed me to install the axis without the head - as I did not want to have to glue the blades while the head is on the kit. As with the Me-262 A-2a/U2 build, I used a marker to mark the inner parts of the canopy frame. The decal for the above panel is a nice touch - although completely invisible when the kit is done. Some of the kit's fit problems show up when closing the fuselage. This kit required a lot of careful dry fitting as well as glueing in careful steps. I also used Eduard CX030. Fit was OK for the most parts, with some problems (kit+mask) on the cockpit side windows. I did not take pictures of all the stages so I'm missing pictures of the side windows and how to mask them, the fiddly rear ramp, the side flare cassettes that should be installed AFTER the decals are placed, some of the wrong markings of decals and more. The paint scheme is .... well - boring. But the idea was to go 'no AMS' I also had issues with the AK light ghost gray. Applying it with the airbrush was a problem. Fortunately the kit plastic is gray so the incomplete cover just contributed to the warn out look of the gray airframe. I was too lazy to mask the leading edge of the rotor blades - and just marked them with black marker. Adding all the small details - antenna, wire cutters, anchor points, mirrors etc' was a real PITA - with some bit needing to wait until paint, clear coat, decals and some even to the final matt coat. The decal sheet is full of small stuff - and some of it wrongly called out in the instruction sheet. The decals for the sponsons should be applied BEFORE (!@#!#!) all the parts that are glued on top of the sponson. I had to cut the decal in two to circumvent that one. Ready for inspection - kind of: One final look - notice how big is the AW-101 compared to the Sea King!: And one final look - you can see the MH53 corpse on the bottom shelf. All in all - its was a fun build and it sure feels gooood to finish up a model and put it on the shelf. I managed to go 'no-AMS' almost all of the way, go easy on all the wiffle-ups and just focus on enjoying the build progressing. Tried for the first time using a marker for painting (both main and rear blades) and also tried the DSPIAE Self Adhesive Sponge Sanding Disc - a very useful tool. Mojo restored to some extent so I started to work again on the Me-262 A-2a/U2 build and the He-280 build as well. I will updated those build reports soon (promise). I also started to think about the next build - which will be my 50th. That's it. Comments, feedback and advice are welcomed as always. Ran P.S. - switched from Imgur to ImageShack for all the UK team mates.

This build is of the Short Stirling MG-V W7445 based at RAF Oakington, that on Sunday 15th November 1941 eventually came to rest after just missing my Grandfather’s farm house at Westwick Farm, Westwick, with the wing then clipping another house close by leading to the Stirling crashing into the Orchard field on the opposite side of the road to the farm house. The two aircrew that my Grandfather rescued were Sgt A.J. Ansell R.A.F. and Sgt W.D. Topping and my Grandfather was awarded the British Empire Medal (Civil) for his heroic actions. My plan is to then create a Diorama with the Stirling backed by a LNER D16 locomotive and carriage that is captured in the photograph on the railway line between RAF Oakington and my Grandfathers farm. I'm 100% sure that W7445 was the first Stirling to be fitted with the Fraser Nash NN7A dorsal turret making it a Mk1 Series III. This isn't going to be Ia quick build😄👌 https://postimg.cc/CdpNHPSNI https://postimg.cc/T5QdSLZc https://postimg.cc/N2QGp7PM https://postimg.cc/YGKCmw6QII https://postimg.cc/nXmGv4XL https://postimg.cc/dD0RWPhp https://postimg.cc/kDD8QQZd

Italeri is to release a new tool 1/32nd MRCA Tornado GR.4 kit in 2018-2020 - ref. 2513 Source: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235015790-news-italeri-2017/ V.P.

