Ansaldo Brescia racer, modified Ansaldo SVA-5 Pegasus 1/72 kit

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

(According to the Paolo Mina's book (that translates as "Airplanes That Have Made History, Ansaldo SVA"), this is a heavily retouched photo of the second Brescia racer (250hp engine). The number 4 had actually a star background. In this photo the number has been altered to follow the decoration scheme of #3)

 

This link will take you to Kees Kort (varese2002) flickr page, that features #3:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/varese2002/42416308151/in/album-72157636093418425/

 

Racers are like the spicy dish on the menu of civil aviation, the curry or jalapeño of winged apparatuses.

One may even refer specifically to Italian racers as the pasta alla puttanesca plate.

I have build very many models of them, as they are just beautiful.

Long time ago a slightly bizarre one caught my attention, a (drastically) clipped wing version of the Ansaldo SVA biplane, called Brescia, as it was designed to compete in that city's famous races.

In one of my excursions to the surrounding modeling grottoes (in this case during a trip to Palm Desert) I spotted and promptly acquired a Pegasus 1/72 kit of the SVA-5 with the purpose of conversion (that is to obtain a more civilized version).

I have a few Pegasus kits stashed somewhere, and to be sincere they don't make a wonderful impression on me (and for what I can tell on many others as well), but having built veritable monsters that even today invoke nightmares in my mind (Merlin and the old Dujin kits, to name just two) this is not really a bad kit. Yes, it has a lot of flash, no locating devices whatsoever, some of the parts are a bit coarse, and there is not much in terms of interior detail, but I think they are perfectly buildable with some work and patience.

In this case, to obtain the racing version, the wings and horizontal tail will require complete reworking, the interior a bit of improving, and a few external details added, as well as new decals.

During my research I came across a wonderful publication by Italian aviation historian Paolo Miana and his team:

https://www.gliarchiviritrovati.it/home/prodotto/gli-aerei-che-hanno-fatto-la-storia-ansaldo-sva/

That made me immensely happy, as I have purchased and used as references before two of his titles:

"Gli aerei che hanno fatto la storia – SIAI S.64",

https://www.gliarchiviritrovati.it/home/blogs/gli-aerei-che-hanno-fatto-la-storia-siai-s-64/

that I consulted for my Savoia S.64:

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235050050-scratch-built-172-savoia-marchetti-s64-1928/

and his book on the Savoia Marchetti S.79 racers:

"Lost Archives - Pictorial history of SIAI - Chapter I - the Sorci Verdi".

https://www.gliarchiviritrovati.it/home/prodotto/siai-s-79-capitolo-i-i-sorci-verdi/

That were helpful in building two of them too:

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235050724-savoia-s79-corsa-adaptation-from-the-172nd-scale-airfix-kit/

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235050725-savoia-marcehtti-s79-corsa-conversion-of-the-172-italeri-kit/

 

A bagged kit, conveys a sort of vintage flavor...

 

Contents. The machine guns are swiftly trashed:

 

Plenty of flash:

 

 

 

In spite of the prominent and ubiquitous flash, the plastic is soft and cleans perfectly in a matter of minutes:

 

The "instructions" let you know that you have to fabricate your own struts. Again, do not panic, easy peasy for any modeler with a bit of experience:

 

 

 

 

And in this very special and VERY happy day, an unusual and welcome sight in California: a life-giving rain, as if the sky would want to wash away the filth of these last four years, and to top everything, the sun is coming out again, shinning on all things, without distinction:

 

[Courageous]

Well, you don't hang around. A kit of few parts, a bit of flash, a biy of Moa magic, et voila...I've never built a Pegasus kit.

 

Stuart

[bigbadbadge]

Excellent another Moa model, will watch with interest fella.

Chris

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

35 minutes ago, Courageous said:

Well, you don't hang around. A kit of few parts, a bit of flash, a biy of Moa magic, et voila...I've never built a Pegasus kit.

 

Stuart

 

Well, with two models just waiting for their decals -on route- to be completed (Vega and Vultee), I thought of starting yet another project, but a relatively simple one, as the others going on are quite involving (Fokker F.32 and C.IV).

I hope I can really keep it simple, though.

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

23 minutes ago, bigbadbadge said:

Excellent another Moa model, will watch with interest fella.

Chris

Thanks for your interest, Chris.

I started this as a relaxing one, hopefully it will be!

[dnl42]

The start of yet another masterpiece! 

 

You certainly have interesting relaxation techniques. I've seen less flash on a resin kit!

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

The Brescia was based, according to Paolo Miana and team's book, on the "Ridotto" version, that would be the SVA-3 with reduced span.

Just as a side not, there are other SVA 1/72 kits around, I happened to grab this one as I tend to gravitate to a bit of challenge.

But there are in the market kits by FLY (offering a civil I-BRIL version!), Choroszy (resin), AZ Model, a vintage Airframe (vac), so there is plenty to chose from if you want to tackle this racer.

Two planes were built for the Brescia race, by the way: #3 and #4, they differed a bit, and the book elaborates on that and of course other details.

 

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

3 minutes ago, dnl42 said:

The start of yet another masterpiece! 

 

You certainly have interesting relaxation techniques. I've seen less flash on a resin kit!

