A Macchi for me... Dogfight duo # 1.

[RidgeRunner]

On 8/30/2020 at 9:57 PM, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

I've become good at doing them with my new airbrush. Ive been practicing awhile and I was able to get them with the .35 Neo. But the .20 needle makes it even easier. 

Excellent, Dennis

[Thom216]

My favorite Italian fighter! Looking good.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

        Good morning everybody... I was able to start the sanding/re-scribing on both builds after I finished up an Eduard Mk.IXe Spitfire. I removed the guns as the aren't supposed to be visible. 
I then scribed the larger gap at the rear of the cowling to represent the gasket width. 

 

Next up was the lower cowling and the oil cooler ? 
 

Last thing I tackled was the radiator. 

 

 

 

Please feel free to ask questions, post comments, and or add thoughts. 

 

Dennis

[giemme]

Nice progress, Dennis

 

One hint I that was given to me by @Fritag that I found very useful when riscribing: once you're done with it and made a bit of sanding to clean the rescribed seam edges, run some Tamiya Green Cap inside the seam itself (I use an old fine tipped brush for that); it will smooth things up beautifully (beware: just go sparingly with the amount of glue you load on the brush). HTH

 

Ciao

[Giorgio N]

On 9/19/2020 at 3:44 AM, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

According to a member @Giorgio N that is very familiar with the subject I went with Grigio Azzuro Chiaro. He builds quite a lot of Italian subjects and has done research. I asked him the very same question in his G.55 Centauro thread. His response was exceptionally detailed and I went with it. 
 

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235080087-anr-g55-sottoserie-0/&do=findComment&comment=3822725

 

Dennis

 

You are too kind Dennis ! The truth is that I am not an expert, however as a Italian speaker I have access to information that in the English-speaking modelling community does not seem to be too widespread, with some exceptions (I'm thinking of some real Italian experts that are present on international discussion groups). Some of this information come from primary sources (like wartime manuals), other from information that other modellers and researchers have disseminated in the local modelling community.

 

Anyway I'll take the chance to spread some more information here on the subject, that may be useful to other modellers interested in the MC-202 as a modelling subject.

First of all I'd like to share this picture of a crashed aircraft taken by US photographers:

 

 

This is an aircraft that had a wing replaced, notice the fuselage in a "small worms" scheme and the wing with smoke rings.

It is not easy to identify all interior colours and the picture may well not represent all colours correctly, however some things are visible and are interesting. For example the flaps interior, that to me look in Grigio Azzurro Chiaro 1, same colour of the lower surfaces. This makes sense as the interior of flaps and wheel wells were often treated as part of the undersides

Another interesting bit of colour is the engine bearing frame: this to me looks in aluminum and this has been seen on other types. The same kind of structure however has also been seen in green in earlier aircraft.

The interior of the rear fuselage is a bit more tricky: could be in the same Grigio Azzurro Chiaro or in another light grey but could it also be in light grey/green ? I would probably go for grey again. I know that G.55s built after the Armistice had no paint in these areas while the tail section of a Re.2005 showed a green primer. This aircraft may have been in a grey primer... or GAC.

Unfortunately not much is visible of the cockpit, the only areas that is decently visible is the windscreen frame area and this again seems to be in grey. I'd say GAC as per Tavola 10.

 

Now this machine should be a Breda built aircraft, with the wing from a Macchi built aircraft. How do I know ? The camo on the fuselage is typical of Breda production while only Macchi used the smoke rings scheme. So information on the fuselage colours would apply to a Breda built aircraft. Said that, I still believe that the same could apply to a Macchi built aircraft. With the exception of the canopy frames, that as said in a previous post were known to be in black in Macchi built 202s (simply as a glare prevention measure).

 

And there's potentially more ! I have read about the possibility of a variation in the colour of Nocciola Chiaro 4 during the war, with a darker colour being used towards the end of the war and a lighter one used when the Tavola 10 was first introduced. In any case, the colour on the fuselage and wing IMHO look pretty much the same, meaning that both aircraft had, at least initially, the same colour. Most likely they simply were aircraft built around the same time but what is interesting is the tone of the wing, that does not look that different from the colour that comes to my mind when I think Nocciola Chiaro.

