SERVING THE SCALE MODEL WORLD FOR OVER 50 YEARS ‘lodeller PECL US $14.50 / CAN s: iii) hobby.co.ulk 162825 " 99716 Edjpocketrnaos.com TEEMISSION MODELS PREMIUM HOBBY PAINTS, PRIMERS & ADDITIVES CHANGE THE WATER BASED ACRYLIC, ODORLESS; NON-TOXIC WWW.MISSIONMODELSUS.COMTVG nl UE 623 x fmt Welcome to the November his eyesight why he made the historically inclined we also ©) 2023 issue of Scale Aviation and change to 1/48 scale. Next, the have two reference features for Military Modelling International. __editor again has been extremely _your reading pleasure. First off, This issue celebrates a special busy at the workbench with a a visit to the newly reopened event in the history of world 1/48 scale Eduard Me-109G6 and renovated Italian Air Force air power, in that it celebrates ‘Profipack’ Early Type boxing, Museum on the shores of the 10-year centenary of the trying to do justice to the kit Lake Bracciano in Italy within Ttalian Air Force. From early and the camouflage scheme. the historic site of the former humblebeginnings to fighting Marco Rondinelli from Italy Vigna di Valle seaplane base alongside the allies in World performs his modelling skills with its world-class collection War 1 againstGermany,tothen ona 1/72 scale Sword FB4F in of exhibits, and secondly Part being part of the Axis Forces a natural metal scheme and it 1 of a history of the Italian Air in World War 2 after Mussolini comes up looking verynice.On _Force by Marco Rondinelli and joined forces with Hitler, the the military side of things and Alberto Speziali. Part 2 will toad to today has been a long keeping with the Mediterranean _follow in the December issue and varied one. To celebrate theme Andy Cooper makes along with an Italian F-104 ‘this centenary, a number of a welcome return witha modelling article that we were Htalian-themed modelling very nice 1/35 Scale Tamiya unable to fit in this issue. Allin articles and historical features Malta Tilly in the ‘Stone Wall’ all some great modelling and have been put together and camouflage scheme. And historical features that | hope ‘hope you enjoy them. First our final modelling article is. you will all enjoy. Now, get off, your editor attempts a from ole Mr Reliable, Matt back to the modelling bench, V72 scale Academy Spad Xi Edwards, who puts his hand and remember you only have flown by one of the earliest toa Trumpeter 1/35 Italian C1 yourself to please....tll next Italian aces with 34 victories Ariete MBT up armoured’ The month. . in Count Francesco Baracca (9 model weathering is superb +. May 1888 - 19 June 1918) and and m sure you will enjoy this DALE, > understands for the sake of last modelling feature. For theWHAT'S IN PAGE 16 rice. Gres) EI) EST. 1969 Issue 623 Thee weotsmgue Krateiomtmrscocton OPM, Setansierugestaos te eee” Oe free manag dee wh SO on EAS fete eet ts Hevibreentamcetee TSBYS: HeBBY, ‘Produced by New HorzonTiA Hobby uneriicence 70x 152, edd Bests, UK. A090 TWepone:+44(0)03435101, ma est bbycouk Pebline: Hobby tor Dales Asodate ar Mat ads Design: Att Spez Contbters Ole St Mat Eats Any Cope, fre pes Production New Hoon iA Hobby Pred and Boudin te UK istration by Select ubluhe Serves ‘2 imbrae ovd, Won Sounemon 843 748, Teephne 002586848 orth AmeranDstrbutionby Oster (5 Neste Rat, Sat Aa, Ont (anata S48 T+ 1605) 6196585, ‘Thanks tothe fotoing or the contributions ‘toa Ra (Ut, een aby Compary ohn Aeitow (Deo Matera.i ete ath als vi Soa oh an sR ok GS a ge CONTENTS ‘ "Willy Messerschmitt ane the Italia Sabciptios Sabscpton tine: +48(072343361 Scale ition nd itary Mode ntratonl, ‘hegae Maney Odes nStting ny madepyteta New we ae hapy toc you ata your ede aera eon anette rs above Imataderngad someon oi heycaak SS (er payment ceed by pane Web see ole tering wan aby. Ee ea eeke be Sbsction eine +44 023433451 postage Fence ir vovesren aon “American Subscriptions pears eee ea seit eda Postage penting 2 Magara Fas NY. US. WecOasnolngerasctertstiiporsonbatet Canadian shopsandtade may otal copies rom: mS ngs spe mega Postmaster Send adres changes to Sale Models New Heron arent Wie Om csr, het Dsa-Te + 1005) 6196565 Condnd hea aC UT subsist theca es et with ew Hore,FGF-5 ‘Weekend Edition’ Betray Media: Injection Moulded Plastic ea Tn aes ootonivciilnattintdiatandiniabti sibiucaidvadasiliodvatictiatitin Brera) ATCC BT Cr Ca Media: Injection Moulded Plastic, Pee Mes painting mask Scale: 148 a Ea Markings Options:10 Stock Code: WP14409 ia: 3D printed resin, decals. 144 USD 16-00 suit the Revell Optio Academy ki eR Tg Snr) Media: Injection Moulded Plastic, Peer Cee Peele ze Te) ‘WD, Kawanishi Hox2 update Pe set ‘meses at Stock Code: WP14410 ‘Media: Photoetch Metal Scale: 1.144 Price: USD 16-00 Options: To suit the Micro Ace kit. Page6 INI) UUHUANAULIQAUEYOUOIpUUpLALAUULApUEAgUONap LARNER yUOLapUEAgUONaUUUOpUengu4nayQapuaiquut| oO << | \ oe photographera aayBETWEEN THE TWO WARS After the First World War, demobilization reduced the ‘Aeronautic Service, although it continued to develop modern aircraft. In Libya, during the reoccupation operation from 1922 to 1932, new aircraft like the IMAM Ro.l and Caproni Ca.73 and Ca.101 ‘were progressively employed. These aircraft were used in bombing, reconnaissance, and troop supply missions. {In 1923, Benito Mussolini appointed Giulio Douhet asthe Director- General of Miltary Aviation and ‘Arturo Mercanti fr civil aviation. InJanuary 1923, the Aeronautics Office was established, paving the way for the establishment of the ‘Aeronautic Arm. The Regia Aeronautica was officially established on March 28, 1923, with responsiblity forall military air forces ‘of the Kingdom and the colonies. General Pier Ruggero Piccio was appointed asthe first commander of the airforce. Picco enforced training and efficiency standards, leading to pilot training and a grand aircraft gathering in Rome in November 1923. The Aeronautic Academy was also founded in 1923. During these years Italian aviation ‘became known to the public thanks toaseries of raids and records achieved by Italian pilots and their aircraft, both in Italy and around the ‘world. These events marked an epic period in aviation. ‘An important event to remember Is the 1920 Rome-Tokyo fight, with ‘Arturo Ferrarin, Guido Masiero, Gino Cappannini, and Roberto Maretto as the protagonists. 