Build Progress Reports Will Be Continuously Posted Here, Photos Of The Built Model Will Be In A Separate Posting
The
Aeronautica Umbra Trojani 18 (Aeronautica Umbra T.18 or
AUT.18) designed by
Felice Trojani (1897-1971) in 1934 was a very modern all-metal stressed-skin fighter aircraft design predating its direct competator the
Aeronautica Macchi C.200 by near a year the sole prototype
M.M.363 first flying on April 22, 1939 near year and half after the C.200 subsequent flight trials proving disappointing. Returned to the Aeronautica Umbra factory at Foligno, Perugia Italy on Ferbuary 20, 1940 for modifications a second flight test series commenced on November 5th no improvements demonstrated over newer fighters already in production ala C.200 all further development subsequently abandoned.
The 1/72 scale 2004-vintage
BroPlan of Poland MS-86 & MS-88 vacuform kits with injected styrene plastic parts featuring different engines & cowlings are the only ones of the AUT.18, total no-brainers I'd have to build them, appreciating they're third & fourth vacuform model kit builds of mine in 38 years thought it be of interest to folks here on Beyond The Sprues (builds commenced on September 29, 2020 continuing on from October 6th):
October 6, 2020- > All puttied glue joins of fuselage-mainwing assembled units extensively shape & finish-sanded; much spot puttying & sanding necessary; tedious & laborious work, satisfactory results.
- > Tailplanes glued in place on fuselages, OK results; build progress to date:
October 7, 2020- > Engine cowling parts for both model builds assembled, interiors spray painted Humbrol 78 Matt Cockpit Green + Testors Flat White 50/50 mix + 36% Flat White shading enamels replicating Verde Anticorrosione, OK results.
- > Styrene injected-plastic cowling rings, engine carburator ram air scoops cut-separated from sprues & vacuform cowling parts all required extensive knife & sand-shaping work, some glue seam fill puttying & sanding necessary for all well.
- > All injected-plastic landing gear well cover parts cut-separated from sprues, extensively knife & sand shaped, interior sides sprayed Verde Anticorrosione, OK results.
- > All injected-plastic FIAT A.80 radial engine parts cut-separately from sprues, extensively knife-shaped, crankcases spray painted Testors Model Master 2105 Dark Blue Gray, engine cylinders Testors Flat Black & White "special mix", OK results.
- > All landing gear assembly parts including mainwing wheels, engine exhaust pipes et. al. parts cut-separated from sprues & extensively knife-shaped (loads of flash), preped ready for painting.
October 8, 2020- > One largely assembled model, one landing gear cover parts set, BroPlan MS-86 AUT.18 pre-modification engine cowling assembly spray painted Testors Flat Aluminum enamel, good results.
October 9, 2020- > BroPlan MS-86 AUT.18 pre-modification build fuselage engine mount too wide, sliced it completely off, oval base x-y-z axis filed & sand-shaped, thick styrene sheet plastic cut & sand-shaped to fit over oval base, glued in place, OK results.
- > Painted FIAT A.80 engine assembly test fitted on sheet plastic base, some x-y-z axis sand-shaping necessary, engine then glued on, OK results,
- > Pre-modification engine cowling assembly test fitted over engine several times, OK results.
- > Kits lacked parts attaching engine cowling to fuselage nose, fabricated triangular attachment part from thick styrene sheet plastic, glued it on fuselage nose centerline, x-y-z axis test fitted cowling over it, some part trimming necessary, cowling then glued in place over it, OK results.
- > Kit Pitot tube parts nothing more than circular shafts, generic Pitot tube units fabricated from thin styrene sheet plastic & nylon fishing line, glued on circular shaft ends, OK results.
- > Holes drilled in mainwing leading edges near tips for Pitot tubes, navigation lights on tip masked-off, spray-painted Testors Flat Green & Model Master Insignia Red enamels, good results.
- > All landing gear assembly parts excluding mainwing wheels & engine exhaust pipe parts, one set of Pitot tubes, spray-painted Testors Flat Aluminum enamel, OK results.
- > One hole drilled in ends of all engine exhaust pipe parts, those for pre-modification build glued on vental cowling assembly, hand-painted Testors Flat Rust & Steel enamels spot-mix, OK results.
- > Mainwing landing gear wheels spray-painted Testors Flat Black, White Rubber "special mix" enamels, set aside for later detail painting.
October 10, 2020- > Period photos of AUT.18 show presumed formed sheet steel mainwing leading edges extending aft & outwards some distance of fuselage-mainwing roots, area masked-off, sprayed painted Testors Flat Steel enamel, OK results.
- > All BroPlan MS-86 AUT.18 pre-modification kit decals affixed to model build fuselage (non on mainwings), good results.
- > All propellers fully painted, Testors Flat Aluminum blade topsides & shaft, Testors Flat Black & White "special mix" enamels blade undersides, OK results.
- > All mainwing landing gear wheel hubs & one tail wheel part detail hand-painted Flat Aluminum, mainwing wheels glued on oleo struts, OK results.
- > Holes drilled in BroPlan MS-86 AUT.18 pre-modification mainwing wheel wells for mounting oleo strut assemblies & aft bracing struts all struts then glued in place, x-y-z axis alignments tricky aft bracking struts in particular, OK results, heart-stopping moments at times however.
