Anyone built the Italeri 1/72 SM.79?

[Procopius]

I was wondering about the Italeri 1/72 SM.79 family of kits, as I was struck by a passing whimsy and contemplated buying one. Do any of the various boxings represent an aircraft involved in operations against Malta? How is it for accuracy? How well does it go together? Any input you have is most appreciated!

[3DStewart]

I've never built one, but I've owned and sold two of them.

 

Detailing is quite good, but the thing that made me sell them is the pronounced fabric sagging. This is realistic for an aircraft in flight, where the air pressure forces in the fabric, but not on the ground.

[Graham Boak]

The air pressure flowing past an aircraft's fuselage will tend to make the fabric bulge out rather than in, as it will on top of the wing (but not on the bottom).  There was a photo on the net some time ago showing this quilting effect on the upper wing surface of a Wellington.

 

However most kit representations of this effect, which are always in and never out, overdo this effect.  I don't know about the S.79, but fabric sagging as badly as (say) the Hasegawa Hurricane, would mean the aircraft would be judged as unserviceable.  

[3DStewart]

1 hour ago, Graham Boak said:

The air pressure flowing past an aircraft's fuselage will tend to make the fabric bulge out rather than in, as it will on top of the wing (but not on the bottom).  There was a photo on the net some time ago showing this quilting effect on the upper wing surface of a Wellington.

Not on the SM.79.

 

 

The wings were plywood skinned.  The Italeri kit has more exaggerated fabric sag than this and it's done (in my view) in a rather unconvincing way. SM.79s photographed on the ground have the fabric quite tight. The Airfix kit is better in this respect, but has other faults, including a rivetted wing!

 

 

Edited August 31, 2018 by 3DStewart

[Mark Joyce]

Here’s one review that I plan on referring to when I get around to building mine:

 

https://modelingmadness.com/review/axis/ity/pabsm79.htm

[Chuck1945]

It has been several years since I built one of the Italeri S. 79s, but I don't recall any issues putting it together. Did mine pretty much OOB.

[dalea]

Re boxings. Series I for Spanish Civil War, Series III for Aviazone RSI;

After market:-Eduard exterior for engine supports

Pavla exterior for trumpet shaped engine intakes

[Procopius]

58 minutes ago, dalea said:

Re boxings. Series I for Spanish Civil War, Series III for Aviazone RSI;

After market:-Eduard exterior for engine supports

Pavla exterior for trumpet shaped engine intakes

Is the aftermarket necessary? Does it correct flaws?

[dalea]

I'm away from home at the moment so I can't check. Just going by what I have bought. Not so much corrections as omissions. That"s why I didn't mention Quickboost cowlings. I know I  bought them but can't remember whether they really correct any shape issues.

[72modeler]

Procopious,

 

Here is a link to a pretty detailed build. I have the kit, and it looks pretty good in the box; I did get the Pavla interior set, and it will address the issues mentioned in the build article. I think I also got different torpedoes for it, but don't recall whether they were also Pavla or taken from a  Italeri/Hasegawa Ju-88/He-111 kit that had better torpedoes. I think there were also resin cowlings and engines available, but I would imagine they are OOP. It is a handsome beast, I think. 

Mike

 

http://hsfeatures.com/features04/s7972dp_1.htm 

[TISO]

There is also QuickBoost set of corrected engine cowlings QB 72 106

[ksc]

One thing I noticed, most of the Italeri releases only include the extended exhausts typical of torpedo bombers. If you want to build a conventional bomber you might have to use the exhausts from the "I Serie" or an after market set (as they say, check your references).

Edited September 3, 2018 by ksc

[dogsbody]

5 hours ago, TISO said:

There is also QuickBoost set of corrected engine cowlings QB 72 106

 

Got'em! I've also got the Eduard PE. set.

 

 

 

 

Chris

[Procopius]

6 hours ago, TISO said:

There is also QuickBoost set of corrected engine cowlings QB 72 106

What's wrong with the normal cowlings?

[Sturmovik]

I built the SM 79 when I was younger, I don´t remember it having bad fit, other than the ones self induced because of my use of tube glue. 

Thanks to you, I want to build it again.

[72modeler]

14 minutes ago, Procopius said:

What's wrong with the normal cowlings?

I was wondering the same thing- I thought the kit cowlings looked good. Sometimes the Quickboost parts are no different or aren't an improvement over the kit parts. Guess I can pull mine off of the shelf and look them over- I'm thinking they must have been OK, or I would have bought the cowlings the same time I bought the Pavla interior set.