11925, Francesco De Pinedo and ‘mechanic Emesto Campanelli embarked on a 55,000-kilometer journey from Sesto Calende to Melbourne, passing through Tokyo and Rome. Two years later, De Pinedo, Carlo Del Prete, and Vitale Zacchetti completed a cruise covering 46,700 kilometres on the Elmas-Porto Naval-Rio de Janeiro- Buenos Aires-Asuncién-New York- Terra Nova-Lisbon-Rome route. In 1926 and 1928, Colonel Umberto Noble's exploits at the North Pole with the airship Norge marked a period of great success followed by the tragedy of the Italia, representing the rapid rise and subsequent decline of the “lighter-than-air era, ‘Meanwhile, the project of long- distance collective fights took shape through meticulous planning and teamwork, supported by Italo Balbo, Minister of Aviation. The first endeavour was the Western Mediterranean Cruise in 1928, involving 61 seaplanes traveling from Orbetello to the Iberian Peninsula and back. The following year, the Eastemn Mediterranean Cruise involved 35 seaplanes visiting Taranto, Athens, Istanbul, Varna, Odessa, Constanta, and returning to Orbetello.In 1930, preparations began for the first formation fight across the Atlantic to Brazil, Balbo led the expedition from December 17, 1930, to January 15, 1931, when the transatlantic flyers arrived in Rio de Janeiro. This success triggered a similar project to cross the Atlantic to the United States to celebrate the ‘Armed Force's tenth anniversary. On July 1, 1933, a formation of 24 5.55X seaplanes, led by Balbo, took off from Orbetello and reached New York eighteen days later, with jubilant crowds awaiting the italian pilots along Broadway. Inthe meantime, the Regia ‘Aeronautica continued to compete for records, holding 33 of the 84 records established by the International Aeronautical Federation. During the Spanish Civil War, the Italian Legionary Air Force participated with over 700 aircraft and demonstrated the efficiency of planes ike the Fiat CR.32 fighters. However, the experience in Spain led to an overestimation of the ‘capabilities of taian aircraft, which proved inadequate in the Second ‘World War. The Regia Aeronautica continued to develop but needed more advanced fighters.— aoe te owl 4 © SY. é - — ayDespite significant efforts in innovation, as seen in the case ‘of the Campini-Caproni C2 with an unconventional non- propeller engine (which remained a prototype), at the outbreak of the ‘war, the Regia Aeronautica found itselfin a considerable disadvantage ‘compared to both allied and enemy air forces, both quantitatively and ‘qualitatively, However, due to the fascist regime, no experts dared to ‘admit this reality. The illusion of Italian superiority ‘was fuelled by their experience in ‘the Spanish Civil War, where the Regia Aeronautica had participated in significant numbers. This lusion led the leadership of the AirForce to underestimate the need to modernize the italian air fleet. Paradoxically the winner (ofa competition for a modem ‘monoplane was the Fiat C42, a biplane with fixed landing gear and ‘only two machine guns. Ths aircraft was produced until 1943 when other nations were already developing jet aircraft. ‘The first Italian monoplane fighters, such as the Fiat G.50 and the Macchi M.C.200, were inadequate for the needs of aerial warfare at the time. Some success was achieved with the torpedo bomber SIAl-Marchetti 5.M.79 Sparviero or the bomber CANT 2Z.1007, but it was only when Italy began licensed production of German Daimler-Benz DB 601 and DB 605 engines that the Regia ‘Aeronautica had access to truly competitive aircraft ike the Macchi 202 and 205 fighters, Reggiane 2005, Fiat G.55, but production was never sufficient. In some cases, Italy had to request aircraft from their German. ally, such as the Stuka.a CWatliy4 Mn£ Fy Fs] = S é ra ze ea = ie baddITLL ULL re oo a a ‘ Sa MILITARY AIRPORT LUIGI BOURLOT Rea Kec ete A Aur TeV Cg Cen MR eC Mes RN Cte E ED) Se Re aay 10:00 - 18:00 (last entry 17.00) days closed to the public: every weekday Monday, January 1st, Easter, December 25th, 26th and 31st De eee Leek eLE eR nce MMe orc RcyHobby PE TTC AAS Lae UY Aa cud a aaa ee CO ar NN Lu aa etree Ck Seen tobreak he stalemate, which wench warfare eC ey Ce ee elated Geka RU Pree ey RU Oe Le Rue DT ee tee] ene cry So Eg ere ee) Perea teot tii eee en ee ry ent ete eee etary en eet eter etre ters et ee eter See ae tee een ans Se ee eet ee eee ee Stee eta) Pee ee nen retin) re ere ne eee Cen ara ee eee eee et www.i-hobby.co.uk Pa PT ee ae dea uerdeuton lca ease Ct eee Panzer dvson, although already outcassed in 1942 t ea ee ‘German tanks. Despite continued efrts wth the lighter eo Renee Pe tl eee ee ead Panzer Army Despite the success of Germany's tanks in the Soviet Union, most, Petree et en) See ee ed Ce eee ee a eet ee eee err) Et ee eke ees et ee a een ad Ee eee) of German Armour Modeling wih iteen superb German Se eS Fan igen - ‘ Prac Sea ee bE SL ey PEM caw ETL ORDER HOTLINE: +44 (0) 1234 331431 ORDER ONLINE: WWW.I-HOBBY.CO.UKACADEMY HOBBY MODEL KITS ‘SPAD XIII WW 1 Fighter SCALE: 1/72 STOCK CODE: 12446 PRICE: £7.00 - $12,00 - AUD 15-00 Count Maggiore Francesco Barracca Italian Ace during World War 1 Count Francesco Baracca (9 May 1888 — 19 June 1918) was Italy's top fighter ace of World War I. He was credited with 34 aerial victories, and he was known for the emblem he wore on each side of his plane of a black horse prancing on its two rear hooves. This emblem was then donated by the Baracca wife to Enzo Ferrari and is still used today on Ferrari cars. THE KIT. ‘Academy's kit of the Spad Xill is well molded with very litle flash on the parts requiring cleanup and you get ‘one choice of decal marking. f you are looking for a kit with many parts and details, this may not be the kit for you. Allup there are only 16 parts, but these parts will keep you occupied and leave time for other detailing efforts such as the wing rigging if you so wish. There isno colour callout on the instructions so that part of the build will be left up to your own research. | found the color references