This colour is very worn at the wing root, that is the area where pilots and specialists had to walk on to access the cockpit. The rest of the finish shows signs of the effects of the Mediterranean sun, however is still in decent conditions.

And speaking of paint conditions... look at the panel lines on the fuselage, they look like they have received a very thin wash... 😆

 

 

Edited September 22, 2020 by Giorgio N

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Many thanks again @Giorgio N, you may not consider yourself an expert. Though when compared to what Ive found, you are well versed in Italian aircraft knowledge. 

[giemme]

2 hours ago, Giorgio N said:

First of all I'd like to share this picture of a crashed aircraft taken by US photographers:

That's a very interesting pic, G! Thanks for posting it

 

Ciao 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

5 minutes ago, giemme said:

That's a very interesting pic, G! Thanks for posting it

 

Ciao 

Id like to thank you for the help as well Giemme, both you and Giorgio have helped more than I expected. 

[giemme]

21 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Id like to thank you for the help as well Giemme, both you and Giorgio have helped more than I expected. 

Giorgio is the man for all his knowledge about airplanes - I mean Giorgio N, I'm Giorgio M. A bit confusing, isn't it?    

 

CiaO

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

        Evening everybody.... Well filling, sanding, and re-scribing is all done now. I just need to add a few little odds n sods to do and then its on to paint. 
Please feel free to ask questions, post comments, and or add thoughts. 
 

Dennis

[giemme]

Sweet!  

 

Looking forward to the painting stage

 

Ciao 

[Niknak]

It coming along Dennis. You might have made me put one on my too build list. Nick

 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

        Hello everyone... Well I was able to get a bit of color on this and the KittyHawk build. First up I opted to spray the mid fuselage white band. This is so when I place the decal over it I dont get a funky colored band. 
 

Once done I sprayed the Grigio Azzurro Chiaro. 

Please feel free to ask questions, post comments, and or add thoughts. 

 

Dennis

[giemme]

Super smooth paint job, Dennis

 

Ciao

[franky boy]

Coming along very nicely Dennis. In fact so nicely I may well have to add one to the stash soon!

 

James

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

        Good morning everybody... I was able to lay down the Nocciola Chiaro today. Once done with that I faded it a little in some areas. 
 

 

 

Its stands out more obvious in the flash than in real life. Please feel free to ask questions, post comments, and or add thoughts. 

 

Dennis

Edited September 30, 2020 by Corsairfoxfouruncle

[giemme]

Looking good, Dennis   You can push the fading even more than that - the smoke rings are going to reduce the effect a lot

 

Ciao

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Just now, giemme said:

Looking good, Dennis   You can push the fading even more than that - the smoke rings are going to reduce the effect a lot

 

Ciao

Thanks I will put more on. Im also planning to do more in the weathering phase as well, i will add a dust effect at that time. 

[DaveyGair]

Looking good so far and I'm looking forward to the fine camouflage rings going on. Sometime I'll have to model one in 1/72 but would definitely have to practice more with the airbrush!

 

 

Davey

 

[alt-92]

For those who don't quite feel comfortable free-handing the rings: LF Models appear to have mask sets for these, at least in 1/72.

[modelling minion]

This really is very good indeed Dennis.

I like the faded areas on the upper surfaces, certainly adds a bit of variety and gives it that "used" look.

Looking forward to the smoke rings mate, should look really good.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

4 minutes ago, modelling minion said:

This really is very good indeed Dennis.

I like the faded areas on the upper surfaces, certainly adds a bit of variety and gives it that "used" look.

Looking forward to the smoke rings mate, should look really good.

Thanks should be a couple of days and then I will start. Have to drive my mother to her Dr.s appointments. 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

        Good morning everyone... Well finished up the fading on this tonight.

This one is on to the smoke ring stage. Though I’ve opted to replace one panel. Probably a cowling panel in the spinach scheme, something like this profile. 
I think it will add visually to the kit when its finished. Please feel free to ask questions, post comments, and or add thoughts. 
 

Dennis

[giemme]

 Very effective fading  

 

Ciao

[modelling minion]

Great job on the fading Dennis.

I like the idea of a replacement panel in a different scheme, its touches like that that really help make a model stand out from the crowd.