discussion ICM 1/32 Fiat CR.42 Falco

[yak face]

These aircraft all seem to have had a really flat finish, not the more satin finish of British and German aircraft. The only really flat varnish I had was the W&N Galleria flat varnish (which really is matt, unlike some I could mention) but that looks a bit the worse for wear, having sat in a cupboard for a long time. I've decided not to risk it and will continue in a couple of days when a new bottle arrives!

Good idea steve , the galeria can go a bit funny after a while . I got a big ( 250ml) bottle thinking i was being economical but it went funny, with lots of tiny white flecks in it that didnt go away with stirring . These flecks either blocked up the airbrush or if they went through left white spots on the model . Needless to say I dont use it anymore . I might try and get a bit of muslin and see if i can strain them out .

 

[BarryW]

Steve the AK Ultra Matt would be ideal but shake the life out of it before spraying!

 

[stona]

Good idea steve , the galeria can go a bit funny after a while . I got a big ( 250ml) bottle thinking i was being economical but it went funny, with lots of tiny white flecks in it that didnt go away with stirring . These flecks either blocked up the airbrush or if they went through left white spots on the model . Needless to say I dont use it anymore . I might try and get a bit of muslin and see if i can strain them out .

Tony, that's sounds like this one. It looks vaguely separated and the matting agent (those white flecks) does not seem to be reincorporating into the medium properly. I've shaken and stirred the bejasus out of it, James Bond would be proud, but I'm not convinced that it is okay. As I said, I'm not going to risk it.

 

[stona]

Steve the AK Ultra Matt would be ideal but shake the life out of it before spraying!

It's rare that I want a really matt surface, so I don't mind using varnishes which are not quite as matt as they say on the bottle. I've had 'matt' Xtracrylix dry to a distinctly satin finish, no matter how well mixed it is. You also need to apply light coats or it loses its flatness.

The Winsor and Newton one really is matt and I've found it sprays and cleans up very nicely. To be fair to W&N, that bottle has been stored in a cupboard subject to a wide range of temperatures for a long time, I can't remember when I last used it, but years. It is not unreasonable that it has deteriorated.

 

[stona]

More progress.

I've got the varnish done with the desired flat result. I've also attached the wing. There are a few more struts to go and a few bits of rigging and then it will just be a matter of adding the final touches (a bit of weathering, though apparently most of the aircraft delivered to Belgium were brand spanking new, propeller, guns, lights, etc.)



I'll probably leave this thread here, except to add a link to a completed thread when the model is indeed complete.

 

[adt70hk]

Steve

That looks really good indeed.

Hats off to you for the camo job especially. That really has come out very well indeed.

ATB.

Andrew

 

[BarryW]

How did the alignment and fixing of the top wing go Steve?

 

[Tim Marlow]

Looking good Steve. Surprising how yellow the camouflage is isn’t it. Great for the dry areas of Southern Italy and the Med, but not so effective for Northern Europe!

 

[stona]

How did the alignment and fixing of the top wing go Steve?

Not bad at all. The fit is very good. I started by attaching the struts that attach the wing to the fuselage to the wing, in two stages, keeping the lower end in position on the fuselage with tape. Once that was all set I realised there was enough play in the outboard struts to fit them with the top wing attached to the fuselage so I glued it on (there are six good attachments to the fuselage) and continued with the struts. I remembered to do the rigging wires before the last, most outboard, set of struts! It would be a right pain to do at the end.
I reckon if I was going to start building loads of biplanes I might bodge together some kind of jig to hold the wings, I did tend to run out of hands from time to time.

 

[stona]

Looking good Steve. Surprising how yellow the camouflage is isn’t it. Great for the dry areas of Southern Italy and the Med, but not so effective for Northern Europe!

The British certainly agreed. They thought that it was basically a tropical camouflage scheme when they examined the aircraft deposited across East Anglia by the Italians.

 

[stona]

I'll just add a final 'under construction' picture showing all the struts in place.

 

[minitnkr]

Just beautiful.

 

[Guest]

The British certainly agreed. They thought that it was basically a tropical camouflage scheme when they examined the aircraft deposited across East Anglia by the Italians.

ISTR the Italian Air Force later reversed the colours, when their aircraft were operating over the Italian mainland, so that it went from yellow with dark areas to dark with yellow areas, and was much more effective there. Seems odd nobody thought of this before despatching aircraft to operate over the UK …

 

[Tim Marlow]

Might be that this camouflage is the factory finish specification and these were new issued aircraft?

 

[yak face]

Superb build steve , cant wait to see the finished ‘ walkaround’
Cheers tony

 

[Guest]

Might be that this camouflage is the factory finish specification and these were new issued aircraft?

I’m not an expert but I think so. Still I find it odd that they didn’t bother rethinking their camouflage when sending planes to operate in an area that hadn’t previously been considered.

 

[stona]

I’m not an expert but I think so. Still I find it odd that they didn’t bother rethinking their camouflage when sending planes to operate in an area that hadn’t previously been considered.

I think that it was a political rather than military gesture by the Italians, done quickly and not properly thought through at all. The results speak for themselves!

Any way, I've got the little biplane finished, a completed thread can be found here:

ICM 1/33 Fiat C.R.42 'FALCO' - COMPLETE. | Scale Models Forums (scale-models.co.uk)

 

[Jim R]

Hi Steve
That is a fine model. The camo is certainly well done and looks great regardless of how effective it might have actually been.
Jim