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Savoia Marchetti SM55 1-72 scale

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  • Neil Merryweather
    SMF Supporters
    • Dec 2018
    • 5199
    • London

    #1

    Savoia Marchetti SM55 1-72 scale

    Well I finally finished it, and it only took me 3 years!

    This was a favour for a work colleague, whose husband's grandfather flew the plane in 1933, on a famous transatlantic crossing from Orbetello in Italy to the World Fair in Chicago.
    The leader of the expedition , which was made up of 24 Aircraft, was Italo Balbo ,the chief of the Italian Air Force, and this is the event that gave rise to the term 'Balbo', meaning a mass flypast.

    The kit itself was by Delta, long out of production. It was an e-bay purchase which had already been half started and sprayed, so I had quite a bit of remedial work to do before getting anywhere. I blogged the build on Military Modelling, it was my first ever blog, but I wanted my colleague to understand what she had asked of me, and to know that progress was being made,however slowly.... it also helped to keep me focused as the encouragement was fantastic.
    I spent a lot of time wrestling with detail in the cockpit ,using an etched set that the husband had found, and of course you can't see ANY of it!
    Still, he knows it's there because it was in the blog.
    I am particularly pleased with the rigging, which I was dreading. I found some rubber stuff 0.2mm thick made by MIG and it worked like a dream!

    So this is the specific plane flown by Capitano Luigi Questa in 1933


    [ATTACH]324769[/ATTACH]
    [ATTACH]324770[/ATTACH]
    [ATTACH]324771[/ATTACH][ATTACH]324772[/ATTACH][ATTACH]324773[/ATTACH][ATTACH]324774[/ATTACH][ATTACH]324775[/ATTACH][ATTACH]324776[/ATTACH][ATTACH]324777[/ATTACH]
    Attached Files
  • rtfoe
    SMF Supporters
    • Apr 2018
    • 9099

    #2
    Finally got to see it and a mighty nice build it turned out to be. Can't tell that it went through some very trying steps during the construction. Well done Neil. :thumb2: Your colleague is now one proud owner.

    Cheers,
    Richard

    Comment

    • Guest

      #3
      That is beautiful Neil. So glad to see this again and with such a wonderful finish.

      Comment

      • Tim Marlow
        SMF Supporters
        • Apr 2018
        • 18931
        • Tim
        • Somerset UK

        #4
        Great to see this finished. Jazz age lines shown to perfection.....
        Now you’ve wrestled this to submission I expect someone will bring out a modern one in plastic

        Comment

        • Neil Merryweather
          SMF Supporters
          • Dec 2018
          • 5199
          • London

          #5
          Thanks guys
          very nice to see the old familiar names again

          Comment

          • scottie3158
            SMF Supporters
            • Apr 2018
            • 14220
            • Paul
            • Holbeach

            #6
            Neil,
            I remember watching the build and the result was well worth waiting for. very nicely done.

            Comment

            • minitnkr
              Charter Rabble member
              • Apr 2018
              • 7551
              • Paul
              • Dayton, OH USA

              #7
              Great result on a tough build. PaulE

              Comment

              • Guest

                #8
                That's a cracker. Really nice.
                Crazy machine, though

                Comment

                • Andy Belsey
                  • Apr 2018
                  • 887

                  #9
                  Beautiful Neil! I’m so glad to see it complete and can remember some of the trials that it caused you. You should be delighted with this.
                  Andy

                  Comment

                  • JR
                    • May 2015
                    • 18273

                    #10
                    Neil.
                    Hi mate, good to see this finished and looking so top rate .
                    I remember there being trouble with the cockpit frame ? Love the paint job, bet your both thrilled and relieved.
                    John.

                    Comment

                    • johnm93
                      SMF Supporters
                      • May 2016
                      • 71

                      #11
                      Originally posted by Neil Merryweather
                      Well I finally finished it, and it only took me 3 years!

                      This was a favour for a work colleague, whose husband's grandfather flew the plane in 1933, on a famous transatlantic crossing from Orbetello in Italy to the World Fair in Chicago.
                      The leader of the expedition , which was made up of 24 Aircraft, was Italo Balbo ,the chief of the Italian Air Force, and this is the event that gave rise to the term 'Balbo', meaning a mass flypast.

                      The kit itself was by Delta, long out of production. It was an e-bay purchase which had already been half started and sprayed, so I had quite a bit of remedial work to do before getting anywhere. I blogged the build on Military Modelling, it was my first ever blog, but I wanted my colleague to understand what she had asked of me, and to know that progress was being made,however slowly.... it also helped to keep me focused as the encouragement was fantastic.
                      I spent a lot of time wrestling with detail in the cockpit ,using an etched set that the husband had found, and of course you can't see ANY of it!
                      Still, he knows it's there because it was in the blog.
                      I am particularly pleased with the rigging, which I was dreading. I found some rubber stuff 0.2mm thick made by MIG and it worked like a dream!

                      So this is the specific plane flown by Capitano Luigi Questa in 1933


                      [ATTACH]324769[/ATTACH]
                      [ATTACH]324770[/ATTACH]
                      [ATTACH]324771[/ATTACH][ATTACH]324772[/ATTACH][ATTACH]324773[/ATTACH][ATTACH]324774[/ATTACH][ATTACH]324775[/ATTACH][ATTACH]324776[/ATTACH][ATTACH]324777[/ATTACH]
                      That's fantastic - how long did the original flight take...?

                      Comment

                      • Mini Me
                        SMF Supporters
                        • Jun 2018
                        • 10711

                        #12
                        Outstanding float plane. Would liked to have seen this one in progress.
                        Cheers, Rick H.

                        Comment

                        • Neil Merryweather
                          SMF Supporters
                          • Dec 2018
                          • 5199
                          • London

                          #13
                          Thanks fellas!
                          Although I had a lot of issues to solve on this I found the whole thing very enjoyable (mostly.....).
                          It took so long that I am pretty sure I would have given up through boredom or something more interesting coming along, if it wasn't for the discipline of keeping the blog going and the encouragement I received from you guys.

                          Johnm93, the flight took 49 hours 2 minutes flying time over 15 days, according to Questa's log book.
                          the route was ;
                          Orbetello,Amsterdam, Londonderry,Reykjavik(they seem to have stayed here about a week for some reason) Cartwright,Shediac,Montreal, Chicago
                          [ATTACH]324909[/ATTACH]
                          Attached Files

                          Comment

                          • Dave Ward
                            SMF Supporters
                            • Apr 2018
                            • 10549

                            #14
                            Neil,
                            fantastic job, on a brute of a model, again we have no modern kit of a production aircraft, but loads of what if?, non-existent planes!
                            Dave

                            Comment

                            • papa 695
                              Moderator
                              • May 2011
                              • 22771

                              #15
                              Missed this one totally Neil. Great work indeed.
                              Thanks to Dave Ward for pointing this one out to me.

                              Comment

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