FIAT CR.42 Falco (2842) 1:48 Italeri via The Hobby Company Like many interwar designs, the FIAT CR.42 Falco was a development of an earlier airframe, the CR.32, with a more powerful FIAT radial engine that ran a supercharger to give it extra power. It was a biplane, although more correctly referred to as a sesquiplane, as the lower wings were significantly smaller in area than the uppers that were suspended above the fuselage, having exceptional manoeuvrability, a characteristic that British intelligence thought important enough to comment upon. It wasn’t massively fast however, and could easily be bested by an experienced enemy flying a more powerful aircraft, but it was also tough, so could take plenty of punishment before it would spiral into the ground. By the time Italy entered WWII after seeing Germany’s rapid and decisive successes, only three hundred had been delivered, seeing action in all theatres that Italian aircraft were employed, including in small numbers in the Battle of Britain, although you won’t see that in the famous film of the same name, because their participation was minimal and low-key compared the scale of the overall engagement. Although primarily a fighter, there were night-fighter and ground-attack variants, as well as a two-seat trainer to ease the novice Falco pilots’ transition to the type, the latter also used as communications aircraft. The type’s first engagements with an inferior force of disorganised opponents gave experts and pilots a false impression of its effectiveness, an notion that was soon dispelled once it went up against more capable foes. Despite being amongst the last biplane fighters, the authorities felt that there was sufficient scope left to improve the type, adding a Bis and Ter variant with two .50cal machine guns, the latter having an additional pair of guns mounted in gondolas under the lower wings, giving it more of a punch than the original. Early in the type’s development, there had been substantial interest from a few foreign purchasers, resulting in sales to Finland, Belgium, Spain and Hungary, while the German Luftwaffe took a sizeable number of aircraft on charge after the Italian armistice in 1943, designating them as CR.42LW, and using them as night intruders, or partisan hunters, equipped with two .50cal guns, two 50kg bombs, and flame dampers to reduce their visibility during the hours of darkness. They continued in service until the end of WWII. The Kit This is a reboxing of a 2006 tooling by Italeri that has been seen in various boxes and with new parts over the years, this edition adding new high quality Cartograf decals to enhance its appeal. The kit arrives in a shallow top-opening box, and inside are two sprues and a single part on a small sprue in dark grey styrene, a tiny clear sprue, decal sheet, and the instruction booklet, printed in spot colour on satin paper, with colour profiles for the decal options on the rearmost pages. Detail is good, extending to scalloped surfaces where there is fabric over ribbed construction, and a full cockpit tub inside the fuselage. Construction begins with the afore mentioned cockpit tub, starting with the front bulkhead, to which the rudder bar is fitted, and either a pair of dial decals, or two raised triangular instrument panels are affixed, although there is nothing to stop you from applying the decals over the raised dials, if you apply plenty of decal solution to help them settle down. The cockpit floor has the seat pan moulded-in, adding a curved seat back with decal belts, and the control column to the forward end, bracketing the floor with a pair of detailed side walls, mounting the front bulkhead in a slot, and placing a top frame around the sills, painting the parts according to the instructions pointed out along the way. The completed cockpit is installed in the starboard fuselage half, adding head armour with a cushion to the rear of the cut-out, and trapping the tail wheel between the fuselage halves as they are brought together. An insert with two gun barrels added is applied in front of the cockpit, then the seams can be dealt with using your preferred method. The smaller lower wings are first to be built from upper and lower halves, drilling out two holes in the undersides for some decal options before closing them up, and plugging their tabs into corresponding slots in the wing root fairings moulded into the fuselage sides. The upper wing is full-span, and is also made from upper and lower halves, as it is mounted to the aircraft only by a lattice of cabane and interplane struts that are fitted along with a pitot probe, bringing the upper wing down over the model. There is no rigging diagram included with the model, as the aircraft required minimal bracing, as can be seen on the box art, consisting of a few cross-braces between pairs of struts, and extending to the final length of aileron controls. Both banks of pistons are depicted of the Fiat A.74 R.C.38 14-cylinder radial engine, with an intake spider at the rear, and push-rods to the front, which are moulded into a separate reduction gear bell-housing, which has a stepped pin slipped inside to install the propeller later. The exhaust collector ring is a single part that should be cut into two parts as per the accompanying diagram, installing the cooling gills to the rear of the engine first, then slotting the exhausts in from the rear. The engine is then mated with the fuselage, and two semi-cylindrical cowlings are added over the piston banks, with a single ring forming the lip to the front. Alternatively, you can cut the cylindrical cowling parts in half to show the four panels as they would be after removal for maintenance. Flipping the model over, there is a choice of two different fairings under the belly that depends on which decal option you have chosen, adding the two-part elevators to the slots on either side of the tail fin. Two small exhaust outlets are fitted into the trailing edges of the wing root fairings, then for the Luftwaffe decal option a pair of long exhaust extension pipes with hedgehog tips are attached under the belly for the night fighter variant. There are two styles of main gear legs in this boxing, one wearing spats over the wheels, which trap the two-part wheels in place, and are fitted to the underside with a bracing strut between them. The un-spatted wheels have a split yoke that traps the same wheels in position, and uses the same bracing strut to support them. Which gear you use depending on your decal choice, with common aileron actuators under the upper wings, with some options having pylons for bombs fitted, along with a choice of two styles of prop with three blades, and a choice of one or two-part spinners. Three-part bombs with circular fin rings are slung under the pylons for three decal options, then the upper wing aileron actuators are fitted to the topsides, with another pair either side of the rudder panel. A three-pane windscreen and venturi ‘horn’ are fitted to the cockpit to complete the build. Markings There are four decal choices on the sheet provided, with a variety of schemes, and either Italian or German operators’ markings. From the box you can build one of the following: 15° Stormo Assalto, Regia Aeronautica, Barce, North Africa, October 1942 MM 6882, Scuola Caccia D’Assalto, Regia Aeronautica, Ravenna, Italy, April 1942 Scuola Caccia di Foligno, Regia Aeronautica, Foligno, Italy, 1942 E8+JK, 2./Nacht Schlacht Gruppe 9, Luftwaffe, Torino-Aeritalia, Italy, 25th April 1944 Decals are by Cartograf, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. If you’re looking for some inspiration, look no further than our walk around of the type, which you can find here: Conclusion There aren’t a great many kits of the Falco in this scale, so it’s a welcome re-release after five years away, with a good choice of decal options, the Luftwaffe option giving the modeller plenty of mottling experience under and over the wings and along the fuselage lowers. Highly recommended. Available from all good model shops now. Review sample courtesy of via importers

