Author Topic: SUPERMODEL FIAT G.55 "What-If" Five-Cannon Build  (Read 4286 times)

Offline Inactive

  • Holding Pattern
  • *
SUPERMODEL FIAT G.55 "What-If" Five-Cannon Build
« on: July 24, 2019, 10:16:40 AM »
This is a "filler" in between heatwaves here well as my last FIAT Aviazione model subject build of 2019.

The FIAT G.55 arguably was WWII Italy's best operational interceptor fighter though just 274 were built during the war, three 20 mm cannon + two 12.7 mm machine gun Serie II Intercettore Bombardiere (G-55/2 bomber interceptors) constituting the production majority. The three G.55 prototypes + 16 Sottoserie 0 (G.55/0) pre-production aircraft were delivered with four 12.7 mm machine guns per the 1942 Regia Aeronautica Italiana 'Serie V' Intercettore aircraft evaluation program pitted against the Macchi C.205V & Reggiane Re.2005. All types were powered by 1,475hp license-built Daimler Benz DB 605s, all were operational by time of the September 8, 1943 Italian Armistice, the post armistice Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana (ANR) flying newly built & rebuilt C.205Vs & G.55s well as ex-Luftwaffe Bf-109s up till the May 2, 1945 surrender of surviving Repubblica Sociale Italiana & Weirmacht forces.

The ANR did not operate interceptor fighters armed with more than three 20 mm cannons though Varese Italy-based Aeronautica Macchi had the four-cannon 1,750hp Daimler Benz DB 603-powered C.207 under development prior to the September 1943 armistice. FIAT's DB 603-powered G.56 first flown in March 1944 clearly was capable of carrying more than three cannons though the Germans prohibited its production, IF the ANR had been able to equip G.55s with GM-1 & MW50 engine boosting systems they might had improved altitude performance to allow hanging two podded Waffenfabrik Mauser MG 151 20mm cannons underneath the mainwings ala the 1943 Macchi C.202 Esperimento Cannoni in attacking Allied bombers, with this in mind the FIAT G.55 Combattente Intercettore Pesante prototype is presented as my Italian "what-if" build of 2019.

As a "what-if" on top of this "what-if" four 12.7 mm machine guns ala the G.55 prototypes & G.55/0s are included; GM-1 boosted high altitude performance against Allied bombers likely would had been poor given the aircraft's weight though MW50-boosted Combattente Intercettore Pesantes could had been employed as ground attack aircraft ala the Hawker Typhoon.

SUPERMODEL Kit & SEM Model Waffenfabrik Mauser MG 151 20mm Cannon Pods Parts Layout:

« Last Edit: August 01, 2019, 08:50:15 AM by Retired In Kalifornia »

Offline GTX_Admin

  • Evil Administrator bent on taking over the Universe!
  • Administrator - Yep, I'm the one to blame for this place.
  • Whiffing Demi-God!
    • Beyond the Sprues
Re: SUPERMODEL FIAT G.55 "What-If" Five-Cannon Build
« Reply #1 on: July 25, 2019, 03:30:03 AM »
When I see "Supermodel Fiat" i think of something totally different  ;):

All hail the God of Frustration!!!

You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline kitnut617

  • Measures the actual aircraft before modelling it...we have the photographic evidence.
  • Holding Pattern
  • *
  • I'd rather be dirtbike riding...
Re: SUPERMODEL FIAT G.55 "What-If" Five-Cannon Build
« Reply #2 on: July 25, 2019, 04:48:32 AM »
erm, there's a Fiat there ---  somewhere ----  :P

Offline Inactive

  • Holding Pattern
  • *
Well..
« Reply #3 on: July 25, 2019, 05:16:56 AM »
When I see "Supermodel Fiat" i think of something totally different  ;):
...like the model - :-* Hubba-Hubba :-* - should be standing next to a Lamborghini Urus.
« Last Edit: July 25, 2019, 05:19:49 AM by Retired In Kalifornia »

Offline Dr. YoKai

  • Was in High School when mastadons roamed the plains...
  • A notorious curmudgeon who is partial to...hemp!
Re: SUPERMODEL FIAT G.55 "What-If" Five-Cannon Build
« Reply #4 on: July 25, 2019, 11:32:57 PM »
Having seen some of your other Italian birds, I have no doubt this one will be every bit as impressive.

Offline Inactive

  • Holding Pattern
  • *
SUPERMODEL FIAT G.55 "What-If" Five-Cannon Build Progress Reports
« Reply #5 on: July 26, 2019, 07:52:11 AM »
Build Progress Reports Will Be Continuously Posted Here, Photos Of The Built Model Will Be In A Separate Posting

July 25, 2019


- > Mainwing interiors painted Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray + 36% Testors Flat White shading replicating Grigio Azzurro Chiaro 1, parts glued together.
* Resin machine gun shell chutes & fairing fitted only on the prototypes & Sottoserie 0 aircraft from spare parts bag glued in place.

- >Lower fuselage halve 12.7mm machine gun troughs hollowed out ala G.55 prototypes & Sottoserie 0 aircraft.
* Plastic stubs replicating gun barrels glued in place lower & upper fuselage halve locations (yellow circles).

- >Exhaust shields fabricated from sheet styrene plastic glued in place on fuselage halves.

