**** DONE: 1/48 Savoia Marchetti S.M.79 II - Mediterranean Theater of Operations

[al49]

Hi Jeff, I will have a look and let you know asap.
Alberto

 

[Airframes]

Nice decal sheet Jeff, and sorry I can't help with the problem.
It's really annoying when this sort of thing happens - I've just been checking over a decal sheet, from a French company, for the Mirage III, which has the same problem. Beautiful decals, with all the stencils, unit badges etc, but almost useless instructions. Those which do have placement instructions are so vague, and the printing so small and blurred on a tiny A5 sheet, they can't be read !
Hopefully someone can help, possibly Alberto.

 

[al49]

Hi Jeff,
I tell you what I found so far.
Both badge 28 and 30 refer to 36th Gruppo (Group) that used S.79 firstly as bombers, badge 28.
When on September 3 1941 they converted into torpedo, they also modified the badge, see 30.
There were four Squadriglie (Squadrons) in the Group numbered 256, 257, 258, 259 so you could use decal 257-8.
About the camou, the only picture I found is this one

I don't know if it is a reliable source, I need to check and I let you know if I find something good.
Alberto

 

[Jeff Hunt]

Alberto,

Mille grazie.

Looks like she might be a dark olive green all over with a light spray over the fuselage band.

Ciao

Jeff

 

[al49]

I found this link
http://www.decimomannuairbase.com/Order_of%20battle/order%20of%20battle.html
It's in Italian, sorry, but may be can help or confuse, because the patch on the fin of 256-1 and 257-4 is number 13 ... also a nice one.
Additionally I must apologize for a mistake: I said 36th Gruppo, instead I should have said 36th Stormo.
Generally speaking the composition of Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Airforce) was as follows, using 36th Stormo as example:

36th Stormo was divided into two Gruppi:
108th Gruppo with 256th and 257th Squadriglia
109th Gruppo with 258th and 259th Squadriglia
Alberto

 

[Jeff Hunt]

Being in Italian is not a problem, my wife is fluent having spoken Italian only for the first five years of her life, she has kept it up.

Great site,

Thanks.

Jeff

 

[Crimea_River]

Great to have our Alberto around. I'm useless for Italian markings but do know that you need to watch the placement of the fasci so they are pointed in the right direction. But don't ask me what's right!

 

[al49]

I must say that more I try to understand this matter, more I find it intriguing and ...confusing.

Comparing two of the pictures found on the Decimomannu airbase site, I came to a conclusion that the camouflage is more complicate then I expected.

May be it depends on the guy who did the drawing, but it looks like that the second image shows am aeroplane whose camou has been repainted coverind with dark paint all areas that previously were painted yellow. And this is very likely because when they changed to torpedo they needed to reduce visibility.
But as I said, it's becoming intriguing, so I keep searching.
Alberto

 

[Jeff Hunt]

I am confident that Chief of Detectives Alberto will get to the bottom of this mystery.


Cheers,

Jeff

 

[fubar57]

Here's and aircraft from the 256th Squadriglia. Caption says "end of 1942".

Looks pretty dark.

Geo

 

[fubar57]

Some nifty photos of torpedo aircraft here, some with the squadron numbers on your decal sheet...La Seconda Guerra Mondiale - I Trimotori

Geo

 

[Wurger]

 

[Airframes]

It certainly looks like a 'wash' of dark paint, probably a black, water-based 'distemper' type, has been applied over the normal camouflage.
If I could only find that magazine I mentioned, I might find more info, as I'm fairly sure there were some good profiles with full descriptions which, from memory, covered the assault on Malta, and showed the 'night' camouflage.
It's bugging me, as the magazine is probably with another I've been looking for, which has an article and profiles on the T-33/CT-33 I wanted to check, and I only had them a couple of months ago.

 

[destrozas]

the scuadrilla 256, belonged to 108 gruppo AS, based in Gerbini Sicily in summer 1943, had the typical camouflage contienente, green mimetico2 and mimetico grigio, as was or were used as bombers night the white band was covered in rough black , used brooms, mops because we all came to pass them by workshops, book "Wydawnictwo Militaria" at number 111 you will find.

ali d'italia has two very good books on this plane, I had not seen the issue until now if I had seen before you could have given more information see the interior was in VERDE ANTICORROSIONE that is similar to fs 34558, is a s kind of British sky S but according to light looks like even RLM02, here in Spain, this aircraft was in use until about the 60 so the interior and colorations information is plentiful.

 

[al49]

Hi,
about Ali d'Italia book, I have this one

but I found no pictures about planes we are talking about.

About colours, suggestions given above seems correct to me.
About brands, if we speak acrylics, I would suggest to purchase those made by Misterkit or Life Color if available in your area. In case you go for Life Color, my experience was that it must be diluted with their own thinner or water.
Life Colors offer a complete set dedicated to WW2 Italian Regia Aeronautica, see here for example

https://airbrushes.com/advanced_search_result.php?osCsid=e08ff9531dce8a053e3456ebc8487e6f&keywords=italian+aircraft+world+war+ii+today&search_in_description=1&categories_id=202&inc_subcat=1

Hope the above can help
Alberto

 

[Jeff Hunt]

I have decided to go with a machine from 278 sqdn based in Sicily in 1941. Overall giallo mimetico with verde mimetico and marrone mimetico.

Gave her a quick start with overall giallo and then tried a touch a verde on the rudder, which is dry fitted into place for the photo.

Canopy is tacked into place and will be removed after painting is complete in order to peel the masking off.

Comments and concerns before I dive right in.

I have resprayed the engine nacelles so they will be compatible. This will take some time.

Cheers,

Jeff

 

[al49]

Very good decision and very nice work so far.
At least this aeroplane is well documented

Alberto

 

[Wurger]

 

[Gnomey]

Lovely work so far Jeff!

 

[Crimea_River]

Looks good to me!