It's not bad, really, it's all mostly cleaned up by now.

As per masterpiece, I truly appreciate the undeserved term, but will try to keep it nice and simple.

Cheers!

[chrispisme]

Great to see another project on the go, you are relentless with turning clumps of plastic into amazing little jewels!

oh yes....congratulations on joining the democratic free world...it’s amazing being free!

[Marklo]

When I was last in Californ last  it hadn’t rained for 100 days and when it did there was carnage on the freeway with I think somewhere near to 300 accidents that day ( all minor thankfully) or so I had been told. I must admit to seeing quite a few shunts on my way to and from work that day. 

 

Interesting subject, I actually have an Ansaldo fuselage ( in 1/48) that I was gifted in my stash afair it looks pretty similar so one of these might be a good way to use it up ( again where Moa leads I sort of follow) rather than going with the military version.

Edited November 8, 2020 by Marklo

[Bengalensis]

Looks like an interesting little kit, not too bad at all.

It's always something special with these short runs, be they styrene, resin, white metal or vac.

The artistic engineering by some real craftsmen, the simple instructions, even hand drawn sometimes, the packaging...

This will be good.

And even the weather is responding well! Good to see.

[Brandy]

I'm looking forward to this one. Strangely enough, I dug mine out of the stash a month or so back and started cleaning it up. 

Then I put it away again.

PM sent.

 

Ian

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

19 hours ago, chrispisme said:

Great to see another project on the go, you are relentless with turning clumps of plastic into amazing little jewels!

oh yes....congratulations on joining the democratic free world...it’s amazing being free!

Thanks, Chris, a great relief, and I actually started another project due to pure joy!

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

10 hours ago, Marklo said:

When I was last in Californ last  it hadn’t rained for 100 days and when it did there was carnage on the freeway with I think somewhere near to 300 accidents that day ( all minor thankfully) or so I had been told. I must admit to seeing quite a few shunts on my way to and from work that day. 

 

Interesting subject, I actually have an Ansaldo fuselage ( in 1/48) that I was gifted in my stash afair it looks pretty similar so one of these might be a good way to use it up ( again where Moa leads I sort of follow) rather than going with the military version.

Yes, Californians learn at school what rain may be. One day they might even had to face it. When they drive on it, they seem to be trying to avoid get their cars wet, and forget to avoid the other cars. The streets and freeways become skating rinks, as the sooth, oil and dirt are mixed with rain water and become a slippery mud. Slippery Mud, by the way, are the pole dancing nicknames of two prominent legislators, Mitch and Lindsay.

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

You are right, Jörgen.

It is indeed quite workable. The plastic is soft but not grainy or "peely" as in some short run kits from Eastern Europe.

I am pleased with it. I hope the romance lasts.

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

8 hours ago, Brandy said:

I'm looking forward to this one. Strangely enough, I dug mine out of the stash a month or so back and started cleaning it up. 

Then I put it away again.

PM sent.

 

Ian

Hi Ian

Message answered.

It's an attractive design, and the kit should build easily.

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

The kit's horizontal tail comes in two halves, but the plane had a single unit:

 

It was a bit smaller in the racer, so some material is removed and the halves glued together:

 

The upper wing will be the lower wing of this racer, as it has the ailerons. The wing is cut and shortened:

 

The lower wing halves are in turn shortened and glued together to now constitute the upper wing:

 

The ailerons are given a preliminary shaping and scalloping, to be later refined:

 

The strut dimples are filled, as new ones will have to be drilled in other locations, and on the other side of the wings (as they exchanged positions):

 

 

[Bengalensis]

A very interesting design with its shorter upper wing.

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

28 minutes ago, Bengalensis said:

A very interesting design with its shorter upper wing.

Indeed.

French and Italians, among others, played with this arrangement.

Fiat CR.1, Caproni Ca.73, Caproni Ca.90, Cranwell CLA IV (UK design), Bleriot-SPAD 91-7, etc.

 

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

 

Rounding, shaping and cutting the tips of discarded spare bin struts, the little fairings that were attached to the this plane's wing strut ends are made. Eight are needed. I made two sizes to see which works better:

 

 

 

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

The landing gear axle has no locating devices to lock on the wheels:

 

The part is modified to add them:

 

The vertical stabilizer is notched to allow it to seat over the stab, as per photos of the real plane:

[bigbadbadge]

Blimey Mia at this rate you will have this one built up in no time.  It certainly is interesting with the wing arrangement, great start by the way. 

Chris

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

4 hours ago, bigbadbadge said:

Blimey Mia at this rate you will have this one built up in no time.  It certainly is interesting with the wing arrangement, great start by the way. 

Chris

Thanks Chris!

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

Note:

The fuselage nose was not exactly as in the kit, a little of chin has to be added underneath that had louvers, and therefore the water radiator slightly modified at the bottom to match that cross section. This detail can be found in other models of the Ansaldo.

[Britman]

Good work Moa. Never be afraid of a Pegasus"kit" as I believe them to be good honest products if one wants that odd or unobtainable subject. I once knew the producer Chris Gannon and he was an enthusiastic master model maker. As far as I know he gave up producing kits some years ago, but I wonder what would he be producing now?

 

Keith