Macchi M.C.72, Scratchbuilt 1/72

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

A build from 2010, nine years ago, when the only option was the extremely poor Delta 2 kit, and way before the exquisite kit from SBS was released.

See, kids, we had to make our own models if we wanted something! ask the Yorkshiremen!

 

The Macchi Castoldi M.C.72 is so famous that I won’t bother with extensive introductions or descriptions.

With an aura between the paintings of Giorgio De Chirico and the sculptures of Marino Marini, the pure lines of the MC72 speak for themselves.

Suffice to say that the speed record it set in 1934 for seaplanes still stands today, 76 years later! It was powered by a FIAT AS.6, which was actually two AS.5 in tandem. It used surface radiators on the wings, floats and, if needed, in the lower back fuselage. Two sets of contra-rotating props were used to cancel torque.

Once more the scratchbuilding approach was needed in order to have one. A little relief came from the generic Aeroclub pontoon vacuformed sheet that is available from some vendors. This has floats that were a good general fit to the ones needed here.

The fuselage was carved from basswood but since my Mattel Psychedelic Machine has a small plate it couldn’t be used to vacuform parts and the original was used instead.

Flying surfaces were made of styrene sheet and for the pontoon struts Contrail airfoiled stock was used. The struts were given the correct silhouette and pins were inserted at the ends in order to facilitate assembly later on.

An interior was built with some structural detail, seat, joystick, rudder pedals and instrument panel, but -as it is some times the case with these types- very little can be appreciated due to the small cockpit opening.

A spinner that needed a bit of adjustment to match the plan was found in the spare box. Prop blades were carved using as a base a discarded four-blade prop. The vac floats were glued, re-contoured and prepared for receiving the struts.

Once those bits came together and after priming and painting decal time was up. I decided to work the radiators as a two-decal endeavor. A metallic brass coat was sprayed on decal paper and the radiator pattern was printed on another. Masks were cut and then the decals applied.

For the statistic-inclined here are all the decals used:

2 black strips to cover the exhaust areas
2 aluminum strips for the stripe underneath the precedent
2 registration numbers in white at the base of the tail
2 Italian flags on the rudder
2 crests on the mentioned flags

4 brass decals for the wing radiators
4 brass decals for the struts
4 radiator patterns for the wing

6 radiator patterns for the struts (the front pair, as it is angled, required both sides covered separately
2 tiny aluminum covers on the nose on top of the upper oil radiator
6 louvers on the front fuselage
4 louver pairs on the belly
2 red strips that cut the lower wing radiators in half
1 black strip on top of air intake

6 little decal strips for the canopy frame

6 hinges (they are only little red squares to represent the fin hinges protruding into the rudder)
12 for the radiators on the floats (again, these are two-stage decals)

Total: 67

To that 16 streamlined struts were added and a trolley was build to support the model.

 

It is a joy when design encompasses beauty and efficiency, isn’t it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Learstang]

Speaking of Yorkshiremen:

 

'Aye, kids today ‘ave it easy!  When I was lad, ‘ad to make models out of sand, using industrial rubbish as glue, whilst standing up to waist in rancid water in ‘ole dug in peat bog, whilst me dad struck me about ‘ead and neck with large axe.'

 

'Your dad ‘ad an axe!  We used to dream about being struck about ‘ead and neck with large axe.  Best me father could do was strike us with live pig!'

 

'Live pig!  Our father used dead pig.  If we was lucky!'

 

All seriousness aside, beautiful job on this Macchi, Moa!

 

Best Regards,

 

Jason (not a Yorkshireman)

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

38 minutes ago, Learstang said:

Speaking of Yorkshiremen:

 

'Aye, kids today ‘ave it easy!  When I was lad, ‘ad to make models out of sand, using industrial rubbish as glue, whilst standing up to waist in rancid water in ‘ole dug in peat bog, whilst me dad struck me about ‘ead and neck with large axe.'

 

'Your dad ‘ad an axe!  We used to dream about being struck about ‘ead and neck with large axe.  Best me father could do was strike us with live pig!'

 

'Live pig!  Our father used dead pig.  If we was lucky!'

 

All seriousness aside, beautiful job on this Macchi, Moa!

 

Best Regards,

 

Jason (not a Yorkshireman)

 

Oh, Jason, you made me snort all over the building board!!!

I laughed so hard that the neighbor sent and email asking if I was right.

Spot on!

Cheers (and thanks for brighten my afternoon)

[Courageous]

8 hours ago, Learstang said:

'Aye, kids today ‘ave it easy! 

To follow on from this... yorkshiremen

Back to the MC.72...Stunning, absolutely stunning, such a beautiful aircraft, the Ferrari of float planes 

I have the SBS offering in the stash, just hope I can do it justice.

 

Stuart

Edited March 26, 2019 by Courageous

[keefr22]

Who needs kits when you have the skill to make beauties like that yourself Moa, absolutely stunning little Macchi!!

 

Can't do Yorkshire, so in South Walian - well tidy mun, she's cowin' lush...!!

 

Keith

 

 

 

 

[RidgeRunner]

Superb, Moa!!!

[malpaso]

What a fantastic model of a beautiful if lethal (to the pilots) aircraft.  Can you imagine the pilot’s thoughts when the ground crew said something like “we’re pretty sure we’ve solved the backfiring problem now”?

Its quite an achievement to make the S6B look pedestrian, maybe that’s another reason the RAF didn’t want to postpone the 1931 contest to let Italy sort out their “issues” with the MC72!

Cheers

Will

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

10 hours ago, Courageous said:

To follow on from this... yorkshiremen

Back to the MC.72...Stunning, absolutely stunning, such a beautiful aircraft, the Ferrari of float planes 

I have the SBS offering in the stash, just hope I can do it justice.

 

Stuart

Brilliant, Stuart, I haven't seen that particular one.

Cheers

[Learstang]

1 hour ago, Moa said:

Brilliant, Stuart, I haven't see that particular one.

Cheers

 

Oh, aye! That's what I based me Yorkshiremen bit on. Two of the chaps were later with Monty Python, John Cleese and Graham Chapman.

 

Regards,

 

Jason

[Jonners]

Models? Luxury!

 

When I were a lad, we 'ad to mek do wi' a lump o' coal an' pretend it were a model, so we could play wi' it in't industrial slurry, until mi father stopped 'itting us wi't axe, chopped up 't lump o' coal an' threw it on't fire.

 

An yer tell that to kids o' today an' they just won't believe yer.

 

Etc.

 

Jon, Yorkshireman currently at work in Lincolnshire across the Humber moat from home in Yorkshire.

[pheonix]

Those Schneider trophy aircraft really did look fast....probably because they were fast....and you have captured the lines extremely well. Just shows that real modellers don't need a kit - even if they are Yorkshiremen (from one who is not a Yorkshireman but lived in the county for 7 years and enjoyed every moment of it!)

 

P