**** DONE: GB-36 1/48 Macchi C.202 Folgore - Axis Manufactured Aircraft of WWII

[turbo]

Thanks very much guys. Small update, progress has been very slow because...erm...sorry Andy and Terry...I've been at the beach!

As we left it, the fuselage halves had been joined. My method is to add a good amount of glue (either Contacta or Tamiya Extra Thin, depending on the situation) to either surface, give it about 30s to melt the plastic, and then press the surfaces together so that a small amount of molten plastic squeezes out of the seam.

Once set, the protruding plastic is removed with the back of an X-acto blade and the surface tidied up with some sanding. Et voila, no more seams!

Swell's flat so maybe I'll get a start on the engine plug...

 

[vikingBerserker]

That cockpit alone is a model, nicely done!

 

[Wurger]

 

[Crimea_River]

Looking good Kirby

 

[parsifal]

Great work Kirby

 

[Airframes]

Good stuff Kirby.

 

[Gnomey]

Lovely work so far!

 

[JKim]

Nice work Kirby! The best filler is no filler!

 

[Wayne Little]

Good stuff...

 

[turbo]

Thanks very much guys. Been on holidays with the family and the surf has been good so not too much modelling has been happening!

Anyway, found some time so decided to do a bit of work on the oil cooler and radiator. Below are a couple of reference photos of the radiator courtesy of Geo's Veltro build thread.

Predictably, Eduard has provided PE for the coolers, so the first step was to sand off Hasegawa's moulded detail.

At this point I was faced with a choice. The instructions call out the grilles in aluminium so the easiest way to do this would be to paint the backing plastic black and then paint the PE grilles aluminium and install them. However, I find this a bit stark. I think a more realistic weathered finish can be achieved by installing the PE, black-basing the whole assembly and then drybrushing the grilles. So, the next step was to install the PE grilles, which was a 3-layered affair. The side detail and brace at the rear of the radiator housing and door at the rear of the oil cooler housing were also installed at this point.

A word to the wise for anybody building this kit, the fit of the PE was not perfect and a bit of test-fitting and sanding was required to make sure the PE would not impinge on the housings once fitted.

Anyway, once that was satisfactory the whole lot was black-based, including the resin engine plug, but more on that later...

The grilles were then drybrushed aluminium. I should have also photographed these on my cutting mat as the contrast is poor here, but not a bad likeness to the top reference picture I think.

Starting to get sick of the sight of PE and about to get sick of the sight of resin...

 

[fubar57]

Beauty. Any idea what that bump is in front of radiator. I haven't found anything yet

 

[Crimea_River]

De-icer spray?

Looks really good Kirby.

 

[Airframes]

Looks the biz.

 

[JKim]

The PE stuff can be a bugger but I really like how the grills turned out. What kind of paint do you use when drybrushing the aluminum? Interested to see how the engine plug goes... sounds a bit ominous!

 

[Wurger]

 

[turbo]

Thanks guys!

Beauty. Any idea what that bump is in front of radiator. I haven't found anything yet

I think Andy might be right Geo, my best guess is a de-icer spray. The earlier Serie Folgores had what is unambiguously a de-icer spray (part A9).

The later Series did not have this, however, which I presume may have been replaced by the bump. This would have then been carried over into the Veltro design. The instructions do not ask you to remove the bump (just to the left of the "C1") for the earlier Series options, although this may be an oversight or considered not important enough to include.

What kind of paint do you use when drybrushing the aluminum? Interested to see how the engine plug goes... sounds a bit ominous!

I use Humbrol enamel aluminium John. I prefer to drybrush with enamels due to the slower drying time. The engine plug has 8 additional resin hoses and structural features and a bunch of PE that needs to be fitted and it is all small!

 

[fubar57]

The part A-9 is the venturi tube, something I found out about an hour or so ago. It's also on the very early 205s as seen below and then moved to the right side. You guys are probably right about the de-icing.

 

[turbo]

Ahh, that makes more sense. Just noticed the venturi on the starboard fuse for the later Series options.

 

[parsifal]

Just fantastic Kirby.

 

[Wayne Little]

real good Kirby.