from the instructions in the Eduard boxing of the 1/72 Spad Xill to be extremely helpful Mu iI i yn inh su fcc T yy pena aygaaynge yepmin nN if 1:72 | AVIATION SPAD XIII ACCESSORIES US tatty cals S SUE TS CMT ce HSI Gunze Sangyo Aqueous Hispano Suiza 8a Pree ey Sree ee ee nL) oe cyTTT MTT "TT 1:72 | AVIATION SPAD XIII Things started off very easily with ‘was made from some brass wire of. the joining of the fuselage halves, the same size, and this was bent to the horizontal tailplane (one piece), __ shape and Super Glued in place. and the vertical tallplane/rudder, Next, the two engine exhaust parts, There are two tailplane braces and the propellor/adiator shroud supplied, however, one managed parts were meant to be installed to disappear from my workbench. but these were left off to ease the ‘One minute it was there, the next painting in the later parts of the minute it was gone... Iwill in all build and the attachment of the probability find it in the future on ‘wing rigging, The wing braces in the floor when lam down looking front of the cockpit were also fitted for something else that | have at this stage. dropped.!! As a result, a substitute 202 38 ‘ i) enay Aap apuaagccatagee aguas apne gee pg ef yap ang ilps vrygplagpespcargsy ccna qinTTC TTT TO Tovey i Vg 1:72 | AVIATION SPAD XIII This is where things started to get interesting in that the rigging ‘was going to be installed " tomake the model look ‘more authentic, and what's a biplane without rigging, it's just not complete. In the kit, you get 2 braces for each side of the wings and two braces that attach to the main fuselage near the front of the cockpit. The plan was to attach these braces and when the glue had set, thin nylon thread was to be drawn through the braces in pre-drilled holes and then fixed with a drop of Super Glue. First off, the camouflage scheme was sprayed on the upper surface of the lower wing with the 3 colors and masked off with Tamiya ‘tape. On the wing braces, 2 small holes were drilled with a.3mm drill bit atthe top and bottom of the brace. The wing braces were then. glued in the positioning slots on. the wing after the paint had dried and left to dry ensuring they were square with the lower wing, V4 IRE Pls Pec Rom ener athens eee Nine) Tea Teena) Page 30 pga ogc potas guy oceans gus gp ip cathge apnea cpa cg vie Ata gu cya etayLT nv crear 1:72 | AVIATION SPAD i N “a RIGGING. Now comes the difficult part, well threaded through the bottom hole of the fuselage where the wing it’s not really that difficult if you Con the first wing brace, and then attaches and this thread was take your time. Using smoke- taken up to the top hole on the passed through this hole and held colored invisible mending thread outer brace where a small drop of with some Super Glue applied that you can purchase at most Super Glue was applied. One thing on the inner fuselage, through millinery stores (one spoo! will tonote here is that the thread the opening on the front of the do you a lifetime, and itis perfect does not need to be pulled tight. aircraft. See, there was areason for aircraft aerial wires. ED.),a slip A small amount of movement can for leaving off the engine cowling knot was made in one end, then be handy as the braces may move front, so you can gain access to the wrapped around the fuselage wing when they are made firm when inner fuselage surfaces. The same braces, with the other end of the the top wing attachment is made. process is performed on the other thread pulled through and made Next, the thread is taken down at three rigging positions, and you tight to make the attachment. A an angle and threaded through should have an acceptable result small drop of Super Glue was then the opposite bottom hole, then and the model will look more like a applied to this knot, and this made the reverse is performed back to WW1 aircraft the attachment permanent. So, the fuselage. A small hole was going from the top, the thread was pre-drilled through the bottom FINAL STAGES AND DECAL APPLICATION ‘ The final construction stage was nicely onto the surface detail with __Asa result the decal was way too #<] the attachment of the upper wing, the application of some Micro large. To correct this the three decal “1 nose cowling and propelior,the Sol and Micro Set, One or two of colours were separated from each w J] engine exhausts then the decals. the largerdecals when they were other, and a small slice of each 4 | Theupperwing was attached being lid into position did have colour was removed then applied to the struts and then held in holes appear in them, but this tothe tailplane. Not great, but you place with some Tamiya Tape was touched up with some matt do what you need to do. The edges fill the glue set. This only took a white paint. This was more somy of the decal were then touched up day or so and then the tape was heavy-handed application than with paint that was as close to the removed, and a good attachment the decals themselves. The tal criginal colour as Iwas able to find. was achieved. Moving on to the marking however wasadifferent The small serial numbers were then markings, this was the only part story. Iwas unable to see on the applied on top of the fist decal, ‘of the build where | encountered instructions themselves what kit ‘and things were done. problems. The decals themselves they were sized and designed for, ‘were very thin and settled down ] ‘il MMM, I butit wasn't for the Academy kit.uusinnverte 0810110940400 RSOMPPOTRSLHBe PEEP TOA AAg OTT Enact 1:72 | AVIATION SPAD XIII The camouflage scheme on Count Francesco Baracca's Spad Xill varied, cover the time of his service. The scheme chosen was late WW1,a five-colour mixture, with a doped linen undersurface. Some Italian warplanes did have an undersurface of Green, Red and White being representative of the Italian Flag and for high visibility of the aircraft from the ground for identification Purposes. For the undersurfaces lof the wings and fuselage Gunze Sangyo H85 Sail Colour was used. For the upper surfaces of the wings and fuselage the five colour scheme of Gunze Sangyo H77 Tyre Black, H66 Sand, H303 Light Green, H64 Dark Green and H72 Dark Earth was