🇮🇹 NATO in action: ISAF AMX (Italeri 1/72)

[Giorgio N]

I have already taken part in a number of NATO themed GBs (although the only model I completed was probably my Dutch Starfighter...) so I could not give this one a miss !

I considered a number of options for this, of course another Starfighter would have been interesting and a Sabre would have also been good. For a while I toyed with the idea of a Marineflieger Tornado, before realizing that I do not have the hi-vis walklines that aircraft in the early scheme carried (but who knows, I may find them before the end of the GB and add a second model). Then earlier today I read an article in the news: today the Italian Air Force officially retired the AMX!. At that point it was clear I had my subject !

Now the AMX is not really the best known NATO combat aircraft. The type entered service in 1989 and by then the Cold War had been won by NATO. However the end of the Cold War did not mean peace and actually the organisation has really seen combat only after that year, with a number of operations conducted under NATO control... and in these operations the small Italo-Brazilian attack aircraft did take part !

Ok, a lot of how the NATO was involved in these various operations is controversial and debatable but let's steer away of politics and just focus on the history of these operations. Aming them one of the most important was the long intervention in Afghanistan, first under the ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) and later through the Resolute Support Mission, until the withdrawal of all international forces from the Country in 2021.

 

The AMX has not been particularly well treated by model kit companies and for a number of years the only options were resin kits (Warrior, Cunardmodel) or the Aeroclub short run kit. Things changed when Kinetik issued their very nice kit in 1/48 scale that finally brought a standard injected plastic kit of the type to the market. Later Trumpeter issued another 1/48 kit (actually more than one as they covered several variants) but no mainstream plastic kit appeared in 1/72 scale until last year Italeri finally issued one. This has been recently followed by the two-seater so cpmpleting the offer of Italian variants (the Brazilian ones need some conversion work).

Personally I bought the Kinetik kit as soon as this was issued. Not only it was a brand new kit of the AMX but I had also been in touch with a couple of people involved in the design so it was a kit I really had to have. A few months later I also found a Cunardmodel kit for sale at a decent price (these kits used to fetch very high prices in Italy) and then I got the Italeri single seater, It is this one that I will build for this GB for a number of reasons, one being that it already includes stores and decals for an aircraft part of the ISAF in Afghanistan in 2024.

 

Only one picture for today and this is the box art:

 

 

In the next few days I'll post pictures of the parts and through the build I may talk a bit about the AMX, its difficult inception, its controversial debut and how the type finally managed to get a good reputation, thanks in no small part to the participation in operations like the ones in Afghanistan

 

Edited April 5 by Giorgio N

[vppelt68]

Nice to have our own Studio Ghibli! V-P 

[Terry1954]

Great to see a build of this aircraft Giorgo. When I read your comments that the AMX had just been retired from service, I felt very surprised and very disappointed that I had not given this aircraft the attention, it must surely have deserved (over time) as a NATO participant.

 

So to put things right, I'll follow this build if I may.

 

Terry

[Vultures1]

Excellent choice Giorgio! I'm looking forward to seeing your AMX come together

 

Chris 

[giemme]

Just read the same article - I'm in!

 

Ciao

[Giorgio N]

Thanks guys, glad to see that this subject is of some interest!

Let's see what's in the box: 2 sprues in dark grey plastic and one in clear, a decal sheet and a small PE fret with reinforcement plates for the ACOL improved aircraft, like the ones that served in Afghanistan. 

 

 

 

The plastic parts are not bad but not brilliant either. I'll go into more detail on the reasons for my opinion during the build but let's say now that moulding quality is not bad and some details are nice but at the same time clearly this is not a modern Japanese kit (and that's fine) so certain things don't really work as they should. Like the representation of the rivets that is something some companies do pretty well while here is a bit on the heavy side.

