The Little World

Note to readers:  This post went out in error several days ago – it was shelved and reopened today, to provide the final chapter. Wheter that makes any sense or not is debatable, but then this is me writing and you reading…

See, I didn’t go mad after all. Or madder, if you want to be particular with your words. The Middle Stone/Dark Earth/Azure Blue did have a place on the Veltro after all.

After 1945, that is – The Royal Egyptian Air Force needed new aircraft if they were going to trounce those upstart Israelis, so they bought Italian Macchi MC 205’s. Of course they made use of ex-RAF Spitfires and other British warplanes as well, as did the other Arab states. For that matter, the Israelis cobbled together a pretty varied set of planes for the IDF as well – and in the end do not seem to have been trounced…

I am delighted with the Azure Blue underside of this plane – I only wish I had mixed this colour up earlier when painting Mediterranean Theatre aircraft. I’m afraid I may have followed profiles or artist’s work that was not terribly accurate. However, as the planes are destined for the Stein’s Air World museum, and museum restorers can be notoriously off the beam, I will let things stand as they are.

The Italeri firm did not let me down with this model – it was precise enough and easy enough to yield to three days of intense effort with a good result. The fact that it was in the cheap end of the price range was also a pleasant thing.  I have full confidence in them.

Now I need to find an Avia 199 or a clipped-wing Spitfire to even out the presentation. Or this might be a good time to build a P-51 D in something other than standard WWII livery. I’ve even got a decal sheet with blue stars…