1/48 Classic Airframes Re.2001

by Leonardo

--------------------

 

Rather than contribute another Spitfire, Bf-109, or P-51 to ARC, I am submitting Classic Airframes' excellent Reggiane Re.2001 kit.  To my knowledge, this is the only kit in 1/48 scale of this aircraft that is available today.  The kit features recessed panel lines and excellent detail, on par with Hasegawa.  The fit requires a bit of attention, however, especially the forward fuselage to wing area, which I never got to look satisfactory.  The supercharger intake, wheel wells, and entire cockpit is in resin, and the canopy is vac-formed.  This was my first time working with resin (after a few failed trial attempts on a C.202 cockpit).  I can say that this kit is not for beginners, and I wouldn't have been able to complete it without and excellent article on another website by Lynn Ritger.  The landing gear was particularly difficult.

Click on images below to see larger images

The aircraft represented is in the Regia Aeronautica's maritime scheme of Verde Oliva Scuro (dark olive green) over Grigio (light grey).  When masking the colors, I put thick pieces of tape about 1mm in from the edge of the outer tape to make the demarcation line slightly soft.  After painting the Oliva Scuro, I lightened the paint with a few drops of white and painted the insides of the panels on the wing and fuselage, to create the effect of an aircraft which spends most of its time sitting under the hot Sicilian sun.  This particular aircraft is from 152a Squadrilglia based on Sicily during the Regia Aeronautica's campaign against Malta in 1942.  The antenna is made from stretched sprue with the filament from a car lightbulb as the insulator by the mast.  I made the attachment ponts on the bomb rack with sheet styrene and sprue.  I love the gun-toting bird (a crow) on the crest from 5o Stormo!  Overall, I would heartily recommend this kit as an alternative to one of those 'shake and bake' Tamigawa kits.  It will challenge and build your modeling skills.

Leonardo 

Photos and text © by Leonardo