sprayed. These separate colours were masked with Tamiya Tape for a hard edge between the colours. After spraying, the model was left & fora day or so in a dust-free area for the paint to cure before moving on to the final stage of construction and the application of the decals. Pees ee ML eae ue ee Crue coMne} bat) the rigging was Sema sa ned and held in MUS ak ile the glue sets. M0 T0 py cg rag cf TEL Paces gi uy UngMm ttt rete vu ddeucdaanda nda abet abt tec es CONCLUSION. Overall this wasa quick and time to install the rigging a enjoyable build forthe italian very lifelike representation of Centenary issue of the magazine _the Spad Xill can be achieved. thatyounow hold in yourhands, _1/72.scale isn't my scale of the tailplane marking being the choice due to its small size, only disappointment, which wasn't but might obtain a 1/48 scale the Academy kit’ fault. The kit Sopwith Camel or the likes for itselfwas well-mouldedand fitted a laterarticlein the magazine. together nicely, andif you take the . moot a.” * < ee Tiina gaa apap j gc Fea apyes ZVEZDA wee zverda OnE Sees _r eee «KAMAZ-master» TRUCK KAMAZ-43509Bf 1096-6 . History. SCALE: 1/48 STOCK CODE: #82113 Much has already been written in the Italian Air Force Centenary PRICE: $ 49,95 / £25.99 regarding the Me-109 and its use issue here within these pages. AVAILABILITY: Most good hobby by the Luftwaffe in World War 2 The kit of choice was the Eduard anctheresno pant going over. Me108 Gs Profpck boxing and eel ade ae cea Bin ay ae hare pr Taree ce ean - = a little-known fact to most World attempting to do justice to this fine. Wiarzaraattmodelenisthe Me Kiby Edvord Someineresing ft stee by tee eee T ND readndon ches an intheconfleyespeclytay-It, slat by aly wil flow at the Peselicghi? ata tele eee be wl the Me-109 was chosen to feature WO Sad, we . Tes ae - ude peep acne agg sp gape gag yet sprig URL tga gayle@ oe aN Iso earnest et 48-007, _ s This boxing of the Me-109G6 by Eduard was originally released in 2016, and by careful engineering on the part of the manufacturer, the moulds have been able to over time be modified to cover many other marks ofthis axis aircraft by just inserting new sprues with alternative parts, new decals and photo-etch. The kit used here is the ‘Early Version ProfiPack’ boxing with painting masks and pre- painted photo-etch detail parts. Markings are provided in the kitfor 5 aircraft, but in this, instance, Italian markings are being used from an ‘Aeromaster set that just happened to be to hand in BUTTE "1:48 | AVIATION BF 109G-6 * eR a Gunze rani my decal ‘bank. Just before starting it must be mentioned that the author isnota very prolific WW2.German aircraft modeler, this Me-109 being only the second German scale model in over 55 years of plastic modelling, so ifany mistakes are noted please allow for these and put them down to inexperience with these prototypes,tt 1:48 | AVIATION BF 109G-6 Ueno aA A Construction started as per normal in the cockpit tub. The parts ll fitted well and with everything sprayed Gunze H416 RLM 66 Black Grey, some light dry brushing to represent wear and tear, and the addition of the pre-coloured photoetch detail parts included in the ‘ProfiPack boxing, very nice representation (of the cockpit is achieved. The instrument panel can be builtin either of two ways, You can use the decal that is supplied inthe kit or the pre-painted Photoetched parts. ‘The pre-painted photoetch parts were chosen in this case and a nice result was achieved, Photoetched seat belts were also supplied in the kit, and these were now attached to the pilot seat after gently being bent to shape. The clear part (J1) representing the fuel ine that runs down the starboard side of the cockpit was brush-painted Gunze H413 RLM 04 Yellow and after drying was attached to the cockpit tub which was then installed in the starboard fuselage part after it had been sprayed RLM 66. efore the fuselage halves were joined, the Instructions noted that two small fille? ‘maintenance caps needed to befilled on the starboard fuselage half for the G6 model. One is near the very top of the prt, the other on the lower Portion. These were masked with some Tamiya tape around the edge of them, and then the area was filed with some Gunze 500 putty. After drying, the masking was removed, the putty was gently sanded and smoothed then polished to remove the engraved detail Page 46 Bag ayg iy iu tpg ei EN ngauu uit ate eR . "1:48 | AVIATION BF 109G-6 * Beery Peed ete y ‘ ike Ny 1 7 SS - Pajed7 yi ging GPT GNA ini TT1:48 | AVIATION BF 109G-6 The fuselage halves at this stage were being readied for joining, and dry fitting of the parts didn't show any areas of concern. Just remember the exhaust stacks you will have to paint frst and then attach from the inside. Just ask me as | nearly forgot to install them, but luckily for yours truly, no glue had been applied to the fuselage parts. There is also a disc that attaches at the very front of the fuselage halves and is the mount for the propellor. The hole for the propellor shaft may need slight reaming with a round file togeta good ft for the propellor shaft. In as much as for filler on the fuselage halves, some small light smears of Tamiya White Putty was required on the main spine of the aircraft in one or two places, some was also needed justin front of the windscreen, and some further filler was needed under the very front of the fuselage halves up near the propellor. Nothing too major, just smal areas that needed smoothing off to get a nice finish. The main wings went together perfectly and no filler was needed. When fitting the main wings to the fuselage there was a small gap that was encountered in the wing root area, but by applying glue to this. Renter ue piesa eel Pee enn unas frees cite area then gently bending the wings upward and holding them in place withsome Tamiya Tape the gap closed. Leaving the model to dry with the wings taped inthis position overnight was enough for the glue to set and everything was all neat and square. Bene tee ee neice cockpit tub installed, Huggy nic yt ug gH Ap ERG qua gy HLLvg utd ate RR "1:48 | AVIATION BF 109G-6 * CTE} Cer) EEE Benes ©The camouflage