Pacific Coast Models Macchi C200 Saetta

[dennismcc]

Following on from the Re2005 I decided to build another PCM kit, so dug out the MC.200 kit as it is so much an iconic Italian subject.

The Macchi Fighters first crossed into my modelling world with a 1/72 scale C202 either Frog or Revell I cannot remember which as I was in short pants at the time so it was a while ago.

Intentionally or not the Italian WW2 aircraft come in some very interesting camouflage patterns and colours, and as in all things Italian they look to me to be very stylish.

The C200 was used by the Italian air force throughout their involvement in WW2 up to the armistice in several theatres and was the forerunner of a series of aircraft culminating in the formidable C205 one of three Series 5 aircraft, all being powered by a licence-built DB-605 engine the Fiat RC 58 Tifone 1,475hp engine.

Some C200’s soldiered on after the armistice on both sides but its heyday was over though some were retained until as late as 1947 as advanced trainers.

So as usual here is the box and its contents.

Contents first up the plastic bits

And the resin

PE I do not know what the piece of paper is about though

And the dreaded vac canopy at least there's two

Decals

Painting and decal guides

And the instructions, I will do my best not to lose these as I lost the Re2005 instructions.

My reference material

 

And away we go

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Archimedes]

Looking forward to this one Dennis!

 

Kind regards,

Paul

[dennismcc]

31 minutes ago, Archimedes said:

Looking forward to this one Dennis!

 

Kind regards,

Paul

 

Hopefully I will finish it, I started off in February but it has been slow going, I was very wary of the usual snags with these kits, maybe I should have started another more modern kit instead of another PCM build but I would like a C200 in the display cabinet.

So, the modelling mojo has not been burning brightly, but I kept doing little bits and pieces, just to keep it going but recently the pace has increased quite a bit, maybe it is just the progress that I have been making or reading other peoples build threads which I have been doing a lot of these days.

Luckily I have kept notes and taken photos all through the build so I can write a "proper" build thread.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[dennismcc]

And off we go.

Looking at the PCM markings I decided to finish it as 364 Squadron red 7 see diagram below.

A deciding factor was that I could manage a camouflage consisting of a background colour and some irregular splodges like this one that I did years ago.

The PCM information gives me the following:

Undersides Grigio Azzurro Chiarro 1.
Uppers Nocciola Chaiaro 4

Upper side patches Verde Oliva Scuro 2.

As I know very little about Italian subjects I once again asked questions over on the Stormo site.

Vince very quickly replied on the subject, he thought that the colours were correct.

Here is part of his answer to my questions with A very handy photo.

"Here's the long answer. We don't know the MM of this plane, but from the extended windscreen (the two thin rectangular glass panels aft of the windscreen), the plane is a late production machine built by Ambrosini (SAI).

C.200s and C.202s were finished in both the early Serie Mimetica colors (until stocks were used up) and the Tavola X colors.

Below two photos of C.200's finished in NC4+VOS2, the second C.200 is from the factory, an SAI machine:"

I've only attached one photo though, the full reply is here https://stormomagazine.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=1685

More Stormo threads provided even more information including these two photos of "my" subject.

More detail of Red 7

Two interesting details: 1) no coat-of-arms on the tail cross;

2) the face and rear roots of the Piaggio prop blades are finished in the blue-gray "Celeste" color (good discussion of this in the Valiant "Airframe" title on the C.202. It was a unique prop finish - not silver, or underside gray, as often assumed in older profiles).

More on this colour here

https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235064427-ww2-italian-“celeste”-prop-color/

and here

https://stormomagazine.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=549&p=3369&hilit=celeste#p3369

The main point was this thread was about a Reggiane seaplane but it contained this.

