quang Posted September 9, 2023 Author Share Posted September 9, 2023 15 minutes ago, MikeA said: Good call re closing up the nose. In this specific case, beauty is truly skin deep. Remove the skin and you lose the beauty. Thanks Matt, Mike and Will for your comments. Quang LSP_Ray 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dpgsbody55 Posted September 10, 2023 Share Posted September 10, 2023 I was a little disappointed to see that the undercarriage must go on during construction of the wings, but I take your point that this method is best for this model. I'll just have to spend more time masking when I get to mine. Not a big deal, really, but fitting undercarriage after painting is definitely easier. I've always been taken with the elegance and simplicity of the C-202's design, but I like to have the option to display my models with the engine covers off. I can see me having to build a second to have it both ways simultaneously. I'm glad there appears to be a good selection of markings and paint schemes for this model, so that should help here. Enjoying your build and the discussion surrounding the model and the plane. Cheers, Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quang Posted September 10, 2023 Author Share Posted September 10, 2023 (edited) 2 hours ago, Dpgsbody55 said: I was a little disappointed to see that the undercarriage must go on during construction of the wings, but I take your point that this method is best for this model. I'll just have to spend more time masking when I get to mine. Not a big deal, really, but fitting undercarriage after painting is definitely easier. I understand that the vast majority of the modelling community will be disappointed by the u.c. fitting method much less the people at Italeri which would have discussed it at length. I myself pondered quite a bit about it (hence the earlier hiatus in the w.i.p.). My conclusion is that despite the occasional nuisance, there’s no better way to reproduce it especially if one wants to preserve the simplicity and elegance of Castoldi’s original design. 2 hours ago, Dpgsbody55 said: I've always been taken with the elegance and simplicity of the C-202's design, but I like to have the option to display my models with the engine covers off. I can see me having to build a second to have it both ways simultaneously. I'm glad there appears to be a good selection of markings and paint schemes for this model, so that should help here. Like I demonstrated earlier in the thread, you can have it both way! Since the fit is so good, the cowling panels can be displayed or removed at will. Concerning my own choice of the closed panels, the first reason is dictated by the broken gun cover part. I needed to glue it firmly in position before repairing it. Suddenly I ended with the gun covers closed! Furthermore while searching for a camouflage and a fitting colour scheme, I discovered that most of the features which differentiates one plane from another is located on … the front engine cowling . Whether it’s a pilot’s inscription (i.e. the famous Dai Banana!) or a replacement panel from another plane (which occurred frequently). So what’s the use for choosing a colour scheme if the particularities are to be hidden by removing the panels? One last reason, and perhaps the most important to me, is to show off the excellence of designer Mario Castoldi’s art. Put a Macchi C.202 Folgore and a Kawasaki KI-61 Hien side by side, both contemporary planes powered by the same DB601 engine, and you’ll see what I mean. 2 hours ago, Dpgsbody55 said: Enjoying your build and the discussion surrounding the model and the plane. No merit here, Michael. The pleasure to banter is all mine. Cheers, Quang Edited September 10, 2023 by quang mc65, Dpgsbody55, MDriskill and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alaninaustria Posted September 10, 2023 Share Posted September 10, 2023 I love the lines of the Mc202 - good call on the closed cowlings! Beautiful work so far mate! Cant wait to see some paint on her! Cheers Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quang Posted September 11, 2023 Author Share Posted September 11, 2023 IT’S CLOSING TIME! The cowling panels are now glued shut. I’m pleased to see that the nose has that characteristic slight head-down, charging bull attitude. The fit is correct (by my standards) still my habit is to secure every joint with thick, slow-drying superglue, just to make sure there’s no tiny gap left. The green paint is a visual aid during the removing of the joints. The joints are cleaned up and a surfacer coat applied to reveal the areas which need to be touched up. Once this is done, we’d restore the missing panel lines and the rest of the surface details, attach the landing flaps and the tail feathers. Talking of panel line, there is this joint at the rear of the engine which on the wartime pictures looked thicker and darker than the rest. I suspect it’s a rubber gasket of some sort, like the one @Furie discovered on his BF109-G build. What do you guys think? Please let me know because I need to be sure when I add the final details before starting the painting. Thank you all for your help. Until next time, Cheers, Quang MikeMaben, Landrotten Highlander, Greg W and 12 others 