scheme of the Me-109sin Italian service was the same ‘as when the aircraft were used by the Luftwaffe. The only real ifferenceis that the German markings on the upper and lower wings, fuselage, and tailplane were painted out with RLM 84 (Therein lies another story see further!) and Italian nd wing rc” Camouflage Scheme. markings of differing types were applied in their place. Getting started, a pre-shading of themain panel lines was sprayed using Tamiya XF Flat Black. The next colour applied was the Gunze RLM 76 Light Blue H417 which was sprayed on the undersurface of the fuselage and wings, with the colour also extended up the fuselage sides and tailplane. Next came the camouflage scheme on the upper surfaces of the wings and the upper portions ofthe fuselage. For this, the scheme was sprayed freehand with Gunze H68 RLM 74 Dark Gray and Gunze H69 RLM 75 Gray. After this part of the camouflage scheme hhad dried the lower color of RLM 76 Light Blue was blended in to give a soft edge to the scheme. . } eM ap np pt v - Page as pia aN UM PUBL HNuaa tee tm 1:48 | AVIATION BF 109G-6 006 Wing a! Maen nat ALA res ecru MCN Get eee Each) Dee eater ne Pees Mea cree Perera eee Preuranits [cere Luckily for myself, when embarking decals performed flawlessly and. 3 ‘on this model for the Italian Air snuggled down onto the surface Force 100 Year Centenary issue of detail with only a minimum of decal the magazinean old ‘Aeromaster’ _setting solution. There were quite decal set: 48-007 was luckily a few stencils on the airframe and located in my ‘decal bank’ and thoughts were that they were never was stillin excellent condition going to end, but eventually they considering the set dated from ‘were all applied, and another gloss the late 1990s, Just to be sure, a coat was sprayed over the entire coat of gloss varnish was sprayed model to seal all the decals in, over them to ensure there were no ‘surprises’ when they were placed in the water for application. The Page 50 epg gagging ggg NER aut ARC aE GRA OHgu ptt cee RR . » "1:48 | AVIATION BF 109G-6 * This is where things started to get ‘on the upper and lower wing Sangyo Aqueous Acrylic paints interesting. The Me-109s after they surfaces, tai, nd fuselage sides is the paint of choice in my paint ‘were delivered to the Italian Air painted out and italian national stocks and H324 Light Gray was Force had their German markings ‘and squadron markings applied. very close to the color required + Information that could be located Abit greyish with alight green 5 during research into this from, tinge to it, Where the German wing several sources state that the paint markings would have been, and on color of RLM 84 was used. RLM 84 the fuselage sides and tailplane the is not listed on any German paint locations were masked and sprayed. charts and information from some After a few small adjustments and modelling associates was that the touch-ups, the entire model was color was very similar to RAF Sky. given a coat of acrylic gloss and left Yet, some RLM 84 paint chip images _todry fora day or so in preparation that were located online showed forthe decals. a Light Blue Greyish color. Gunze Cea Esser Ong Pete ees ready for the spraying of the CeCe, . Paget Tana abe cea CU vpTtg1 fi Tvs LEPINE citi ia Hogg UL igitagrf egy NLl OT TT 1:48 | AVIATION BF 109G-6 Final details and the model is under the thread and the heat will just about done, Thoughts were ‘make it tighten. Just make sure that the model was to be shown youdon't touch the thread asit as anew arrival in the Italian Ait will melt and undo all your hard Force and had only just started worki! The isolators on the aerial : service with the new owners, so wire were made using white glue weathering was to be minimal. The lightly touched onto the wire with a ‘aerial wire on the aircraft spine was toothpick, and after drying the wire applied using some smoke-colored and the isolators were painted matt invisible mending thread and black. Some cordite staining around attached using someCAglue.The the upper nose machine gun ports invisible mending thread is good and the familiar engine exhaust ‘towork with as you do not need staining on the lower fuselage was tohaveittaughtwhen applying it. sprayed usinga mixture of Gunze _silver the lightly dabbed in places After attaching, ifyouhaveaheat —_+H77 Tyre Black with a drop of Light _ where chipping would occur. source such as a soldering ron, or Brown added. To add some very Remember when doing this that even amatch thatis stillhot after _light paint chipping, asmall piece _lessis more. After that, the model itis blown out, you just place it of sponge was dipped in some ‘was considered done. 009-010 Starting on the camouflage scheme of RLM 74, 75 and 76. sgt tt git apg pny Page 52 Seung agatsquvidapiaianyQatar RR : "1:48 | AVIATION BF 109G-6 + O11 - 012 - 013 CUR ee Rene Cor Pekan ary neem were sprayed Gunze H324. 014-015 Neca Si Eee Rr) Pee tes eee Ease ne oes Cd Pe Tear Ree ean!i tc eR ge eM 1:48 | AVIATION BF 109G-6 ‘As mentioned earlier, this was my first German Me-109 aircraft that had been attempted with the RLM 74, 75 and 76 camouflage scheme. The result was acceptable, but the jewel in the crown was the Eduard! * ‘kt itself. Nice surface detall, great. fit of the parts and the ‘Profipack’ | boxing with the additional photoetch and paint masks make life so much easier in the detail areas. The final result | was very happy with and attempting another Me-109 kit from this manufacturer might be on the cards in the near future, i. | BIOOBo TRON POOTHIOOTeduard, LIMITED KURFORST | =—Bf 109K-4=—— finalized in 2093 BOX CONTENT : This edition is first release of the kit. ~Phot-eehed and pre-pated part forth tn all All plastic kit sprues are designed cat mass tor ey paming * 23 new ones. cals for? rng opions covering the Lat vata Aernain Nwtonale Repubbcana sera of heat www.eduard.com stage of Wi ‘ 5 2eduard, BEST BRASS AROUND Su- 76M V35 Zezda Cat. No. 36508 Cat. No. 36509 135 Cat. No, 36510 Release 2023/11 \ opr eduard.comulin * Deen TR A ee Cn ee eRe Sr eet et eae “The Regia Aeronautica entered the war on 30 June 1940 when Mussolini declared war against England