Mike

[dalea]

Actually, the Quickboost cowlings are smaller (in diameter) and shorter (in chord); just compared them

[TISO]

Also if you are in S&M you have PART PE (also has different bomb bay (2x500kg), "typewriter" bomb release etc. )

PART SM-79 set with instructions

 

[TISO]

Also if you are exotic plane lover you can build it as Royal Yugoslav AF (VVKJ) plane or soviet VVS plane.

For VVKJ there a few sets of decals by serbian company Lift-Here:

745-LH “Sun City”, April War Escapees, part 2   

Has one  SM-79 (no.3702 black 14) that escaped to Middle East and was later used by RAF

 

772-LH “Defectors”, 1941 VVKJ Bombers Escaped To Hungary

Has one SM-79 (white 30) that tried to escape to SSSR but landed in Hungary by mistake

 

706-LH “Bombers”, Royal Yugoslav Aircraft, part 5

Has one SM-79 (No.3728 white 12)

 

JRKV Set III

Has one SM-79 (no.3741 white13) plane bellylanded in Neretva river few days before the war

 

F-72LH ROYAL YUGOSLAV AIR FORCE part II

has 2 SM-79 (no.3705 black 9 & no.3741 white13) 

 

Most sets are sold out by the producer, but might still be obtainable over the net.

 

At least 1 (possibly 2) of VVKJ Savoias acctually managed to land in SSSR at one was pictured in service with  69. IAP during defence of Odessa (plane was destroyed in october 1941 during evacuation of Odessa)

A cople of pic's of soviet machine

http://makete.si/viewtopic.php?t=7937&highlight=savoia

 

 

Edited September 4, 2018 by TISO

[Giorgio N]

On 9/3/2018 at 3:33 AM, Procopius said:

What's wrong with the normal cowlings?

 

The problem with the cowlings is that Italeri reproduced all 3 cowlings as identical while on the real Sparviero the fuselage and wing cowlings are different.

The fuselage cowling is slightly longer and at the trailing edge the diameter of the section is very slightly larger than the section where the front ring meets the cowling

The wing cowlings are slightly shorter and at the trailing edge the diameter of the section is slightly smaller than the section where the front ring meets the cowling

This difference is not easy to spot but it's there. Have a look at some of the pictrues on this page and you'll see what I mean

 

http://www.alieuomini.it/AJAX/catalogo/dettaglio2_catalogo/8

 

The Italeri cowling is correct for the fuselage mounted engine but not for the wing ones. I don't have the quickboost set but I've read that their cowlings are still all 3 identical. Don't know if they correctly reproduce the wing cowlings or not, if so they could be useful to replace the corresponding italeri parts on the wings while leaving the Italeri cowling on the fuselage. However from pictures they look too cylindrical

Of course as this is a detail that is not easy to spot, you may just decide to leave the model as it is or do the modification yourself

[Lanmi]

I did it while ago and don't remember any significant building problem (it was almost decade ago). I remember it took me more time to research colours for concrete airoplane, because SM were notorious for their exemptions i camouflages and markings. Very good kit, a lot of interior details and endless colouring possibilities. For me, S.M.79 is a synonym for Italian WWII aviation, also online stormo magazine is good reference site. I did not bother with the cowlings.

 

Unfortunately, a lot of my pictures were lost in photobucket, but there are several on http://www.ipmssrbija.com/?page_id=251&album=7&gallery=19

Edited September 7, 2018 by Lanmi

[Nanond]

Mine went together quite well. I went for closed dorsal gun position and it required a bit more filling/sanding.

[occa]

Giorgio N said:

The problem with the cowlings is that Italeri reproduced all 3 cowlings as identical while on the real Sparviero the fuselage and wing cowlings are different. 

 

Just a side note:

Italeri made a similar mistake with their SM 82.

The fuselage cowling there is quite different from the wing engine housings with somehow squared off rounded trailing edges instead of being circular.

[72modeler]

Lanmi,

 

That is a very, very nice Sm-79! Beautiful paintwork!

Mike

[RAGATIGER]

Hi there

 

Well I got mine at good price at Houston Texas and also got the Model Master paints for it, later I got the Quickboost cowlings but still unsure to start it, certainly some encourage is coming from this post, mine is Serie I, but I really like the one for bombing Malta 

 

Cheers 

 

Armando