Sorry for my delay but I was not at home during the Easter holidays; the lonely mentioned in official documents light blue colour is Celeste 2 mentioned at page 384 of the manual of Breda 65 K14, to be used for the front surfaces of the propeller blades; the researcher Pierluigi Moncalvo suggests the references FS 15526 -15540, we are not sure this was the colour used by Reggiane, but is the only known official light blue; a precisation about the use of Grigio Azzurro Chiaro: at page 21 of the first issue of camouflage CMPR book (1979) (at page 40 of the new issue) there is reported a document dated March 20th 1941 in which it is declared that the Grigio Azzurro Chiaro was already in use (già in uso).
Hoping this can help
Riccardo

Also from Stormo

 

"two other aspects of this aircraft that make it interesting is how far aft the white fuselage band is, this is not the norm.

Also, how the unit insignia's placement on the white band differs between port and starboard sides. I think I see an over painted aircraft number below the 7 on the starboard."

The above came from the thread shown below.

https://stormomagazine.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=1520&p=9514&hilit=364+7#p9514

The responses from the threads on Stormo should be credited to;

Vince (Editor), Kippenham, and MDriskill

With a big thank you from me.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

 

[dennismcc]

Moving swiftly on, the masterplan:

Detail painting

1. Cockpit colour: Verde Anticorrosione, using the Humbrol Starmer mix, FS34272 using H78 and H34 (50/50)
2. Wheel wells as above.
3. Undercarriage oleos (legs) aluminium or underside colour.
4 Inside of the undercarriage covers Verde Anticorrosione.

 

Model Paints, I still prefer enamels

Uppers: Nocciola Chaiaro 4, Light Hazel 4, FS30219

Humbrol 118, Matt US Tan

Sovereign Colourcoats ACRA10 Nocciola Chiaro.

Xtracolor X102 FS10219 Tan Vietnam.

Model Master Enamel MM1742 Dark Tan FS30219.

 

Upper Blotches Verde Oliva Scuro 2, FS35402

Humbrol 091 Matt Black Green.

Sovereign Colourcoats ACRA 09 Verde Oliva Scuro.

Xtracolor X109 FS14052 Marine Corps Green.

 

Undersides Grigio Azzurro Chiarro 1, FS16307

Humbrol 141 Light Sea Grey.

Sovereign Colourcoats ACRA 15.

Xtracolor X134 FS16307 Grey.

Model Master Enamel MM1726 Light Sea Grey.

Other

Prop blades. Xtracolor X602 Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker Pale Blue FS35466.

 

Markings

I will use the kit decals apart from the national insignia for that I will use Montex masks meant for the C202.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

[Steve Eagle]

I built this kit shortly after it was released. I still think the results were worth my effort on it.  Take your time and you too will be rewarded. 
I did this the last scheme on the sheet that shows possible color schemes. Difficult, but  really a cool scheme. 

[dennismcc]

As usual I started by cutting off the kit parts from their sprues and cleaning them up, and as I have found this takes some time with PCM kits.

And as with other PCM kits this one is a mite clunky.

Below, this wont work!

 

The resin parts were washed in warm soapy water using a strainer, and then left to dry.

First up was the forward fuselage bulkhead and wing spar, this was sanded until it fit inside the taped-up fuselage halves.

Then I attempted to link up the bulkhead and the resin nose piece using the 4-part framework. This did not go well as trying to get the bulkhead and the nose circle to both fit and be in proper alignment with each other was next to impossible. So, I decide to fit them separately, with the framework attached to the wing spar bulkhead only.

Cockpit, wheel wells and other internal parts painting then started, for this I initially used Humbrol 120 which is my usual RAF cockpit colour, but it was too dark.

I was just being lazy as my two tins of Mike Starmer Verde Anticorrosione mix had dried up and I could not be bothered mixing more.

But I went back to the Starmer Humbrol mix 50/50 Humbrol 78 and Humbrol 34 and repainted everything.

Next up was all the parts that needed polished aluminium, for this I used Humbrol Metalcote paint, Polished Aluminium.

These included the main gear and tail wheel legs, seat, control column as well as smaller parts.

