FROG Macchi C.202 "What-If" Models Complete, See Posts Below
Build Progress Reports Will Be Continuously Posted Here, Photos Of Built Models Will Be On Separate Postings
The 1963-vintage
FROG Aeronautica Macchi C.202 was the first 1/72 scale injected plastic kit of the
Folgore, clunky well as inaccurate it nevertheless is easy to build, out of production since the mid-1970s affordable aftermarket kits are still available. All my previous "What-If" FROG C.202 models with early 1943
C.205N-1 style fuselage-wing root-mounted
Breda-SAFAT 12.7mm machine gun packs utilizing
SUPERMODEL FIAT CR.32 wing-mounted machine gun blisters were in pre-June 1940
Regia Aeronautica Italiana (RAI) liveries & markings well as wartime extensions thereof assuming Folgori entered RAI service early in 1940, the next three well as my last-ever FROG kit builds will be in post-June 1940 RAI
Tavola X liveries & markings, one in a colorful though not without precedent "What-If" livery. Two of the kits are 1963-1974 FROG releases third a 1964
AIR LINES release:
April 8, 2020- > Building of two FROG Macchi C.202 models now underway, third kit currently in transit.
- > Kit propeller shaft guides glued in place on port fuselage halves.
- > Kits lacked engine oil cooling radiator parts, glued in place substitutes fabricated from styrene sheet plastic in port radiator housings.
- > Kits also lacked engine gas exhaust channels, fabricated sets from cut & shape sanded styrene sheet plastic, glued in place above & below exhaust ejectors.
- > SUPERMODEL FIAT CR.32 wing-mounted machine gun blisters replicating Breda-SAFAT 12.7mm machine gun packs shape sanded, glued in place on fuselage halve sides.
April 9, 2020- > FROG Macchi C.202 model fuselages when assembled have unsightly mainwing wheel well voids, fabricated void covers from sheet styrene plastic for all kit builds.
- > Fuselage halve & central mainwing support unit interiors for two kit builds, wheel well void covers for all builds, spray painted Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray + 36% Testors Flat White shading replicating Giorgio Azzurro Chiaro 1 per STORMO Color Guide for aircraft painted in Tavola X liveries.
- > Mainwing & tailplane sail parts assembled for two kit builds, associated ailerons & tailplane elevator parts pared for later painting & assembly.
- > Original 1964 issue AIR LINES C.202 kit arrived in mail today, aluminum colored parts molded by Pyro Plastics of Union New Jersey in good order, commencing work on it tomorrow, last ever build of a 1964-66 U.S.A. molded FROG kit
April 10, 2020- > AIR LINES C.202 kit propeller shaft guide glued in place on port fuselage halve.
- > Kit lacked engine oil cooling radiator part, glued in place substitute fabricated from styrene sheet plastic in port radiator housing.
- > Kit also lacked engine gas exhaust channels, fabricated set from cut & shape sanded styrene sheet plastic, glued in place above & below exhaust ejectors.
- > SUPERMODEL FIAT CR.32 wing-mounted machine gun blisters replicating Breda-SAFAT 12.7mm machine gun packs shape sanded, glued in place on fuselage halve sides.
- > AIR LINES C.202 kit missing central mainwing support & propeller unit parts, mainwing landing gear retraction, radio & Pitot tube mast parts
pilfered them except propeller unit from "never-build" 1974-vintage FROG F225 C.202 kit molded in Navy Blue styrene plastic it also missing the propeller unit part
retrived a nicely molded well as to scale unit from the parts bin as a more than suitable replacement
- > All fabricated mainwing wheel well voids glued in place on central mainwing support unit interiors.
- > Test mainwing unit assembled, difficulties encountered gluing mainwings on central mainwing support unit, no difficulties puttying-in join gaps, set assembled unit aside for now:
April 11, 2020- > Remaining mainwings units assembled, difficulties still encountered gluing mainwings on central mainwing support units
no difficulties puttying-in join gaps, set assembled units aside for now as well.
- > AIR LINES C.202 kits lack form-fitting fuselage rear cockpit backstop panels, fabricated them from sheet styrene plastic strips, glued them in place, over sprayed all with Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray + 36% Testors Flat White shading replicating Giorgio Azzurro Chiaro 1 per STORMO Color Guide for aircraft painted in Tavola X liveries.