Although I have the Airfix 1/48th Gloucester Meteor F.8, as a contender for this Group Build, I'll contribute with something smaller to see how I get along. Before I start, there are a couple of points to consider here ..... things with wings are not my comfortable seat, and those I do build are usually 1/48th, so working in the smaller scale might be slightly challenging (and even more so as my current project is a 1/16th AFV!) So, without further delay let me introduce you to my participant unwitting victim - the Italeri 1/72 Jaguar GR.1/GR.3 RAF. Aimed at modellers aged 14+, I think I'm in with a shot at this! Box and sprues: The sprues look pretty clean and the detail OK (well, for my standard of wingy thing production!) And the scheme I'm thinking of: But this one looks rather interesting challenging: Plenty of time to decide ...... Comments, corrections, advice and the prompt delivery of my paint order for this will be welcomed! Good luck to you all! Keith 😊

Hi all and here's a latest from me, built for the Eighties GB here. It's an F-5F from Italeri in the scheme for the fictional Mig 28 from Top Gun. OOB in-flight build with crew added and decals from the spares box. Will hopefully be in a future diorama with an F-14. 😎 Italeri_F-5F_Mig_28_4 Italeri_F-5F_Mig_28_3 Italeri_F-5F_Mig_28_2 Italeri_F-5F_Mig_28_6 Thanks for looking and happy modelling. Dermot

