Special Hobby SIAI-Marchetti SF0206M/AM/W (SH72418) 1:72

[Mike]

SIAI-Marchetti SF0206M/AM/W (SH72418)

1:72 Special Hobby

 

 

The SF.260 by Italian manufacturer Aviamilano was designed initially as an aerobatic aircraft with three seats, and performance to match military types of the era, with an eye on military sales, as well as those that would be sold as sports aircraft, but the design rights purchased early on by SIAI-Marchetti.  The initial intention was reversed however once the design was finalised, and it became predominantly a military trainer and light combat aircraft.  It first flew in 1964 as the F.260, with most sales to military customers for the trainer and light attack roles, but some aircraft have been sold into the private sector.  A major upgrade to the airframe was made during the 1970s, and again in the 80s, adding the possibility of a turbo-prop engined option, the company eventually being taken over my Aeromacchi in 1997. 

 

Multiple variants have been developed over the years, the militarised airframes having the suffix M in their designation, usually with another letter that alludes to the customer nation, with the exception of Italy, which uses the AM code.  The armed aircraft are referred to as ‘Warrior’ with the W suffix, upgraded to carry munitions on either two or four hardpoints engineered into revised wings.  The Warrior was introduced in 1972, two years after the Militarised variant reached service, to fulfil the role of light attack at a lower cost and complexity than an equivalent jet aircraft, usually for asymmetric combat where air superiority isn’t an issue.

 

 

The Kit

This is a re-release of a 2020 tooling from Special Hobby, with a new box that substitutes a painting of the aircraft instead of the original photograph.  The kit arrives in a small end-opening box with side-profiles of the decal options printed on the rear, and inside are four sprues of various shades of grey styrene, a small clear sprue, decal sheet and instruction booklet that is printed in colour on glossy paper, with full profiles on the rearmost pages.  Detail is good as we’d expect from a modern kit, and there are a number of options spread between the decal options.

 

 

 

 

 

Construction begins with the cockpit, adding a choice of instrument panels and associated decals to the centre console, which is installed in the centre of the floor, and joined by rudder pedals and control sticks for both crew members.  The front seats are separate, while the rear is a bench, all with decal seatbelts to add detail.  A parcel shelf is fitted behind the rear set against the aft bulkhead to complete the assembly, with a scrap diagram showing the correct orientation of all the parts from the side.  before closing the fuselage around the cockpit, two sections of styrene can be removed to place aerials depending on your choice of decal option, and a small hole is drilled in the rear of the fuselage to accommodate a piece of 0.45mm clear rod from your own stock, fitting a bulkhead to the firewall in front of the cockpit.  The wings are moulded as a single part that includes a portion of the fuselage underside and the bottom of the engine cowling, which has a slot for the nose gear bay moulded into it.  The bay is made from two halves that must be sanded back slightly to fit, then the wings can be mated with the fuselage, sliding the elevators into slots on each side of the tail.

 

Two-part tip-tanks finish the wings, fixing the intake cowling to the front of the fuselage, an intake under the chin, and a two-blade prop with an inset back-plate that includes the axle to slot into the front of the cowling after drilling out the bearing surface.  Righting the model allows the canopy to be glued over the cockpit cut-out, fitting a short 0.2mm aerial to the front of the canopy, another longer one to the spine, and two more on the fin, all of which will need to be sourced from your stock.  A scrap diagram shows the additional aerial worn by Irish aircraft, which you must fabricate yourself from 0.3mm sheet, although 0.25mm is more readily available, just don’t tell the nit-pickers.  The nose gear leg has the wheel moulded into it, and a separate retraction jack to the rear, mounting a bay door to the front that is spaced from the strut by a piece of 0.2mm rod from your stock.  A scrap diagram helps with positioning of the various parts in the small bay.  Main gear is retractable, and has separate two-part wheels, plus a captive bay door that is spaced from the strut with more 0.2mm rod or wire, so ensure you have plenty to hand when you start the build.  A short retraction jack is also installed, and a scrap diagram points out where the brake mechanism should be for each wheel to ensure proper orientation, with another assisting in placement of the bay door.

 

The third decal option is an Irish AM Warrior, and carries two underwing rocket pods that are made from two halves plus end caps that have a representation of the rockets moulded into them.  They mate to the wing undersides on short pylons, and while the model is inverted, several aerials are installed under the wings and fuselage, while a scrap diagram depicts the unique aerial fit of the Belgian scheme depicted in the first decal option.

 

 

Markings

There are three decal options included on the sheet, all save the Irish option in bright colours, although that has orange accents to the cowlings, tip-tanks and tail.  From the box you can build one of the following:

 

• SIAI-Marchetti SF-260M Mike, N^o.20, 5^th Sqn., Basic Flying Training School, Belgian Air Component, Beauvechain, 2003
• SIAI-Marchetti SF-260AM, 70.63, Matricola Militare 54436, 70° Stormo/207° Gruppo, SVBAE – Scuola Volo Basico Avanzato Elica, Italian Air Force, Latina, 2009
• SIAI-Marchetti SF-260W Warrior, No.226, Flying Training School, Irish Air Corps, Republic of Ireland, 1993-2004

 

 

 

The decals are printed using a digital process and have good registration, sharpness, and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut loosely around the printed areas.  This means that the carrier film on their decals can be coaxed away from the printed part of the decal after they have been applied, effectively rendering them carrier film free, making the completed decals much thinner and more realistic, and obviating the need to apply successive coats of clear varnish to hide the edges of the carrier film.  It’s a great step further in realism from my point of view, and saves a good quantity of precious modelling time into the bargain.

 

 

Conclusion

A re-release of a handsome trainer that is also capable of a little light warfare.  Interesting and colourful decal options add to the appeal.

 

Highly recommended.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of