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72topia FMA IAe.20 "Boyero", 1/72nd superb resin kit from Argentina


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This kit is nothing less than a little miracle, from the works of Master Matías Hagen of Argentina.
That a kit of this incredible quality can be produced within the severe financial and market limitations that the economy and the general conditions of the country imposes, is indeed miraculous.
A fragile economy exposed to recurrent changes of policy, many times making imports/exports a challenge, is not the best environment to practice modeling in any form.
Supplies, tools and imports often reach inexplicable high prices (if and when available) and the lack of incentives combined with very limited average income make the modeler's life anything but easy.
Ten years ago I acquired and built one of Matías' first endeavors, another resin jewel posted here:

 

And I am now the proud owner of the first of many projects that are soon to be released.
What a pleasure when I opened the box! The exquisite quality of the masters and casting, the care put into every single part, the unbelievable level of detail, a subject that is charming and significant for the local history, all made me very happy.
The box contains groups of resin parts in several bags, assembly instructions, a parts' map, historical notes (in Spanish, more on that later), a decal sheet (more on that later), detailed decoration drawings and color calls, vacuformed transparencies (two sets, for different variants) and one of those codes you point your smart phone to access a large group of reference images of the plane on Google Drive.
The decal sheet is printed on clear stock with continuous carrier (i.e. you have to cut and trim individually the separate subjects), and you are advised that you have to provide the white backgrounds for some of the images that may need it (white decal stock may do, or painting the area white where required).
Two different sets of props and wheels are provided, to cover different variants.

 

This is a translation of the historical context provided with the kit instructions:

 

The "Boyero" (a bird found in Argentina that takes its name from an oxen -"buey" in Spanish- driver) was born from the necessity of the aero clubs for a civil training plane, affordable, modern and easy to maintain. During the 30's the Dirección de Aeronáutica Civil (Civil Directorate of Aeronautics) was the authority that regulated the civil private activity and also provided the planes for the country's aero clubs. Although the Fleet 2 and 10 accomplished the role of basic training, towards the end of the decade a more up-to-date plane was required. It was recommended to the FMA (Fábrica Militar de Aviones, Military Airplane Factory) the study of a project with those characteristics, but limited to consider products from the US to shorten development times. Because of the predilection for the side-to-side configuration, it was decided to utilize as the base for the design the already known Taylorcraft B. Although the Boyero would be strongly inspired by it, it was a local development with characteristics and solutions of its own. The Boyero had a larger span and fuselage length, of rectilinear and simplified shape, wingtips with washout to delay stall and loss of lift, and single joystick that could be located in the other position. The "FMA 20" (as it was originally called) flew for the first time in the province of Córdoba in November 1940, and the second prototype followed on January 1941. After successful tests it is approved for manufacturing, the rights being ceded to the private company "Sfreddo y Paolini", but WW2 thwarted the plans. As the US entered the war, all strategic material like the Continental A50/A65 engines and chromoly tubes were no longer available. In 1942 production is suspended, the prototype goes back to Córdoba, and the second prototype is sold to the private market by Sfreddo and Paolini in 1944. Things will have to wait until 1948, a reorganization of the FMA -that will incorporate an "Instituto Aerotécnico" (IAe) -Aero-technical Institute- and the resumption of the delivery of parts, and a new license for series production. The company "Petrolini Hnos." (Petrolini Bros.) will be now in charge of revitalizing the production of the now called "IAe.20 El Boyero" that will be produced until 1952, when the last batch is delivered.

The total production of the Boyero was of 129 units between 1940 and 1952. Two prototypes fabricated by the FMA, and 127 by Petrolini under license, of which 24 were assigned to the Air Force, 1 bought by a private person, and 104 assigned to diverse aero clubs through the Dirección General de Aeronáutica (General Directorate of Aeronautics).

In 1965 the last Boyeros under military service were sold to the private market. Currently 24 of them survive in flying condition.

 

Span: 11,50 mts.

Lenght: 7,10 mts.

Height: 1,80 mts.

Weight, empty: 325 kg.

Maximum take off weight: 550 kg.

Engine: Continental A65 of 65 HP (Continental C75 of 75HP)

Maximum speed: 158/167 kph.

