Airfix Model World – September 2019

ADVANCED BUILD

MC202 FOLGORE

ADVANCED BUILD

MC202 FOLGORE

20 Airfi x Model World

colours (www.sovereignhobbies.
co.uk). While still malleable,
scratches and areas of wear were
worked into the soft, pale green
enamel using a metal dental probe
and a white spirit-dampened
old brush, which revealed the
underlying metallic lacquer. This
weathering method
worked especially well
when used on foot-
plates and pedals,
floor sections,
panel and seat
edges and seat-

backs – all areas that would have

received considerable wear on the

real aircraft.

Airframe ensemble

The bulbous fuselage halves

closed easily around the resin

cockpit – this, plus the separate

wing assembly were then set

aside for the cement to harden

while work continued on various

sub-assemblies, such as the

propeller blades and Eduard’s

well-cast resin wheels. The latter

were an unexpected highlight and

offered two choices of tail gear.

Surprisingly there was no nose-

mounted armament provided,

which would have prevented

a view through the open gun

troughs and into the empty

interior. A pair of gun barrels were

duly sought from the spares box

to rectify this oversight and were

fixed within a plastic card cradle;

in turn this was secured to the

upper fuselage interior.

Serious fit problems were

encountered when attempting to

mate the mainplanes and fuselage,

and this required both wing roots

to be sanded heavily, despite a

substantial amount of styrene

having already been removed

internally to accommodate the

flaps. Once accomplished, however,

the remainder of the airframe went

together without difficulty, and

small PE refinements were added

to the airframe exterior, which

completed the main assembly.

Desert delights

Initially the airframe exterior

received a dark base coat, mixed

from various browns and black.

and a white spirit-dampened
old brush, which revealed the
underlying metallic lacquer. This
weathering method
worked especially well
when used on foot-
plates and pedals,
floor sections,
panel and seat
edges and seat-

The bulbous fuselage halves

closed easily around the resin

cockpit – this, plus the separate

wing assembly were then set

aside for the cement to harden

while work continued on various

sub-assemblies, such as the

propeller blades and Eduard’s

well-cast resin wheels. The latter

were an unexpected highlight and

the remainder of the airframe went

together without difficulty, and

small PE refinements were added

to the airframe exterior, which

completed the main assembly.

Desert delights

Initially the airframe exterior

received a dark base coat, mixed

from various browns and black.

 Despite Eduard’s resin undercarriage bay nestling comfortably within the wings, it was a
different story when trying to fit the fuselage, and further modification proved necessary.

 The propeller blades were weathered

using my ‘scratch and scrub’ method of

creating down-to-the-metal wear, initially

being coated in Alclad Polished Aluminium...

...followed by Humbrol black enamel.

Blade-edges were then washed clean, using

a white spirit-dampened soft brush, and

scratches worked into the still-soft enamel.

 With all the modifications made internally, it was not surprising that the wings failed to
align correctly when mated with the fuselage, so some filler was needed at the roots.

 The subtly engraved detailing on the upper fuselage was particularly susceptible to

damage during sanding, and this was re-scribed with a dental scraper.