- > AIR LINES C.202 kits came with pilot seats (shown) though lack flight decks, fabricated latter from plastic strips (shown), fabricating details for them tomorrow:
- > AIR LINES C.202 kits came with pilot seats (shown) though lack flight decks, fabricated latter from plastic strips (shown), fabricating details for them tomorrow:
April 12, 2020- > Flight decks detail-populated with styrene sheet plastic fabricated "kidney" rudder foot pads, crossbar supports, joysticks over sprayed with Testors Flat Aluminum & Model Master replicated Giorgio Azzurro Chiaro 1 enamels, fabricating rudder push bars tomorrow.
- > Spare Hasegawa C.202 instrument panels detail-populated with styrene sheet plastic fabricated armament control panels over sprayed with Testors Flat Black & White "special mix" enamels.
- > Pilot head armor triangles fabricated from styrene sheet plastic, hand painted Testors Flat Steel enamel, glued in place on form-fitted fuselage rear cockpit backstop panels.
- > Scotch Magic Mending Tape over sprayed with Humbrol 29 Matt Dark Earth enamel paint for later cutting up pilot seat belt strips:
April 13, 2020- > Weight pivot holes forward of fuselage tailplanes, fuel filling points aft of starboard pilot headrests drilled in all FROG C.202 kit fuselage halves.
- > Rudder bars for all models fabricated from styrene sheet plastic, spray & hand painted Testors Flat Aluminum & "special mix" enamels, glued in place on detail-populated flight decks.
- > Hasegawa C.202 cockpit instrument panel kit decals placed on detailed-populated kit instrument panels.
- > Detail-populated kit instrument panels glued in place on FROG C.202 kit port fuselage halves with cut sheet styrene plastic stays.
- > San Giorgio Tipo C Gunsights fabricated from cut opaque & clear styrene sheet plastic strips, spray & hand painted Testors "special mix", Rust & Silver enamels, glued in place on detail-populated kit instrument panels.
- > All now fully detail-populated flight decks glued in place beneath FROG C.202 port fuselage halve pilot seat retaining brackets.
- > Cut Humbrol 29 Matt Dark Earth enamel spray painted strips glued in place on FROG C.202 kit pilot seats, trimmed & glued down in place, "buckle" ends hand painted Testors Flat Aluminum enamel, seats glued in place in port fuselage halve retaining brackets:
April 14, 2020- > All FROG C.202 kit clear plastic cockpit canopies two-piece cut-modified, cut ends smooth sanded, windshields glued in place on fuselages, them & canopy frames masked-off, over spray painted with Testors Flat Black & White "special mix" enamels per Aero Detail 15 Macchi C.200/202/205 photo references.
- > All assembled mainwing units glued beneath fuselages & join seams puttied well as sanded,
agonizingly slow, tedious, laborious work,
far more than anticipated
acceptable results nonetheless.
- > Engine & cockpit fresh air inlet vents fabricated from sheet styrene plastic, glued in place on forward dorsal fuselage per Aero Detail 15 Macchi C.200/202/205 photo references:
April 15, 2020- > Location holes drilled in all model fuselage undersides for fabricated Venturi tubes, spare SUPERMODEL Macchi C.202/205 kit D/F rings fitted on several late production C.202s.
- > Two model rudder & fuselage sail sections, entire sail of one model sprayed Testors Flat White enamel paint, former after drying Distintivi di Guerra mask-filled for camouflage paint over-spraying, later after drying masked for spraying on Italian national flag colors.
- > All mainwing landing gear covers completely sprayed painted Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray + 36% Testors Flat White shading replicating Giorgio Azzurro Chiaro 1.
- > All landing gear struts base spray painted Testors Flat Aluminum enamel.
- > All mainwing landing gear wheels base spray painted Testors Flat Rubber, Black, White "special mix", rims hand painted Flat Aluminum enamels.
- > All engine coolant radiator housing interiors detailed with cut styrene plastic strips replicating air flow guides per Aero Detail 15 Macchi C.200/202/205 photo references.
April 16, 2020- > All model topsides forward of fuselage rudder sails well as wrapping around mainwing leading edges, cockpit canopies, aileron & tailplane kit sub assembly parts of two models, sides of two engine coolant radiator housings, one propeller spinner inside & out base spray painted Humbrol 119 Matt Light Earth + 36% Testors Flat White enamels replicating Nocciola Chiaro 4, everything set aside to dry till tomorrow.
- > Tailplane sub assembly parts of one kit entirely spray painted Testors Flat White after drying masked for spraying on Italian national flag colors.
- > Two propeller spinners inside & out, all model kit propeller part blade tips spray painted Testors Flat White enamel.
- > All model kit propeller parts finish spray painted Testors Flat Yellow (tips) & Flat Black & White "special mix" enamels.
- > All mainwing landing gear wheels "weathered" with sprayed-on Poly Scale Dirt acrylic, landing gear strut oleos hand detail-painted Testors Silver enamel paints.