and France. The Italians were very much a ‘Johnny-comelately’ ‘to the confict which was already nine ‘months old, but Mussolini's fierce Roman pride had been wounded again and ‘again by the tremendous successes of his erstwhile German protégé to the north. In ‘2 more practical vein, Mussolini was also keenly aware that the English considered the Mediterranean thelr own, and from the time he took power in 1922, his rearmament programs focused heavily on ‘capable naval units designed to challenge British naval supremacy. Unfortunately, While much attention was focused on naval rearmament,tallan aviation did not progress at an equivalent rate to the remainder of Europe, Apart from the spectacular mass fights ‘of General Balbo in the 1930s, the overall state of the Italian aeronautical industry hovered somewhere between mediocre and dismal atthe time italy entered the ‘war. The primary fighterin the Regia Aeronautica was the Fiat CR. 42, an extraordinarily capable aerobatic biplane, but hardly suited to the high speeds and. heavy firepower being introduced by other European nations. Another Flat design which was entering ‘widespread service, the monoplane G.50 Freccia, was. stout and sturdy aircraft but again handicapped by a relatively low powered Fiat A74 radial engine which gave the arcraft atop speed of approximately 290 mph. It was also poorly armed, with only two 12.7mm Breda SAFAT ‘machine guns. When compared to the contemporary BF 109E, which was capable ‘of approximately 340 mph and carried ‘two machine guns as well as two 20mm ‘cannon, the discrepancies are obvious. ‘The ircraft was delivered ina standard 7475/76scheme with German markings, ‘The well-known firm of Macchi was also supplying fighter aircraft to the Regla ‘Aeronautica as Italy entered the war. Their [MC.200 Saetta was an attractive and highly maneuverable monoplane of monocoque design, designed by the man behind the record setting MC.72 floatplane, Dr, ‘Mario Castoldi. The fighter had the same £870 hp Fiat A.74 engine asthe Fiat 6.50, but exceeded the top speed of that design by nearly 30 mph. It was stil lightly armed with two synchronized 12.7mm SAFAT machine guns in the upper cowling, but later variants introduced an extra pair ‘of guns in the wings. The MC.200 began ‘entering service in 1939, and saw front-line service across the entire Mediterranean, ‘and into Russia. This, then, was the ‘state ofthe art for the ‘gruppo caccia (fighter squadron) pilots as taly entered the ar war. Little action ‘of consequence took place until OctoberREFERENCE Two US pilots point othe iavol Rss" emblem ofthe Sq Gruppo on this abandoned BF1096-6 This Bf 1096-/trop, WNr 18152, was photographed a Aviano upon delivery in May 1943, # a puting qi yy oe TAR ae Ts ne ReonI MESSERSCHMITT BF-109. | 1940, but the situation changed rapidly at the end of that month, na show of bravado, Mussolini dispatched 48 Fiat .50s ofthe 20° Gruppo Caccia Terrestre and 50 Fiat CR.2s ofthe 18° Gruppo Caccla as the fighter elements ofthe Corpo Aereo Italiano... taly’s contribution to the Battle of Britain. And on 28 October he launched {an attack against Albania towards Greece, expecting to overwhelm the relatively poorly equipped Greek forces ‘Mussolini had not anticipated such a strong Greek response, however, and his ‘numerically superior and better equipped forces were positively routed... the Greeks not only pushed the ttalians out of Greece proper by early November, but continued their offensive into Albania, driving the disorganized and demoralized italian troops before them. Back in Belgium, where the C.A1. was conducting operations against the British Jn conjunction with Luftwaffe forces, the situation was litle better. The nimble Fiat fighters were no match for the faster and mote heavily armed Hurricanes and Spitfires ofthe British defenders, and the Fiat BR.20 Cicogna bombers were litle better than sitting ducks when flown against the fierce British defenses. By January 1941, the remnants of the Corpo ‘ereo Italiano were on their way home to sunny Italy, having had their fill of the cold, dank English Channel weather as wellas the stout resistance of the English defenders themselves, The same imbalance in combat presented itself Wherever the Regia Aeronautica faced theirfoes, and the hard lessons were not entirely lost on the Italian high command. New fighter designs were urgently needed on the frontline, but the Italian engine manufacturers were having great ditficuttes in getting decent power and reliability out of the various liquid cooled, in-line engine designs currently under development. ‘These difficulties led directly to an agreement between Alfa Romeo and Daimler Benz to produce the DB 601 ‘engine under license. This engine was to power the improved Macchi MC.202 Folgore, one of the most capable aircraft ‘to enter Italian service during the war, as well as the Reggiane Re 2001. In true Italian fashion, the aircraft were elegant ‘and viciously aerobatic, but very labor- intensive to build, and the campaigns for Malta and in North Africa through, 1941 and 1942 had resulted in significant attrition. By February 1943, with the withdrawal from North Africa and the increasingly heavy Allied attacks on Italy, ‘a concerted effort was made to obtain a number BF 109s from Germany in addition toa large number of other types to bolster the Regia Aeronautica’ forces Ironically, Alfe Romeo had proposed license production of the BF 109 s far back {as March 1940, based on the enthusiastic reports of Italian airmen who had tested ‘anumber of Bf 109s, but the request ‘was denied and Alfa Romeo turned to production of the outmoded Fiat G.50.EIEN TS SO Dea ee oe eee ee eed Page 2 . Mn eT 10010] 900107EAApAEMTOTOpOHTHNOCUETApUetgeesUC popes NARA NEELYS ATRYN TENTHS ET LNGD | MESSERSCHMITT BF-109.