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDriskill Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 (edited) No. Commendatore Castoldi would never have permitted anything as imprecisely gauche as rubber bits hanging out of his airplane! In all seriousness, there's actually a prominent gap at the rear of the cowl, and it fully surrounds the fuselage. I suppose it helped move cooling air from all those shallow scoops on the nose. And from here aft to the firewall are panels punched full of more vents (plus the open wheel wells on early machines), so there was little point in sealing it. Real-life closeups sometimes even show interior bits visible through the gap. This is the kind of subtle touch that, IMHO, Italeri has done a good job of noticing, and including in the kit. Edited February 14 by MDriskill Uncarina, Greg W, LSP_Kevin and 5 others 6 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quang Posted September 11, 2023 Author Share Posted September 11, 2023 (edited) 55 minutes ago, MDriskill said: This is the kind of subtle touch that, IMHO, Italeri has done a good job of noticing, and including in the kit. So much for all the Italeri-bashing keyboard heroes! I also discovered that the same gap also happened on the underside joint which I industriously filled up with Milliput Thank you @MDriskill for the heads-up! Cheers, Quang Edited September 11, 2023 by quang Uncarina, Rocat, Paulpk and 3 others 4 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDriskill Posted September 11, 2023 Share Posted September 11, 2023 (edited) Thanks for the kind words; I do appreciate your tolerance for my borderline unhealthy obsession with these aircraft...! Another interesting detail seen in your Smithsonian photo is the hole in the lower cowl above - and very small gap around - the oil cooler. The cooler was permanently attached to the engine, so this clearance was needed to get the access panel on and off. Edited September 12, 2023 by MDriskill Sepp, Paulpk, Uncarina and 4 others 4 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quang Posted September 12, 2023 Author Share Posted September 12, 2023 Like they say, the devil is in the details. There are rivet counters and there are others like myself who keep seeing gaps… dennismcc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennismcc Posted September 12, 2023 Share Posted September 12, 2023 Fascinating, quite a few pointers there for us modellers, go easy on the filler.. Cheers Dennis quang 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hal9001 Posted September 12, 2023 Share Posted September 12, 2023 (edited) The gap is intentional and needed to compensate engine vibrations (or better to avoid propagating cowling vibrations), same as Ju-87 and even BF-109, it also helps to easily remove the panels for maintenance. Engine covers are phisically and visually disconnected from the rest of fuselage skin, the gap goes around the oil radiator too Edited September 12, 2023 by hal9001 Uncarina, Rocat, HB252 and 5 others 6 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quang Posted September 12, 2023 Author Share Posted September 12, 2023 12 minutes ago, hal9001 said: Engine covers are phisically and visually disconnected from the rest of fuselage skin Aah, live and learn. Gad, I LOVE this hobby! While we’re at it, what are these apparently grossly oversized rivets around the gun troughs. Are they on the real plane? Now that I know that each minute detail on this kit can hide some secret meaning, I prefer having your opinions first before proceeding. Thanks for your help Cheers, Quang HB252, mc65, scvrobeson and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hal9001 Posted September 12, 2023 Share Posted September 12, 2023 (edited) Gun ports/blast panels, I suppose were made of steel and riveted with round head rivets (too hard embossing steel for flush rivets). Italeri reproduction is oversized and "blurry", you can try to improve them("resculp" them with a beading tool or even a cutted syringe needle) or simply eliminate them, they are not so visible in reality. The gun ports were painted with a black heat resistant primer Edited September 12, 2023 by hal9001 Uncarina, Sepp, MDriskill and 3 others 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDriskill Posted September 12, 2023 Share Posted September 12, 2023 (edited) I've seen some photos where those gun trough rivets were noticeable, but others where they seem invisible. Either way, I agree they are overdone in the kit. IMHO Italeri has exaggerated round-head rivets throughout the kit in fact, I think it would help to lightly plane down the "pointy" tops off of 'em at least. Edited February 14 by MDriskill Uncarina 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quang Posted September 12, 2023 Author Share Posted September 12, 2023 I’ve come to realize that although a bit overdone, the details included by Italeri were NOT all fantasy but must have come from somewhere. Having said that, I wonder why they’d put rivets on a steel gun trough like it was a goddam battleship? Still looking for a clear view of the gun ports. Thanks @hal9001 @MDriskill for your heads-up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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