Hi Pals, I finish working with this model. I have seen that it is a fairly simple kit, without major problems for assembly, with acceptable instructions. As a bonus, you can make several versions, just before the Paladin appears. Although this is an old kit, modestly I think that you could still get a good result, (I am reasonably happy with it), the only thing that gave me headaches were the main pieces of the turret and helmet, as they were crooked , I imagine that by the passage of time, and the worst, the tracks, which when they were already in place, split, where the hardest (in the curve), although I was able to rectify it quite well. I have chosen to make a version in Vietnam, because although the kit does not bring that option, I saw some photos (which I include) about this, I liked it a lot. Thanks to my box of spare parts, it was not a problem. I thank as always all fellows of the forum who have accompanied me in the assembly process and encouraged me with their comments to improve / continue. I include a link to the WIP section, in case someone is interested in seeing the post. I wish you all a Merry Christmas! (If possible ... lol) Some shots in detail.... And some pictures of real model in Vietman (ALL PHOTOS ARE ONLY FOR INFORMATIVE PURPOSES, AND ALL LEGAL RIGHTS BELONG TO YOUR LEGITIMATE OWNERS)

Hello folks, I had this kit on my shelf for a loooong time. After seeing some photos online of Polish Carpathian Lancers in North Africa with captured equipment (AB41 and Pz III), I thought that it might be interesting to build this model in these markings. A few words about this armoured car: the Autoblinda AB41 was an Italian armored car introduced in 1941 as an upgrade of the earlier AB40 model. It was designed for reconnaissance and light combat duties, equipped with a 20 mm Breda M35 autocannon and two 8 mm Breda 38 machine guns—one coaxial and one rear-facing. The AB41 featured all-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, and dual driver positions (front and rear), making it highly maneuverable in tight spaces or during rapid retreats. With a top speed of around 78 km/h and an operational range of about 400 km, it was considered fast and well-armed for its class, though its armor protection was relatively thin. The subject of this build represents a captured AB41 used by the Polish Carpathian Lancers (officially: Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade) in North Africa during 1942. The vehicle was most likely seized from Italian forces, possibly from the III Gruppo Autoblindo "Nizza", during fighting in Egypt. It was put to use by Commonwealth-aligned units, including Polish forces operating under British command. Following its field use, this particular AB41 was shipped to the UK and examined at the British School of Tank Technology in Chobham. British reports described the vehicle as fast and adequately armed, although they noted issues with limited armor protection and complex engine accessibility. Several photos of this captured AB41 exist, showing it in Polish use with improvised markings. The Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade was a Polish unit formed from exiled soldiers in the Middle East. It fought alongside British and Commonwealth forces in the Western Desert Campaign. By 1942, the brigade had gained a reputation for discipline and combat effectiveness. The Carpathian Lancers later became part of the 2nd Polish Corps and continued to fight in the Italian Campaign, including the Battle of Monte Cassino. The kit I used is Italeri AB40, not AB41. AB41 turret is a Royal Model resin set, while the wheels are made by Pimp My Miniatures. There is one inaccuracy I'll have to live with. Looking at the reference photos, this vehicle was equipped with 3 Pirelli Tipo ‘Libia’ tires and 3 Pirelli Tipo ‘Sigillo Verde’ tires, usually used on Sahariana. However, it turned out that Sigillo Verde tyres by PMM are much larger in diameter than Libia tyres, and can't even fit the fenders, so I had to go with all 'Libia' tyres. Oh well... In addition, there are a few modifications. Two horns are replaced with one bigger horn (scratchbuilt). The antenna was moved to the right side, and a counterweight was added (also scratchbuilt). Pickaxe is replaced with axe, and a few other minor modifications. It was painted with a base color of Grigio Verde Scuro, Hataka lacquers, and finished with Life Color Giallo Sabia Chiaro. I used the hairspray technique for chipping. I tried to reproduce paint crazing (visible on some photos) on fenders using white glue, without success. Details were painted with Vallejo and Gunze paints. Markings are Echelon Fine Details. In the end, everything was sprayed with AK's North Africa Nature Effect (deluted pigments) to blend everything, left to dry overnight, and then dry pigments were added in places where dust and sand would usually accumulate. And these are a few photos I used as a reference: I'll probably build a captured Panzer III next, also used by the Polish Carpathian Brigade. It was probably repainted, so it would be interesting to see the Pz III in light stone. Cheers, Nenad