ADVANCED BUILD
MC202 FOLGORE
ADVANCED BUILD
MC202 FOLGOREhttp://www.airfi xmodelworld.com 17photo-etched (PE) metal extras,
plus new Cartograf-printed decals
as a limited-edition package that
virtually flew off the shelves. This
item too has become a rarity,
though it can still be found on
internet auction sites, albeit at
premium prices.
Inside the attractively
illustrated box, the styrene was
characteristically Hasegawa;
flash-free components, with
minimal mould seams, ruler-
straight engraved panel lines
and delicate intakes and cooling-
louvres. A definite indication of
the kit’s vintage, however, was the
lack of finesse in several features.
The traditional breakdown of
parts meant the count was low,
at just 76 grey items, plus four
in clear styrene. These were
complemented by a collection
of Eduard’s-own beautifully cast
resin components, including
two styles of intake sand filter,
mainwheels with weighted tyres
and alternative tailwheels. These
were a vast improvement over
the originals, for which they
were direct replacements. Also
contained within the package
was a pair of photo-etched
(PE) metal frets, while a set of
canopy masks completed
the contents. The15-page instruction booklet was
in the familiar glossy A4 format
and featured clear illustrations
and full-colour profiles for the six
markings schemes (see panel).Bending and cutting
To complement its limited-edition
release, Eduard separately
produced several accessory
packs. These included resin
MC.202 Exhaust Stacks (648281),
a highly detailed MC.
Undercarriage Bay (648278),
which filled what would otherwise
be a gaping void, and PE MC.
Landing Flaps (48907). All three
sets were made available for this
project, and it should be noted
that adding them requires the
modeller to possess a greater
level of expertise than might be
expected for the basic kit build.
Work began on the most
complex of the additions, the flap
set. The brass components were
sanded lightly while still attached
to their frets, to remove the thinlayer of factory-applied protective
varnish coating and to
key the components in
readiness for assembly
and painting. All four
flap sections involved
meticulous assembly, each
having approximatelya dozen formers that needed
folding and gluing. Four smaller
flap housings completed the set;
these also needed to be bent into
shape and were secured with
cyanoacrylate (CA) adhesive
within the wing. The final task
was to insert short lengths
of Albion Alloys brass
rod (www.
albionhobbies.
com), which
wasn’t included in the set,
through rows of tiny holes in
each of the formers.
The wing halves requiredparts meant the count was low,
at just 76 grey items, plus four
in clear styrene. These were
complemented by a collection
of Eduard’s-own beautifully cast
resin components, including
two styles of intake sand filter,
mainwheels with weighted tyres
and alternative tailwheels. These
were a vast improvement over
the originals, for which they
were direct replacements. Also
contained within the package
was a pair of photo-etched
(PE) metal frets, while a set of
canopy masks completed
the contents. Thethat adding them requires the
modeller to possess a greater
level of expertise than might be
expected for the basic kit build.
Work began on the most
complex of the additions, the flap
set. The brass components were
sanded lightly while still attached
to their frets, to remove the thinlayer of factory-applied protective
varnish coating and to
key the components in
readiness for assembly
and painting. All four
flap sections involved
meticulous assembly, each
having approximatelya dozen formers that needed
folding and gluing. Four smaller
flap housings completed the set;
these also needed to be bent into
shape and were secured with
cyanoacrylate (CA) adhesive
within the wing. The final task
was to insert short lengths
of Albion Alloys brass
rod (www.
albionhobbies.
com), which
wasn’t included in the set,
through rows of tiny holes in
each of the formers.
The wing halves required There are numerous tools on the market to aid in the bending of PE components, but
Trumpeter’s Master Models TRU09931 Etched Parts Bender was the preferred option
during this project. Also provided with the kit were PE enhancements for the cockpit and airframe, such as
the under-fuselage radiator and nose-mounted oil cooler (shown here). Lengths of Dymo embossing tape were utilised to protect the surrounding plastic as the
integrally moulded styrene flaps were removed from the lower wings.