Cruise speed: 138/140 kph.

Ceiling: 4,000 mts.

Range: 650/630 km.

 

 

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Look at that baby!

This is produced by one man, on his building board, without any help and in the most difficult of environments, no access to any of the perks we dwellers of the developed world are blessed with, painstakingly and stubbornly, with a will of steel and incredible talent:

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See the locating holes? you get the little pegs to unite them later, while still being able to sand the contact surfaces flat, now that is ingenuity!:

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Wonderfully thin parts and trailing edges:

IMG_7882+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

 

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A level of craftsmanship other manufacturers with easy access to anything they need may dream of.

This is the most basic level of cottage industry. In a far away South American country. And still, a product to make anyone proud.

See what ingenuity, tenacity, commitment, impeccable craftsmanship can do, eh?

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Detail on the mounting side of the LG legs:

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Option of fronts:

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Option of props and wheels:

IMG_7893+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

 

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Dedication can make wonders, uh?

Do you portray in your mind those despicable resin spawns that we have to suffer some times?

And one wonders why.

Not here, though.

No amorphous blobs, no casting webs and pour blocks you need a chisel and a hammer to liberate the parts from, no air bubbles, no deformities, no bad fit.

Excellence in every aspect, from a young man in his small room in Argentina.

My hat certainly goes off to him.

 

The casting blocks and webs never prevented an easy extraction, making life easy and clean. Take that, you shoddy manufacturers!
All parts were cleanly extricated in half an hour (take it easy and be careful, though, some parts are minute and others scale-like, i.e. fragile!
What a breeze of a job!

IMG_7894+%25281280x960%2529.jpg

 

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Hum...let me think...may be not 😄

There is a universe of difference!

Heller kits are still quite accessible.

Perhaps you are mentioning Modelex (a brave move in Argentina's ever-changing economy) for the sake of nostalgia.

I have built many Heller kits, usually modifying them, and I do like many of them. They have fewer civil offerings, though.

 

 

 

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While I suspect that many, if not most, of the short run and resin kit producers would fit under the general heading of “cottage industry” this one puts many to shame and Shows what can be done.

 

Will watch with interest.

 

AW

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This one and the ERCOupe should be done in 1/48! I've logged 28 hours in this one after I got kicked out of Escuela de Aviación Militar in Córdoba. :weep: This one was especially difficult to fly; it was like riding a kite with nose weight :lol:

Yeh, it was...

Cheers,

 

Unc2

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10 hours ago, RidgeRunner said:

That looks like a beautiful little kit, Moa. Go on, give it the Moa treatment :).

 

Martin

I will, Martin

It's in the cue right behind the current projects that are mostly close to completion:

HP O700, Seabee, Vultee V-1, the two Beech 18, Savoia S.65, Macchi M.39.

The busy live of a modeler!

 

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The fuselage halves are given a very slight, controlled, even sanding. You may use the wing and horizontal tail to keep an eye on the amount (again, only a very slight sanding is needed) as they "embrace" the fuselage halves. When they fit snugly, you are there.
All this is dry-fit, of course:

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On 1/12/2020 at 1:34 PM, Blue Monday said:

Unicraft could do with consulting this guy on how to produce cleanly-moulded resin kits!

Could not agree more, 1 Unicraft kit built and I am scared for life.

 

Nice choice Moa, 5 years back in the hobby and I am still finding new producers of kits and you do not get much further afield than Argentina. True talent will always shine through, as in this young man's endeavours and it does highlight the laziness of some resin producers. I believe that with the obscure and lesser known types coming from the East and resin of this quality from young men such as  Matías Hagen from elsewhere it may be the start of the gradual decline of lesser quality products.

 

I will let you crack on with this fine kit.

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In an incredibly elegant act of modeling acrobatics, I managed to send the little container with the small bits to the :angrysoapbox.sml:dimension. After more than half an hour, I was still looking for the two pegs that unite the fuselage and the side windows (that were at that point trimmed to fit). So I decided to put new pegs (white styrene in the photos) and to trace, cut and adjust new windows made from a thin sheet of acrylic. So all was quickly solved:

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