- > Fully painted BroPlan MS-86 AUT.18 pre-modification mainwing outer landing gear wheel well covers glued on oleo strut assemblies, cut styrene sheet plastic spacers needed at contact points, x-y-z axis alignments tricky, inner wheel well covers then glued in place adjacent to fuselage centerline, OK results, heart-stopping moments at times however.
- > Fully painted tailwheel & well cover parts glued in place, OK results.
- > Pitot tubes glued in place in holes drilled in mainwing leading edges, tube ends hand-painted "special mix", OK results.
- > One fully painted propeller glued in place on engine, good x-y-z axis alignments, OK results.
BroPlan MS-86 AUT.18 Pre-Modification Model Complete, See Post BelowOctober 11, 2020- > BroPlan MS-88 AUT.18 post-modification build fuselage engine mount completely sliced off, flat & level base for mounting engine fabricated later.
- > Largely assembled model uppersides & wrap-around mainwing & tailplane leading edges base spray painted Humbrol 63 Matt Sand + 10% Testors Flat Yellow + 36% Flat White shading replicating Giallo Mimetico 3, OK results.
October 12, 2020- > All BroPlan MS-88 AUT.18 post-modification build uppersides & wrap-around mainwing & tailplane leading edges well as entire engine cowling spray painted Humbrol 117 Matt U.S. Light Green Humbrol replicating Verde Mimetico 3, Testors Model Master 2009 British Crimson & Humbrol 118 Matt US Tan 80/20 mix replicating Marrone Mimetico 2 each with 36% Testors Flat White shading enamel mottles per CMPR/GAVS Schema C1, good results, set model aside to dry:
October 13, 2020- > All BroPlan MS-88 AUT.18 post-modification build undersides masked-off, landing gear well cover part outsides, spray painted Humbrol 140 Matt Gull Grey + 36% Testors Flat White shading enamels replicating Gigorio Mimetico, good results.
October 14, 2020- > Period photos of AUT.18 show presumed formed sheet steel mainwing leading edges extending aft & outwards some distance of fuselage-mainwing roots, BroPlan MS-86 pre-modification model's painted Testors Flat Aluminum, MS-88 post-modification model's spot-mix spray painted Testors Flat Black & White "special mix" shaded dark grey with Flat White & Testors Flat Steel speculatively per period photos, OK results.
- > Holes drilled in mainwing leading edges near tips for Pitot tubes, navigation lights on tip masked-off, spray-painted Testors Flat Green & Model Master Insignia Red enamels, good results.
- > Painted FIAT A.80 engine assembly test fitted direct on BroPlan MS-88 AUT.18 post-modification fuselage mounting, some x-y-z axis sand-shaping necessary, OK results.
- > Engine assembly test fitted in AUT.18 post-modification engine cowling assembly, cylinder heads too tall, much sanding necessary getting them lower, last test fit OK.
- > Remaining engine exhaust pipes glued on vental engine cowling assembly, hand-painted Testors Flat Rust & Steel enamels spot-mix, OK results.
- > Engine assembly glued on fuselage mount, good x-y-z axis alignment, cowling assembly glued over upper front cylinder head bank, good x-y-z axis alignment, OK results.
- > All BroPlan MS-88 AUT.18 post-modification kit decals affixed to model build fuselage & mainwings, good results.
- > Holes drilled in AUT.18 post-modification mainwing wheel wells for mounting oleo strut assemblies & aft bracing struts all then glued in place, good x-y-z axis alignments, OK results.
- > Remaining fuselage tail wheel part detail painted Testors Flat Black, White, Rubber "special mix", glued in place, fully painted wheel well covers then glued in place, OK results.
- > Fully painted AUT.18 post-modification mainwing outer landing gear wheel well covers glued on oleo strut assemblies, cut styrene sheet plastic spacers needed at contact points, good x-y-z axis alignments, inner wheel well covers then glued in place adjacent to fuselage centerline, OK results.
October 15, 2020- > AUT.18 pre & post-modification period photos strongly suggest propeller blades were "natural metal", post-modification propeller spinner possibly as well, lacking definative information to the contrary sprayed painted it Testors Flat Aluminum enamel, glued it on cut styrene plastic spacer stake over propeller hub, LF/KORA 72-202 FIAT decal logos affixed on blades per period photos, OK results.
- > Pitot tubes base spray painted Humbrol 63 Matt Sand + 10% Testors Flat Yellow + 36% Flat White shading replicating Giallo Mimetico 3, Humbrol 117 Matt U.S. Light Green Humbrol replicating Verde Mimetico 3, Testors Model Master 2009 British Crimson & Humbrol 118 Matt US Tan 80/20 mix replicating Marrone Mimetico 2 each with 36% Testors Flat White shading enamel mottles, OK results.
- > Pitot tubes glued in place in holes drilled in mainwing leading edges, tube ends hand-painted "special mix", OK results.
- > Entire model including propeller assembly spray painted Testors Clear Semi-Gloss Lacquer, good results.
- > Cockpit canopy masking removed, no paint overspray to clean up, no debris clining inside canopy, satisfying results.
- > Propeller glued in place port off centered showing engine cowling air intake hole, satisfying results.
BroPlan MS-88 AUT.18 Post-Modification Model Complete, See Post Below