July 26 & 27, 2019


- > Fuselage halve interiors painted Testors Model Master 1726 Light Sea Gray + 36% Testors Flat White shading replicating Grigio Azzurro Chiaro 1

- > Pilot cockpit components painted & glued in place.
* Three-part scratch-built instrument panel per Internet photos of G.55 cockpits spray & hand painted with Testors flat enamel paints.
* Scratch-built pilot controls & circuit breaker panels glued on fuselage halve interior sides, hand painted with Testors flat enamel paints.
* Pilot seat & scratch-built joystick & mount spray & hand painted with Testors flat enamel paints.
* Scotch Magic Mending Tape sprayed & hand painted with spot-mix Testors flat enamel paints seat belts cut & glued in place on pilot seat.


- > Fuselage halves glued together, once-piece mainwing glued on fuselage, seams puttied.
- > One-piece cockpit windshield cut apart, filed & sanded, parts masked & spray painted, windscreen glued in place on fuselage, some puttying required.

July 28, 2019


- > Model puttied areas sanded, some filing & extra sanding necessary around rear mainwing roots.
- > All model undersides & fuselage sides base painted Humbrol 247 RLM 76 + 36% Testors Flat White shading enamels.

July 29, 2019


- > The Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana employed Luftwaffe-style camouflage from March 1944 on.
* All model uppersides & fuselage side mottles painted Humbrol 245 RLM 74 & 246 RLM 75 + 36% each Testors Flat White shading enamels.


« Last Edit: July 30, 2019, 09:41:02 AM by Retired In Kalifornia »

Offline Inactive

  • Holding Pattern
  • *
SUPERMODEL FIAT G.55 "What-If" Five Cannons + Four Machine Guns
« Reply #6 on: August 01, 2019, 03:16:19 AM »















Offline Brian da Basher

  • He has an unnatural attraction to Spats...and a growing fascination with airships!
  • Moderator
  • *
  • Hulk smash, Brian bash
Re: SUPERMODEL FIAT G.55 "What-If" Five-Cannon Build
« Reply #7 on: August 01, 2019, 05:10:26 AM »
Those are most excellently done, Mr Kal and I like the idea of up-gunning them.

I don't think I've seen a better representation of that famous gray scheme and I especially like the contrast with the little Italian flags.

Very cool, retired daddy-o!
 8)
Brian da Basher

Offline Inactive

  • Holding Pattern
  • *
Thanks!
« Reply #8 on: August 01, 2019, 05:37:25 AM »
Those are most excellently done, Mr Kal and I like the idea of up-gunning them.

I don't think I've seen a better representation of that famous gray scheme and I especially like the contrast with the little Italian flags.

Very cool, retired daddy-o!
 8)
Brian da Basher

The kit canopy was one-piece, "trimmed" the windscreen off, spray painted it and dome separately. I'd just trimmed paint & masking tape crud off the dome:


Offline perttime

  • The man has produced a Finnish Napier Heston Fighter...need we say more?
Re: SUPERMODEL FIAT G.55 "What-If" Five-Cannon Build
« Reply #9 on: August 01, 2019, 02:28:21 PM »
Looks good.

Fighters with lots of big guns remind me that Finland got some Bf 109 G6 aircraft with big guns in the wings. Units removed them because pilots thought the additional weight in the wings made handling sluggish. They weren't fighting large bombers. Instead they wanted quick and accurate shots at fighters and smaller bombers, in situations where they were usually outnumbered.

Offline Old Wombat

  • "We'll see when I've finished whether I'm showing off or simply embarrassing myself."
  • "Define 'interesting'?"
Re: SUPERMODEL FIAT G.55 "What-If" Five-Cannon Build
« Reply #10 on: August 01, 2019, 03:11:54 PM »
Sweet! 8)
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline elmayerle

  • Its about time there was an Avatar shown here...
  • Über Engineer...at least that is what he tells us.
Re: SUPERMODEL FIAT G.55 "What-If" Five-Cannon Build
« Reply #11 on: August 01, 2019, 11:54:53 PM »
Looks beautiful.  The Supermodel MC.202 kit includes the cannon pods as an option, I may try this one myself using a pair of those (alternatively, perhaps a production  5-cannon G.56?).

Offline Inactive

  • Holding Pattern
  • *
Go For The G.56 Five-Cannon Build...
« Reply #12 on: August 02, 2019, 01:03:28 AM »
Looks beautiful.  The Supermodel MC.202 kit includes the cannon pods as an option, I may try this one myself using a pair of those (alternatively, perhaps a production  5-cannon G.56?).

...Special Hobby's G.56 is solid good kit but pricey, I'd model it with four wing-mounted cannons. I only built the five-cannon G.55 as had spare set of SEM Model underwing pods, real bird if built would had been too heavy well as perform poorly as high altitude bomber-killer even with GM-1 boost, could had been useful as low level ground attacker with MW-50 boost.

Offline GTX_Admin

  • Evil Administrator bent on taking over the Universe!
  • Administrator - Yep, I'm the one to blame for this place.
  • Whiffing Demi-God!
    • Beyond the Sprues
Re: SUPERMODEL FIAT G.55 "What-If" Five-Cannon Build
« Reply #13 on: August 03, 2019, 04:16:40 AM »
 :smiley:
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it.