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SIAI Marchetti, Planet Models, 1/72


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After holding off the request to build a model for a friend for a long time, he still persuaded me, not only for one, but for 2. Both are Marchetti's in 1/72 and 1/48. This is the construction of the 1/72 version.


The SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 is an Italian light aircraft, used for performing aerobatics and as a military trainer. The aircraft was designed by Stelio Frati for the Aviamilano company in 1963-'64, and the first prototype flew  July 15y as the F.260. Before it entered production the design was sold to SIAI Marchetti.

 

In 1969 the Belgian airforce bought 32 aircraft which were located at Goetsenhoven Airbase and after closure of the base were relocated to Beauvechain airbase. The aircraft was used as a trainer and for the stuntteam the red devils.

 

The kit is from Planet Models:
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and the layout he wants

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The kit only has a few parts:

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Biggest disadvantage is the hull being cast solid... which makes it very, very tailheavy...

 

so I started by cutting the hull in two and drilled out (regular drill, I know, a Dremel would be more handy for this...) as far as I dared

 

819006-11032-57-pristine.jpg

 

the extra hole was an accident... superglue and sprue will solve this

The other side was also hollowed out:

819007-11032-17-pristine.jpg

 

still lokking pretty thick, but it is only 1mm in reality.

Next up I rejoined the hull parts sanded these smooth and added the rudder and elevators. Then I drilled some holes in the nose to add some fishing lead. One large horizontal hole and a few vertical ones.  Allas ... still not enough it seems, close, but not completely...

819009-11032-96-pristine.jpg

 

next session is closing up the rear bulkhead and the interior

819008-11032-40-pristine.jpg

 

 

By the way, just a longshot, camo colors are olive green and stone, but it seems some aircraft have a third color. Could it be complete vietnam camo on this bird? Other qiestion are about the interior. Were these early versions, before the overhaul and lightgrey interior equiped with a complete black interior and instrument panel? Not a lot of info and pictures are available from those days, and pictures show mostly the interior after the upgrade (complete lightgrey interior), and sometimes completely black or black with a lightgrey instrument panel... questions, still a lot of questions...

 

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I’m watching this very closely, as I’ve done three dogfighting sessions in one of Air Combat USA’s SF260s and have this kit in my stash, planning on building it to match the aircraft I flew.

- Bill

 

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A bit of progress:

The backseat was completely smooth, so I used a scriber to add some detail

820214-11032-77-pristine.jpg

 

Next I've cut up some paper to make the backwall. To make it some more solid, I've drenched it with thin CA. Next it was sanded smooth and painted. There's no PE in this kit, so I've made the seatbelts from prepainted paper.

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The 1/48 has some bars on the frontseat for the passengers. Made these from some copperwire

 

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And all mounted into the interior:

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and just a complete overview to give a comparison of the size and the lead jigsaw:

820223-11032-93-pristine.jpg

 

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On 8/1/2020 at 3:07 PM, Silenoz said:

By the way, just a longshot, camo colors are olive green and stone, but it seems some aircraft have a third color. Could it be complete vietnam camo on this bird?

I could be mistaken, but the same colour scheme as used on the F-104s? 

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