- > All mainwing landing gear units assembled, cut to size black decal rectangles replicating wheel air pressure panels applied:
April 17, 2020- > Distintivo di Guerra (DdG) rudder crosses area masked on two white-painted rudders, over sprayed Humbrol 119 Matt Light Earth + 36% Testors Flat White enamels replicating Nocciola Chiaro 4 (NC4), set aside to dry till tomorrow.
- > Previously white painted fuselage rudder sail sections on two model builds removed & over sprayed NC4, edge rather than area masking DgG areas easier insofar as better aligning them with the rudder DdGs.
- > Italian tri-color flags masked out & spray painted Testors Flat Olive & Model Master Insignia Red enamels both sides of fuselage sail, rudder & tailplane parts of one model build, set aside to dry till tomorrow:
April 18, 2020- > All model topsides & wrap-around mainwings well as cockpit canopy frames, tailplane leading edges & engine coolant radiator housing sides of two builds, propeller spinner of one, spray painted Humbrol 91 Matt Black Green + 36% Testors Flat White shading enamels replicating Verde Oliva Scuro 2 (VOS2), two with mottles one Macchi-style anelli.
- > Distintivo di Guerra rudder cross arms masked off both sides of fuselage sails of two model builds, spray painted Testors Flat White enamel.
- > Angrily frustrating work spraying cross arms on rudder sails
length & width masking on one build way off alignment, paint had to be scrapped off, Nocciola Chiaro 4 & VOS2 colors resprayed, correct masking done, white resprayed, acceptable results:
April 19, 2020- > All model build undersides, tailplane & engine coolant radiator housing undersides of two builds, entire housing of another, masked off & spray painted Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray + 36% Testors Flat White shading replicating Giorgio Azzurro Chiaro 1, set aside to dry till tomorrow:
April 20, 2020- > Fuselage identification bands of all model builds masked-off & spray painted Testors Flat White enamel paint.
- > Navigation lights of all model builds masked-off & base spray painted Flat White followed by Testors Green & Model Master Insignia Red enamels.
- > One white base spray painted propeller spinner masked-off & spray painted Testors Green & Model Master Insignia Red enamels replicating Italian national flag colors.
- > Fuselage engine cowling Breda-SAFAT 12.7mm machine gun troughts masked-off & spray painted Testors Flat Black & White "special mix" replicating heat-resistant paint on FIAT, Macchi, Reggiane et. al. inline-engine Regia Aeronautica Italiana fighters:
April 21, 2020- > Fuel, oil, electrical & oxygen access points on all models hand painted with various Testors enamel paints including "special mix" per Aero Detail 15 Macchi C.200/202/205 documentation.
- > Engine exhaust ejectors on all models hand painted with Testors Flat Rust & Steel spot mix.
- > Engine coolant radiator cores in housings on all models hand painted with Testors Brass enamel.
- > Super detailed prototype mainwing flap fabricated from sheet styrene plastic, six sets needed, will take another day to fabricate them all; detailing effort well beyond that originally intended ala simple X-Acto blade scoring of structural rib lines.
April 22, 2020- > Six sets of mainwing flaps fabricated & super detailed from sheet styrene plastic per Aero Detail 15 Macchi C.200/202/205 documentation, spray painted all over with Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray + 36% Testors Flat White shading replicating Giorgio Azzurro Chiaro 1:
April 23, 2020- > SKY Models 72-014 Macchi C.202 fuel & oil triangles, machine gun synchronization & canopy lock placards, first aid crosses, water decal markings for three different flying units applied on fuselages of all model builds, very good results :biggrin:
April 24, 2020- > Pitot tubes for all model builds fabricated from styrene sheet plastic, they, all D/F rings & fuselage-wing root-mounted Breda-SAFAT 7.7mm machine gun barrels, spray painted Testors Flat Black & White "special mix" enamels.
- > Machine gun barrels glued in fuselage-wing root-mounts for all model builds.
- > Engine coolant radiator housings, Pitot tubes, D/F rings glued in place underneath all model build fuselages.
- > Ailerons, tailplanes & rudders glued in place on all model builds.
- > All tailwheels spray painted Testors Rubber, Flat Black & White "special mix" enamels, detailed hand-painted Flat Aluminum, glued in place on all model builds.
- > Propeller spinners respectively glued in place on propeller units for all model builds, tricky work, Italian tri-color flag spinner white center smeared with red paint whilst handling it
had to be masked off & resprayed Testors Flat White enamel paint, decent results.
FROG Macchi C.202 "What-If" Models Complete, See Posts Below