As this turned out very shiny, I repainted some parts with Xtracolor Oily Steel X503, but looking at real photos the main gear legs were repainted GAC, for this I used Testors 1726 Light sea grey FS36307 to match the undersides.

I used my Molotov pen for the chrome parts.

The engine cylinders were painted with Humbrol 201 Metallic Black and the crankcases were painted with Humbrol US medium grey H126.

For main wheels I had a choice, the kit wheels, CMK G50 wheels, or SEM Model wheels for the C200, C202 and C205.

I had all these because of the tiny wheels on the 21st Century Toys C202 and C205 kits, so as usual I went a bit overboard buying various replacements for the kits in the stash.

The wheels were cleaned up and the tyres painted with Humbrol H67 Matt tank grey, and the front runner seems to be the CMK ones.

The hubs will be either aluminium or as with the gear legs Testors 1726, to me the WW2 photos were not very clear on this.

In the end they were painted with the underside colour using the Testors paint.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[dennismcc]

As usual the exhaust was painted with Humbrol H113 Matt Rust and given a good rubbing down with pencil lead to give a nice metallic rust look, though I did toy with the idea of a metallic finish, not the greatest photo but you get the idea.

The kit came with a plastic IP and a film and etch one, the latter did not look very convincing so I went old school and used a combination of MDC and Airscale instrument dials to dress up the plastic IP.

I was guided by a photo of a C200 panel but as I did not have any Italian flight instruments so I just used whatever looked the part, I would not like to try flying it though.

Cutting the casting blocks off the engine cylinders was a slight problem as I had just had a new thumb joint.

But I had this handy vice to help me.

Once this was done engine assembly was next, the base of the individual cylinders needed a little sanding to fit in the holes in the crankcase but in no time at all it was all done and it looked good.

I think that I amy add some pushrod tubes to make it a bit more realistic

The completed engine also fitted nicely inside the engine cowling, I just need to drill a hole in the back of the crankcase so that I can attach it to the fuselage. As the resin crankcase is not 100% round finding the centre will be fun.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Shoggz]

Good stuff Dennis. Not an airframe I’m particularly familiar with (Italian aircraft are a bit of gap in my portfolio!), but I’m following this build, so hopefully I’ll learn!

[ROM]

Hello Dennis!

happy to see you building another PCM Italian kit

 

[LSP_Kevin]

Great stuff, Dennis!

 

Kev

[mozart]

Lovely stuff Dennis, it’s great to see this one moving along and, as a “PCM specialist” I don’t doubt it will be up to your usual very high standard. 

[Dpgsbody55]

 

Nice work so far Dennis.  Sorry to see the injured thumb.  I've found out for myself a while ago how these type of things slow you down.  Hope it heals well soon.

 

I like these Italian planes, but missed buying the PCM kit as they'd gone out of business before I heard of them.  Don't remember seeing them on the shelves of local hobby stores in those days and before I joined this forum.  It's good to see in recent years the release of some WW2 planes that are not as well known as Spitfires, Mustangs and 109's. This kit looks both challenging and well detailed with a mix of media helping out.  Italeri are supposed to be releasing one this year and I have that on back order at Hannants who will get it long before any of the local shops.  Your build may well provide me with inspiration for that when I get around to it.

 

 

Cheers,

Michael

[Biggles87]

Another PCM kit I’ve missed out on too, I’ll just have to wait for the Italeri release.

Great progress so far, don’t get carried away and get your new thumb in the vice!

 

John

 

[MikeMaben]

Yeah you'll have a lot of fun with this one Dennis. I did abuncha thinning of all the trailing edges,

that kit engine mount was worthless. One detail missed on the few of these I've seen built is that

the leading edge of the wings have a fairly sharp radius. I only noticed it when I saw this picture ...

 

It's evident by those white triangles.

Lottsa elbow grease but you likely know all about that.

Have fun.