 

One thing I would have liked to see is separate flaps and slats. Now this is something rarely done in 1/72 scale so can't condemn Italeri for it. However the AMX on the ground always feature open flaps and slats so it would have been a nice touch... that would have probably also increased the price of what is IMHO not a cheap kit.

Now what should I do? The way the wing parts are moulded means that cutting the flaps is not going to be easy. I considered using the Cunardmodel parts as this kit offers them open but the difference in surface finish is too much (and the Cunardmodel wing is smaller than the Italeri one) Should I attempt doing this job or just build the model as is? I may just leave everything closed, more so as I know I can build the Kinetic kit with everything down.

 

I almost forgot... this will be my main reference:

 

 

 

[Vultures1]

Although I recognise that the AMX has flaps etc down on the ground, I was planning to just accept a 'clean' wing for when I got round to building mine because of the complex work involved. 

 

I picked up the same reference as soon as I heard Italeri were going to release an AMX. It's a good resource IMHO

 

Chris 

[Giorgio N]

Finally made a start on the kit ! I know, it's a full month since I first posted in the thread, unfortunately other things got precedence in the meantime...

Only airbrushed the cockpit and wheel wells to date, so not much to show yet (but the cockpit should be finished by tomorrow). In the meantime let me talk about the kit...

Surface detail is represented by recessed panel lines of course. These are not as fine as other companies can do but at the same time they are no trenches either. Now Italeri themselves managed to do better in the past so I don't know why they are doing worse today but I'll live with them.

The kit also features rivets. Not many, only in some areas and again pretty heavy. Modellers all have their own ideas about rivets, mine is that if they are fine I don't mind them. Here they are not and I'd have probably preferred not to have them. However this is not the real problem I have with this kit surface detail, the real problem can be seen in the picture below:

 

 

See the panels on the back of the intake trunking ? They are recessed and have rivets, however both panel lines and rivets disappear at some point. And this is a problem because it means I have to rescribe the hatches and redo the rivets. This happens in various areas of the kit, the rivet on the intakes (that are separate parts) are even worse.

Now I know that there are limitations to the plastic injection process and this above is the result of such limitations. However in 2024 a company should be able to design the kit to circumvent these limitations, that is what many others do. Why can't Italeri do the same ?

 

I mentioned before how the kits does not allow to build the aircraft withh flaps and slats down, that is IMHO a pity as the AMX on the ground always has these open. Now the same could be said for many other kits (most F-18s for example) so Italeri can be excused. Having these parts as separate would have also likely increased the price of what is already not a cheap kit (RRP in italy is €28.90). However while I can accept that separate flaps and slats are not included I'm not sure I can accept this:

 

 

See the wing upper part? It correctly features the flaps in the closed position. Now look at the lower surface..... where is the representation of the outer flaps line? Looks like someone at Italeri forgot a couple of recessed lines...

I know some will say that in the end it's no big deal, just take a scriber and a ruler and add them. Of course this what I'll do (actually I already did) but this is the kind of things that smells of sloppiness. There will be a few other things like this during this build, small things that when added make this kit a bit disappointing. One is immediately visible here: there's no difference between panel lines and moving surfaces, they all have the same depth and width. This is something not only Italeri does as a number of Airfix kits share this choice, however it's something other companies already got right in the '80s. Again, not a big issue (I can deepen the moving surfaces with a scriber of course) but another sign that this kit was designed without much care. And again not a big issue but something I'd prefer not to see on a €28.90 kit...

[Vultures1]

Great observations on the Italeri kit @Giorgio N, thank you.

 

There is a disappointing lack of attention to detail in the kit in some areas.  As you say, missing panel lines can be fixed but it's not a cheap kit and the omissions are frustrating. That said, I am really pleased that Italeri came out with a mainstream AMX after so many years of hoping! I would be interested if someone came out with a set of aftermarket wings with dropped flaps and slats because they are such a distinctive feature of the AMX on the ground and (let's be honest) I lack the skill to make a proper job of it

 

Following your work with interest!

 

Chris