- ~ 2) The earlier, vaguely phrased assistance requests of February were gradually refined intoa firm request for 300 BF 109s which was ultimately granted by Hitler 25 a personal favor to is fellow dictator Mussolini, over the objections of Géring who protested that such a delivery would significantly impact the Luftwaffe. The first 109s arrived on 19 April, anda total of approximately 122 8f 109s had been received by the time the Armistice was signed on 3 September. The following types were recelved: BF 109F-4 15 Bf 1096-26 Bf 1096-4 10 Bf 1096-6 and G-6y/trop 91 ‘The 150° Gruppo Autonome Caccia Terrestre independent fighter group) was the fist to receive the Bf 109, withthe 363, 364%, and 365° Squadriglia (squadrons) being fully equipped with several of each variant. The 9° and 10° Gruppo also ‘operated the Bf 109, with the 73¥and 84" Squadriglia giving up their Macchi C202 fora number of Messerschmitts. This arrangement did not last long, however, as these units were ordered to transfer their aircraft to the 23° Gruppo for use by the 70» Squadriglia on 20 June, with the two 4 Stormo units transitioning to a newer Macchi fighter, the C.205. The lat Regia ‘Aeronautica unit to receive the Bf 109 was the 3" Gruppo, with the 153%, 154%, and 155+ Squadriglia receiving 23 Bf 1096-4s and 6-65 from ING 53 on 22 May 1943, Honors forthe fist Italian Messerschmitt ictories fell to363 Squadriglia, wth Ten, Ugo Drago and Ten. Giovanni Chiale fling victory claims in the first major US attack ‘on Pantelleria on 9 June 1943. Drago, flying Bf 1096-6 363-7,, downed a Spitfire Vb from the 308th FS, 31st FG flown by ‘stLt. Stanley E, McMann, who was later rescued. Drago and Chiale were shortly set upon by other 31st FG aircraft, with CChiale claiming a Spitfire for himself while Drago was shot down, but successfully balled out and returned to his unit. The Pantelleria ralds were a precursor to an invasion which began on 11 June, and both the 3° and 150" Gruppo were heavily involved in the fighting over the next few weeks as the Allies eventually seized control of the small island between Tunisiapoint that on 9 July, one day prior to the. surprise Allied invasion of Sicily there were 2 total of six operational Messerschmitts between both groups. There were another 15BF 109s in various states of repalr, but no spares were forthcoming from German supply depots to fx them; there was a reat deal of mistrustat the command level ofthe talan units, and the Luftwaffe commanders sought to dictate the pace and location of talian operations by doling ‘ut spares and supplies as they saw fit. Cn the talian mainland, the 70° Squadriglia at Cerveter received the last twelve Bt 109s relinquished by the 4° Stormo in ealy July, and they were Immediately put to use in the defense cof Rome, but this small force was soon hitled down toa single Bf 109 by early September. Negotiations were still underway forreplenishments, but the Atmistice of 8 September brought a crashing halt to these discussions. ter 2a nine-month period of adjustment, the F109 re-entered Italian service within the newly created Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana (ANR), with I Gruppo Caccia (Gr relinguishing their Fiat 6.555 for Bf 1096-65 taken from 3G 4 By late une the Gruppo was declared combat ‘ready, and the fist victories for the newly reequipped unit were claimed on 24 June 1944 over P-47 Thunderbolts of Groupe de Chasse V5 ‘Lafayette south of Ovada, No Thunderbolts were actually harmed inthe ‘making ofthese claims, however It seems the evasive maneuvers ond sooty exhaust oftheir R:2800 engines running at ful ich ‘mixture gave the appearance ofa smoking, cout of control aircraft. The remainder of June brought numerous losses due both tocombat and accidents, but no further Victories forthe italian plots The ist actual victories tobe attributed toll” Gr. occurred on 5 July when eight f 1096s attacked a formation of 8-25 -itchell medium bombers from the 340th 1G over Ostiglia, and two ofthe bombers were forced to crash-land at theirbase due tothe damage incurred from the -Messerschmitt.On 11 July Cap. Mario Bellagambl of GEC. shot down a single Frenchflown 8-26 Marauder from GB i/20"Bretagne, while one further 8.26 ined damage wouldbe acter {further victories, downing a pair of 8-24 Liberators on 20 July and claiming another ‘two the following day, although only one infact was downed on the 2st. By the end of the month, the balance sheet, forll Gr. was decidedly lopsided, having lost nine pilots and 15 aircraft for very few confirmed successes II GEC. spent much of [August training and regrouping from the heavy fighting during July, but then found themselves grounded on 25 August thanks toa particularly distasteful and ignorant undertaking by the Germans called Operation Phinix (Phoenix). Briefly, the Germans sought to disband the ANR and bring all italian units under German control due to constant shifts and infighting among the Italian high command. As such, the italian pilots and ground crews were read a flowery proclamation inviting them ‘tojoin the italian Legion, and the various trappings of Italian service (such asthe flag and uniforms) would be done away with. Whatever accusations might be leveled at the Italians for their bureaucratic fumbling, ‘they are an immensely proud people and it Is almost inconceivable that anyone would expect this plan to have worked. Despite promises, cajoling, and even threats of deportation, very few of the ANR's 2300 front-line personnel opted to join this “Legion: When word of this treachery reached Mussolini, he immediately sought tostop the operation, and slowly things began to return to some semblance of normalcy - with the exception that the ANR units were now unable to fly. l1Gr.C. had sixteen of thei Bf 109Gs repossessed by the Luftwaffe, and the units remained ‘grounded for nearly two months while Permission was sought to resume operations. At ong lst, I1Gr.C. rejoined the fight on 19 October and unleashed a furious attack fon a formation of 319th and 320th BG 8.26 Marauders which saw atleast three bombers downed in flames for the loss of only one italian pilot. However, there was still much to be learned for the ANR pilots; a particularly embarrassing fight on 31 October saw two US P-47 Thunderbolts engage almost the entire Il Gr. with the two P-47 pilots downing a pair of IMesserschmitts and cleanly escaping, albeit with some damage. November saw ‘the unit's strength continually increasing, ‘two 8-24s downed on 3 November, and three