Special Hobby 1/32 Fiat G.50-II 'Freccia'.

[Steve-the-Duck]

So, just checked my photos from Vigna de Valle, and there's no G.50 there. Wonder if the Finns still have one...?

Oh yeah, not getting copied into the memo? Italian aircraft designers were laws unto themselves. Don't get me started!

[stona]

Wow!
Thanks very much.
Those are very helpful indeed.
I've been wondering about that green colour in the cockpit. There seem to be many opinions about it. I like that representation of it. I am sure I can get something close by adjusting the British interior green colour a bit. It's not a million miles away to start with.

Overall the cockpit looks old fashioned for its time, even a little bit Jules Verne :smiling3:

[stona]

I've decided the green is somewhere between the British colour (too grey), the US interior green (very close but a bit dark), and the US version of zinc chromate green (much too dark).

In a further display of my ignorance of Italian aircraft construction I'm supposing that the colour is in fact some form of tinted zinc chromate primer; it certainly looks like it.

I'm waiting for some generic cockpit decals to arrive as the spares are not up to the job, so plenty of time to spray a few tests and find one I like.

[Steve-the-Duck]

Ah yes, Verde Anticorrosione, it's called. Which is basically 'anti-corrosion green', or aluminium primer - I've seen three completely different colours sold in different ranges. Which is about par, but also apparently accurate

One of my sets of books quotes paint matches to Humbrol and FS numbers. I'm always chary when 'Those dreaded FS numbers' are banded about, but the books are by Italians so you'd hope they know what they're talking about... Pauses for consideration...
Here's what they say:

'This light green primer was used to protect any internal metal part not destined to be camouflaged, in particular when not visible from outside. For some aesthetical reasons some internal parts visible from outside could be sometimes painted light grey, as used for the lower surfaces. Being a protective paint, and not intended as an external finish, its colour was not important, actually depending upon actual elements used in its chemical formation (zinc-chromate, strontium-chromate and others). Consequently many different versions existed and the colour matches suggested here are just some of the more frequently observed, ranging from FS34227 for new paint to FS34449 of much faded and very oxidised hues (respectively matched Humbrol 120 (good) to Humbrol 23 (poor))

In other words, do what looks good to you, but my advice would be more greenish than yellowish

[Steve-the-Duck]

Wait, there's more - even after that 'wall-o-text'
There is a chocolate brown and a medium blue for different internal piping, but, strictly speaking these are later 'Tavola 10' colours, 1941 on

[stillp]

So, just checked my photos from Vigna de Valle, and there's no G.50 there. Wonder if the Finns still have one...?

There's one in Belgrade, but no useful photos. https://en.difesaonline.it/evidenza/...ne-di-belgrado
Pete

[stona]

There's one in Belgrade, but no useful photos. https://en.difesaonline.it/evidenza/...ne-di-belgrado
Pete

I'm hoping mine will look a little more complete than that one :smiling3:

I have made a start, priming and painting parts before I begin assembly. The moulding is certainly not bad, but there was quite a bit of clean up to do.

It's not much to look at!



In other news, I've spent hours liberating the resin engine parts from their casting blocks and cleaning them up. This is the current state of he engine.



I'll clean the bottom of those cylinders after I've painted them as it will make them easier to fix to the engine block.

I've also cut the back of the fuselage off both halves. It has to be replaced with different parts which are on one of the sprues. I have no idea if this is a correction or something applicable to this version of the aircraft, but it's a bit nerve racking. The last time I cut the arse-end off a model was to replace almost the entire empennage of a Spitfire with that appropriate for the floatplane version, and that put the wind up me!

I'm off to record some 'human' (the human being me) drum tracks for daughter number one's fella this afternoon, so that's it for today.

[Steve-the-Duck]

Got a pic of an uncowled engine under maintenance I'll post soonest

[stona]

Got a pic of an uncowled engine under maintenance I'll post soonest

Thank you!

[adt70hk]

Coming on nicely Steve.

ATB.

Andrew

[Steve-the-Duck]

Here you go

[Steve-the-Duck]

Just managed, after years hunting, to find the Ali d'Italia G.50 book - I'm not sure my Polish one isn't a translation but we'll see when it turns up. The cockpit painting I posted here is very similar to others in the Al' d'Italia series.
We'll see if there are more pics of use to you, Steve

[stona]

Thanks again.

Those cylinders look very dark. I feel an adjustment coming on!

[stona]

I made a start on the engine before breaking what turns out to be my only 0.3 mm drill bit, meaning I'll have to stop until a replacement turns up, probably tomorrow.

Decals for the IP are still in transit, so I'm flying a holding pattern at the moment.

I've got plenty of bits to prep, I might even paint the wheels!

[yak face]

Thanks again.

Those cylinders look very dark. I feel an adjustment coming on!

If you need reference for the engine steve , its the same as fitted to the fiat cr42 . Theres plenty of pics of cr42 engines and they all show the cylinders painted black , sometimes the cylinder heads are silver sometimes black with the pushrod tubes always silver . The crankcase and gearbox housing are grey . Hope this helps ,
Regards
C. Rosatelli