B-26s shot down on 5 November. ‘The Gruppo transferred from Vilafranca to Aviano on 12 November, and offered heavy resistance once again toa raid on 7 November with two B-17s and two escorting P-S1sfalling to the ANR pilots for the loss of two Messerschmitts. The Increasing effectiveness ofthe Italian defenders was not going unnoticed by Allied commanders, and a heavy bombing raid against Aviano the next day resulted inthe destruction of 6 BF 109s and damage to fourteen more, along with significant damage to the airfield itself. By the beginning of December, II” Gruppo moved from Aviano to Lonate Pozzolo while further training took place atthe old base. ‘Another move on the 17th saw ll GC. relocate to Thiene, and the unit would receive a most unwelcome Christmas present from eight P-47 Thunderbolts of the 347th Fighter Group which discovered Thiene and the essentially unprotected Messerschmitt. Aftera short while, fourteen of the Gruppo's new Bf 1096-14s ‘were reduced to smoldering wrecks. This turned out to be something of a blessing in disguise, asthe unit was now shortlisted to begin receiving the far more powerful BF 1096-10, 11 of which were delivered between 26 and 30 December. By the turn of the new year,” Gruppo had begun receiving Bf 109s as well, with 8 of 18 BF 1096s being listed as serviceable on 24 December. January 1945 was marked byan extended period of bitter winter ‘weather which restricted operations until the 20th, when 11 Gustavs were to be ferried from Lonate and Ghedi to Aviano in icing conditions. This group had the misfortune to encounter several US P-475 ‘and lost one aircraft shot down with the pilot being killed, while a second BF 1096, ‘White 5‘plloted by Ten. Volpi, managed to ‘escape his pursuers and reach Aviano, The rrext day, |Gr.C. began arriving at Bergamo with their Bf 109Gs and the Gruppo was fully established in theatre by the end ‘of February. Among the equipment of Gr. were three Bf 109K-4sas well as ‘numerous Bf 109G-10s.IIGr.. received a fresh contingent of G-10s in early February, land underwent a unit redesignation as ‘well the three constituent Squadriglie ‘were renumbered from 1,2, and 3*to4", neon d es itu vapeetcvagnearovaessyucigussyoc4qcezua cea yestoencaeegeesMrneyenenedcges geese gegevens UT Page 61ulead iat ~ “MESSERSCHMITT BF-109- Luftwaffe unit structure. A sharp combat between IIGr.C. and P-47s ofthe 57th Fighter Group on 4 February saw one Thunderbolt downed by Cap. Bellagambi and another Thunderbolt downed by a young Serg, Gualberto Benzi of I Gr. inhi first combat. Combat engagements continued over the next few days, with a ‘major encounter on 12 February seeing several Gustavs sustain heavy damage from the defensive fire of 10th BG B.25 Mitchells. One pilot, Ten. Leandro Bonara (of 6 GrC., was shat down and Killed in Bf 109G-14 WNr 464414, Two more Bf 1095, ‘were lst on 21 February with no offsetting victories, thus closing out the month for the unit on alow note. '3 March saw another running battle with I! Gr. facing an attack by British and South ‘African B-26 Marauder units with a small Spitfire escort. One ofthe Spitfires from 4 (SAAR) Sqn. was shot down with the plot successfully parachuting, then the Messerschmitts turned their attention to the bombers. Seven bombers were claimed by the ‘overly optimistic Italian pilots, while in reality none were lost; several did sustain damage, and at least one managed to spoofits assailant with a well-timed cloud cof propaganda leaflets causing the Italian pilot to believe his target had exploded! Two BF 109s were ost with ther pilots, with another three suffering varying degrees of damage. Much worse was to follow on 14 March, when I" Gruppo undertook their first operational mission since returning from thelr conversion courses in Germany. After attacking a formation of 321st Bomb Group 8-25 Mitchells escorted by eight. US P-47s,1Gr.C. was virtually decimated, losing three Bf 1096-10s shot down and six others heavily damaged due to accidents or forced landings. Three pilots were killed and the commander, Magg. Adriano Visconti, suffered wounds and was forced toball out of his aircraft after ahead-on attack against one of the P-47s (his was lone of the three G-10s lost on the mission) The 23rd saw the more experienced I GrC. in combat once again, with Cap. Ugo Drago downing a 79th FGP.47D and another pilot downing a 310th 8G 8.25), against no Italian losses. 2 April 1945 saw the virtual elimination of II°Gruppoas a fighting force after being bounced by the P-47s of the 350th Fighter Group. A series of vicious battles resulted Inthe loss of no less than fourteen Bf 1096s, including six plots killed and two wounded, and the Gruppo did not ight, fen masse again until 19 April On this date, ‘Maga. Miani ed Il Gr. in an attack against what was presumed to be an unescorted flight of 40th 8G 8-25s. However, the Messerschmitt pilots were surprised obits bgt tii by the rapid appearance of eight P-51D Mustangs from the 317th FS, 325th FG led by 1Lt Frank Schaefer. In the combat which followed, 1Lt. Schaefer downed the BF 1096-10 of Serg.Magg. Bianchini who successfully bailed out, while Lt. Bagley downed the BF 109s of Ten. Betti and Serg Renato Patton and Lt. Frank Bolek downed Serg.Magg. Zanardi in his Bf 109K-4. One further loss was Millo Covre, being shot down and slightly burned by Lt. Bagley. Ten days late, the war was over for I" ‘Gruppo Caccia when Magg, Visconti was forced to sign a surrender with local partisan groups which would ostensibly protect his men from reprisals. His actions ‘ver the past few months in conducting searches of local homes for abducted (or deserting unit officers had created a significant amount of hatred towards him personally, however, and both he and his aide, Ten. Stefanini were brutally ‘executed after having been tried by a partisan ‘court in absentia, On 24 Apri, the men of i” Gruppo Caccia flew their Messerschmitts to Orio al Serio toturn them over to the Germans, while those in the ll" Gruppo Caccia never fully completed their transitional traning. Thus ‘ended the career of the Messerschmitt BF 109 in Italian hands, not with a bang, but a whimper,